In the shadows of courtrooms and far from the glow of headlines, one man continues to risk his life for the rule of law. Advocate Shahanur Islam, a veteran Bangladeshi human rights lawyer, has spent the last two decades challenging a legal system plagued by corruption, police brutality, and discrimination. Now living in exile, his voice echoes louder than ever through legal reports, international appeals, and grassroots activism.
The Making of a Maverick
Born in northern Bangladesh, Islam's journey to law was not one of privilege, but of purpose. By his late twenties, he had already founded the JusticeMakers Bangladesh (JMBD) and later the international platform JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF). Through these initiatives, he began documenting torture, false arrests, and violence against vulnerable communities.
“Justice isn’t just an idea—it’s a fight,” Islam says. “And it’s a fight we cannot afford to lose.”
A Career Built on Risk
His fearless work has come at great cost. Islam has faced death threats, abductions, legal harassment, and a physical attack in a Bangladeshi courtroom in 2020. Despite this, he continued to publish damning reports such as the Annual Report on LGBTQI+ Rights and the State of Violence Against Lawyers.
The Advocate in Exile
Forced to relocate to France, Islam now leads JMBF from abroad, amplifying the voices of the oppressed through international partnerships and human rights forums. He was recently named a laureate of France's Marianne Initiative for Human Rights Defenders.
“The day we stop fighting is the day injustice wins,” he said. “That day has not come, and will not come while I breathe.”
A Movement, Not a Man
To Islam, his struggle is bigger than himself. "I am not the story," he insists. "The real story is the teenager tortured in custody, the woman denied bail, the lawyer beaten for defending the wrong client. I am just a witness who refuses to look away."
🔎 Quick Facts
- Name: Shahanur Islam
- Roles: Founder of JMBF & JMBD
- Reports: LGBTQI+ Rights, Lawyer Violence, Border Abuse, Torture, Extrajudicial Killing, Forced Disappearance, Religious Minority Rights, Ethnic Rights, Dalit Rights, Journalist and Human Rights Defenders at Risk
- Awards: 2023 Marianne Initiative for Human Rights Defenders Laureate (France), Asia JusticeMakers Fellow 2010
Editor's Note: For access to Advocate Islam’s publications, interviews, or speaking engagements, visit the official JMBF site or email shahanur.islam@jmbf.org.
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Copyright © JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), 2025. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of JMBF.
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.
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স্বত্বাধিকার © জাস্টিসমেকার্স বাংলাদেশ ইন ফ্রান্স (JMBF), ২০২৫। সর্বস্বত্ব সংরক্ষিত।
এই প্রকাশনার কোনো অংশ JMBF-এর পূর্বানুমতি ছাড়া কোনোভাবে—ইলেকট্রনিক, যান্ত্রিক, ফটোকপি, রেকর্ডিং বা অন্য কোনো মাধ্যমে—পুনরুৎপাদন, সংরক্ষণ বা প্রেরণ করা যাবে না।
JMBF একটি স্বাধীন, অলাভজনক, অরাজনৈতিক মানবাধিকার সংস্থা, যা ফ্রান্সে Association Law of 1901 অনুযায়ী নিবন্ধিত (নিবন্ধন নম্বর W931027714)। এটি বাংলাদেশসহ বিশ্বের বিভিন্ন স্থানে মানবাধিকার রক্ষা, ন্যায়বিচারের জন্য সংগ্রাম এবং সমাজকে ক্ষমতায়নের জন্য কাজ করে যাচ্ছে।
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Copyright © JusticeMakers Bangladesh en France (JMBF), 2025. Tous droits réservés.
Aucune partie de cette publication ne peut être reproduite, stockée dans un système de récupération, ou transmise sous quelque forme ou par quelque moyen que ce soit—électronique, mécanique, photocopie, enregistrement ou autre—sans l'autorisation préalable de JMBF.
JMBF est une organisation indépendante, à but non lucratif et non partisane de défense des droits humains, enregistrée en France sous le numéro W931027714 conformément à la loi de 1901 sur les associations. Elle s'engage à défendre les droits humains, à lutter pour la justice et à autonomiser les communautés au Bangladesh et au-delà.
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