Adoption of the Outcome of the UPR of Bangladesh

August 4, 2018

The Government of Bangladesh (GoB) accepted 178 recommendations out of 251 recommendations and noted 73 recommendations relating to revision of media laws, decriminalization of defamation, prosecution of violence against human rights defenders, acknowledging the rights of the LGBT people, addressing impunity for rights violations by security agencies and abolishing death penalty. The GoB presented its final position on the recommendations received in May 2018 at the 39^th Regular Session of UN Human Rights Council on 20 September 2018 in Geneva, Switzerland. The Outcome of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Bangladesh was adopted in this session.

Earlier to that, Bangladesh’s human rights situation was reviewed by the council on its’ 30^th Working Group session under the third cycle of UPR on 14 May 2018. The country received 251 recommendations from 105 countries. Most of the recommendations were on Rights of the Rohingyas, Human Rights Violation by State agencies, strengthening NHRC, Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Press, Draft Digital Security Act, Article 57 of ICT Act, Rights of Human Rights Defenders (HRDs), Children’s Rights, LGBT Rights, workers rights, abolishing death penalty, etc. Initially 167 recommendations were accepted by the government, 24 recommendations were kept under consideration and 63 recommendations were noted. 29 Stakeholders’ reports including NHRC were submitted under this cycle.

This is the first time Bangladesh has noted such a huge number of recommendations. In first cycle of UPR in 2009, Bangladesh noted only two recommendations; i.e. repealing section 377 of the Penal Code and abolishing death penalty. In the second cycle, held in 2013, Bangladesh noted 5 recommendations relating to similar issues.