Shuvo

What can a slogan do? In the “new” #Bangladesh, it can get you arrested, assaulted in public, or worse - killed. “Joy Bangla” (victory to Bangladesh) the principal slogan of Bangladesh’s long independence struggle, has effectively been criminalised in post-August 2024 Bangladesh. Under successive administrations, first led by Muhammad #Yunus and now by #Tarique Rahman, these two words appear to be treated as more dangerous than political assassinations, deadly outbreaks, and communal violence. Most recently, following the funeral of #AwamiLeague leader and former minister Mosharrof Hossain in #Chattogram, 19 activists and supporters of the Awami League were arrested under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) and sent to jail for the “crime” of chanting the slogan “Joy Bangla.” News:
 bangla.dhakatribune.com/102928 The criminalisation of the slogan began under the #Yunus-led Interim Govt. Hundreds of people were arrested, often after violent assaults by political mobs, simply for exercising their right to political expression. For example, on 26 July 2025, 12 youths, all under the age of 20, were arrested under the ATA and sent to jail for making a video in which they chanted “Joy Bangla.” See:
 thedailystar.net/news/banglades… Under the current #BNP Govt, arrests over the slogan have intensified even further. On 26 March 2026, two lawyers were arrested in #Sunamganj after chanting “Joy Bangla, Joy Bangabandhu” while paying floral tributes at the Shaheed Minar. On the same day, a woman and her three children were also arrested for chanting “Joy Bangla, Joy Bangabandhu” while paying tribute at the National Memorial in Savar, #Dhaka. News:
 bdnews24.com/bangladesh/4c8…
 bdnews24.com/bangladesh/c51… Those who once claimed to stand against #fascism are now offering a masterclass in fascism in practice. And that, perhaps, is the greatest tragedy of Bangladesh. … #BangladeshCrisis #FreedomofExpression #FreeSpeech @amnestysasia @hrw @ESandersFCDO @PearsonElaine @meeganguly @AgnesCallamard @StateDRL @article19org @CIVICUSalliance @FortifyRights @forum_asia @fidh_en @Irenekhan @Ginitastar @UNHumanRights @volker_turk

A shocking incident, the tragedy of which is matched only by its brutality, has shaken the people of #CoxsBazar to the core. On Saturday, 16 May 2026, a #ChhatraLeague activist named Yunus was allegedly abducted and assaulted by local activists and supporters of the #BNP and its student wing, Chhatra Dal in Cox’s Bazar’s Ukhiya Upazila. One of Yunus’s friends, Imran, attempted to rescue him from the attack, but he too was brutally assaulted. Hearing about the incident, Imran’s mother, Sayeda Begum, rushed to intervene in an attempt to save the young men. She was also violently beaten. Critically injured, she lost her consciousness and died after being taken to hospital. According to family members and local residents, the origins of the incident can be traced back to about a week earlier, when Yunus allegedly drew a “Joy Bangla” graffiti on the wall of a local madrasa. Since then, he had reportedly been targeted by local BNP cadres. On Saturday night, Yunus allegedly reacted with a “haha” emoji to a social media post made by local Chhatra Dal leader Jisan regarding the graffiti incident. Enraged over this simple matter, local BNP and Chhatra Dal activists, led by Chhatra Dal leader Jisan and BNP leader Mizan Sikder, attacked Yunus, ultimately leading to the attacks on Imran and his mother too. Family members and neighbours have named the following BNP and Chhatra Dal supporters as being involved in the assaults on Yunus, Imran, and Sayeda Begum: Jisan, Mizan Sikder, Abdul Karim, Akash, Saiful Sikder, Syed Babul, Mahbubur Rahman, Salam Sikder, Shamsul Alam, and others. Following the incident, police arrived at the scene and took Yunus into custody. However, despite the alleged perpetrators reportedly being present at the location, no arrests were made. News: prothomalo.com/bangladesh/dis… This incident highlights the escalating political #violence against individuals affiliated with the #AwamiLeague under the BNP government led by Prime Minister #TariqueRahman, who had promised “rule of law” ahead of the February 2026 elections. Yet, his party activists are being allowed free rein to engage in violence with impunity, while law enforcement agencies appear unwilling or unable to act against them. A similarly brutal incident took place under the Yunus-led Interim Govt in December 2024 in #Panchagarh’s Boda Upazila. The unnamed assailants reportedly went to the home of a local Chhatra League leader Wahiduzzaman Amit, who was serving as president of Boda Union Chhatra League. Unable to find their target, they allegedly attacked and killed his 45-year-old mother, Arina Begum, while she was praying. News: bangla.bdnews24.com/samagrabanglad… …. #BangladeshCrisis #PoliticalViolence #Mobocracy @hrw @amnestysasia @ESandersFCDO @StateDRL @Chellaney @CJBdingo25 @paulocasaca1 @CrisisGroup @MujMash @CIVICUSalliance @HannahEP @CordeliaSkyNews @cnni

