Six international human rights organizations have sent an open letter to Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus, calling for a series of measures to prevent human rights violations in Bangladesh.
The letter, published Sunday (October 20) on Human Rights Watch’s (HRW) website, was jointly signed by CIVICUS, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Fortify Rights, Human Rights Watch (HRW), Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, and the Tech Global Institute.
In the letter, the groups commended the interim government’s steps following the July Revolution and the fall of the Awami League government, including efforts to restore fundamental freedoms, initiate legal reforms, and investigate enforced disappearances and other rights abuses. They also presented 12 recommendations on human rights issues.
The organizations urged the government to ensure justice for enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and torture committed over the past 15 years, and to allow the International Crimes Tribunal to operate independently in accordance with international standards.
They also called on the interim government to declare its opposition to the death penalty, reform the security sector, and disband the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). The letter recommended including enforced disappearance as a criminal offense and strengthening the National Human Rights Commission under the Paris Principles.
Regarding legal reforms, the groups urged the revision of the 2025 Cyber Security Ordinance, the Anti-Terrorism Act, the Special Powers Act, and defamation provisions to meet international standards. They also asked that the draft Data Protection and National Information Management Ordinances be aligned with global norms.
The letter further demanded protection for journalists, an end to arbitrary arrests, and the dismissal of politically motivated cases filed before and after 2024. It also urged the withdrawal of the ban on Awami League activities to ensure freedom of political participation.
The rights bodies referred to a UN report published in February, which found evidence linking senior Awami League leaders to serious human rights violations during the July–August 2024 unrest. The UN recommended avoiding political party bans, warning that such actions would undermine a genuine return to multiparty democracy and disenfranchise a large portion of voters.
Following the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024, several groups in the July Movement had demanded a ban on the party. On May 10 this year, the Advisory Council decided to outlaw Awami League activities under the Anti-Terrorism Act, with a formal notification issued on May 12.
The letter also urged reforms to the NGO Affairs Bureau, easing controls on foreign funding, halting the forced repatriation of Rohingya refugees, and improving their access to movement, livelihoods, and education. It called for full cooperation with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in its ongoing investigation into crimes against the Rohingya, including the transfer of individuals sought by the court.
MN/
