United Nations calls for dissolution of RAB, restriction of BGB and DGFI to border duties

The United Nations Human Rights Office, or OHCHR, has issued a series of recommendations addressing human rights violations in Bangladesh, highlighting concerns across the country’s security forces, judiciary, political system, and economic governance

The report, released on Wednesday, recommends abolishing the Rapid Action Battalion, or RAB, as well as limiting the Border Guard Bangladesh, or BGB, to border security, and the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence, or DGFI, to military intelligence.

“Abolish the RAB and return personnel not involved in serious violations to their respective units,” the OHCHR said, reports bdnews24.com.

The report also recommends restricting the BGB to border security and the DGFI to military intelligence, with their resources and legal authority clearly defined.

At the same time, the OHCHR has called for preventing military control over Ansar-VDP and limiting its role to auxiliary support for law and order.

The report urges restrictions on the use of armed forces for security operations, stating that they should be deployed for internal security only in exceptional circumstances and for a limited time. It calls for the swift passage of an ordinance to formalise this limitation.

The OHCHR says it is prepared to provide technical assistance to Bangladesh in implementing the report’s recommendations across various sectors.

The report documents human rights violations in Bangladesh between Jul 1, 2024, and Aug 15, 2024.

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk presented key findings from the report at a media briefing in Geneva on Wednesday.

The OHCHR launched an investigation into Bangladesh in September at the request of the interim government led by Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus.

The inquiry was led by Rory Mungoven, head of the UN Human Rights Office’s Asia-Pacific Region, and included human rights investigators, a forensic doctor, and a weapons expert.

The report's summary outlines a series of human rights violations committed by law enforcement and state investigative agencies.

The UN also recommended revisions to Bangladesh's police regulations, noting that the current framework fails to align with international human rights standards.

The report said, “The amendments should include specific guidelines on the use of metal shot or other lethal ammunition to disperse crowds.”

It also called for an immediate halt to the practice of equipping police and other security forces with metal shot and shotgun ammunition as part of public order management tactics. The report recommended limiting the supply of armour-piercing ammunition to military and paramilitary units.

The UN has called for a greater focus on public order management training, specifically on techniques for pacifying crowds using less lethal methods and equipment, alongside improved communication strategies.

The report also recommends replacing the Metropolitan Police Ordinances and the Police Act of 1861 with new legislation based on the 2007 draft Police Ordinance.

The recommendation calls for the establishment of a National Police Commission, composed of government representatives, opposition parties, and independent members, including civil society. This body would oversee a fair, transparent, and merit-based process for police recruitment, promotions, transfers, and removals.

The UN has also advocated for the creation of an independent police commission to replace the current Police Oversight Unit, emphasising that it should operate outside the police chain of command in Bangladesh.

When reached for comment, Home Affairs Advisor Jahangir Alam Chowdhury did not answer his phone.

CHAIN OF EVENTS

The report states that in response to the escalating tensions surrounding the anti-quota movement and state violence, some protesters resorted to violent actions, primarily targeting government buildings, transport infrastructure, and police forces.

“On the evening of Jul 18, 2024, the government directed security forces to intensify their use of lethal force against protesters,” the report states.

From Jul 19, 2024 until the conclusion of the protests, the BGB, RAB, and police forces “indiscriminately used lethal force” against demonstrators in Dhaka and other locations, the report states, resulting in numerous extrajudicial killings and injuries, including those of journalists covering the unrest.

“In some instances, security forces intentionally opened fire on unarmed protesters at close range. However, violent measures by police and paramilitary units failed to suppress the protests and instead intensified the demonstrators' anger,” the report adds.

The UN report, which references the imposition of a curfew on Jul 20, 2024 and the deployment of the army, states: “In some cases, soldiers fired blank shots at protesters, which did not result in fatalities or serious injuries; only one protester was extrajudicially killed.”

Citing witness accounts, the UN reported that on Aug 3, 2024, during a meeting attended by the army chief, junior officers resisted orders to use firearms against civilian protesters, refusing to open fire on the demonstrators.

The report also underscores the "full authorisation" granted to the police and RAB to open fire during the blockade of the Dhaka-Chattogram highway on Jul 20, 2024 and Jul 21, 2024.

The report says, “There were casualties. In late July, the army also participated in a large-scale operation, during which the police and RAB arrested numerous individuals indiscriminately to control the mass protests.”

It further reveals that testimony from former senior officials indicated that the army, BGB, and police were involved in creating a government plan to prevent the Dhaka March called by protesters on Aug 5, 2024 through force. According to the plan, the police shot and killed many protesters, while the army and BGB largely remained passive, allowing the protesters to continue their movement without interference.

INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES’ INVOLVEMENT

The OHCHR report also outlines how intelligence agencies were involved in suppressing the movement.

It says, “The DGFI, National Security Intelligence [NSI], and the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre [NTMC] – along with the police’s Special Branch, Detective Branch, and Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime [CTTC] unit – were directly involved in human rights violations under the pretext of quelling the protests.”

“They violated the right to privacy by sharing surveillance data across agencies and, by late July, launched a widespread campaign in favour of indiscriminate arrests.”

The report highlights that the police detectives resorted to “arbitrary detention and torture” to extract information and confessions from detainees. It states: “The CTTC headquarters was used as a detention centre for arbitrarily held individuals, including children.”

“The Detective Branch and DGFI jointly abducted student leaders, detained them, and used force to pressure them into abandoning the movement.”

In addition, the report states that DGFI, NSI, and Detective Branch members “obstructed” life-saving medical treatment for the injured.

It says: “They frequently interrogated patients in hospitals, arrested wounded individuals, and intimidated healthcare workers.

“Despite these actions, legal authorities or the judiciary failed to take any effective measures to halt the practice of arbitrary detention and torture. No officials involved in these violations were held accountable.”

The intelligence agencies were also involved in concealing these “systematic and organised” human rights violations, according to the report.

“The NTMC collaborated with the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission [BTRC] to enforce ministry directives, preventing protesters from using electronic communication to organise their activities.”

“People’s right to exchange information related to violence via the internet or social media was restricted.”

The report alleges that the DGFI, NSI, and RAB pressured media outlets not to fully or objectively report on mass protests and their suppression.

“The DGFI, in coordination with police, used intimidation to silence victims, their families, and lawyers.”

Based on direct testimonies from senior officials and other internal sources, the OHCHR concluded that police, paramilitary, military, and intelligence officials, along with individuals linked to the ousted Awami League, systematically coordinated and carried out human rights violations using violent measures.

The report states: “These actions were carried out with full knowledge, coordination, and directives from the political leadership. The then-prime minister [Sheikh Hasina] and home minister [Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal] oversaw and directed the activities of the security and intelligence branches. They received regular reports from multiple sources detailing the actual situation on the ground.”

Citing testimonies from senior government officials, the report states: “In late July and early August, senior officials provided the Prime Minister with reports specifically raising concerns over the excessive use of force. Political leaders, as well as police and military officials, personally visited sites to assess the human rights violations.”

“Despite this, the political leadership directly authorised and issued directives approving the operations carried out by the BGB, RAB, DGFI, police, and intelligence units.”

“These forces became involved in grave human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings and indiscriminate detentions of protesters and ordinary citizens.”