During a meeting with senior officials of international human rights organisations in New York, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus emphasised his government’s commitment to protecting freedom of speech and human rights.
Representatives from more than six important human rights organizations attended the meeting, which focused on justice and accountability for the crimes and human rights violations committed during Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule and the mass uprising in July and August.
We discussed the 3,000 extrajudicial killings allegedly committed during the dictatorship and emphasized the need for thorough investigations into them.
Leaders in the human rights movement have also demanded the repeal of the contentious Cyber Security Act, extensive security sector reforms, and increased openness in the examination of enforced disappearances.
They demanded unfettered access to the purported detention facilities housing the victims of these disappearances.
Kerry Kennedy, president of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, led a delegation that included Agnes Callamard, secretary general of Amnesty International.
Callamard urged the interim administration to “send a powerful message that this is a new Bangladesh.”
The chief adviser responded by outlining the deliberate suppression of civil liberties under the previous administration and outlining the measures his government has taken to address the issues related to human rights in the nation.
In order to implement significant institutional changes, he mentioned the formation of multiple commissions, one of which was devoted to police reforms.
Yunus declared, “We welcome feedback.” “This government won’t restrict any voices in the country and is committed to upholding freedom of speech.”
Speaking at the meeting were Julia Bleckner, a senior researcher for Human Rights Watch, and Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman, a former human rights activist based in Hong Kong.
