There were no significant changes in the human rights situation in Bangladesh last year, said the 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices in Bangladesh by the US government.
The report stated that there were numerous reports of widespread impunity for human rights abuses.
“In most cases, the government did not take credible steps to identify and punish officials or security force members who may have committed human rights abuses,” read the report, published by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor of the US government.
The report, launched by Secretary of State Antony Blinken early on Tuesday, highlighted that significant human rights issues in Bangladesh included credible reports of arbitrary or unlawful killings, including extrajudicial killings; enforced disappearances; torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment by the government; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions.
The issues also include arbitrary arrest or detention; serious problems with the independence of the judiciary; political prisoners or detainees; transnational repression against individuals in another country; arbitrary or unlawful interference with privacy; and punishment of family members for alleged offences of a relative.
At a briefing, Robert S Gilchrist, senior official in Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labour, said “With regard to Bangladesh, we had the visa restriction policy that was announced in May 2023, implemented before the elections with the hope of reducing violence to deter actions that could undermine the democratic election process. I have nothing new to announce at this time, but as is our longstanding practice, we don’t often preview actions with regard to policy or with regard to visas. But we have repeatedly expressed concern about the efforts by the government to repress freedom of expression – including from members of the press – freedom of association, and other fundamental freedoms and human rights, and that remains a continued concern of the United States.”
