Dhaka: UN experts have called on the interim government of Bangladesh to ensure that the upcoming elections and referendum are conducted in a manner that is ‘genuinely free, fair, safe and inclusive,’ emphasizing the importance of upholding human rights for all citizens as the nation heads to the polls on Thursday.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the experts stressed the necessity of safeguarding freedom of opinion and expression, access to information, and media freedom as essential components for a free and fair election and meaningful political discourse. They expressed deep concern over increasing intolerance, threats, and attacks on journalists, human rights defenders, civil society actors, women’s groups, and minorities, as well as the violence and killing of political activists with impunity in recent months.
The UN experts include Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; Gina Romero, Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; and Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders. They urged the interim government to ensure that security forces uphold international human rights standards and respect citizens’ right to participation, with accountability under civilian and judicial oversight.
The experts also criticized the Electoral Commission’s failure to address significant breaches of the electoral code by political parties and its inadequate preparedness to combat the surge of disinformation on social media platforms. They recommended that the interim government collaborate with social media companies to counter false information while safeguarding media access and providing the electorate with reliable, detailed, and factual information.
Furthermore, the experts highlighted the absence of election-specific protocols to protect journalists and civil society amidst existing threats and hostility. They urged the government to implement protection measures for journalists, human rights defenders, civil society observers, women activists, and minority groups, and to halt arrests under repressive laws and desist from arbitrary detention and intimidation.
The UN experts called on political parties and candidates to avoid spreading disinformation or inciting hostility, discrimination, or violence, particularly against women and minorities. They emphasized the significance of the election, which follows a mass uprising that ousted an authoritarian regime, as a pivotal moment for establishing a society based on human rights and the rule of law.
The statement concluded with an appeal to the new executive to foster conditions that promote tolerance of dissent, media freedom, pluralism, access to information, and gender equality for democracy to flourish in Bangladesh. The experts have been in communication with the Bangladeshi government regarding these issues.