Mother killed while trying to save her son in Ukhiya. As political violence intensifies ahead of Awami League’s May rally, another brutal incident has shaken Bangladesh. Abdur Rahman, linked to Bangladesh Chhatra League, was allegedly abducted by @bdbnp78 student wing activists. When his mother tried to rescue him, she was reportedly beaten to death. Families aligned with Awami League continue to face arrests, violence, intimidation, and killings amid growing allegations of impunity and political persecution. How many more lives will be lost before the world speaks out? #Bangladesh #BangladeshCrisis

Bloody Ukhiya: The Death of a Mother, or the Blunt Reflection of an Unjust State? —— Ukhiya in Cox’s Bazar - once known for tourism, border politics, and the Rohingya crisis - is once again making headlines over allegations of horrific political violence. On Saturday night, May 16, 2026, around 9:30 PM, an incident unfolded in the Thaingkhali-Thaipalong area of Ukhiya that has shaken not just one family, but the entire community. According to reports published in various media outlets, leaders and activists of the #BNP were accused of abducting Chhatra League activist Abdur Rahman over the slogan “Joy Bangla.” When his mother, Chhaiyada Khatun (50), attempted to rescue him, she reportedly came under attack. She later died from her severe injuries. A political slogan — “Joy Bangla.” A phrase deeply tied to Bangladesh’s Liberation War history. If those words can now become a threat to someone’s life, then this is no isolated incident; rather, it symbolizes a terrifying collapse of political tolerance within the state. From a legal and political perspective, the incident raises allegations of several serious crimes: - First, intimidation and persecution based on political identity or ideology. - Second, abduction. - Third, a coordinated assault on a woman and a mother. - Fourth, death resulting from that assault. In other words, this single event appears to contain a complete blueprint of violence. Perhaps the cruelest aspect is that at the center of this tragedy was a mother. She was not a frontline political activist, nor a leader of rallies or demonstrations. She was simply a mother trying to save her child - and she lost her life doing so. Such a scene is shameful for any civilized society. The cries of Abdur Rahman’s sister after losing her mother have already spread across social media. The atmosphere of grief, fear, and anger now surrounding Ukhiya reflects not just the tragedy of one family, but the growing insecurity felt by ordinary citizens. Ukhiya has long struggled with instability. For years, various reports have raised allegations involving weapons, drugs, extortion, and violence surrounding the Rohingya camps. Political rivalry in the region has also frequently turned violent. As a result, ordinary people are increasingly asking: is the state truly capable of maintaining law and order? The government’s responsibility is not merely to issue statements. It must ensure impartial investigations, bring perpetrators to justice regardless of political affiliation, and take a visible stand against political violence. Otherwise, every new death will become just another statistic. This incident in Ukhiya once again forces the nation to confront an old and painful question: Is Bangladesh becoming a state where a person’s political identity determines whether they are safe? The answer to that question - written in the blood of a mother - now remains a debt owed to the entire nation. #Bangladesh #BangladeshCrisis ⁩

During the tenure of Awami League, Bar Association elections were generally inclusive, with opposition-backed panels winning on several occasions. Lawyers aligned with opposition parties were also outspoken in expressing their views within court premises. In contrast, in what is being called the “new Bangladesh,” candidates perceived to be backed by the Awami League are being prevented from contesting Bar elections. First, the national election was conducted in a one-sided manner, excluding the Awami League and disenfranchising millions of voters. Now, even elections in professional bodies, such as Bar Associations, are being carried out in much the same way. As a result, voter participation is largely absent, turning the electoral process into a farce. This is what their version of elections and democratic practice looks like in the so-called “New Bangladesh.” @CCBEinfo @ESandersFCDO @hrw @UNHumanRights @amnesty @IHRF_English @IHumanRightsC @IhrcE @FCDOHumanRights @SGCommonwealth @CharlieCamp6ell @anbarasanethi @CordeliaSkyNews @_rachaelthorn @b_parkyn @MujMash

