Under the former government, ‘[t]he human rights situation in the country was poor and worsening, making human rights defenders and human rights organizations’ work perilous’ as reported by CGS in 2023. According to the same source, 86 % of human rights defenders operating at grassroots level faced ‘various obstacles’ in their work, including threats and intimidation from law enforcement agencies, intelligence agencies and other government officials, and also non-state actors such as activists connected to the ruling party or the opposition party, and religious, extremist or criminal groups.966 Other sources also reported on human rights defenders facing harassment by the then ruling party [Awami League] and state authorities.967 In an interview with the Daily Star, the director of Odhikar stated that ‘law enforcement was weaponised to detain and intimidate human rights defenders.’ Moreover, the director of Odhikar expressed concern about a ‘lack of dedicated institutional mechanism or framework to protect human rights defenders.’968
After the July-August 2024 protests, some human rights defenders were released from pending criminal charges969 or granted bail by the interim government,970 while others were detained971 and arrested.972
In March 2025, Front Line Defenders reported that, after the change of government, targeted violence against human rights defenders continued, with reports of human rights defenders receiving threats.973 JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) and Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) reported on an attack against three defence lawyers by a group of students and members of the public.974
In February and March 2025, sources reported on two cases of human rights defenders sued by private citizens for blasphemy975 with one of the human rights defenders charged for blasphemy under the CSA in March 2025.976
- 966
Riaz, A., Who Defends the Defenders? The Predicament of Human Rights Activists In Bangladesh, July 2023, CGS, url, pp. 6, 14, 21–22, 29
- 967
Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, Bangladesh: Stop reprisals against victims, activists, 8 April 2022, url; Odhikar, Bangladesh: Annual Human Rights Report 2023, 4 January 2024, url, para. 80
- 968
Daily Star (The), ‘Independent body needed to protect human rights defenders’, 17 December 2024, url
- 969
Prothom Alo, Journo Rozina Islam exempted from charges after 3 years, 14 August 2024, url; Front Line Defenders, Journalist and woman human rights defender Rozina Islam acquitted after three years and three months, 26 August 2024, url
- 970
Bdnews24.com, Court grants bail to JU student Arif Sohel; ex-Brac teacher Asif Mahtab remains in custody,3 August 2024, url
- 971
Front Line Defenders, Indigenous land rights defender Ringrong Mro arbitrarily detained in Bandarban District Jail on trumped-up charges, 25 February 2025, url
- 972
Front Line Defenders, Human rights defender Arif Sohel arrested and placed on a six-day remand by Dhaka court, 2 August 2024, url; Bdnews24.com, Court grants bail to JU student Arif Sohel; ex-Brac teacher Asif Mahtab remains in custody,3 August 2024, url; New Age, Arrest of Mro leader Ringrong Mro condemned, 24 February 2025, url
- 973
Front Line Defenders, Escalating death threats and legal persecution against human rights defender Sazzadur Rahman, 4 March 2025, url; Front Line Defenders, Human rights defender Nahid Hasan Knowledge charged under Cyber Security Act for hurting religious sentiments, 20 March 2025, url
- 974
JMBF, JMBF Strongly Condemns the Recent Attacks on Defense Lawyers in Jamalpur Solely for Performing Their Professional Duty, 13 March 2025, url; CCBE, Violent attack against lawyers Khalilur Rahman, Abdul Awal, and Shahjahan Ali, 17 March 2025, url
- 975
Front Line Defenders, Escalating death threats and legal persecution against human rights defender Sazzadur Rahman, 4 March 2025, url; Daily Star (The), Columnist Nahid sued for ‘hurting religious sentiments’, 24 February 2025, url; Dhaka Tribune, Rakhal Raha sued for allegedly hurting religious sentiments, 3 March 2025, url
- 976
Front Line Defenders, Human rights defender Nahid Hasan Knowledge charged under Cyber Security Act for hurting religious sentiments, 20 March 2025, url