GRAVE violations of rights witnessed during the student movement for reforms in quota for public service leading to the overthrow of the authoritarian regime of the Awami League should be addressed with a credible investigation by holding all perpetrators to justice. When the now-deposed prime minister of the Awami League government in July 16鈥�21 allowed law enforcers to use lethal weapons against unarmed students and ordinary citizens, more than 200 people were killed and several thousand injured. At least 92 people, including 14 police personnel, were killed across the country on August 4. There are allegations that activists of the Awami League were involved in fatal attacks on students as the law enforcers played the role of silent spectators. In this period, the law enforcers arrested at least 6,000 people centring on the protests and consequent unrest and many were tortured in custody and denied access to legal counsel. Protesting students injured in police violence and minors were not also spared from this arrest spree. The harassment and intimidation of the injured while being treated in hospital are also reported. The new government should establish legal liability for the recent massacre in protest policing to facilitate a meaningful political transformation in the days to come.
The overthrown authoritarian regime has relied on deceit and lies to avoid shouldering the responsibility for the violence that it unleashed against protesters in July and even instructed hospitals not to disclose information on the death and injuries. The first and foremost step that the new government should take is to publish, expeditiously, a full list of all those killed and injured in violent policing. There are reports that the injured are denied treatment or are hesitant to seek treatment in hospital to avoid arrest. The interim government needs to take steps to ensure access to medical care and cover all medical expenses for the victims. Mayer Daak, a platform of mothers, sisters, and daughters of all who have been victims of enforced disappearances in the past decade, has already put out a call on August 5 for a safe return of their loved ones. According to human rights monitors, security forces have committed more than 600 enforced disappearances since 2009. While some people were later released, produced in court or are said to have died during an armed exchange with security forces, about 100 people remain missing. In this context, rights organisations have repeatedly questioned the neutrality and efficiency of the legal system, given that law enforcement agencies remain at large despite allegations against them of arbitrary arrest, custodial torture or extrajudicial killing.
The interim government must establish justice and legal accountability for the recent massacre and immediately form an independent commission, ensuring citizen鈥檚 participation and following international protocols to investigate such violent policing of protests.