PRESS RELEASE: JMBF Submits Formal Complaint to UN Special Rapporteur Over Ban on Bangladesh Awami League

Paris, France | 7 December 2025: JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) has formally submitted a complaint to the Office of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association, raising alarm over the ban imposed on Bangladesh’s oldest and largest political party, the Bangladesh Awami League (AL), and the suspension of its registration with the Election Commission.

On 7 December 2025, Advocate Shahanur Islam, Founder President of JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), submitted the complaint via email following an in-person meeting held on 27 November 2025 at the Office of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association at the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland. 

The complaint highlights that the ban, imposed by the interim government on 12 May 2025 under the Anti-Terrorism Act, and the subsequent suspension of the party’s registration, have effectively paralyzed all political activities of the Awami League. The measures, which include restrictions on assemblies, protests, publications, and social media activity, have prevented the party from participating in the upcoming national elections scheduled for February 2026.

JMBF’s report details an extensive crackdown on party leaders, activists, and supporters. According to independent monitoring, over 350,000 individuals affiliated with the Awami League have faced politically motivated cases, and at least 130,000 individuals have been arrested since the fall of the previous AL-led government. 

Operations such as “Operation Devil Hunt” and nationwide police drives have targeted peaceful protesters, flash rallies, and party meetings, creating a climate of fear and repression. The interim government has defended its actions by citing national security and ongoing trials under the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act. 

However, JMBF emphasizes that the use of anti-terrorism legislation to suppress political opposition violates international human-rights standards, undermines political pluralism, and threatens the democratic process. 

The complaint urges the UN Special Rapporteur to: 

1. Call on Bangladeshi authorities to lift the blanket ban on AL and its affiliated wings, or at least amend it so that peaceful political activity, assembly, and expression by AL members or supporters are permitted, in line with international human-rights standards. 
2. Urge dismissal or review of all politically motivated or arbitrary charges and detentions against AL members and its affiliated wings, especially those arrested for peaceful protests, flash rallies, or simple expression of support. 
3. Ensure that trials under the ICT Act or anti-terrorism legislation meet international due-process standards, including access to legal counsel, fair hearings, presumption of innocence, and protections against collective punishment. 
4. Guarantee freedom of the press and protect journalists reporting on protests, party activities, human-rights abuses, or political dissent from harassment, arbitrary arrest, or violence.
5. Advocate for the restoration of political pluralism and inclusive electoral participation, to prevent disenfranchisement of large segments of the population and to support a genuine multi-party democratic transition. 
6. Request periodic independent monitoring and reporting on arrests, detentions, prosecutions, and the general climate of civil-political rights (assembly, association, expression) in Bangladesh until normal democratic functioning is restored. 

JMBF warns that the ongoing suppression of the Awami League and its supporters represents a serious assault on civil and political rights, including the freedoms of assembly, association, expression, and participation in elections. 

The organization calls for urgent international attention and intervention to restore democratic processes in Bangladesh. 

Thank You. 

Advocate Mohammad Alamgir 

Secretary General 

JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) 

CNB Premises, 180 Boulevard Haussmann, 75008 Paris, France 

Email: info@jmbf.org | Website: www.jmbf.org

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JMBF est une organisation indépendante à but non lucratif et non partisane, enregistrée en France sous le numéro d’enregistrement W931027714 selon la loi de 1901 sur les associations, dédiée à la défense des droits humains, à la lutte pour la justice, et à l’autonomisation des communautés au Bangladesh et au-delà.

 

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