Groups claiming links to ISIS, Al-Qaeda behind BD terror attacks: US State DeptThe US State Department says groups claiming affiliation to Islamic State and al-Qaida were responsible for some high-profile attacks in Bangladesh in 2016.

Bangladesh government dismisses such claims as publicity stunts by home-grown Islamist radical groups like Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh JMB, who it holds responsible for such attacks.

The US State Department in its "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2016" says: "Extremist organizations claiming affiliation with Da’esh (Islamic State) and al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) increased their activities in the country (Bangladesh), executing high-profile attacks on religious minorities; academics; foreigners; human rights activists; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) community members; and other groups."

The report said that the government responded with a strong anti-militancy drive under civilian authorities that, it says, maintained effective control over the security forces.

But it pointed to allegations of increased extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions for the purpose of extortion, enforced disappearances, torture, and other abuses of human rights.

The State Department report also blamed the Bangladesh government for using "counterterrorism efforts to justify restrictions of civil and political rights."

Key observations of the report:

>> The most significant human rights problems were extra judicial killings, arbitrary or unlawful detentions, and forced disappearances by government security forces; the killing of members of marginalised groups and others by groups espousing extremist views; early and forced marriage;   gender-based violence, especially against women and children; and poor working conditions and labour rights abuses.

>> Other human rights problems included torture and abuse by security forces; arbitrary arrests; weak judicial capacity and independence; lengthy pretrial detentions; politically motivated violence; official corruption; and restrictions on online speech and the press.

>> Authorities infringed on citizens’ privacy rights. Some nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) faced continued legal and informal restrictions on their activities.

 

>> Discrimination against persons with disabilities was a problem, especially for children seeking admission to public school. Instances of societal violence against religious and ethnic minorities persisted. Discrimination against persons based on their sexual orientation increased.

>> There were reports of widespread impunity for security force abuses.

 

The report blamed the government for taking, what it describes as 'limited measures' to investigate and prosecute cases of abuse and killing by security forces, including through the Internal Enquiry Cell of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).

"Public distrust of police and security services deterred many from approaching government forces for assistance or to report criminal incidents. In several instances, the government blamed victims of extremist attacks, increasing the impunity of attackers."

The report talked of continued tensions in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT).

"Societal tensions and marginalization of indigenous people continued in the CHT as a result of a government policy during the 1973-1997 low-level armed conflict, there of relocating landless Bengalis from the plains to the CHT with the unstated objective of changing the demographic balance in the CHT toward a Bengali majority, which displaced tens of thousands of indigenous persons."

It said: "The internally displaced persons in the CHT had limited physical security. Indigenous community leaders maintained that settlers’ violations of indigenous persons’ rights, sometimes with the involvement of security forces, were widespread."

The State Department report said that between 200,000 and 500,000 undocumented Rohingyas are present in Bangladesh.

It blamed the Bangladesh government for not allowing "registered or unregistered Rohingya formal and regular access to public health care."

The report makes a very strong indictment of the judiciary in Bangladesh.

"Corruption remained a serious problem within the judiciary and was a factor in lengthy delays of trials, which facilitated witness tampering and intimidation of victims. Several reports by human rights groups and corruption watchdog groups indicated continued public dissatisfaction with the perceived politicization of the judiciary. The government subjected the judiciary to political pressure, and cases involving opposition leaders often proceeded in an irregular fashion."

 

bdnews24.com