Human Rights Day 2024: JMBF Founder Highlights Human Rights Violations in Bangladesh at Paris Event

Paris, December 12, 2024 – In celebration of Human Rights Day 2024, Advocate Shahanur Islam, Founder and President of JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), participated in a high-profile event at the Hôtel du Ministre, Quai d'Orsay, Paris, on December 10, 2024. Organized by the Ministry of European and Foreign Affairs, the event convened prominent human rights advocates, government officials, and international representatives to address global human rights challenges.

The event opened with remarks by Isabelle Rome, French Ambassador for Human Rights and former Minister for Equity, and Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, setting the stage for a series of engaging discussions moderated by Frédéric Jung, Deputy Director of the United Nations, International Organizations, Human Rights, and La Francophonie.

Advocate Shahanur Islam raised urgent concerns about human rights violations in 

Bangladesh under the interim government led by Prof. Muhammad Yunus while speaking with Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Mr. Islam highlighted alarming issues, including the persecution of journalists and lawyers through arbitrary arrests and fabricated cases, discrimination and violence faced by marginalized communities — particularly religious minorities like Hindus and sexual minorities, including LGBTQI+ individuals — and the erosion of freedom of expression. He also condemned the use of torture and extrajudicial killings by law enforcement agencies.

Mr. Islam emphasized the need for immediate international attention and action to address these violations. He presented the JMBF Annual State of LGBTQI+ Rights in Bangladesh Report to Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; Jean-Marie Burguburu, President of the National Consultative Commission on Human Rights (CNCDH), France; Nicole Ameline, a member of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW); and other key participants.

This year’s Human Rights Day event highlighted persistent human rights challenges across the globe, including Bangladesh, and fostered discussions aimed at inspiring collective action and solidarity among nations, organizations, and citizens.

Key attendees included Sophie Giscard d'Estaing, Deputy Director of the Secretariat of 

the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund; Bérangère Couillard, President of the High Council for Equality; Jean-Marie Burguburu, President of the National Consultative Commission on Human Rights (CNCDH), France; and Delphine O, Ambassador and Secretary General of the Generation Equality Forum, among others.

The event concluded with a cocktail reception in the Salon de l’Horloge, providing an opportunity for further dialogue and fostering international collaboration.

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JMBF is an independent non-profit, nonpartisan human rights organization registered in France with registration number W931027714 under the association law of 1901, dedicated to defending human rights, fighting for justice, and empowering communities in Bangladesh and beyond.