Glasgow 2014 Media Briefing - Bangladesh

Bangladesh: where torture and enforced disappearances run rampant

'Amnesty International has raised serious concerns about the worrying levels of human rights violations taking place in Bangladesh. These include widespread torture and other forms of ill-treatment carried out with impunity by the police and security services; the use of the death penalty; violence against women, girls, minorities and indigenous people; as well as the conditions faced by workers, particularly in the garment industry.

The collapse of the Rana Plaza garment factory building last year, which left more than 1,100 workers dead and many more injured, is one of the most shocking recent example of business-related human rights abuse. It illustrates the urgent need for human rights reform in Bangladesh, ensuring workers’ safety and their protection against unacceptable working conditions. 

Whilst spotlighting how human rights are treated in Bangladesh, the disaster also highlights the need for governments and business around the world to ensure that human rights are protected and safeguarded, rather than traded away in the quest for profit.'

Siobhan Reardon – Programme Director, Amnesty International Scotland

Amnesty spokesperson available throughout the Games with daily briefings.

Download the media briefing below.