A report published by Prothom Alo on January 28, based on information from Human Rights Watch (HRW), claimed that
“Officers involved in enforced disappearances also told Human Rights Watch that Sheikh Hasina or senior members of her government had knowledge of incommunicado detentions and that, in some cases, Hasina directly ordered enforced disappearances or killings.”
On the same day, HRW’s Asia Director, Elaine Pearson, led a delegation to meet with Chief Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House, Jamuna, in Dhaka.
The report received wide media attention, but controversy soon followed when Zulkarnaine Sami, an exiled journalist previously associated with Al Jazeera and expelled from the army, claimed on Facebook that the military officer quoted in the HRW report had shared his testimony with him. Sami wrote:
“I provided the interview to Human Rights Watch at the officer’s request, but I am withholding his name per his request. What he said to me is quoted verbatim. ‘Brigadier Azmi Sir frequently wrote large letters to Sheikh Hasina requesting his release, which I personally handed to the Prime Minister. One day, I told her (Hasina) that we should release him (Brigadier Azmi), as this isn’t right. In response, she told me, “If you can’t keep him, get rid of him” (implying death),’” Sami posted, adding that Hasina made a specific hand gesture for him to leave the room.
However, in the comments section of Sami’s post, infamous convicted International war criminal Golam Azom’s son, refuted the claims, stating
: “The officer is lying. I never wrote any letter to the Prime Minister or anyone else requesting my release.”
Later, Azmi posted on Facebook, vehemently denying the report that he had requested his release, calling the claims “
Complete lies, baseless, fabricated, and malicious. During his eight years in detention, he never made any such request to the Prime Minister. Azmi also clarified that on May 23, 2021, an officer had asked him to sign a pledge agreeing to leave the country and avoid political involvement, which he rejected. “I am a free citizen and I decide my future.” .
If both Sami’s and Azmi’s claims are accurate, it raises serious doubts about the credibility of Sami’s sources and, by extension, the accuracy of HRW’s report. Notably, both Prothom Alo and Daily Star removed the articles from their websites a day after publication, further suggesting concerns about the validity of HRW’s findings.
In an attempt to verify the authenticity of the report, True Gazette reached out to Human Rights Watch for clarification. However, despite 24 hours passing, no response was received. Attempts to contact Meenakshi Ganguly, HRW’s Deputy Director for Asia, also proved unsuccessful.
A report by BD Digest echoed these concerns, stating:
“Such a report, based on a flawed and exaggerated source who wished to remain anonymous, has raised significant doubts about the authenticity and credibility of HRW’s findings.”
The intent behind HRW’s report remains unclear. However, the decision to publish such claims without thorough verification raises serious questions about the organization’s due diligence. Allegations that media in Bangladesh have been controlled by Yunus’s administration after the July riots further complicate the situation, as concerns grow about whether HRW may have been influenced by these same sources, gathering unverified information from potentially biased channels.
This controversy casts doubt on the reliability of global human rights organizations and highlights the need for greater transparency and accuracy in their reporting. As the investigation into this matter continues, the legitimacy of HRW’s findings remains a subject of ongoing debate.
