UNICEF calls for justice over July killings

The United Nations Children's Fund, or UNICEF, has described the findings of the UN Human Rights Office’s report on human rights violations during the July-August protests in Bangladesh as “heartbreaking and alarming”.

In a statement on Thursday, Rana Flowers, UNICEF’s representative in Bangladesh, said: “Let us seize this moment for meaningful reform and ensure that no child, family, and community in Bangladesh has to go through such tragedies again.”

The UN Human Rights Office published its fact-finding report on Wednesday, detailing large-scale human rights violations committed between Jul 1 and Aug 15, 2024, amid protests initially focused on quota reforms but later evolving into a movement against the government.

The report says the former government of Bangladesh, along with security and intelligence agencies, and violent elements linked to the Awami League, were systematically involved in serious human rights abuses during the student-led protests.

It also claims the killings during the crackdowns were conducted under the “direction and supervision” of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her top officials.

According to a senior official cited in the report, the then-prime minister personally ordered the killings.

During a meeting on Jul 19, she allegedly instructed senior officials to “arrest the ringleaders of the protests, kill them, and dispose of their bodies.”

The UN report suggests that the mass killings of unarmed civilians could be considered “crimes against humanity” under international law, and many cases may fall within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, according to United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.

The report estimates that 1,400 people were killed between Jul 1 and Aug 15, including more than a hundred children.

It says 78 percent of the victims were killed by firearms, with 60 percent being hit by ammunition typically used in warfare.

UNICEF, which had earlier reported on many of these child deaths, said it continues to work on verifying the total number of children killed or injured.

Flowers said: “Gender-based violence, including physical assaults and threats of rape, was also documented, aimed at deterring females from participating in protests. Children were not spared; they were killed, maimed, arbitrarily arrested, detained in inhumane conditions, and tortured.”

Providing examples of some harrowing incidents from the UN report, UNICEF said: “A 12-year-old protester in Dhanmondi died from internal bleeding caused by 200 metal shot pellets.”

“In another tragic case, a 6-year-old girl in Narayanganj was shot in the head while observing clashes from her rooftop. On Aug 5, one of the deadliest days of the protests, a 12-year-old boy in Azampur described police firing ‘everywhere like rainfall,’ witnessing at least a dozen dead bodies.”

Flowers added, “These findings must horrify us all, and UNICEF appeals to all across Bangladesh to ensure ‘never again’ must this be allowed to happen to children in Bangladesh.”

The UN agency called on Bangladeshi policymakers to take three urgent steps to help children, young people, and families recover and move forward with hope.

“First, there must be accountability and reconciliation for the children who lost their lives and the families who grieve for them.

“Second, we must ensure justice and reintegration for those still in detention and others affected by these events.

“The third, and perhaps most pressing step, is to use this moment as a catalyst for change. All political actors, parties, and policymakers must come together to reform the policing and justice systems, ensuring that no child in Bangladesh is ever arbitrarily detained, denied due process, tortured, or subjected to violence for exercising their right to peaceful assembly.”

UNICEF stressed that reforms should focus on:

Independent investigations into all cases of violence, abuse, and unlawful detention of children.

Justice sector reforms aligning Bangladesh’s legal framework with international child protection standards.

Stronger safeguards to prevent future violations, including the establishment of independent monitoring mechanisms.

The UN agency called for a justice system “fit for children,” saying:

Children should not be criminalised but instead recognised as rights holders in need of care, protection, and rehabilitation.

Alternatives to detention, such as diversion programmes, probation, and restorative justice, should be expanded.

Legal processes must be child-sensitive, with specialised courts, legal aid, and child-sensitive investigations.

Accountability mechanisms should be established to protect child protesters and survivors and ensure justice for victims.

“Bangladesh is at a moment of great hope, change, and transformation,” UNICEF said.

“With reform commissions currently working on ways to rebuild and reshape the country’s policing, courts, and justice systems, there is an opportunity to create a safer, more just environment for the younger generation,” it added.