JOINT STATEMENT: Granting Impunity for Criminal Offences Committed during the July Uprising -A Grave Threat to Human Rights

France/Netherlands/Egypt/Australia/Kazakhstan/Uganda/Pakistan/Tunisia/Cameroon/DRC I February 10, 2026:  We, the undersigned 10 international, national, and local human rights organizations, i) JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), France, ii) Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD), Netherlands,

The July Mass Uprising Ordinance 2026: Legalized Impunity and a Catastrophe for Justice in Bangladesh

By Advocate Shahanur Islam

On 25 January 2026, the Government of Bangladesh issued the July Mass Uprising (Protection and Determination of Liability) Ordinance, 2026, a presidential decree that grants sweeping immunity to all participants in the July 2024 uprising. According to the ordinance, all civil and criminal cases filed against the participants are to be withdrawn, no new cases may be filed, and ongoing proceedings are to be stayed upon application. Even in cases of serious criminal allegations, including murder, the ordinance transfers the investigative responsibility from the judiciary to the National Human Rights Commission, while simultaneously shielding current and former law enforcement personnel from accountability in certain circumstances.

STATEMENT: JMBF Strongly Protests the Indemnity Decision Concerning Violent Incidents during the July-August Mass Uprising

Two police officers were killed and seen hanging upside
down from a footbridge on a road in Dhaka.

Paris, France; October 15, 2024: JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) strongly condemns and protests the recent announcement by the Ministry of Home Affairs of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh interim government, which grants indemnity to those involved in the violent incidents during the July-August 2024 mass uprising in Bangladesh. This decision, which effectively exempts those responsible for violence and disorder from facing legal consequences, represents a betrayal of the principles of justice and accountability.