Guwahati, Jan 20: The Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) has strongly criticized British MP Rupa Huq for her “tendentious and misleading” comments on the Commonwealth All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) report on Bangladesh. The organization accused Huq of dismissing documented human rights violations and defending Bangladesh’s Interim Government without factual basis.
According to The Guardian, Huq questioned the objectivity of the APPG report, published in November 2024, and singled out RRAG for alleged bias. However, the RRAG, in a formal email to APPG Chairman Andrew Rosindell, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Indo-Pacific Minister Katherine West, and all House of Commons members, refuted these claims, stating that its findings are backed by incontrovertible evidence that can withstand any judicial scrutiny.
The APPG report detailed widespread human rights abuses under the Interim Government in Bangladesh. Some of the key revelations included mass persecution of political opponents – Cases filed against 194,000 individuals, primarily from the Awami League (AL), based on data from the Manabadhikar Shongskriti Foundation and reported in The Daily Star targeting of journalists – at least 54 journalists perceived as AL supporters were charged with various offences, including genocide and crimes against the state, state-backed violence against protesters – A petition filed on January 6, 2025, accused former PM Sheikh Hasina and 344 MPs of attempting to kill a protester, which RRAG called an abuse of the legal system and attacks on religious minorities – the Bangladesh Hindu, Buddhist, Christian Unity Council reported 2,010 incidents of violence, including murder and rape, between August 4-20, 2024.
“There is not a single claim in the APPG report that cannot stand judicial scrutiny, yet MP Rupa Huq, for reasons best known to her, is defending human rights violations under the Interim government,” said RRAG Director Suhas Chakma.
The RRAG emphasized that independent global organizations have corroborated the APPG’s findings.
Amnesty International (Sept 20, 2024) – Condemned military-led attacks on Indigenous communities.
Minority Rights Group International (Sept 24, 2024) – Highlighted state-sponsored violence in Chittagong Hill Tracts.
UN Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Rights (Oct 14, 2024) – Called for an impartial inquiry into reported atrocities.
Despite these global reports, Huq dismissed the documented abuses, allegedly relying on oral complaints from Dr. Mohammed Yunus, the Chief Advisor of Bangladesh’s Interim Government, during her visit to Dhaka on January 5, 2025.
RRAG accused Huq of overlooking the Interim Government’s crackdown on dissent while attempting to discredit the APPG report.
“The Interim Government has gone beyond its mandate and is now operating as a de facto ruling government, delaying elections until mid-2026. It must be held accountable for its actions, and Western policymakers should not give it a free pass simply because it is headed by a Nobel Laureate,” Chakma asserted.
Adding weight to RRAG’s claims, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, after his visit to Bangladesh on October 30, 2024, warned: “Criminal cases should not be filed against individuals solely based on their political affiliation. There are concerns that many charges lack proper investigation, particularly murder charges against journalists. It is crucial not to repeat past patterns of repression.”
The RRAG has urged the UK Parliament and the British Government to reject Rupa Huq’s misleading statements and reaffirm the integrity of the APPG report, hold the Bangladesh Interim Government accountable for its human rights violations and ensure that human rights concerns are not dismissed due to political convenience.
“Any government—interim or elected, led by a Nobel Laureate or an Ayatollah—must be held accountable for human rights abuses without exception,” RRAG declared.
