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a year ago

The year in review: 2022

ASK for ensuring right to peaceful assembly of people, political parties

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Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) demanded protection of the right to peaceful assembly of people and political parties.

It also demanded creating an environment to exercise this right.

Digital security laws that conflict with media and citizens' right to expression should be amended based on stakeholders' views.

The laws should provide instructions not to accept cases until those are amended.

The ASK made the demands in its report, titled 'Human Rights Situation of Bangladesh 2022, and Observation of the ASK', launched on Saturday in the city.

Any human rights violations committed by state forces such as extrajudicial killings, alleged disappearances, custodial torture and death have to be investigated, it strongly demanded.

The report said the engagement in politics or association is a constitutional right of people in Bangladesh

Arranging and participating in peaceful protest or expressing one's opinion is an exercise of democracy.

But it is very sad but true that the practice of democracy in Bangladesh is shrinking gradually, it said.

The section 144 has been issued at least 36 times this year. The section was imposed maximum 12 times in Chittagong Division.

Analyzing the data of political violence published in national newspapers, it has been seen that because of political issues and local elections, incidents of violence have occurred in almost all the districts across the country.

A total of 479 incidents of political conflict and violence occurred in 2022, of those some happened during local elections.

A total of 70 people were killed and about 6,914 were injured in those incidents. It should be noted that the most incidents of political violence occurred in Dhaka district. About 459 people were injured and three people were killed in 29 incidents in this district.

Besides, about 269 people were injured and two people were killed in 28 incidents in Cumilla district. About 332 people were injured and seven were killed in 25 incidents in Chittagong district.

Some 76 people were injured and seven people were killed in10 incidents in Bogra district due to political violence.

Despite demands from various sections to amend the Digital Security Act, there has been little visible progress in this regard over the past four years.

Rather, the regular abuse of this law is creating fear in expressing opinions.

Citing sources of the Digital Security Tribunal, the report said a total of 2,249 cases were filed under the Digital Security Act in Rajshahi, Chittagong and Dhaka divisions in 2022.

On the other hand, the government has taken initiatives to tighten the control of online or digital media.

This year, 65 people died due to various causes, including illness, in 21 prisons of the country, it also said.

Like previous years, this year too, women faced different kinds of tortures, including rape, sexual harassment, and domestic abuse.

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