UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein has condemned the alleged extra-judicial killings of suspected drug offenders in Bangladesh, and urged the authorities to ensure that the “serious human rights violations are immediately halted”, an official press release noted
At least 130 people have reportedly been gunned down by security forces in Bangladesh over the past three weeks and more than 13,000 arrested. The killings began after the government announced a “zero tolerance” policy to confront the growing consumption of Yaba drugs in the country. A senior Bangladesh Minister had earlier told The Hindu that most of the perpetrators are arrested than killed.
Mr. Hussein, however, said in a strongly worded statement that he was “gravely concerned” with the situation in Bangladesh.
“The government reaction has been to assure the public that none of these individuals were ‘innocent’ but that mistakes can occur in an anti-narcotics drive… such statements are dangerous and indicative of a total disregard for the rule of law. Every person has the right to life. People do not lose their human rights because they use or sell drugs. The presumption of innocence and the right to due process must be at the forefront of any efforts to tackle crimes,” Mr. Hussein said.
Mr. Hussein expressed concern that already vulnerable communities living in slums were particularly being targeted and had been subjected to numerous raids, the official release said.
Last week a host of human rights activists and civil society representatives told The Hindu that they are “appalled” by the nature and scale of police-driven violence. Minister of Information in Bangladesh Hasanul Haque Inu, however, stressed on how the operation was being “misrepresented in the media.”
“Let me underscore that there are 13,000 arrests so far. The kingpins are already behind bar and thus the media cannot locate them and make a hue and cry about few deaths due to exchange of fire,” the Minster told The Hindu. He said about 3,000 cases were disposed off through “speedy trial.”
