Human Rights Watch Report Based on Unreliable Information

Staff Reporter

On Tuesday, January 28, a delegation from Human Rights Watch (HRW) met with Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus and handed over a report regarding abductions and killings in Bangladesh. The HRW report claims, “Officials involved in abductions informed the organization that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and senior officials of her government were aware of the illegal detentions. In some cases, Sheikh Hasina directly ordered the abductions and killings.”

However, a significant discrepancy has been observed in the information collection for HRW’s report. The individual cited in the report as a victim of abduction has denied the allegations, stating,

“Such an incident did not occur.”

The interview with the intelligence officer upon which HRW based its conclusions was conducted by Zulkarnain Sami. Sami, a part-time journalist affiliated with Al Jazeera, is well-known on social media for releasing sensitive military information. He wrote in a Facebook post,

“I provided HRW with the interview of that officer, but at his request, I refrained from disclosing his name. I am sharing exactly what he told me.”

Sami then quoted the intelligence officer, who reportedly said, “Brigadier Azmi (the detainee) often wrote long letters to Sheikh Hasina requesting his release, and I would deliver each letter to the Prime Minister. One day, I told her, ‘Sir, we should release him, this is not right.’ In response, Sheikh Hasina told me, ‘If you can’t keep him, dispose of him’ (implying execution). At the same time, she made a specific hand gesture (indicating leaving the room).”

The individual in question, Abdullah Aman Azmi, who claims to have been a detainee, is the son of war criminal Ghulam Azam. In the comments section of Sami’s post, Azmi wrote,

“The officer (who provided the interview) has lied. I did not send any letters to the Prime Minister or request any release.”

 

In this conversation, it becomes clear that the victim himself is reporting the information as false which official said on the interview to Zulqarnain Sami, even though HRW’s report is based on this information.

Zulkarnain Sami has previously published information from various unverified sources in the media, particularly in Al Jazeera and Israeli news outlets. Many of these reports have been proven to be incorrect or exaggerated.

The report published by HRW, based on an unreliable and exaggerated source who requested anonymity, has raised significant doubts in the public mind. This casts serious questions about the accuracy and credibility of the information and reports produced by this globally recognized human rights organization.