Facts in Brief
According to information received, activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League and Jubo League organized a peaceful political rally in the Badharhat Market area of Noakhali Sadar Upazila on 5 June 2026. The rally was conducted peacefully and constituted a legitimate exercise of the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association, as guaranteed under international human rights law and the Constitution of Bangladesh.
However, at approximately 9:00 p.m. on the same day, 18 individuals, including 17 children, were reportedly detained in the Pouro Bazar area of Maijdee Town by activists affiliated with the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and subsequently handed over to the police. During the night of 5 June and the early hours of 6 June 2026, law enforcement authorities carried out further operations in Eojbalia, Kaladaraap, and Noakhali Municipality, resulting in the arrest of an additional 31 individuals.
In total, 49 individuals were deprived of their liberty solely on the basis of their participation in, or alleged preparation for, a peaceful political rally. No credible allegations of violence, vandalism, incitement, or threats to public safety have been reported against any of the detainees.
A Clear Case of Category II Arbitrary Detention
JMBF and ILAAD submit that these arrests constitute arbitrary detention and represent a serious violation of the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association, protected under Articles 19, 21, and 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Bangladesh is a State Party. The arrests also violate the prohibition against arbitrary arrest and detention guaranteed under Article 9 of the ICCPR and Article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
The detention of the 49 individuals falls squarely within Category II of arbitrary detention, as defined by the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, because it results directly from the peaceful exercise of internationally protected rights and freedoms.
Particular Concern: The Arbitrary Detention of 17 Children
JMBF and ILAAD are particularly alarmed by the detention of 17 children. Under the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), to which Bangladesh is a State Party, the detention of children must be used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time. The deprivation of liberty of these children solely because of their alleged political affiliation or participation in a peaceful assembly is fundamentally incompatible with Bangladesh's obligations under international human rights law and international juvenile justice standards.
Urgent Action Requested
In light of the urgency and seriousness of this matter, JMBF and ILAAD respectfully request the intervention of the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and urge the competent authorities of Bangladesh to:
- Immediately and unconditionally release all 49 detainees, including the 17 children;
- Withdraw all charges and legal proceedings arising solely from their peaceful political activities;
- Guarantee full respect for the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association;
- Ensure the protection of all detainees from intimidation, harassment, or reprisals;
- Conduct an independent, impartial, and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding these arrests and detentions; and
- Ensure accountability for any violations of Bangladesh's international human rights obligations.
JMBF and ILAAD respectfully seek urgent engagement with the relevant authorities to ensure that appropriate measures are taken without delay. Prompt action is essential to prevent further violations and to uphold the rule of law, democratic freedoms, and fundamental human rights.
JMBF and ILAAD would appreciate being informed of any actions taken in response to this communication and kindly request that copies of any correspondence or measures undertaken be shared with our office.
Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.
In Solidarity,
9 June 2026
URGENT ACTION REQUEST
Distinguished members of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention,
We, the undersigned, namely JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), represented by its Founder and President Advocate Shahanur Islam, and the International League Against Arbitrary Detention (ILAAD), represented by its President Mael Clerc, respectfully submit the present urgent action request related to the arbitrary arrest and detention of 49 individuals, including 17 children, by the authorities of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, following their participation in a peaceful political rally in Noakhali on 5 June 2026.
According to the Revised Fact Sheet No. 26 (Rev.1), the Special Procedures have developed an “urgent action” for cases in which there are sufficiently reliable allegations that a person is being detained arbitrarily and that the continuation of the detention may constitute a serious danger to that person’s health or life. The urgent action procedure may also be resorted to in other circumstances, when the Working Group deems that the situation warrants such an appeal.
I. Allegations of mass arbitrary detention of 49 individuals, including 17 children, by the People’s Republic of Bangladesh
On 5 June 2026, activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League and Jubo League organized a peaceful protest rally in the Badharhat Market area of Noakhali Sadar Upazila. This constitutionally protected act of political expression was met with a wave of arrests carried out jointly by party-aligned activists and law enforcement authorities.
At around 9:00 p.m. on 5 June 2026, 18 individuals, including 17 children, were detained in the Pouro Bazar area of Maijdee town by activists of the ruling party-aligned student organization, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, and subsequently handed over to the police. Those detained were accused of being activists of the Chhatra League who were preparing to organize a further rally.
Between the night of 5 June and the early hours of 6 June 2026, police conducted further operations in the areas of Eojbalia, Kaladaraap, and Noakhali Municipality, Noakhali Sadar Upazila, detaining an additional 24 individuals, including 9 Jubo League activists and 15 Chhatra League activists.
In total, 49 individuals were arrested solely for their participation in, or alleged preparation of, a peaceful political rally. No allegations of violence, vandalism, or threat to public safety have been made against any of the detainees.
