HRW concerned over random killings by Bangladesh security agencies

Human Rights Watch (HRW) report has revealed that Bangladeshi security forces have frequently used excessive force in responding to street protests, killing at least 150 protesters and injuring at least 2,000 since February 2013.

HRW report 'Blood On The Streets: The Use of Excessive Force During Bangladesh Protests' documents cases in which police, paramilitary Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) has opened fire into crowds or has beaten protesters in a brutal and unlawful manner.

HRW also claimed the killing of at least a dozen members of the security forces and police officers over the course of the protests, as well as three members of the ruling Awami League party.

However, the Bangladeshi authorities have made no meaningful efforts to hold members of the security forces accountable.

HRW said that the Bangladeshi government should appoint an independent commission to investigate the deaths of dozens of protesters, including children, and prosecute anyone responsible for unlawful killings.

The security forces have used First Information Reports (FIRs) against unknown assailants for arbitrary arrests of scores of individuals, thought to be Jamaat supporters, HRW blamed.

Meanwhile, HRW has also documented a shrinking space for media and civil society to independently report on the protests.

HRW called on the government to publicly order the security forces to follow the United Nations Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials.