JMBF Urges EU Delegation to Address Human Rights Crisis in Bangladesh
JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), an independent human rights organization, has issued an urgent appeal to the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights ahead of its three-day visit to Bangladesh (16–18 September 2025). The organization warned of what it describes as an “extremely serious deterioration” of the country’s law and order, human rights, and democratic space under the interim government led by Nobel Peace Laureate Muhammad Yunus.
In its statement, JMBF expressed alarm over “systematic violations” since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government in 2024, claiming reforms promised by the interim administration have failed and instead resulted in widespread repression.
According to JMBF, more than 637 people have been killed in orchestrated mob violence during this period, including over 200 leaders and activists of the Awami League and affiliated organizations. The group also alleged that over 400,000 people have been implicated in false cases and arbitrarily arrested, including 116 former members of parliament. Many detainees, JMBF said, were denied legal defense and physically assaulted inside court premises.
The statement further documents the deaths of more than 70 individuals in custody due to torture, direct firing, or medical negligence. Religious and cultural sites have also come under attack, with nearly 1,500 statues vandalized, 120 shrines destroyed, and 17 churches burned. Over 2,400 incidents of violence against minorities, including rape, arson, and killings, were reported.
Concerns were also raised about the surge in violence against women, children, and LGBTQI+ individuals, with more than 500 people from sexual minorities targeted by extremist groups. JMBF accused the government of releasing over 300 convicted extremists and suspects, undermining national security and human rights protections.
Freedom of expression is under “severe threat,” JMBF said, citing the harassment of journalists and media workers: 167 accreditations revoked, 266 implicated in false cases, and at least 14 jailed. Over 1,500 lawyers have faced killings, arrests, or professional restrictions, while pro-Awami League lawyers were blocked from bar elections.
JMBF urged the European Parliament delegation to closely monitor the situation and press for accountability from the interim government, law enforcement, and judiciary. The group called for international intervention to protect journalists, lawyers, women, children, minorities, and the LGBTQI+ community, and demanded urgent reforms to ensure transparency and independence in governance and the judiciary.
“Your visit can send a strong signal to the international community,” JMBF’s appeal stated, stressing that urgent action is required to uphold democracy, rule of law, and fundamental freedoms in Bangladesh.
