Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Monday said the government has "no intention" to violate human rights but it has the right to protect property and lives.
"The government has the right to protect property and human lives and their right to move, if anyone - in the name of human rights - destroys property, gets involved in arson attack and kills people," he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Momen came up with the remarks when his attention was drawn to a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW), titled "Bangladesh: Crackdown on Political Opposition", reports UNB.
He, however, said he is not aware of what the HRW report contains.
The foreign minister said they do not want to see the violation of anyone's human rights. "We are very sensitive. The government does not want to see violation of human rights."
HRW, a US-based rights body, today said opposition groups are reporting an escalation in repression by Bangladesh authorities and attacks by ruling party supporters as the country starts preparing for the next national election.
"Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has repeatedly said that Bangladesh is a mature democracy capable of conducting elections and a peaceful transition of power, but instead previous polls have been marked by violence, attacks on the opposition, and voter intimidation," said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch.
"These recent cases of political attacks and arrests set an ominous tone for the upcoming parliamentary elections," Ganguly added.
