Asif Nazrul in Geneva: Govt committed to voting rights of CHT people

Law Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul joined UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk in Geneva as the UN Human Rights Fact-Finding Mission report on violations and torture during the July-August 2024 protests was presented. 

The event took place at 6:00pm Bangladesh time on Wednesday, March 5.

Following the presentation, representatives from various countries and organisations raised questions and opinions. 

Nazrul addressed two key issues: political violence against the Awami League’s former oppressors and elections in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

On the violence, he said, “There have been incidents targeting those linked to the Awami League regime, which tortured and killed people for years. This has led to some attacks. We condemn them, but most have targeted Muslims, with only a few involving minorities. Labelling this as an attack on minorities isn’t accurate—we have verified statistics to support this.”

Regarding elections in the hill tracts, Nazrul affirmed, “Our government is committed to ensuring every Bangladeshi’s right to vote, whether in the Chittagong Hill Tracts or elsewhere. A commission is already working on local government issues to uphold this.”

The day prior, it was announced that the report’s findings and recommendations for accountability, justice, and human rights reforms would be discussed with member states and civil society, with participation from Bangladesh’s interim government and civil society representatives.