Dhaka [Bangladesh], February 7 : A mob in Bangladesh has demolished the Dhaka family home of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and properties owned by some of her relatives. Leaders of Hasina's Awami League party were also targeted by the mob.
The attack, a so-called bulldozer procession, was announced and shared on social media. Desptie that authorities were still unable to protect the properties.
In August 2024, Hasina stepped down after 15 years of repression, including torture, extrajudicial killings, and enforced disappearances. Protests led by students, described by many as the Monsoon Revolution, eventually forced her into exile in India. Hasina's Awami League party government, which had remained in office through consecutive unfair elections, attempted to quell the protests with excessive force, leading to over 800 deaths.
The vandalism came as Hasina was going to address her supporters online. There is growing demand in India to repatriate Hasina. But the Indian government will be required, under international standards, to evaluate risks ahead of extradition.
The interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus has embarked upon reforms to repair institutions, including the justice system. It is also taking steps towards accountability for rights violations and corruption, and has pledged credible elections.
Nevertheless, the Yunus administration is under pressure from increasingly restless citizens, including political groups, students, or families of those harmed during the Monsoon Revolution. While it is facing a campaign of misinformation about alleged abuses against religious and ethnic minorities, it has yet to successfully reassure minority groups, particularly Hindus, who fear attacks. The military is obstructing access to sites of previous unlawful detentions and destroying evidence, apparently to protect its image.
The Yunus government should propose a consensus resolution at the upcoming United Nations Human Rights Council session in March to request technical assistance, further investigations, and monitoring and reporting by UN-backed human rights experts. The resolution should also acknowledge the tyranny of the previous administration and recognise positive human rights steps taken by the interim government.
Bangladeshis, anxious to see justice done, should support a UN-backed mechanism that can help secure a democratic future instead of succumbing to a cycle of violence and revenge.
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