JMBF asserts that these actions represent a direct attack on her personal dignity, safety, and most alarmingly, her independence as a legal professional engaged in upholding justice for the victims of the 1971 Liberation War.
JMBF also believes that the sole basis of this persecution appears to be her courageous role as a prosecutor at the ICT, where she pursued accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The brutal nature of the physical assault—inflicted with cruel intent and accompanied by degrading treatment—exemplifies a coordinated campaign of reprisal that contravenes all national and international legal norms.
JMBF also believes that this incident occurs amid an escalating climate of repression under the unelected interim administration led by Professor Muhammad Yunus, which has unleashed a widespread crackdown on lawyers, human rights defenders, and dissenting voices across Bangladesh. Recent weeks have witnessed murders, arbitrary arrests, fabricated charges, harassment, and intimidation of legal professionals, creating a culture of fear and eroding the very foundation of the rule of law.
JMBF reminds the current administration that such actions are in violation of the Constitution of Bangladesh, particularly Article 27 (equality before the law), Article 31 (protection of law), and Article 35 (protection from cruel, inhuman treatment).
Furthermore, the arrest and assault violate core international human rights instruments:
Articles 9 and 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Bangladesh is a State Party, ensure the right to liberty and security of person, and the right to a fair trial.
Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) prohibits torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
The UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers (1990) guarantee that lawyers are entitled to perform their duties without intimidation, hindrance, harassment, or improper interference. The arrest of Barrister Afroz clearly violates these principles.
JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) Demands the Following:
Immediate and unconditional release of Barrister Turin Afroz and the dropping of all politically motivated charges against her.
An independent, international investigation into the physical assault and torture committed against her in August 2024.
Cessation of all intimidation, arrests, and harassment of lawyers and human rights defenders in Bangladesh.
Restoration of democratic processes, rule of law, and judicial independence under full constitutional order.
JMBF calls upon the United Nations, the European Union, the International Bar Association, and all defenders of justice to speak out urgently and take meaningful steps to halt the ongoing repression in Bangladesh.
JMBF is closely monitoring the situation and remains unwavering in its commitment to justice, human rights, and the protection of legal professionals in Bangladesh and beyond.
Thank you,
Fact in Brief (According to news received from JMBF’s reliable sources and reports published in various news media in Bangladesh):
Barrister Turin Afroz, former prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), was arrested by officers of Uttara West Police Station late on the night of April 7. Around 11:30 PM on Monday, police detained her from her residence on Road 11, Sector 3, Uttara. She was later shown as arrested in a case filed over the alleged attempted murder of a student during an anti-discrimination student movement.
On Tuesday, April 8, she was presented before the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Court, where Investigation Officer SI Sumon Mia sought a 10-day remand for interrogation. After the hearing, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Jakir Hossain granted a four-day remand. The remand hearing was conducted by Dhaka Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Omar Faruk Faruqi, while no defense lawyer was present on behalf of Turin Afroz.
According to the case details, on August 5, 2024, during an anti-government protest, a student named Abdul Jabbar was shot around noon in front of the BNS Center on the Dhaka–Mymensingh highway under the jurisdiction of Uttara West Police Station. He was later admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment. On March 27, 2025, a case was filed at the Uttara West Police Station naming 50 individuals including Turin Afroz and accusing another 100–150 unidentified persons. Turin Afroz is listed as the 30th accused in the case.
Barrister Turin Afroz was appointed as a prosecutor at the International Crimes Tribunal in 2010. She played a significant role in prosecuting major war crimes cases, including that of Jamaat-e-Islami leader Ghulam Azam. In May 2018, she was relieved of her duties at the tribunal.
Earlier, on August 5, 2024, her personal office in Jaldhaka, Nilphamari, was vandalized. On the night of August 7, unknown assailants attacked her residence in Uttara. She was subjected to brutal physical torture—her legs were injured with a pencil, her hair was forcibly cut, and she was burned with cigarette butts. The attackers questioned why she had not left the country and why she did not wear a hijab. They also repeatedly checked her phone during the assault.
It is worth noting that on August 20, 2024, shortly after a change in government, an application was filed with the International Crimes Tribunal requesting an investigation into alleged genocide during a Hefazat-e-Islam rally. Turin Afroz was among 19 individuals named in that application.
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