[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 170 (Monday, October 23, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S6711]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               BANGLADESH

  Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, in correspondence with officials of the 
Government of Bangladesh over a period of several years and in 
conversations with officials of our own State Department, I, like many 
others, have raised concerns about enforced disappearances, arbitrary 
arrests, unfair trials, extrajudicial executions, and other flagrant 
violations of the rule of law by the government of Prime Minister 
Sheikh Hasina Wajed and particularly by the Rapid Action Battalion, 
RAB.
  Like the inquiries and appeals of others, my concerns have been 
responded to by Bangladeshi officials with blanket denials, 
obfuscation, and even falsehoods.
  Despite such attempts to deflect responsibility, it is beyond a doubt 
that the rule of law is often violated by Bangladeshi law enforcement 
agencies. This conduct has become so ingrained that it is not an 
overstatement to describe Prime Minister Wajed's government as one that 
condones state-sponsored criminality.
  Of course, the government would vociferously reject such a 
characterization, insisting that individuals who have disappeared were 
kidnapped by militants or joined extremist groups or simply claiming 
that their whereabouts are unknown to the government. The problem is 
that there is often credible eyewitness testimony to the contrary or 
those responsible for the abductions have identified themselves as 
members of one of the security forces, the RAB being the most 
notorious.
  The State Department's latest Country Reports on Human Rights 
describes the situation in Bangladesh as follows: ``Human rights groups 
and media reported that multiple disappearances and kidnappings 
continued, some committed by security services. The government made 
limited efforts to prevent or investigate such acts. The United Nations 
Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances contacted the 
government on March 9 concerning the ``reportedly alarming rise of the 
number of cases of enforced disappearances in the country'' and had 34 
outstanding cases under review as of May 18, but the working group did 
not receive a response. Following alleged disappearances, security 
forces released some individuals without charge, arrested some, some 
were found dead, and others were never found.''
  The State Department also cited the practice of torture of detainees 
in Bangladesh: ``Although the constitution and law prohibit torture and 
other cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment or punishment, local and 
international human rights organizations and the media reported 
security forces, including RAB, intelligence services, and police, 
employed torture and physical and psychological abuse during arrests 
and interrogations. Security forces reportedly used torture to gather 
information from alleged militants although members of political 
opposition parties claimed that security forces also targeted activists 
within their parties. Security forces reportedly used threats, 
beatings, kneecappings, and electric shock, and law enforcement 
officers sometimes committed rapes and other sexual abuses. Two 
prominent human rights organizations stated that security forces 
tortured eight persons to death in the first nine months of the year.''
  The situation has not improved since the State Department published 
that report earlier this year. Just last week, seven senior 
representatives of an opposition political party were arrested in 
Dhaka. Their whereabouts, conditions of confinement, and the evidence 
against them remain a mystery.
  This egregious situation has been cited by the European Parliament, 
the United Nations, Human Rights Watch, and other reputable human 
rights monitors; yet the government of Prime Minister Wajed rejects 
such admonishments out of hand as fabrications or an infringement of 
sovereignty. Not only do these practices violate the rule of law, they 
threaten democracy itself. Bangladesh does face a serious problem of 
violent extremism, which must be effectively addressed, but if peaceful 
expression and association that challenges government policies or that 
condemns corruption and police misconduct are equated with terrorism 
and responded to with threats, arbitrary arrests, and disappearances, 
extremism will increase, and democracy will suffer.
  Other international organizations and governmental bodies have urged 
the Government of Bangladesh to respond to calls regarding dozens of 
cases of disappearances and to permanently dismantle the RAB and 
suspend other law enforcement agencies that have engaged in such crimes 
until credible investigations of such cases are conducted and those 
responsible are appropriately punished. I echo those calls and do not 
support further U.S. assistance for such agencies until the necessary 
steps are taken.

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