JMBF President urges EU action on political repression, fair-trial concerns, religious extremism and the protection of professionals and communities at risk.
Brussels, Belgium | 23 October 2026: Advocate Shahanur Islam, Founder President of JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), raised serious concerns about political repression, religious extremism and access to justice in Bangladesh during a bilateral meeting with Ms. Anne Vaugier Chatterjee, Policy Officer for Bangladesh at the European External Action Service (EEAS).The meeting took place at EEAS headquarters in Brussels from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. During the one-hour-and-45-minute discussion, Mr. Islam submitted JMBF’s briefing, Human Rights Concerns in Bangladesh Since the Change of Government in August 2024, and called for concrete EU engagement on the violations it documents.
Covering developments from 5 August 2024 to 21 October 2026, the briefing draws on JMBF’s monitoring and documentation alongside published sources. Mr. Islam also handed over the organisation’s reports and documentation on extrajudicial killings and custodial deaths, the independence of lawyers, LGBTQI+ rights, violations against garment factory workers and the reported government-imposed media blackout on JMBF’s activities. He discussed the findings and their consequences for those affected.
Mr. Islam raised concerns about growing Islamist extremism and threats against religious minorities, secular voices, women and LGBTQI+ people. He highlighted killings linked to accusations of blasphemy, including the recent killing of Shamim in Satkhira, which he raised in this context.
He also alleged that imprisoned Islamist extremists had been released following the fall of the Awami League government and that extremist groups, including people associated with the Islamic State (ISIS), were openly campaigning. He called for closer attention to these activities, timely protection for people facing threats and credible investigations into those committing or encouraging violence.
Mr. Islam stressed that authorities must act before threats turn into attacks and that accusations concerning religion must never become a justification for killing.
Turning to political participation, he called for the lifting of the ban on the activities of the Bangladesh Awami League and its affiliated wings, allowing them an equal opportunity to conduct peaceful political activities. He argued that the ban had become a basis for arbitrary arrests under anti-terrorism legislation.
He questioned the exclusion of the Awami League from the February 2026 parliamentary election. Describing it as the country’s largest political party, with support from around 40 per cent of the population, he asked how European observers could describe the election as inclusive when its supporters had been denied the opportunity to vote for their preferred representatives.
He also raised allegations that voters had faced threats and coercion from people associated with the current ruling and opposition parties. According to the concerns he presented, some voters had been warned that failing to attend polling centres could expose them to fabricated cases or other reprisals.
Mr. Islam maintained that anyone accused of a crime should be assessed individually, on the basis of evidence and through a fair hearing. Political affiliation alone, he argued, should never be grounds for arrest, exclusion or punishment.
The discussion also addressed death sentences imposed by Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on 23 Awami League leaders, including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Mr. Islam presented JMBF’s assessment that the proceedings were politically motivated and failed to meet minimum international fair-trial standards, with most of those concerned tried in absentia.
He urged independent scrutiny of the proceedings, proper access to defence lawyers and meaningful opportunities to challenge prosecution evidence. Reiterating JMBF’s opposition to the death penalty, he emphasised that justice for victims requires proceedings that can withstand independent scrutiny.
Mr. Islam drew attention to journalists who had spent more than a year and a half in detention, including Farzana Rupa, who faces allegations of crimes against humanity. He conveyed JMBF’s position that she was being targeted for her journalism and called for her release, alongside other journalists detained solely for their professional work or peaceful expression.
He also raised the imprisonment of Barrister Tureen Afroz and urged the EU to discuss her case and Rupa’s case with the Bangladeshi authorities. He called for their rights to be protected, including access to appropriate medical care, legal assistance and fair proceedings.
On political arrests, Mr. Islam raised JMBF’s concerns about the arbitrary arrest and detention of more than 400,000 Awami League leaders, activists and supporters since the change of government. He urged an independent review of cases involving people targeted because of their political beliefs or perceived affiliation, including arrests under anti-terrorism legislation.
He presented JMBF’s recent documentation concerning the arrest of at least 187 children. He said most had been implicated under anti-terrorism legislation and raised concerns that children were being criminalised merely for expressing support for “Joy Bangla.”
