France/Netherlands/Egypt/Australia/Kazakhstan/Uganda/Pakistan/Tunisia/Cameroon/DRC I February 10, 2026: JOINT STATEMENT: Granting Impunity for Criminal Offences Committed during the July Uprising in Bangladesh-A... by contact.jmbf
On 25 January, the Gazette was issued by the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Ministry of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs. Earlier, on 15 January, the draft of the Ordinance was approved at a meeting of the Advisory Council of the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
Through this ordinance, the granting of impunity for criminal offences committed in the name of “political resistance” is in direct contradiction to the Constitution of Bangladesh, international human rights law, and the fundamental principles of justice. The undersigned human rights organizations firmly believe that this constitutes a clear and serious violation of human rights.
We strongly believe that impunity never protects democracy; rather, it encourages crime. Through this ordinance, the government has effectively set a dangerous precedent by opening the door to legitimizing murder, violence, and serious criminal acts based on subjective interpretations of political objectives.
Although this initiative may appear, on the surface, to be a legal effort to close a political chapter, in reality it poses far-reaching and dangerous consequences for Bangladesh’s justice system, the rights of victims, and the core principles of international human rights law, as the undersigned organizations firmly believe.
The central premise of this ordinance is to grant immunity for acts committed in the context of “political resistance.” However, history and international law clearly demonstrate that violence carried out under political justification—especially serious crimes such as the taking of human life—can never be placed above the law. When the state itself exempts a particular group from judicial accountability through legislation, it institutionalizes a culture of impunity rather than establishing justice.
With respect to incidents that occurred in July and August, the ordinance mandates the withdrawal of all past criminal cases and prohibits the filing of future cases. As a result, countless families who lost their children, parents, siblings, or loved ones to violence are receiving a clear message from the state: their suffering, losses, and right to truth will not receive legal recognition. This reality represents not only a denial of legal remedies but also a grave violation of human rights.
Under international human rights law—particularly the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)—states have a clear obligation to ensure effective investigation, prosecution, and remedies in cases involving violations of the right to life. The ordinance in question moves in the opposite direction. By suspending judicial processes, the state is effectively declaring that certain killings are not subject to prosecution if they can be framed within a particular political narrative.
Of further concern is the use of the term “political resistance,” which lacks any precise, foreseeable, or internationally recognized legal definition. This ambiguity creates a serious risk that extrajudicial killings, destruction of property, and violent crimes may all be brought under the protective umbrella of political resistance.
As a result, the law creates a grey zone in which the boundary between criminal conduct and political activity can be arbitrarily redefined. A fundamental principle of the rule of law is that laws must be clear so that citizens can understand which actions are criminal and which are not. This ordinance effectively undermines that principle.
Moreover, the authority to determine the nature of killings has been assigned to a non-judicial body at a time when the National Human Rights Commission is effectively non-functional. This is not merely a matter of institutional weakness; it constitutes a direct challenge to judicial independence and the principle of separation of powers.
International experience demonstrates that where a state fails—or deliberately refuses—to prosecute serious human rights violations domestically, the moral and legal grounds for international judicial intervention become stronger. Impunity can never provide permanent protection against accountability for international crimes.
In this context, the undersigned human rights organizations wish to draw the attention of international human rights bodies to the fact that this ordinance is not merely a domestic legal matter. It represents a deeply troubling precedent for the global human rights protection framework. Political stability cannot be sustained by bypassing justice, and no democratic future can be built by silencing the voices of victims.
Our Demands
The undersigned human rights organizations strongly demand that:
- The ordinance be immediately repealed or its implementation suspended;
- All criminal offences, regardless of political identity, be subject to judicial process;
- Independent, impartial, and effective justice mechanisms be ensured for victims;
- The National Human Rights Commission be reconstituted with full independence, capacity, and credibility; and
- Accountability and the rule of law, rather than impunity, be firmly established.
We believe that the ethical stance, monitoring, and effective intervention of international human rights institutions are urgently needed at this moment. When justice is constrained within the state itself, the international community becomes the last refuge for human rights.
For further information, please contact:
Advocate Shahanur Islam, Founder President, JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), Email: info@jmbf.org
Signatory Organizations:
1. JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), France, Website: www.jmbf.org, Email: info@jmbf.org
2. Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD), Netherlands, Website: https://www.ghrd.org/, Email: info@ghrd.org
3. Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and Legal Profession (ACIJLP), Egypt, Website: https://en.acijlponline.org, Email: acijlp@thewayout.net
4. Public Association “Dignity”, Kazakhstan, Website: www.birkirpish.kz, Emil: dignityast@gmail.com
5. Northern Uganda Transparency & Accountability Forum, Uganda, Email: nutafo@gmail.com
6. Tal Sparlay (Ever Spring), Pakistan, Email: talsparlay@gmail.com
7. Contre la Torture en Tunisie (OCTT), Tunisia, Email: octorture.tun@gmail.com
8. Global Bangladesh Unity Network (GBUN), Australia, Website: www.gbun.org, Email: contact@gbun.org
9. Movement for the Defense of Humanity and the Abolition of Torture (MDHAT), Cameroon,Website: http://mdhat.net, Email: mdhatcmr@yahoo.fr
10. Actions de Protection Mère et Enfant "APME Asbl, République Democratique du Congo, Email: apmeasbl@gmail.com
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