BANGLADESH

Dhaka denounces US State Department’s 2023 human rights report

Criticising the recently released US State Department’s 2023 Human Rights Report, a foreign ministry spokesperson on Thursday said it is apparent that the report mostly relies on assumptions and unsubstantiated allegations.

“As such, some of the inherent and evident biases in the reporting pattern are quite evident,” said spokesperson Seheli Sabrin at a press briefing at the foreign ministry in Dhaka.  

She said the allegations are drawn from local and international non-government organizations (including anonymous sources), many of which are supported by the US government or related entities. 

Regrettably, she said, many of the improvements and achievements of the Bangladesh government have not been acknowledged in the report. 

“On the other hand, isolated and unfounded allegations continue to be flagged as part of a systematic trend”, she added.

Reading out a written statement, she said the report would make it evident that it is replete with references to individual reported or alleged incidents that were used to draw broad, generalized inferences. 

“The Government of Bangladesh takes note of the US State Department’s release of the Country Report on Human Rights Practices, 2023 and appreciates continued interest of the US administration in Human Rights situation across the globe,” according to the statement. 

Seheli said, “No matter how much we aspire, human rights situation is not perfect anywhere in the world. Though human rights are non-hierarchical, fulfillment of them can be incremental as socio-economic constraints often put limit to the pace of realizing those rights.” 

Bangladesh government has been doing its best to uphold human rights of its citizens. Indeed, under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, human rights situation has significantly improved in Bangladesh, she continued.

Mindful of the areas that need further improvement, the current government, during its consecutive terms in the office since 2009,  continued to invest in realizing meaningful advancement in human rights situation, she said. 

The spokesperson said any discerning observer would notice that such efforts resulted in significant improvement in women empowerment, gender parity, children’s rights, rights of elderly persons, workers’ rights, grievance redressal, access to justice, religious freedom, freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom of assembly and so on and so forth.

“It is to be made public yet again that contrary to what the Report claims, the former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia is a convicted person with suspended sentence under the Executive authority, and is definitely not under any form of ‘house arrest”, she said.

One of the gross missing elements in the report is about the systematic campaign launched last year by the anti-state and anti-government elements during the lead up to the 12th National Elections in order to create unrest, violence and anarchy under different pretexts and using diverse interest groups, she added. 

While the report alleges the law enforcement for use of excessive force in some cases, it fails to reflect the violence and vandalism perpetrated by BNP and its political allies, which often disrupted lives of general people and resulted in damage of public and private property. 

“It is ironic that when the State was engaged in protecting public life, order and property against such orchestrated campaign, it has been held responsible in the Report for even taking recourse to some lawful actions and remedies”, the spokesperson said.

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