Bangladesh’s Interim Government Accused of Targeting Lawyers and Undermining Rule of Law

Under Bangladesh’s interim government led by Nobel Peace Laureate Muhammad Yunus, hundreds of lawyers have allegedly faced persecution, arrest, and violence for defending the rule of law, according to a new report by JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF).

The report claims that between August 2024 and September 2025, at least 849 lawyers were targeted in 268 incidents of politically motivated repression. Most victims were reportedly affiliated with the Awami League, suggesting an attempt to silence opposition through legal intimidation.

Published from Paris and Brussels, the JMBF Report 2025 documents fabricated cases, assaults, murders, and election manipulation within bar associations. It accuses the interim government of turning the law into “a weapon against those who defend justice.”

Dhaka emerged as the epicenter of suppression, with nearly half of all documented cases occurring in the capital. The report highlights incidents of murder and physical attacks on lawyers, including killings of Sujon Mia, Saiful Islam, Abul Kalam, and Nayan Sheikh, describing them as part of a “calculated campaign of fear.”

The interim administration is also accused of interfering in bar council elections, replacing pro–Awami League candidates with opposition-backed lawyers through coercion and legal manipulation.

Beyond lawyers, 46 judges—including several Chief Justices—have reportedly been forced to resign, arrested, or stripped of power, signaling what the report calls “the collapse of judicial independence.”

JMBF warns that the government’s actions violate Bangladesh’s Constitution and international human rights obligations under the ICCPR and UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers. The report calls on the international community to intervene, describing the persecution as “a direct assault on democracy and the rule of law.”

For a country once celebrated for its democratic aspirations, Bangladesh now faces growing alarm over its treatment of the legal community—raising a troubling question: when defending justice becomes a crime, what remains of democracy?