The summary, based on information and assessments by the organization’s various expert groups, also includes recommendations made to the government by former High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet during her visit to Bangladesh. Most of the recommendations made by Bangladesh to the UN delegation to Bangladesh during the third UPR have not been implemented. Bangladesh said it had taken up 178 recommendations and highlighted the institutional and legal measures taken to implement them.
Michelle Bachelet had expressed concern about enforced disappearances and torture at various levels of government in Dhaka and made recommendations in this regard. This is noted in the UN note, which calls for an independent system of investigation to investigate allegations of enforced disappearances, so that experts can work closely with victims of enforced disappearances, their families and civil society. Can. He also called for a strict selection process for security forces. This information package from the UN Human Rights Council indicates that during her visit, Michelle Bachelet discussed an impartial, independent and transparent investigation into allegations that ministers were involved in harassment, as well as security sector reforms . However, not much was revealed about this during his visit.
This information package takes into account various inputs, observations and recommendations from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) and the Committee against Torture (CAT). CAT has called for an invitation to visit Bangladesh to the nine Special Rapporteurs appointed to investigate and evaluate human rights issues. The High Commissioner sought an opportunity for the Working Group on Enforced Disappearances to visit Bangladesh. CAT has called for strengthening the independence of the National Human Rights Commission and opening up for investigation the various places where people are detained.
CAT has expressed concern over the indiscriminate arrest of political opponents and protesters and called for ensuring their fundamental rights. They are prepared to prevent custodial deaths under any circumstances and to ensure adequate health care during detention and to allow surprise visits to detention centers by representatives of independent monitoring agencies.
CAT expressed concern over harassment, indiscriminate arrests, violence and ill-treatment towards civil society representatives, lawyers and journalists who criticized the authorities. Accordingly, the Committee has called for amendments to the ICT Act and legislation relating to foreign grants. The High Commissioner also mentioned the limited space for civil groups to work, excessive control over NGOs and curtailment of freedom of expression. They also called for a halt to all persecution against the human rights organization Odhikar, which was cooperating with various United Nations processes or expert groups regarding enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.