Universal Periodic Review: What the United States has recommended to Bangladesh

The United States has made three recommendations in addressing key human rights issues in Bangladesh during the Universal Periodic Review organised by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

The US has recommended the government to: 

• Hold security agencies accountable for human rights violations
• Ensure the safety of human rights leaders and labour rights leaders 
• Ensure free and fair trials for all citizens

Earlier, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) expressed serious concerns about reports of excessive use of force, extrajudicial killings, and enforced disappearances by officials in Bangladesh. 

Following the OHCHR's statement, the Committee against Torture and the Human Rights Committee have recommended specific measures. 

These include revising legislation to limit the use of force by state actors, ensuring prompt and thorough investigations into allegations of human rights violations, and holding perpetrators accountable. 

The UN human rights body also suggests Bangladesh to publish a list of recognized places of detention, prohibit enforced disappearance as a distinct crime, and ratify the International Convention for the protection of all persons from enforced disappearance.

The Committee against Torture also suggested that Bangladesh carefully review the application of the Anti-Terrorism Act and other relevant laws that might entail the imposition of the death penalty, in the light of its international obligations.