Bangladesh army carried out textbook style execution of 3 UPDF cadres, alleges Chakma pressure group

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaNovember 1, 2024

The Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) has alleged that the Bangladesh Army, through its sponsored vigilante groups, executed three unarmed members of the United Peoples Democratic Front (UPDF) in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs).

According to RRAG Director Suhas Chakma, the killings of Manya Chakma, Kharaksen Tripura, and Parantu Chakma in Khagrachari district were intended to divert attention from ongoing human rights abuses in the troubled region. This statement comes ahead of a visit by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, who is viewed by victims of global human rights violations as a vital advocate for justice.

In a communication sent to Turk on October 31, RRAG argued that these extrajudicial executions by the Bangladesh Army-sponsored groups were a tactic to manipulate the narrative around the human rights situation in the CHTs. Chakma criticized the Bangladesh Army’s conduct, describing it as an institution that operates “as a law unto themselves” and warning that it would likely deny direct involvement, citing the use of sponsored vigilantes to distance itself from the incident.

The RRAG appealed to the UN to recognize and address the human rights issues in the CHTs, stressing that the High Commissioner’s visit should not be undermined by actions aimed at deflecting scrutiny of abuses in the region.

Chakma highlighted what he described as a media bias in Bangladesh, accusing prominent Dhaka newspapers of framing the recent killings of indigenous activists in the CHTs as an internal issue within indigenous communities rather than implicating the Bangladesh government or military.

According to Chakma, this selective coverage diverts attention from alleged human rights abuses by the Bangladesh Army and state-sponsored vigilantes. He lamented that the press downplays violence against indigenous peoples when carried out by illegal settlers or military forces, only giving prominence to reports when they can be portrayed as internal conflict among indigenous groups.

Chakma’s remarks come as Bangladesh faces increasing international scrutiny for violence against indigenous peoples, with condemnations issued by the United Nations, Amnesty International, and Minority Rights Group International. The RRAG specifically alleged that recent extrajudicial executions, including those on October 30, were orchestrated under high-ranking military officials in Khagrachari, pointing to a systemic policy of using state-sanctioned vigilantes against indigenous activists in the CHTs. Chakma named Brigade Commander Brigadier General Mohammad M H Chowdhury and Colonel Abul Hasnat Jewel as officials involved in these recent and past incidents of violence, asserting that such actions are executed under directives from the top levels of the Bangladesh Army.

The RRAG urged the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk to press Bangladesh to grant access to international human rights investigations in the CHTs. They called for an inquiry with UN technical support to examine the functioning and existence of armed vigilante groups, aiming to dismantle what the RRAG describes as a “state policy” of militarizing these groups. Furthermore, the RRAG recommended that Brigadier General Chowdhury and Colonel Jewel be barred from UN peacekeeping roles, citing the UN’s 2012 Human Rights Screening Policy.