Human Rights Under Fire EU Leaders Raise Alarm Over Abuses in Pakistan and Bangladesh

At a side event during the 60th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, Members of the European Parliament, senators, and human rights advocates expressed grave concern over escalating human rights violations in South Asia—particularly in Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Bangladesh: Rape Sparks Deadly Violence in CHT, Rights Groups Urge UN Intervention

A brutal wave of violence has engulfed parts of Khagrachhari district in Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), leaving at least three Indigenous youths dead, several others injured, and dozens of homes and businesses destroyed. The unrest was triggered by protests following the reported gang rape of a Marma schoolgirl by three Bengali youths on 23 September in the Guimara area.

Communal Violence: Authorities Routinely Point to Conspiracies

Professor Anu Muhammad yesterday criticized successive governments for blaming "local or foreign conspiracies" for communal violence instead of holding the actual perpetrators accountable.

Absent From a U.N. Discussion on Refugee Aid: The Refugees Themselves

They reside in the world’s largest network of refugee camps, with little freedom to leave. Within these camps, their shops have been demolished and schools shut down. Back in their homeland, the only common ground among warring groups is their shared hostility toward these stateless people.

GHRD Warns UNHRC of Escalating Persecution of Minorities in Bangladesh

At the 60th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Charlotte Zehrer, UN-EU Human Rights Officer from Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD), delivered a powerful oral intervention drawing attention to the alarming human rights situation facing ethnic and religious minorities in Bangladesh.

Saudi Arabia's Comedy Festival Draws Fire Over Human Rights Cover-Up

Human Rights Watch has accused the Saudi government of using the Riyadh Comedy Festival 2025, scheduled from September 26 to October 9, as a distraction from its harsh crackdown on free speech and widespread human rights abuses. The festival coincides with the seventh anniversary of journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s state-sponsored killing and comes just months after Saudi authorities executed a journalist for his peaceful expression.

Public Outcry After Elderly Fakir’s Hair Shaved in Dhaka

A viral video showing a group of men forcibly shaving the hair of an elderly fakir in Dhaka’s Sadarghat area has sparked widespread outrage and condemnation from human rights organisations.

UNHRC Seminar Highlights Alarming Human Rights Decline in Pakistan and Bangladesh

A recent seminar held during the 60th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva has brought renewed attention to the worsening human rights conditions in Pakistan and Bangladesh. Organised by the Forum on Inter-Cultural & Inter-Religious Dialogue (FICIR) in partnership with the Asian-Eurasian Human Rights Forum (AEHRF), the event featured prominent activists, journalists, and political commentators who warned of shrinking civil liberties and the dangerous rise of religious extremism in both countries.

Bangladesh Still ‘In Crisis’ for Freedom of Expression, Warns ARTICLE 19

Bangladesh remains in a state of crisis for freedom of expression, ARTICLE 19 has warned during the Item 4 General Debate at the 60th Session of the UN Human Rights Council.

Bangladesh Urged to Ensure Inclusive Reforms of National Human Rights Commission

BANGKOK, Thailand (8 September 2025) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) and the Asian NGO Network on National Human Rights Institutions (ANNI) have jointly urged the Government of Bangladesh to ensure a transparent, inclusive, and timebound reform process for the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of Bangladesh. This call follows nationwide consultations led by the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs (MoLJPA), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Embassy of Switzerland.