Advocate Shahanur Islam holds a Master of Laws (LL.M) with a specialization in human rights law and has over a decade of experience in human rights, peace advocacy, criminal justice, and good governance. Throughout his career, Shahanur has developed a broad range of technical and managerial skills. His expertise includes designing and implementing projects related to human rights, criminal justice, peace, and good governance; providing legal support and counseling to victims of violence, particularly ethnic and religious minority women and children; initiating and executing projects to strengthen local governance; networking with NGOs; facilitating training sessions, seminars, and workshops on human rights issues; and lobbying at both national and international levels.
Shahanur has provided direct legal support to the Bangladesh Court for Criminal Justice and served as the Executive Director of the Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights (BIHR). Currently, he resides in Paris as a laureate of the 2023 Marianne Initiative for Human Rights Defenders, an honor initiated by the President of France in 2021.
With over 18 years of dedicated service in human rights, the rule of law, criminal justice, good governance, and advocacy at both national and international levels, Shahanur has focused on advocating for the rights and well-being of individuals who have suffered various forms of violations, particularly those from ethnic, religious, political, and sexual minority communities. He is committed to seeking justice for victims of torture, extrajudicial killings, involuntary disappearances, and organized violence in Bangladesh by providing pro bono legal support.
Shahanur's work extends beyond court representation. He actively monitors the human rights situation in Bangladesh, documents violations, prepares monitoring reports, and conducts fact-finding investigations by visiting scenes of human rights abuses. He issues urgent appeals, brings these issues to the attention of relevant authorities, and frequently releases press statements to raise awareness about specific human rights violations.
Shahanur has honed his skills through various capacity-building training programs on health, human rights, legal rights, and legal proceedings. He participates in seminars, meetings, and workshops both within Bangladesh and internationally. Notably, he was the first lawyer in Bangladesh to file cases against the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and military personnel for torture-induced killings, all on a pro bono basis. He has also been a pioneering advocate for the recognition of LGBT rights in Bangladesh, making his voice heard in the Dutch Parliament and the European Parliament.
Despite facing numerous challenges and threats, including death threats, intimidation, arbitrary arrests, and harassment, Shahanur remains undeterred in his mission to combat torture, extrajudicial killings, and organized violence, and to uphold the rights of ethnic, religious, social, and sexual minorities in Bangladesh. In recognition of his efforts, he was honored with the JusticeMakers Fellowship in 2010 by International Bridges to Justice (IBJ), Switzerland.
Shahanur Islam's unwavering dedication and courageous efforts have made a significant impact on the human rights landscape in Bangladesh and beyond. He can be reached at shahanur.islam@jmbf.org.
No comments:
Post a Comment