UNICEF suggests independent investigation on children killed during July protest
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UNICEF has suggested going for an independent investigation into the incidents of the alleged killing of children during the July-August protest in Bangladesh reported in the UN Human Rights Office’s fact-finding report.
These findings must horrify all, and UNICEF has appealed to all across Bangladesh to ensure “never again” must this be allowed to happen to children in Bangladesh.
The UN Human Rights Office on Wednesday disclosed its comprehensive report on the killings and injuries that occurred during the July-August massive protest, saying that more than a hundred children were killed in the massacre unleashed by ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina government.
The report on the tragic events that took place in Bangladesh in July and August 2024 is both shocking and heartbreaking. Among the 1,400 people the report estimates were killed between July 1 and August 15, more than a hundred of them were children, UNICEF Bangladesh said in a statement on Wednesday night.
UNICEF reported on many of these deaths and has continued to work on clarifying how many children were killed or hurt and has mourned each and every one of them.
Gender-based violence, including physical assaults and threats of rape, was also documented, aimed at deterring females from participating in protests. Children were not spared; they were killed, maimed, arbitrarily arrested, detained in inhumane conditions, and tortured.
In one harrowing case, a 12-year-old protester in Dhanmondi died from internal bleeding caused by 200 metal shot pellets. Another tragic incident involved a six-year-old girl in Narayanganj, who was killed by a bullet to the head while observing clashes from her rooftop.
On August 5, one of the deadliest days of the protests, a 12-year-old boy in Azampur described police firing "everywhere like rainfall," witnessing at least a dozen dead bodies, according to UNICEF.
In light of these findings, UNICEF, building on its previous statements on this tragedy, stressed the need for all policymakers in Bangladesh, political actors and officials to work urgently on three key aspects to help the children, young people and families of Bangladesh to heal and to move forward with hope.
In calling for accountability and reform, UNICEF has offered support to ensure there are-- independent investigations into all cases of violence, abuse, and unlawful detention of children.
Justice sector reforms that align Bangladesh’s legal framework with international standards for child protection and stronger safeguards to prevent future violations, including the establishment of independent monitoring mechanisms, it also suggested.
“Let us seize this moment for meaningful reform and ensure that no child, family and community in Bangladesh has to go through such tragedies again,” it said.