Dhaka says a rights statement crafted by three UN special rapporteurs seems fraught with a desire to "malign" Bangladesh government with "false and fabricated" information.
"Their one-sided observations appear as ill-intentioned particularly in the context of the Government's active engagement with them," the foreign ministry said Tuesday in a strongly worded rebuttal.
A press release was published by the OHCHR on November 14, 2023 on its website, headlined 'UN Experts Urge Bangladesh to Seize Human Rights Council Review as Opportunity to Address Deteriorating Human Rights Situation'.
The observations came in the wake of political unrest over polls and labour protests on demand for wage hike, which were marked by sporadic outbreaks of violence and preventive actions.
"The press release compels the Government to raise question about the motive and content of the observations made by three UN Special Rapporteurs (SRs), namely Ms. Irene Khan, SR on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Mr. Clement NyaletsossiVoule, SR on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, and Ms. Mary Lawlor, SR on the situation of human rights defenders," the foreign ministry mentions in its statement.
The timing of the press note containing the remarks of the SRs as well as their possible intentions is "intriguing", it reads.
"They came up with their remarks on the country's human rights at a time when Bangladesh's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) has just been concluded on the previous day, i.e., 13 November 2023 and an overwhelming majority of countries appreciated Bangladesh for her key legislative, policy and institutional initiatives taken for advancing the enjoyment of human rights by its people while they made their recommendations."
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs takes exception to the content of the press note of the SRs and says it carries largely allegations against the Government on the human rights situation of Bangladesh particularly on the current labour unrest, political violence, and other individual cases such as those of Prof Mohammad Yunus, Adilur Rahman Khan and Rozina Islam.
"Bangladesh is a sovereign country where the rule of law prevails. Accordingly, the three cases are being dealt with by law courts of the independent judiciary where the Government has no scope of intervention.
mirmostafiz@yahoo.com