Guwahati, Oct 30: The Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) has urged UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, to encourage Bangladesh’s interim government to establish a UN human rights office with full access to the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs). Türk’s visit to Bangladesh follows mounting appeals for international intervention, spurred by reports of human rights violations against indigenous communities in the region.
The RRAG stressed that the Bangladesh government has yet to disclose findings from an investigation, led by Chittagong’s Additional Divisional Commissioner Mohammad Nurullah Noori, into recent violence affecting indigenous populations in areas like Dighinala, Khagrachari, and Rangamati. This violence, occurring between September 19 and October 1, led to at least four indigenous deaths, 75 injuries, and widespread destruction of property, including homes, businesses, and Buddhist temples.
Interim Chief Advisor Dr. Mohammad Yunus has stated that addressing these issues will be the responsibility of the next elected government. However, RRAG emphasized the immediate need for a UN presence to protect indigenous Jumma communities facing aggression from military personnel and settlers in the region.
The RRAG also raised concerns about increased violence against the Hindu minority in Bangladesh. Reports from the daily Prothom Alo recorded 1,068 homes, businesses, and 22 places of worship damaged between August 5 and 20, while the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad documented over 2,000 incidents of communal violence in the same period.
RRAG Director Suhas Kumar Chakma expressed disappointment with Dr. Yunus’s decision to defer implementing the CHT peace accord to the next government. Chakma criticized Dr. Yunus’s comments alleging that recent violence against minorities stems from their perceived allegiance to the Awami League, and noted the lack of investigation into these incidents. He also highlighted the absence of religious minorities and indigenous representation on the newly formed Constitutional Reforms Commission, describing it as an example of exclusionary practices.
The group also voiced concerns over the judiciary’s compromised independence in Bangladesh. Recently, five Supreme Court judges, including the Chief Justice, were removed, and twelve High Court judges were restricted from performing their duties following student-led protests. According to Chakma, judges now face public threats of “mob justice” if they release individuals connected to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina or the Awami League, which jeopardizes fair legal proceedings.
This erosion of judicial independence has affected criminal prosecutions, with 1,94,000 individuals implicated in 268 First Information Reports (FIRs), including 54 journalists accused of reporting perceived as favorable to the previous government. Chakma called for a committee to review these FIRs to prevent wrongful mass prosecutions of unnamed individuals.
Meanwhile, RRAG expressed alarm over the release of 43 high-profile criminals, including Ansar al Islam’s leader Mufti Jashimuddin Rahmani, despite serious charges. This group includes Abbas Ali (“Killer Abbas”), Sheikh Mohammad Aslam (“Sweden Aslam”), Imamul Hasan Helal (“Picchi Helal”), and Sanjidul Islam (“Emon”), all of whom have been on the Ministry of Home Affairs’ top terrorist list since 2001. RRAG warns that this disparity in justice jeopardizes the rule of law and public safety, risking further harm to innocent citizens.
