Universal Periodic Review (UPR) has commended Bangladesh’s human rights record particularly its progress in ensuring labour rights and workplace safety.  And offered some homilies.

Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of human rights in Bangladesh undertaken by a working group of the UN Human Rights Council has asked Dhaka to thoroughly investigate all the incidents of abductions, enforced disappearances, torture and extrajudicial killings.
This is the third review of B’desh’s human rights records. The group also called for probing the alleged involvement of law enforcement agencies. “Bring perpetrators to justice” it said at the end of UPR on May 14th. Bangladesh’s first and second UPR reviews took place in February 2009 and April 2013, respectively. It commended Bangladesh for its efforts in promoting and protecting human rights. And acknowledged that Bangladesh made progress in ensuring labour rights and workplace safety and recommended improving labour issues.
The UPR is a unique mechanism of the HRC aimed at improving the human rights situation in each of the 193 UN member states. The review is taken up every five years. Forty-two states are reviewed each year during three Working Group sessions dedicated to 14 states each.
Law Minister Anisul Huq led the Bangladesh delegation to UPR session. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam, Senior Secretary of Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division Mohammad Shahidul Haque, Bangladesh Permanent Representative to UN in Geneva Ambassador Shameem Ahsan and representatives from various government offices participated in the event.

The UPR is a unique mechanism of the HRC aimed at improving the human rights situation in each of the 193 UN member states. The review is taken up every five years. Forty-two states are reviewed each year during three Working Group sessions dedicated to 14 states each.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has found fault with the official presentation to the UPR. Its contention was that Dhaka highlighted only positive steps but failed to respond to pressing human rights concerns in the country.
“Law minister Anisul Huq speaking for the government, highlighted only what the government considered to be positive steps and glossed over concerns about critical issues such as enforced disappearances, secret and arbitrary detention, extrajudicial killings, and a crackdown on freedom of speech and association,” said an HRW statement remarking that the Bangladesh government should use the Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council “as a time for reflection, not self-congratulation.”
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Bangladesh should show its commitment to human rights by giving full consideration to the recommendations from other countries and accepting those that would significantly improve its compliance with international human rights standards, it said.
The HRC members urged Bangladesh to review the media law, including the digital security and ICT acts, to decriminalise defamation and ensure freedom of expression. They recommended protecting journalists and human rights defenders from harassment and investigating violations against them.
Increase transparency in the recruitment of migrant workers to combat forced labour and human trafficking, the UN body said. It advised the Hasina government to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT).
Another recommendation asked Bangladesh to continue fighting violence against women and children, guarantee the full realisation of their human rights, including their sexual and reproductive rights, and end all forms of discrimination and violence against LGBT people.
It said Bangladesh should make primary and secondary school compulsory irrespective of gender, ethnicity; explicitly prohibit corporal punishment, and amend the child marriage restraint act prohibiting child marriage without exception i.e. “special circumstances”.

-Yamaaraar