Bangladesh has called on the international community to draft an unyielding, comprehensive, and legally binding convention on the prevention and punishment of crimes against humanity, emphasizing the necessity of closing global accountability gaps and protecting vulnerable victims.
The call was delivered by Member of Parliament Muhammad Naushad Zamir while addressing the Sixth Committee (Legal) during the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, according to an official press release issued on Wednesday by Bangladesh’s Permanent Mission to the UN.
Drawing attention to the realities confronting host nations sheltering survivors of mass atrocities, Zamir advocated for the inclusion of three explicit provisions within the proposed draft convention:
Evidence and Witness Safeguards: Enhancing international legal cooperation to preserve critical forensic evidence and ensure robust witness protection.
Dual-Track Justice: Guaranteeing access to justice and legal redress for victims at both national and international levels.
Global Responsibility-Sharing: Strengthening multilateral solidarity and equitable burden-sharing to alleviate the disproportionate strains borne by host states.
Spotlighting Bangladesh’s sheltering of more than one million forcibly displaced Rohingya refugees fleeing military atrocities in Myanmar, Zamir underscored that any progressive international legal architecture must formally recognize and support the critical humanitarian burdens shouldered by front-line asylum nations.
Reflecting on domestic accountability, Zamir cited the historic July–August 2024 mass uprising in Bangladesh. Referring to the fact-finding findings compiled by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)—which documented approximately 1,400 fatalities, including children—he emphasized the report’s call for comprehensive criminal investigations to determine whether systemic abuses constituted crimes against humanity under international law.
To ensure perpetrators find no safe haven globally, the lawmaker called for institutionalizing universal jurisdiction, streamlining international extradition procedures, and deepening mutual legal assistance among member states. He also stressed the imperative of securing targeted reparations for women and children, while reaffirming institutional support for the jurisdictional independence of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Warning against diplomatic dilution, Zamir cautioned member states against compromising core standards:“A convention weakened by compromises to accommodate geopolitical sensitivities will ultimately fail to protect any victims when it matters most.”
Sources: Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the United Nations (New York), UN General Assembly Sixth Committee (Legal) Proceedings.