#JamaatEIslami supporters attack and vandalise the shrine of Hazrat Shah Ali in #Dhaka; this is the second such incident under the #BNP Govt, following on from the 100+ Sufi shrines attacked under the #Yunus-led Interim Govt. Supporters of Jamaat E Islami MP Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem attacked the shrine of Sufi mystique Hazrat Shah Ali in Dhaka's #Mirpur area last night. Witnesses and staff of the shrine said around 100 attackers swooped on the shrine and its devotees chanting "Allahu Akbar". News: youtu.be/0bY4QFYylps?si… This marks the second violent attack on a Sufi shrine since the BNP Govt assumed office around three months ago. Previously, on April 11, 2026, an #Islamist mob attacked a Sufi shrine in #Kushtia, where a pir (spiritual leader) was beaten to death and the shrine vandalised and set on fire. See: x.com/i/status/20432… Violent attacks on Sufi shrines had already become increasingly common under the Yunus-led Interim Govt. During roughly one and a half years of Yunus’s rule, around 100 Sufi shrines were reportedly attacked, mostly by Islamist mobs, often with the involvement or support of activists linked to right-wing political parties in Bangladesh. See: dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/408… According to the Human Rights Support Society (HRSS), more than 100 incidents of attacks on shrines were recorded between Aug 2024 and Apr 2026. Despite nearly 100 incidents, only 12 cases were filed. Most investigations have seen little or no meaningful progress, with few arrests made in the majority of cases. In these attacks, at least 3 people were killed and more than 200 injured, including women. .... …. #BangladeshCrisis @StateIRF @USCIRF @nadinemaenza @FOREF_EU @hrcbm @Tkbaul @NazilaGhanea @hrw @amnesty @MinoritiesSouth @FOREF_EU @ESandersFCDO @PearsonElaine @amnestysasia @MinorityRights @paulocasaca1 @CJBdingo25 @Chellaney @EURightsAgency

The #corruption surrounding the July 2024 protest-related cases in #Bangladesh has reached such a stage that it now risks undermining the entire #justice process. Dishonest complainants, unscrupulous sections of the #police, and corrupt political actors appear to be unjustly enriching themselves at the expense of justice and due process. In a recent interview with @ProthomAlo, #cricketer Shakib Al Hasan revealed that “interlocutors” approached him with an offer to remove his name from these cases in exchange for Tk 10 million. Shakib is among the thousands of individuals falsely implicated in the sweeping criminal cases filed in connection with the violent July 2024 protests. Interview: en.prothomalo.com/amp/story/spor… During the entire period of the protests, Shakib was abroad playing cricket. Nevertheless, he was named in multiple murder and attempted murder cases solely because of his affiliation with the #AwamiLeague as a former Member of Parliament. Shakib is a global sporting icon whose voice resonates far beyond Bangladesh. If even someone of his stature can allegedly be targeted for extortion through these controversial cases, one can only imagine the situation faced by grassroots supporters and activists of the Awami League. For the past twenty-one months, #BDWatch has extensively documented the concerns surrounding these sweeping criminal cases, which have been misused to arbitrarily detain thousands of political activists and extort innocent people. These concerns have come to the fore most recently following investigations by the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI). According to PBI officials, the cases reviewed so far reveal an alarming absence of evidence against many of the accused. In fact, investigators say they are recommending discharge for the majority of those named in these cases. As of 22 April 2026, PBI had been entrusted with reviewing 195 protest-related criminal cases. So far, investigators have found no evidentiary basis in 24 of those cases. An additional 20 cases were withdrawn by complainants who appeared to anticipate that the PBI investigation would expose their actual motivations. In the 90 cases where the PBI found evidence supporting at least some of the allegations, there were a total of 8,728 accused individuals. Among them, no evidence was found against 5,554 people, leading the PBI to submit discharge requests to the courts. By that measure, only 36.37% of the named accused appear to have evidentiary support, while 63.63% appear to be baseless. Report: kalbela.com/ajkerpatrika/f… The larger concern, however, is that the PBI is investigating only a small fraction of the July–August 2024 cases. Since August 2024, a total of 1,855 cases have been filed in this regard. This means the PBI is reviewing only 10.51% of all cases. The remaining 1,660 cases are being handled by regular police stations across the country. Of those, investigations have been completed in only 176 cases (9.5%), while charge sheets have been submitted in just 156 cases (8.4%). There has been widespread allegations of police corruption re: these cases. See: x.com/bdwatch2024/st… What is urgently required therefore, is an independent review of all cases filed in connection with the 2024 protests, with the aim of identifying the actual perpetrators and ensuring the release and/or discharge of all innocent individuals. It is increasingly evident that the regular police force is either unwilling or unable to carry out such an impartial process, whether due to corruption, political pressure, or institutional failure. … #BangladeshCrisis @amnestysasia @hrw @Ginitastar @StateDRL @volker_turk @UNHumanRights @ESandersFCDO @EURightsAgency @meeganguly @PearsonElaine @IBAHRI @justiceinfonet @UN_SPExperts @AgnesCallamard @UN_HRC @SRjudgeslawyers @TheDavidBergman @job71org @fidh_en @forum_asia @FortifyRights @BonaveroIHR @StateDept_GCJ

