Surma Report; On 29 July 2024, Ms. Rupa Huq MP hosted a symposium at the Palace of Westminster to discuss the recent student movement and atrocities in Bangladesh.
Speakers included Mr. A K M Zakir Hossain, a researcher at SOAS and Human Rights Defender from Beyond Barriers International; Sacha Deshmukh, the Director of Amnesty International UK; Shamsul Alam Liton, Convenor of the Global Bangladeshis’ Alliance on Human Rights and Editor of Weekly Surma; Shokat Adam MP of Leicester South; and Barrister Toby Cadman. Eminent educationalist and civil society activist Taleya Rehman was also among the speakers. Other notable attendees included Barrister Afzal Zami, eminent journalist Shafik Rehman, David Bergman, and award-winning journalist Zulkarnain Saer from Al Jazeera’s investigation unit.
Eminent civil rights activist and award-winning photographer Dr. Shahidul Alam joined virtually.
In his keynote speech, Zakir highlighted the severe political and humanitarian crisis in Bangladesh, triggered by the government’s violent suppression of the “Student Revolution 2024,” a peaceful protest against a public-sector job quota system unjustly favouring descendants of the 1971 Liberation War freedom fighters. Since July 16, over 266 people have been killed, including children, and thousands wounded or jailed, sparking nationwide unrest and global condemnation. The government’s brutal response, coupled with economic mismanagement and corruption, has galvanized the youth in their fight for fairness, transparency, and democracy, emphasizing the need for international support and advocacy.
Rupa Huq MP expressed her concern about the killings of hundreds of students and protesters. She mentioned that more than 30 children, including 4- and 6-year-olds, were killed by police shootings, highlighting the gravity of the situation. She vowed to raise these issues in Parliament and discuss them with the Foreign Office and other relevant authorities to seek urgent action to save the students and innocent people.
Amnesty International UK Director Sacha Deshmukh criticized the unlawful and excessive use of force to handle a peaceful protest. He also condemned the government for ordering “Shoot-on-Sight” directives, resulting in the deaths of protesters exercising their human rights.
Mr. Shamsul Alam Liton stressed the importance of the British government understanding the sentiments of the new generation of British Bangladeshis, who would never forget if the UK does not stand by the country during its gravest crisis in the absence of democracy and human rights.
Shokat Adam MP’s speech underscored what the UK government should do to deliver justice and emphasized the need to uncover the truth behind the massacre. Barrister Toby Cadman expressed his concern about the prevailing culture of impunity in Bangladesh and discussed how this mass killing issue could be brought to the International Criminal Court (ICC). Eminent journalist David Bergman expressed his disappointment and pointed to the clear targeted murder of an unarmed student protester, Abu Sayeed, who was shot at close range by uniformed police. This incident is widely known through mainstream and social media. However, the government recorded a general diary with a fabricated story to accuse the general student population.
The meeting made the following recommendations for considerations of the concerned quarters
– An all party parliamentary fact-finding team, including legal experts/lawyers, should visit Bangladesh immediately
– A request to the FCDO to downgrade its diplomatic relations with the regime in Dhaka.
– An immediate and complete halt to security assistance, including the training of Bangladeshi forces in the UK.
– A letter from the British government to the UN Peace Operations Director requesting information on the measures being taken to stop the recruitment of any perpetrators of human rights abuses in Bangladesh.
