HRW report biased, politically motivated: Info minister

Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud termed the US-based Human Rights Watch report on Bangladesh as biased, unacceptable and politically motivated.

"After going through the report, it seemed someone from Bangladesh may have provided a draft and the rights body published after revision, nothing more!'' said the minister a day after the release of the HRW report citing various incidents of human rights violations in Bangladesh.

Hasan Mahmud, also the joint secretary of ruling Awami League, said, "It is, of course, good to have such an organisation. But the organisation becomes controversial when it works to serve political motives and collects information from specific people of a country to protect others' interest and give statements accordingly.

"The same happened in the case of Bangladesh."

The minister rather urged the HRW to focus on the United States, from where it operates, citing calls by UN human rights experts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.

Responding to HRW's allegation that the government is more sincere in dominating the BNP in the name of preventing Omicron, Hasan said not only the BNP rallies have been halted, it is also applicable for all parties including Awami League."

But the question is if BNP wants to spread Omicron instead of controlling it, he added.

Earlier, Hasan Mahmud, speaking as the chief guest at the virtual biennial conference of Bangladesh Human Rights Commission, Rangunia, said that killing of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family, obstruction to justice of murderers and execution of hundreds of military members without trial were the biggest human rights violations in the country.