The Law Society of #England and Wales has issued a strongly worded letter to the Government of #Bangladesh expressing serious concern over reported obstruction, intimidation, and harassment of #lawyers surrounding recent bar association #elections. @MarkLawSoc1, President of @TheLawSociety, addressed the letter to Prime Minister #TariqueRahman, citing allegations that lawyers and independent candidates were prevented from submitting nomination papers, pressured to withdraw from elections, subjected to intimidation and physical harassment, and labelled as “collaborators” or political associates based on perceived affiliations. The Law Society warned that such actions may violate core international standards under the @UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, particularly protections relating to freedom from intimidation and political interference, protection from threats and harassment, independence of the legal profession, and freedom of association and participation in professional bodies. The letter emphasises that bar association elections are not merely internal professional matters; they are fundamental to preserving judicial independence, democratic accountability, and the rule of law. A legal profession that cannot govern itself freely risks undermining public confidence in justice itself. The Law Society therefore, called on the Bangladeshi authorities to, ensure fair and inclusive bar elections, investigate allegations of violence and obstruction, protect lawyers from reprisals, intimidation, and discrimination, and safeguard the independence of the justice system. CCBE’s Similar Letter Previously, the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (@CCBEinfo) also issued a strongly worded letter to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh concerning similar allegations of obstruction, intimidation, and harassment of lawyers and independent candidates during recent bar association elections. See: x.com/bdwatch2024/st… …. @LSHumanRights @IBAnews @lincolnsinn @HonSocGraysInn @SRjudgeslawyers @middletemple @TheInnerTemple @hrw @UnionIntAvocats @ILA_official @ILAW_Network @ABAesq @JusticeMakersBF @hrw @barandbench @LawyersComm @trahmanbnp @tariquebd78 @bdbnp78 @BNPBdMediaCell

.@albd1971 leader and independent war veteran Mosharraf Hossain has passed away. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered at his funeral to pay tribute to him. #Bangladesh #OnceAgainSheikhHasina

The Law Society of England and Wales has formally expressed deep concern over interference, obstruction, and harassment surrounding several district bar association and Supreme Court Bar Association elections in Bangladesh. In its letter, the President of the Law Society highlighted serious issues affecting the independence of lawyers and the rule of law, while calling on the authorities to ensure free, fair, and non-discriminatory participation in bar elections. “This significant international attention reflects the tireless efforts of Barrister M R Khan, a UK-based practising lawyer, who worked diligently to bring these matters before the Law Society and to advocate for the protection of legal professionals and democratic principles within the legal community.” THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE LEGAL PROFESSION IS ESSENTIAL TO JUSTICE, DEMOCRACY, AND THE RULE OF LAW. Read and Download⬇️ drive.google.com/file/d/1mBujQh… #Bangladesh

