Annual Human rights analysis report published by Human Rights Support Society based on the incidents of human rights violation and atrocities based on information received through our district representatives and twelve prominent national dailies has published this report. From January to December ’18, this report illustrates that freedom of expression was denied and the constitutionally guaranteed rights of freedom of assembly and association witnessed a sharp decline. Restrictions on the political parties and civil societies, impunity to the abusive security forces, extrajudicial killing in the name of anti-drug war, enforced disappearance, abduction, violence against women, arbitrary arrest and assault on opposition political leaders and activists, coercion and extortion are exposed a very glooming scenario of the overall human rights situation in Bangladesh. The situation reached such an awful state that even the common people feel insecure everywhere.

This year, according to the annual statistics of HRSS, at least 474 persons were victims of extra-judicial killing in 2018. Out of them, 429 people were killed in the name of ‘crossfire/gunfights’, 07 were tortured to death, 05 were shot to death and 33 died in the custody. The deaths occurred during raids, arrests as well as during the operations conducted by the law-enforcement agencies (LEAs). As usual, the government regretfully described these deaths as "crossfire/gunfights/encounter killings". Enforced disappearances also continued during the year 2018. Unfortunately, most of the enforced disappearances are alleged to have been done by security forces such as RAB, DB, and Police. According to HRSS monitoring, a total 92 persons have been disappeared by the law enforcement agencies in different incidents in 2018.

Moreover, the HRSS bulletin finds that a total of 693 females have been raped in 2018. Of them, 279 were identified as adults and alarmingly 414 were children under the age of 16. A total of 235 women were killed in the course of family feuds while 44 females were killed due to dowry-related violence. It has also been reported that a total of 291 were abducted by a non-state actor in different areas of the country, of whom approximately 188 were male, 34 females and 69 were children. Among them 144 were killed after the abduction. At least 83 people were killed in political violence and around 44 people were killed by lynching. HRSS noticed that through 2018, about 95 incidents of violence were committed against children and as a result 43 lost their lives and 76 were critically injured. As a result of violent attacks, a total of 228 unarmed civilians were victimized, of whom 124 were killed, 88 seriously injured and 16 were hit by a bullet.

HRSS also estimated a total of 38 incidents of attacks on minority communities throughout the country. On the other hand, during the pre-election campaign and Election Day in Bangladesh on 30^th December 2018, at least 50 people were killed in election-related violence, while many others were injured. There are widespread allegations of voter intimidation during and preceding the election. Due to Government’s submissive foreign policy with India and Myanmar, the number of killings increased in the border area significantly. Bangladeshi citizens have been the victims of killings, subjected to torture, and other forms of inhumane and degrading treatments. A total of nearly 34 incidents have been reported resulting in loss of lives of as many as 15 Bangladeshi citizens by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF).

The shocking condition of human rights in Bangladesh motivates HRSS to work hard to raise awareness both home and abroad. It is expected that this bulletin will help the people, the civil society as well as the international community by providing them with a concrete account of the deplorable human rights situation of Bangladesh.