Dhaka's election to UNHRC disproves BNP's propaganda on HR violations: Info minister

Bangladesh getting elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) with the highest votes has proved false the opposition BNP's propaganda that human rights are being violated in the country, said Information Minister Hasan Mahmud on Wednesday.

BNP and certain anti-national individuals and organisations are continuously spreading propaganda that human rights are being violated in Bangladesh, said the minister while talking to reporters at the Secretariat.

He said that these elements have been trying to create confusion by sending wrong information to different countries.

But Bangladesh has been elected as a member of the UNHRC, proving the propaganda false, he added. "Rather, it has proved that Sheikh Hasina's government is on the right track."

Bangladesh has bagged a "historic win" in the election for the membership of the UNHRC for the term 2023-25, securing 160 votes out of 189 that were cast in Tuesday's election.

This would be the fifth term for Bangladesh as a member of the 47-member UNHRC. It secured one of the four seats up for grabs for countries from the Asia Pacific Group, receiving the highest votes out of all the candidates in the region.

In fact the human rights were violated extremely in the country during the regime of military ruler Ziaur Rahman, the minister said, adding that thousands of army officers and soldiers were killed without trial during his time.

Even executions were carried out before the trials and these are documented, he added.

Thousands of Bangladesh Awami League leaders and activists were tortured and killed during Zia's tenure, Hasan claimed.

Following Zia's footstep, the government of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia was involved in the 21 August grenade attacks, killings of former finance minister Shah AMS Kibria, Awami League leader Ahsanullah Master and journalist Humyun Kabir Balu and many others.

Unfortunately, no trials were held in these cases, he added.

"We will present before the world how the BNP had violated human rights by killing people alive through arson attacks in 2013, 2014 and 2015," he said.

The minister also said the families of the victims, who were killed by Ziaur Rahman, formed an organisation named "Mayer Kanna" and are holding human chains at different parts of the country, including Dhaka, and Chattogram, demanding justice.

"I want to know how BNP leaders including Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will respond to this now," he said.

Regarding the ongoing protests of BNP, Hasan said if it tries to create anarchy in the name of divisional rallies, the government will take appropriate measures for the security of the people.

"And if the people resist, our party will also stand by them. Besides, by-elections will be held there if any lawmaker of BNP resigns," he said.