ARTICLE 19, a human rights organization based in the UK, has called for the creation of concerted and effective national mechanisms in Bangladesh to ensure the accountability in implementing the recommendations of the third cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

The rights body promoting freedom of expression and the protection of journalists around the world has also called for specific progress to be made public in the implementation of the commitments made by the Bangladesh government four years back to improve the human rights situation.

The government of Bangladesh during its third UPR at the 39th session of the UNHRC in Geneva on 20 September 2018 accepted 178 recommendations from other UN member-states, of which at least 25 recommendations were related to strengthening the protection of freedom of expression, said ARTICLE 19 on Tuesday.

Read: National plan of action needed to counter hate speech: ARTICLE 19

The government will have to submit a national report on implementation progress and existing impediments in June and participate in the review in November of the next year, it said.

Faruq Faisel, regional director for ARTICLE 19 South Asia, said during the 39th session of the UNHRC on UPR, a high level of concern was raised about the potential misuse and abuse of the proposed Digital Security Act (DSA) 2018. 

The government has informed the visiting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet that the committee submitted a report on the matter, he said, adding that “ARTICLE 19 demands that this report to be made public and the repressive sections identified in the law to be repealed immediately.’’