HRW tallies scores of protest deaths in Bangladesh

August 05, 2013 - A rights group said last week at least 150 protesters and a dozen security forces have been killed during street demonstrations in Bangladesh over the past six months. New York-based Human Rights Watch released a report on Thursday urging both sides to show restraint and for those who killed unlawfully to be held accountable. Opposition parties and religious and political activists have made multi-pronged challenges against the government in the last few months. Human Rights Watch documented the killings of three members of the ruling Awami League party since February and said at least 2,000 people had been injured during the protests. The 48-page report, “Blood On The Streets: The Use of Excessive Force During Bangladesh Protests,” is based on 95 interviews with victims and their family members, witnesses, human rights defenders, journalists, and lawyers. C.Q.K. Mustaq Ahmed, secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, refused to comment on the report immediately. (Source: AP)