Human rights violations and 1,400 killed in July-August uprising: OHCHR

POBNEWS24, Dhaka, Dec12, 2025 : The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has reported that around 1,400 people were killed in the July-August student uprising. The OHCHR released this investigative report at the invitation of the interim government.
The report highlighted various human rights violations such as extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, torture and excessive use of force by the Sheikh Hasina-led government.
It has been mentioned that various groups, organizations affiliated with the Awami League and members of various security and intelligence agencies were involved in those incidents.
The report said that the then government and its security and intelligence agencies, in collaboration with the Awami League, its violent groups and organizations, were systematically involved in serious human rights violations. This includes hundreds of extrajudicial killings, serious physical abuse and use of force against thousands of protesters, widespread arbitrary arrests and detentions, and other forms of abuse, including torture.
It said that OHCHR has reasonable grounds to believe that these human rights violations were planned, coordinated and directed by senior members of the political leadership and security agencies.
Another part of the report said that OHCHR estimates that about 1,400 people were killed during the protests, most of them by military rifles and shotguns loaded with lethal metal pellets. Such shotguns are commonly used by Bangladeshi security forces. Thousands of people were seriously injured in the protests, some permanently disabled for life.
It said that more than 11,700 people were arrested and detained during the period. About 12-13 percent of those killed in the protests were children.
According to the report, police and other security forces have targeted children, intentionally maimed them, arbitrarily arrested them, subjected them to inhuman detention and torture, and committed other forms of abuse.
In particular, women who were at the forefront of the protests in the early days were severely attacked by security forces and Awami League supporters. Women have been subjected to sexual and gender-based violence, including gender-based physical violence and threats of rape.
Analysis of some documents has shown that there have also been incidents of sexual abuse by Awami League supporters.
Meanwhile, the chief advisor to the interim government, Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, has visited the mirror house, known as the torture cell. He visited three spots in Dhaka.
On Wednesday, the chief advisor visited three spots in the Agargaon, Kachukhet, and Uttara areas, known as secret prisons. He was accompanied by other advisors.
Retired Brigadier General Abdulhil Aman Azmi, who had been missing for several years, presented the picture of his torture to the Chief Advisor.
The Chief Advisor was accompanied by members of the Missing Persons Investigation Commission, several victims and members of the media.
However, the Chief Advisor’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said that Sheikh Hasina was directly involved in all the disappearances and murders centered on the Mirror House. He estimates that there were about seven to eight hundred Mirror Houses in and outside Dhaka. He also told reporters that all the Mirror Houses in Bangladesh will be found.
He said that the UN report has also revealed that Sheikh Hasina, former Home Minister and Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader were directly involved in the killings of the July Movement. The Press Secretary also said that the government will implement all the recommendations of the report.
The Chief Advisor’s Press Wing briefed the Chief Advisor’s visit to the Mirror House at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital. The press secretary of the chief advisor said that there are about seven to eight hundred mirror houses across the country and that the government will find those involved in disappearances and murders in the last 15 years.