Amnesty International has called on Bangladesh`s interim government to consider referring all incidents of alleged human rights violations that occurred between July 1 and August 15, 2024, to the International Criminal Court (ICC) under Article 14 of the Rome Statute.
The appeal came after the release of new findings suggesting that lethal force was allegedly ordered by then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to suppress mass protests during that period.
A leaked audio recording, recently analyzed, reportedly reveals the direct authorization of deadly crackdowns, raising renewed calls for accountability from international rights advocates.
According to Amnesty, the findings corroborate earlier reports of widespread violence during the political unrest, where nearly 1,400 people were believed to have been killed.
Most of the casualties reportedly resulted from military-grade rifles and shotguns firing metal pellets—commonly used by Bangladesh’s security forces. Thousands more suffered severe injuries, many with long-term or permanent effects.
The rights organization emphasized the urgent need for an independent, impartial investigation into every incident of abuse, including both those who executed the violence and those who may have given the orders.
Amnesty insists that any proceedings must meet international legal standards and must exclude the possibility of the death penalty.
Amnesty further urged the interim government to take concrete steps to follow recommendations outlined in a UN fact-finding mission’s report published in February 2025.
Among those recommendations was the referral of Bangladesh’s July-August events to the ICC under Article 14 of the Rome Statute—an action Amnesty now supports unequivocally.
The organization reiterated that justice for the victims and accountability for those responsible are essential steps toward restoring rule of law and upholding human rights in Bangladesh.
