A report from the UN Human Rights Office reveals that 644 people were killed in turmoil in Bangladesh from July 16 to August 11. Thus, there have been demands for the probe into allegations of extrajudicial killings and arbitrary arrests.
It reveals that, between July 16 and August 4, 400 people died, and another 250 died during the fresh protests on August 5 and 6, which brought the downfall of erstwhile Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
As to the total of more than 600 deaths, the report claims that the true numbers may be camouflaged because of curfews and Internet restrictions that hinder information sharing. They get to the protesters, onlookers, media practitioners, and security forces, quickly overstretching the hospitals.
This was occasioned by the restoration of the civil service employment policy on job quotas, and this resulted in violent actions and gruesome violations of people’s rights by the security services. Volker Turk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, stressed responsibility and urged an open inquiry into these abuses.
While preparing the interim government, the report underlined a potential shift to build governance based on human rights and inclusion.
