A group of UN experts on Thursday said the government of Bangladesh needs to fully restore the Internet and access to social media immediately and ensure that local and foreign media are granted full access to report on the developments without being attacked, threatened or pressured.
“The State must uphold people’s right to information. Total transparency and accuracy on the numbers of those detained, forcibly disappeared, killed or subjected to other human rights violations, as well as careful preservation of evidence is essential to ensuring accountability and restoring public trust,” the experts said.
They warned that while a recent decision by the courts to scale back the controversial quota system was an important step in the right direction, it will not be sufficient to restore the people’s trust and confidence in the government.
“To regain public trust, the Government needs to take responsibility and ensure a credible process of investigation and accountability to hold perpetrators to account,” the experts said. They are in contact with the Government of Bangladesh on this matter.
The experts are Cecilia Bailliet, Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity, George Katrougalos, Independent expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order, Morris Tidball-Binz, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Margaret Satterthwaite, Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Surya Deva, Special Rapporteur on the right to development, Farida Shaheed, Special Rapporteur on the right to education, Gina Romero, Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Aua Baldé (Chair-Rapporteur), Gabriella Citroni (Vice-Chair), Grażyna Baranowska, and Ana Lorena Delgadillo Pérez, Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances.
On July 18, 2024 the authorities shut down broadband and mobile Internet, preventing access to websites, social media and web-based mobile phone communications. This measure drastically restricted news coverage and access to information, said the UN experts.
Mobile phone communication has also been disrupted, effectively cutting off the country from the outside world. Broadband Internet was restored in select areas on 23 July.
“Prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigations in line with internationally recognised standards must be carried out into all human rights violations,” the experts said.