HRW for political neutrality in recruitment, promotion in public services 

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has emphasized the importance of maintaining political impartiality in Bangladesh when it comes to hiring and promoting people in public sectors including the court, police, and civil service.
 
“A key concern is to ensure strict political neutrality in the discharge of public duties by restricting and strictly regulating political involvement in personnel-related issues such as recruitment and promotions, including the civil service, police, and the judiciary,” it said.
 
The HRW said this in its recently released 50-page report titled “After the Monsoon Revolution: A Roadmap to Lasting Security Sector Reform in Bangladesh”.
 
“The appointment of judges based on political loyalty in the High Court is a major factor behind the collapse of Bangladesh’s judiciary. No matter how sensitive or contentious the term ‘reform’ is, we have no alternative to it,” the HRW in its report quoted Law Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul as saying.
 
According to the US-based human rights watchdog, the interim government should also establish independent oversight, including through consultations with civil society, on the appointment of commissioners and members to all institutions, including the National Human Rights Commission, the Election Commission, and the Anti-Corruption Commission.

It stated that the government should amend or remove laws that hinder or undermine accountability in order to eradicate long-standing impunity.

“For example, the interim government should repeal section 197(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code, which requires government approval to bring criminal charges against public officials-including police officers-if the offense is committed while the officer is acting or purporting to act in their official capacity; and section 132 of the criminal procedure code requiring prosecutors to obtain a prior government “sanction” before lodging any criminal complaint against a state official, permission that is seldom granted,” the report continued.
 
The “good faith” clause in section 13 of the Armed Police Battalion (Amendment) Act 2003, which provides blanket immunity for security force abuses, should be removed, it said.
 
“The government should introduce standards on the use of force by requiring mandatory reporting and independent review of all use of force by law enforcement, not just for lethal events or cases involving the use of firearms,” the HRW said.
 
According to the human rights organization, police force policies ought to be in line with international norms, such as the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials and the UN Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials.
 
“These standards require that police apply, as far as possible, nonviolent means before resorting to the use of force, that they use force only in proportion to the seriousness of the offense, and that lethal force is used only when strictly unavoidable to protect life,” it added.