The report found patterns of security forces deliberately and impermissibly killing or maiming protesters, including incidents where people were shot at point-blank range. While the strongly worded findings attribute most of the violence to government security forces, the report also raises concerns that the new interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, did little to prevent violent attacks on religious minorities – specifically Hindus and Ahmadiyya Muslims – as well as individuals identified as supporters of the Awami League after Hasina was forced to step down on Aug 5. The report also validates India’s repeated claims of targeted attacks on Hindus and temples.
The UN report was requested by Bangladesh’s ‘caretaker’ leader Yunus, who said that he and his interim government remain committed to transforming Bangladesh into a country in which all its people can live in security and dignity. The true test of this commitment lies in the measures taken to ensure that the country’s minorities, Hindus included, enjoy the same rights, liberties and protections as its majority Sunni population. This includes not only bringing those responsible for the attacks to justice but also implementing institutional reforms to provide minorities with greater security. There is no room for state violence in a democracy.