Awami League leader and independent war veteran Mosharraf Hossain has passed away. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered at his funeral to pay tribute to him. Since August 5, 2024, countless leaders, activists, and supporters of the Awami League have been subjected to brutal suppression. Numerous members have been killed, including over a hundred who were killed while in police custody. The homes, businesses, and offices of Awami League members have been set on fire. Not just for being part of the party, but many innocent people have had their lives made miserable simply for upholding the ideals of the Liberation War and Democracy. Countless individuals have been slapped with false cases, and thousands of activists have been arrested. Despite such intense persecution and torture, the people of Chattogram took to the streets today with great courage to pay their final respects to the commander of the Great Liberation War, Engineer Mosharraf Hossain. The anti-liberation forces and their patrons forget that the @albd1971 has fought for democracy, the rule of law, human rights, and the people’s freedom for decades, and that its political philosophy is cherished by millions. They often forget that to the people of Bangladesh, the Awami League is the name of an emotion; it is a party of the masses. The Awami League cannot be suppressed through fear or intimidation. They forget that it was the Awami League that liberated this country.

এত শিশুর মৃত্যুর জন্য দায়ীদের বিচার হওয়া উচিত: শেখ হাসিনা youtu.be/fMJX2xXmb7g?si…

Are cremation grounds and temples now targets for land grabbing? A minority family’s 150–200 year-old ancestral property is allegedly being occupied by force, despite objections from villagers and local representatives. Even ancestral cremation grounds and temple areas are reportedly under threat. Incidents of land grabbing, attacks on temples, and intimidation of minority communities continue to raise serious concerns about communal harmony and security in Bangladesh. The affected family is calling for urgent administrative intervention and protection of their ancestral land and religious sites. #Bangladesh #SaveBangladeshiHindus @INSIGHTUK2 @austhindu @HinduForumGBR @HinduAmerican @MEAIndia @Chellaney @JournoAshutosh @WeWillRD @LemkinInstitute @IrfSecretariat @RFInstitute @meeganguly @amnestysasia @OHCHRAsia @amnesty @UN_HRC @NazilaGhanea @CJBdingo25 @eu_eeas @bdwatch2024 @UNinBangladesh @amnesty @hrw @BDMOFA @volker_turk @MujMash @ChiefAdviserGoB @StateIRF @KnoxThames @IRFSummit @IPP_FoRB @CSWadvocacy @SamuelBrownback @MaryLawlorhrds @realDonaldTrump @TrumpWarRoom @TulsiGabbard @UtsavSanduja @RFBF_US @ESandersFCDO @DNIGabbard @SecRubio @HinduITCell @SBHPage @VHPDigital @DNIGabbard @POTUS @SuvenduWB

Former Narayanganj Mayor Selina Hayat Ivy’s legal ordeal illustrates the criminal justice quagmire so many #AwamiLeague leaders face in the “new” #Bangladesh. What happens when the entire criminal justice system is weaponised by the state against political opponents? The experience of former Narayanganj Mayor Selina Hayat Ivy offers a striking example. First, she was arrested in five separate cases. Bail was denied by the lower courts. After considerable legal hurdles, she eventually secured bail in all five cases from the High Court. She was then “shown arrested” in five additional cases. Once again, bail was denied in the lower courts. After prolonged legal efforts, she again secured bail from the High Court in those five cases as well. Thereafter, she was “shown arrested” in two more cases. Bail was granted in those cases too. However, by then, the Appellate Division had stayed the High Court orders granting her bail in the first ten cases. Hearings on staying the bail orders in the remaining two cases are still pending. In essence, Selina Hayat Ivy’s past year has been defined by a continuous cycle of arrests, bail petitions, and “shown arrests”, despite the fact that she was not even named in the first information reports (FIRs) of seven of the twelve pending cases against her. Ivy was arrested on 9 May 2025 from her residence in Narayanganj. More than a year later, police investigations in all of these cases remain incomplete. Even more alarmingly, three complainants in the first five cases have claimed that they never named Ivy in their FIRs and did not even know her personally. They told @ProthomAlo that Ivy’s name had been inserted into the complaints by local #BNP leaders and local police officials. Lawyers and family members of Ivy have unequivocally alleged that she has been deliberately targeted for political persecution by both the successive Interim Government and the current BNP government through what they describe as patently baseless cases. Selina Hayat Ivy served as the elected Mayor of Narayanganj Municipality from 2003 to 2011. Following Narayanganj’s elevation to city corporation status, she went on to win the mayoral election for three consecutive terms. Prothom Alo report: prothomalo.com/bangladesh/1o2… Previously, we highlighted how multiple components of the criminal justice system in Bangladesh are playing a significant role in the persecution of political detainees. This has included the repeated use and abuse of “shown arrested” provisions by law enforcement authorities, as well as the rejection of bail applications by judges and magistrates on what legal experts argue are political rather than legal grounds. Together, these practices have contributed to the prolonged and, in many cases, effectively indefinite detention of political leaders and activists affiliated with the #AwamiLeague. We also drew attention to the profound human costs of these practices and their impact on detainees and their families. For more background, see: x.com/bdwatch2024/st… x.com/bdwatch2024/st… x.com/bdwatch2024/st… x.com/bdwatch2024/st… x.com/bdwatch2024/st… … #BangladeshCrisis @amnestysasia @hrw @Ginitastar @StateDRL @volker_turk @UNHumanRights @ESandersFCDO @EURightsAgency @meeganguly @PearsonElaine @IBAHRI @justiceinfonet @UN_SPExperts @AgnesCallamard @UN_HRC @SRjudgeslawyers @TheDavidBergman @job71org @fidh_en @forum_asia @FortifyRights @BonaveroIHR @StateDept_GCJ

#Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari has now spent more than 17 months in detention without trial. Although eight criminal cases have been filed against him, many believe that his real “offence” was speaking out against attacks on religious #minorities in #Bangladesh during the tenure of the Interim Govt. The question now is: why does the #BNP Govt appear to be continuing the same approach as the #Yunus Regime in persecuting a prominent advocate for minority rights? Tomorrow, the High Court is scheduled to rule on bail petitions in four of the pending cases against Chinmoy, who also serves as spokesperson for the “Bangladesh Sanatan Jagaran Mancha”. He faces eight cases in total, including allegations of #murder and #sedition. Chinmoy has already secured bail in three cases before both the High Court and lower courts. However, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court subsequently stayed the High Court’s order granting him bail in the sedition case. News:
 thedailystar.net/news/crime-jus… It is important to note that Chinmoy was first arrested on Nov 25, 2024, in connection with the sedition allegation and has remained in custody ever since. The other alleged offences, including the murder case, relate to incidents said to have occurred while he was already imprisoned. The sedition case itself was filed by a #BNP leader who was later suspended by the party for initiating the complaint. Despite what critics describe as weak factual and legal foundations underlying many of the allegations, Chinmoy’s bail petitions have repeatedly been rejected by both lower and higher courts for the last one and a half years. Many observers expected that Chinmoy would struggle to receive impartial treatment from the #judiciary during the Yunus Regime, because his activism drew international attention to #violence against religious minorities following the political change in Bangladesh in Aug 2024. What remains more difficult to understand for many however, is why the current #TariqueRahman-led BNP Govt also appears willing to deploy the full machinery of the state against a Hindu monk advocating for minority rights. Will Chinmoy Krishna Das finally receive relief from the High Court tomorrow? Or will his prolonged pre-trial detention continue amid ongoing allegations of political influence over the judicial process? ….. #BangladeshCrisis @MinorityRights @NazilaGhanea @USCIRF @StateIRF @CIVICUSalliance @hrw @INSIGHTUK2 @FOREF_EU @Tkbaul @hrcbm @ESandersFCDO @Chellaney @MinoritiesSouth @hindupost @HinduPACT @UtsavSanduja @CoHNAOfficial @MEAIndia @HinduVoice_in @HinduHate @hinduphobia_tr @CNNbelief @canada_hindu @austhindu @paulocasaca1 @CJBdingo25 @colhari2 @satishbpuri

