Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) on Sunday said, the entirely peaceful, non-violent, and apolitical anti-discrimination student movement has faced severe and imposed violence over the past two weeks, resulting in an unprecedented and tragic loss of hundreds of lives and a pervasive reign of terror.

This has involved a series of brutal killings through the unlawful use of lethal weapons and excessive force by law enforcement agencies, said the anti-corruption watchdog.

The situation has been marked by arbitrary legal actions, indiscriminate attacks, mass arrests during block raids, illegal detentions, and torture by the Detective Branch (DB) under the guise of security.

There have also been unjust warrants, threats both online and offline, and systematic violations of constitutionally guaranteed human rights, including freedom of speech, the right to protest, and freedom of association.

False narratives and fabrications have been used to justify these illegal actions, protect the true perpetrators, and target innocent individuals, exacerbating the crisis and heightening public concern, insecurity, and mistrust.

Independent assessments reveal that at least 200 students and ordinary individuals, including children, teenagers, journalists, and professionals, have been killed by law enforcement agencies due to the random and indiscriminate abuse of power and excessive use of lethal weapons.

At least 213,000 individuals have been implicated in over 200 cases in the capital's police stations alone. Despite repeated government commitments to avoid harassing students, movement coordinators, and the general public, ethical considerations have been disregarded.

Students and people from various professions and backgrounds have been apprehended, abducted, and falsely accused, often detained in the middle of the night, despite clear evidence of their non-involvement in any violence or illegal activities. During remand, numerous individuals are reported to be suffering from physical and mental torture, TIB pointed out.

Staff and volunteers of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) are holding simultaneous Human Chains in Dhaka and 45 other locations across the country to demand immediate action and a clear, time-bound plan for implementation of the following demands.

1: Ensure proper accountability for human rights violations of all types and levels on the basis of a nationally and internationally acceptable investigation to be conducted by an entirely independent commission established and implemented at the initiative of the United Nations.

2: As a means to prevent any such human rights violations in the future the entire state structure must be overhauled including all institutions associated with the rule of law, particularly the law enforcement and intelligence agencies through an initiative grounded on national consensus.  

3: Law enforcement agencies must immediately stop harassment and brutality directed toward students and ordinary citizens. All detained students and ordinary citizens must be unconditionally released immediately, and all cases against them should be withdrawn.

4: All those responsible for the tragic deaths, illegal, arbitrary and motivated abuse of power, and the use of force and lethal weapons, must be identified and held accountable. Those responsible for ordering and approving this unprecedented brutality, which betrayed the spirit and aspirations of the Liberation War of Bangladesh, must likewise be subjected to exemplary accountability.

5: In this unprecedentedly tragic juncture of the nation's history, a comprehensive list of all the deceased and injured, categorized by age and occupation, must be released without delay.

6: Full medical treatment and safety of the injured must be ensured, along with guarantees of their return to normal lives.

7: Just and fair compensation and rehabilitation must be ensured for each victim and their families, and disclose the rehabilitation procedure to the public.

8: An environment must be created that is conducive to the free and unfettered flow of information. All direct and indirect threats, prohibitions, restrictions and controls against all media, including print, electronic, and digital, must be withdrawn without delay. All forms of internet and social media restrictions must be stopped immediately.

9: The deceptive strategy of suppressing dissent under the pretext of preventing violence or any other justification must be stopped immediately. The culture of surveillance-based intimidation against dissent, freedom of speech, and freedom of the media, which has created a nationwide sense of insecurity for all people, must be stopped. 

10: Immediately stop the practice of using fake and deceptive narratives and falsehood being used to justify illegal actions and ensure human rights, justice and accountable governance.

11: Move away from the rhetorical claims of zero tolerance against corruption and take effective actions  to eradicate the impunity of  all forms of corruption, particularly at high-level which is the main reason behind sustained governance failure and professional bankruptcy of state institutions that have contributed to the unprecedented human rights violations.

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