Dhaka, Aug 26 (V7N): Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged Bangladesh's interim government to pursue a resolution at the upcoming United Nations Human Rights Council session, calling for an independent investigation into recent grave abuses in the country. In a letter addressed to Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus and other interim government officials, HRW emphasized the need for accountability and ongoing monitoring of the human rights situation by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

The 57th session of the UN Human Rights Council is scheduled to begin on September 9. HRW has recommended that the interim government work closely with the OHCHR and relevant UN experts to establish an independent domestic inquiry into enforced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings that occurred during the 15-year administration of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. HRW suggests that this inquiry should operate with UN support to ensure independence and adherence to international human rights standards.

"Following Sheikh Hasina’s resignation amid mass protests, Bangladesh’s interim government has the heavy responsibility of accounting for the past to steer the country toward a rights-respecting future," stated Lucy McKernan, deputy director for the UN at HRW’s Geneva office. She urged the government to support a Human Rights Council-backed investigation into recent abuses and to seek UN backing for an independent domestic inquiry into rights violations during the previous administration.

HRW also called for urgent measures to bring civilian oversight to security forces, disband the Rapid Action Battalion, and reform institutions in line with international human rights standards. The organization highlighted the deadly crackdown on protests that led to Sheikh Hasina's departure as one of the most significant human rights crises in Bangladesh's recent history.

Additionally, HRW expressed concerns about the interim government potentially replicating the abuses of the previous administration, citing arbitrary arrests of Awami League officials, supporters, and journalists. The organization recommended that the interim government request the Human Rights Council to establish an independent mechanism to investigate and analyze evidence related to the July and August violence and its underlying causes.

"The council resolution should also mandate OHCHR to monitor the human rights situation in Bangladesh through the transition period until there are free and fair elections and report back regularly," HRW added. The organization stressed the importance of deep institutional reforms, security sector improvements, and justice system changes to bring about lasting human rights advancements in Bangladesh.

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