Human Rights Watch on Thursday said that the interim government鈥檚 arbitrary targeting of former ruling party supporters failed accountability.
鈥業nstead of pursuing its pledge to reform the criminal justice system and bring accountability for serious abuses, the government, led by Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, is attempting to suppress the rights of supporters of the deposed leader, Sheikh Hasina, and the Awami League party,鈥� said HRW in a release shared on its website.
On May 12, the interim government ordered a 鈥榯emporary鈥� ban on the Awami League, using newly introduced powers under a draconian amendment to the Anti-Terrorism Act.
The ban includes, among other actions, meetings, publications, and online speech supporting the party, the release said.
鈥楳eanwhile, draft legislation to address enforced disappearances which were widespread under the previous government does not meet international standards and scarcely addresses accountability for past crimes,鈥� it added.
鈥楽heikh Hasina鈥檚 government abused legal powers to silence political opponents, but using similar methods against the supporters of Awami League would also violate those same fundamental freedoms,鈥� said Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch.
鈥楾he draft legislation on enforced disappearances, on the other hand, does little to advance justice or provide answers for the hundreds of victims and families affected by disappearances under Hasina鈥檚 rule.鈥�
After three weeks of protests in which around 1,400 people were killed, Sheikh Hasina鈥檚 government was toppled on August 5, 2024.
The interim government led by Yunus pledged to restore democratic principles and respect for human rights before holding a free and fair general election, the release said.
The new government has taken several positive steps, but these recent measures are disappointing, it added.