#Student assaulted, police take no action against known perpetrators. Instead, they withdrew the complaint filed by the victim’s mother. In essence, this appears to be the level of #justice one can expect when a victim has actual or perceived affiliations with the #AwamiLeague or any of its associated bodies in “new” #Bangladesh. On the night of 8 March 2026, Rahid Khan Pavel, an under graduate philosophy student at the University of #Dhaka, was assaulted multiple times by activists affiliated with the #NCP-backed student groups Jatiya Chhatra Shakti (#JCS) and the Students Against Discrimination (#SAD) Movement. Pavel’s alleged “crime” was sharing on social media the historic March 7 speech of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and allegedly being associated with #ChhatraLeague, the student wing of the #AwamiLeague. According to reports, Pavel was first beaten late at night while eating sehri at the BUET canteen during Ramadan. He was later taken to the Dhaka University area, where he was assaulted again multiple times. Severely injured, he was eventually left in front of Shahbagh Police Station. Yet the intimidation and indignity did not end there. On 9 March, Pavel’s mother, Parveen Akhter, filed a criminal complaint at Shahbagh Police Station naming 10 students of Dhaka University and 10–15 unidentified individuals as accused. The complaint reportedly identified them as being affiliated with the two aforementioned NCP-backed student groups. However, within just 24 hours, the First Information Report (FIR) was reportedly withdrawn by the police. See: x.com/bdwatch2024/st… This was highly irregular. Once a First Information Report (FIR) is filed with a police station regarding a cognisable offence, there is ordinarily no legal scope for it to be “withdrawn.” The matter can only be disposed of after investigation, either through the filing of charges against the accused or through submission of a Final Report concluding that the allegations are unsupported by evidence. It may reasonably be inferred that the police faced political pressure not to register or pursue the complaint, even if doing so required disregarding established legal procedures. However, after the matter was brought to the attention of the High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, the HC issued a rule asking the police and relevant government authorities to explain why the decision to withdraw the FIR should not be declared unlawful and void. News: shorturl.at/0Aow5 The #judiciary in Bangladesh has appeared increasingly deferential to the executive branch since August 2024, particularly in cases involving individuals affiliated with rival political groups of both the Interim Govt and the BNP Govt. Rebuilding public confidence in the independence and impartiality of the courts will likely require sustained efforts, especially given perceptions surrounding judicial conduct over the past twenty-one months. Nevertheless, this development may represent a constructive step in the right direction. Time will determine whether it proves to be an isolated instance or the beginning of a broader commitment by the superior courts to adjudicate matters strictly on the basis of law and evidence, rather than perceived political considerations. …. #BangladeshCrisis #PoliticalViolence #Mobocracy

In a scene straight out of a drug #cartel-style execution in #Mexico, the body of a former #student leader was found hanging from a flyover in #Chattogram late last night. With this killing, the number of Awami League-affiliated individuals killed since the #BNP Govt assumed office less than three months ago has risen to at least five. The victim, Kausar Ahmed, served as the Liberation War Affairs Secretary of the Akbar Shah unit of #ChhatraLeague in Chattogram City. His body was discovered hanging from the Shagorika Flyover in the port city. Local #police have filed an “unnatural death” case after completion of a post-mortem examination. However, Kausar’s family, neighbours, and political colleagues allege that he was murdered and that his body was publicly displayed as a warning because of his political affiliation with the #AwamiLeague. Chhatra League leader Parvez Ansari claimed that Kausar had been abducted by members of the #BNP and #JamaatEIslami before his death. Because of its extremely graphic nature, we refrained from sharing the image of Kausar’s lifeless body hanging from the flyover. News: shorturl.at/TeezV Kausar’s killing marks the fifth violent death of an Awami League-affiliated individual since the BNP government, led by Prime Minister #TariqueRahman, took office. …. #BangladeshCrisis #PoliticalViolence #ChattogramNotJuarez

Extrajudicial ban on Awami League indemnified ongoing genocide Hundreds of party activists murdered, killing spree going on, no justice, no right to life for millions Emboldened by state sponsored impunity, a cabal of extremist forces including Jamaat e Islami unleashed a brutal killing spree against citizens merely for their political belief. Yet another anti war crimes campaigner from Awami League’s student wing was murdered and then his body was hung in public in the port city. The corpse of Kawsar Ahmed, liberation war affairs secretary of Chittagong BSL Thana unit, was found hanging from flyover. This savagery offers a stark glimpse into the ongoing wave of almost two year long massacre against citizens affiliated with Awami League and its associate bodies. Introduced by murderous Yunus regime and then passed by incumbent parliament, the extrajudicial ban on Awami League has directly enabled this killing spree as murderers have been indemnified by the state as global rights body remain complicit with their silence. Over 600 activists and leaders were burnt alive, tortured to death, slayed and their mutilated bodies were dumped while whereabouts of thousands are still unknown. #Bangladesh