II. Applicable legal framework
JMBF and ILAAD firmly submit that the arrests described above constitute a clear and serious violation of the following internationally guaranteed rights:
(a) The right to freedom of expression, as guaranteed under Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and Article 39 of the Constitution of Bangladesh;
(b) The right to peaceful assembly, as guaranteed under Article 21 of the ICCPR and Article 37 of the Constitution of Bangladesh;
(c) The right to freedom of association, as guaranteed under Article 22 of the ICCPR and Article 38 of the Constitution of Bangladesh;
(d) The prohibition of arbitrary arrest and detention, enshrined in Article 9 of the ICCPR, Article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), and Article 33 of the Constitution of Bangladesh;
(e) The special rights of the child, in particular the prohibition of arbitrary deprivation of liberty of minors except as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time, as guaranteed under Article 37 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), to which Bangladesh is a State party.
The present arrests fall squarely within Category II of arbitrary detention as defined by the Working Group, insofar as they result from the exercise of rights and freedoms guaranteed under international human rights instruments, including the ICCPR and the UDHR.
The submitting organizations further draw the attention of the Working Group to its own recent jurisprudence on Bangladesh, which provides relevant contextual elements regarding the practice of arbitrary detention in the country. In Opinion No. 40/2025 (Shahriar Kabir v. Bangladesh), adopted at its 103rd session on 25 August 2025, the Working Group found that the deprivation of liberty of the applicant was arbitrary under categories I, II, III and V, noting in particular: the politically motivated use of criminal charges to punish a human rights defender for the peaceful exercise of his rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association (category II); the “long-standing bad practices” of Bangladeshi police of arresting persons on the basis of first information reports listing scores of named and unnamed individuals with no legally relevant connection to the case (category I); and the discriminatory character of the detention on the basis of political opinion (category V). The Working Group expressed “grave concern” at the chilling effect of such detentions on civil society and activists.
Similarly, in Opinion No. 39/2025 (Dil Mohammed v. Bangladesh), also adopted at the 103rd session on 25 August 2025, the Working Group found violations of the right to a fair trial under category III, including enforced disappearance and prolonged incommunicado detention, and underscored the failure of Bangladeshi authorities to comply with the Nelson Mandela Rules and basic due process guarantees.
III. Particular concern: arbitrary detention of 17 children
The detention of 17 children is of the gravest concern to the submitting organizations. The Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Bangladesh acceded in 1990, establishes that the detention of children must be used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time (Article 37(b) CRC). The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice (“Beijing Rules”) further provide that deprivation of liberty shall not be imposed unless a juvenile is adjudicated of a serious act involving violence or unless there is no other appropriate response.
In the present case, the 17 children were arrested not for any act of violence or threat to public safety, but exclusively on the basis of their alleged political affiliation and participation in a lawful political assembly. This is fundamentally incompatible with the principles of juvenile justice under international law, and constitutes a particularly serious violation of children’s rights.
IV. Broader pattern of repression
JMBF and ILAAD wish to draw the attention of the Working Group to the fact that the present incident is not isolated. It reflects a broader, systematic pattern of repression against individuals holding opposing political views in Bangladesh, observed both under the interim government previously led by Muhammad Yunus and under the current government of Tarique Rahman. Mass arrests of political activists without clear allegations of violence have become a recurring practice that structurally undermines democratic freedoms and the rule of law in Bangladesh.
This pattern is particularly alarming when it involves the persecution of children and minors for their political identity or alleged political affiliation, in plain violation of their rights under the CRC and the ICCPR.
CONCLUSIONS
In light of the above circumstances, the present urgent action request respectfully urges the Working Group to transmit an urgent appeal by the most rapid means to the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh through the Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office of the State concerned in Geneva, and to ask the Government of Bangladesh to take the appropriate measures to ensure that:
● the 49 detainees, including 17 children, are immediately and unconditionally released;
● all charges and criminal proceedings initiated against them solely on the basis of their participation in a peaceful assembly are withdrawn;
● the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association are fully respected and protected by all State actors and law enforcement agencies;
● an independent, impartial, and transparent investigation is conducted into the circumstances of the arrests described herein, including the role of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal activists in the initial detention of the 18 individuals;
● the rights of the 17 detained children are immediately safeguarded in full compliance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child and Bangladesh’s obligations under international juvenile justice standards.
DETAILS OF THE PERSONS SUBMITTING THE URGENT ACTION REQUEST
JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF)
CNB Premises, 180 Boulevard Haussmann, 75008 Paris, France
E-mail: info@jmbf.org | Website: www.jmbf.org
Signature: Advocate Shahanur Islam, Founder and President of JMBF
International League Against Arbitrary Detention (ILAAD)
231 rue Saint Honoré, 75001 Paris, France
E-mail: contact@ilaad.org | Website: www.ilaad.org
Signature: Mael CLERC, President of ILAAD
LIST OF ANNEXES
Annex 1 Press statement by JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) dated 7 June 2026 concerning the arbitrary arrest of 49 individuals, including 17 children, in Noakhali.
Annex 2 Media reports from Bangladeshi and international press outlets confirming the arrests of 5–6 June 2026 in Noakhali Sadar Upazila.
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