Mr. Islam also discussed allegations of police torture and reported deaths of politically affiliated prisoners amid claims of delayed or inadequate medical treatment and negligence. He called for appropriate healthcare, independent investigations into deaths in custody and accountability wherever wrongdoing is established.
He stressed that every detainee must have access to a lawyer, medical treatment and a fair hearing, and that people held without a lawful basis should be released.
During the meeting, Mr. Islam reported that Bangladeshi media had been barred from covering JMBF’s news and activities since October 2024. He linked the restriction to the attention received by JMBF’s statement against mob violence, which he said had been covered by national and international media and raised by a journalist during a US State Department briefing in Washington, DC.
He said the restrictions prevented JMBF from bringing its findings to public attention and denied people access to information about human rights abuses. He urged that media outlets be allowed to report on the organisation’s work without pressure or intimidation.
The discussion extended to threats against lawyers, judges and human rights defenders, including obstacles to legal representation. Mr. Islam emphasised that lawyers must be able to represent their clients without fear of retaliation and that judges must be free to make decisions independently.
He also discussed violence, intimidation and exclusion affecting teachers and students, alongside violence and discrimination against women, children, religious and ethnic minorities, LGBTQI+ people and workers. Attacks on shrines and restrictions on artistic freedom were among the other concerns he raised.
Ms. Vaugier Chatterjee listened attentively, took note of the concerns and asked questions to better understand the cases and issues presented. She also asked what steps could help address the violations described by Mr. Islam.
In response, he called for a visit to Bangladesh by the EU’s senior human rights representative to hear directly from people affected by abuses since the change of government. He urged that any visit include independent and informal consultations, expressing concern that tightly managed official programmes shaped by government authorities and aligned civil society organisations could leave important experiences unheard.
Mr. Islam urged the EU to raise JMBF’s concerns at the next EU–Bangladesh Human Rights Dialogue. He identified restrictions on Awami League activities, arrests under anti-terrorism legislation, police torture, the detention of journalists and lawyers, fair-trial concerns and the persecution of ethnic, religious and sexual minorities as priorities.
He asked the EU to seek clear responses from the Bangladeshi authorities and measurable progress on detention safeguards, judicial independence, political freedoms and accountability.
He also called for these concerns to be considered in forthcoming assessments relating to GSP+ eligibility and other bilateral arrangements, including discussions anticipated in Brussels in November. He urged the EU to connect its trade-related engagement with measurable human rights and labour commitments and to consult independent civil society when assessing progress.
Mr. Islam encouraged the EU to consider issuing a public statement on Bangladesh’s human rights situation and called for engagement with the European Parliament on the possibility of a resolution addressing the concerns.
He requested a meeting in November with the relevant EU officials responsible for human rights matters concerning Bangladesh. He also proposed a virtual meeting between JMBF and the EU Delegation to Bangladesh, together with other EU institutions working on Bangladesh, to discuss the documentation and individual cases in greater detail.
He asked that JMBF’s reports and the concerns raised during the meeting be shared with the relevant EU services for consideration in their internal coordination discussions.
Throughout the discussion, Mr. Islam emphasised that JMBF’s calls for accountability apply to all perpetrators, regardless of political affiliation. He urged independent investigations, fair proceedings and effective remedies for victims, supported by legal assistance, witness protection and services responding to survivors’ needs.
He also encouraged continued EU attention to Bangladesh’s cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and UN Special Procedures.
Ms. Vaugier Chatterjee assured Mr. Islam that the EEAS would take effective and measurable steps to address the concerns discussed, in accordance with its policies and guidelines.
Mr. Islam thanked Ms. Vaugier Chatterjee for the discussion and reiterated JMBF’s readiness to provide further documentation and maintain regular dialogue with the EEAS and other European institutions.
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JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan international human rights organization registered in France under the French Association Law of 1901 (Registration No. W931027714), committed to defending human rights, promoting social justice, and empowering marginalised communities in Bangladesh and beyond. JMBF is officially registered in the European Union Transparency Register (REG No. 0635235105176-78).
