Bangladesh's dismal human rights record even murkier in 2019

A suspect inside a vehicle following a court verdict last October that sentenced 16 people to death over the murder of a 19-year-old female student who was burned alive last April in a crime that provoked outrage across Bangladesh. (Photo: AFP)

Rights activists including a leading church official have blamed poor law enforcement, a culture of impunity and negligence by state agencies for the increasing violations of human rights in Bangladesh.

In 2019, Bangladesh faltered in stopping human rights abuses such as extrajudicial killings, rape and sexual violence and curtailing of freedom of expression, according to a report by Ain-O-Salish Kendra (ASK), a rights watchdog based in Dhaka, published Dec. 31.

The human rights situation overview was based on media reports and ASK investigations.

Bangladesh recorded 388 extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in 2019, slightly lower than 466 cases in 2018, the ASK report said.

Rape cases almost doubled, from 732 in 2018 to 1,413. A total of 76 women were killed after being raped and 10 committed suicide, the ASK report revealed.

Some 487 children were killed and 1,696 were tortured in 2019, up from 419 and 1,011 respectively in the previous year.

A total of 1,087 children were raped or sexually assaulted, a massive rise from 444 cases in 2018.

Mob beatings claimed 65 people, most under the suspicion of being child kidnappers.

A total of 142 journalists were abused and harassed by law enforcement agency members, influential people, public representatives, miscreants and ruling party leaders and activists, mostly by exploiting repressive sections of the 2018 Digital Security Act.