BANGLADESH ALERT: JMBF expresses deep concern and outrage over the lifetime expulsion of transgender female student Sahara Chowdhury from Sylhet Metropolitan University

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Paris, France; 20 August 2025 – JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) has expressed deep concern, anger, and strong protest over the lifetime expulsion of transgender female student Safwan Chowdhury Rebel, also known as Sahara Chowdhury, from Sylhet Metropolitan University on 10 August. The expulsion was carried out under pressure from organized groups solely on the basis of her gender identity and sexual orientation, without any specific reason being provided.

JMBF believes that this decision is not only unjust and discriminatory, but also contrary to the Constitution of Bangladesh, existing laws, international human rights treaties, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Depriving a student of the right to education based on gender identity or sexual orientation constitutes a violation of fundamental rights.

BANGLADESH ALERT: JMBF Deeply Concerned Over False Attempted Murder Case Against Supreme Court Lawyers and Violent Attacks on Lawyers During Hearings

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Paris, France; 15 August 2025: JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) expresses deep concern and strong condemnation over two incidents: the filing of false and fabricated cases against 65 lawyers, including the former Attorney General, President, and Secretary of the Supreme Court Bar, for attempted murder on 13 August 2025 at Shahbagh Police Station, as well as the physical assault and harassment of other lawyers on 11 August 2025 during the bail hearing of former Chief Justice Khairul Haque in the High Court.

JMBF firmly believes that these incidents pose a serious threat to lawyers performing their professional duties independently. These actions are a clear violation of the Constitution, human rights, and international norms. Ensuring the independence of the judiciary and the safety of lawyers in Bangladesh is essential to upholding both national and international human rights standards.

BANGLADESH ALERT: JMBF Expresses Deep Concern and Strong Condemnation Over the Lynching Murder of Two Dalit Individuals in Rangpur

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Paris, France | 11 August 2025: JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) expresses deep concern, strong condemnation, outrage, and sorrow over the brutal lynching murder of two minority Dalit individuals, Ruplal Das and Pradip Das, in the Burirhat area of Sayar Union, Taraganj Upazila, Rangpur, on the night of Saturday, 9 August 2025. JMBF strongly believes this barbaric incident was a planned mob lynching and targeted communal violence, representing a grave violation of human rights.

BANGLADESH: JMBF Statement on the Occasion of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 2025

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Paris, France; 9 August 2025: Today, 9 August 2025, the United Nations–declared International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is being observed across the globe. This year’s theme — “Indigenous Peoples and Artificial Intelligence: Protecting Rights, Building the Future” — serves as a reminder that no matter how far technology advances, protecting the lives, security, and rights of indigenous peoples must remain a top priority.

Bangladesh is home to more than 50 small ethnic communities who have preserved their culture, language, and traditions for centuries. Yet, these diverse communities continue to suffer from violence, land grabbing, forced evictions, sexual assaults, and impunity. The reality is that even after one year in power, the interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus — which had pledged to end “discrimination and deprivation” — has shown no visible improvement in the human rights situation of indigenous peoples.

BANGLADESH ALERT: JMBF Deeply Concerned and Strongly Condemns the Murder of Journalist Asaduzzaman Tuhin in Gazipur

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Paris, France; 8 August 2025: The France-based human rights organization JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) expresses its deep concern, strong condemnation, and outrage over the brutal hacking to death of Protidiner Kagoj’s Gazipur staff reporter, Asaduzzaman Tuhin, in the Chandna Chowrasta area of Gazipur city on the night of Thursday, 7 August 2025. JMBF considers this incident a naked assault on press freedom and a blatant violation of human rights.

BANGLADESH ALERT: JMBF Deeply Concerned Over Persecution and Expulsion of LGBTQ+ Students at DUET

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Paris, France; August 7, 2025: JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) expresses deep concern over the incident at Dhaka University of Engineering & Technology (DUET), Gazipur, where seven students were detained and tortured in their dormitories on July 19, 2025, merely on the accusation of being sexual minorities—specifically homosexual—and were subsequently temporarily expelled from their dorms on July 22 and 24 by the university administration.

JMBF condemns this horrific discriminatory act and violation of personal privacy rights at DUET, which contravenes the Constitution of Bangladesh, the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and other international human rights treaties.

BANGLADESH ALERT: JMBF Deeply Concerned Over Arbitrary Arrest of 5 Lawyers and Fabricated Cases Against 12 in Barguna, Satkhira, Gazipur, Bogura, and Gopalganj

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Paris, France; 01 August 2025: JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), a France-based human rights organization, expresses its deep concern and strong protest over the recent politically motivated and arbitrary arrests and detention of five respected lawyers, as well as the filing of false cases against twelve others in various districts of Bangladesh—namely Barguna, Satkhira, Gazipur, Bogura, and Gopalganj—solely for carrying out their professional duties and holding differing political opinions.

JMBF firmly believes that targeting lawyers solely because of their professional conduct or political beliefs constitutes a clear and blatant violation of the fundamental human rights enshrined by the United Nations.

BANGLADESH ALERT: Arrest of Former Chief Justice A. B. M. Khairul Haque — A Direct Blow to Judicial Independence

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Paris, France; July 25, 2025 — JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), a France-based human rights organization, expresses deep concern and strong protest over the arrest of Bangladesh’s former Chief Justice A. B. M. Khairul Haque on July 24, 2025, from Dhaka’s Dhanmondi area, on charges related to a murder during last year’s July coup, and the absence of any legal representation on his behalf in court.

JMBF firmly believes that the filing of a politically motivated murder case and the arrest of a former Chief Justice—who solely performed his judicial duties per the Constitution—constitutes a blatant violation of judicial independence, fundamental principles of justice, and the rule of law.

BANGLADESH ALERT: JMBF Strongly Condemns and Expresses Deep Concern Over the Death of Jubo Dal Leader Asif Shikder Due to Torture by Joint Forces in Dhaka

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Paris, France; July 24, 2025: France-based human rights organization JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) expresses its profound concern and strong condemnation over the death of Asif Shikder, a leader of the Jubo Dal’s Ward No. 93 unit, who died on Monday, July 21, 2025, in Mirpur, Dhaka, as a result of inhumane torture in the custody of joint forces.

JMBF firmly believes that the killing of Jubo Dal leader Asif Shikder at the hands of joint forces constitutes a gross violation of human rights and sends a horrifying message regarding the state of democracy, justice, and the rule of law in Bangladesh.

BANGLADESH ALERT: JMBF Expresses Deep Concern Over the Bloody Suppression of Peaceful Student Movement in Dhaka

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Paris, France; July 23, 2025: The France-based human rights organization Justicemakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) expresses its deep concern, strong condemnation, and protest over the brutal assault by police and military forces on peaceful and unarmed students on July 22, 2025, in front of the Secretariat and in Gulistan, Dhaka. The students were attacked with batons, sound grenades, and tear gas, injuring over a hundred.

Additionally, on July 21, at Uttara Milestone School and College in Dhaka, a military jet crash reportedly died a huge number of students, teachers, and staff. While speaking to the media about the number of casualties, several students—including the school principal—were violently assaulted by members of the Bangladesh army.

BANGLADESH ALERT: JMBF Deeply Concerned Over Arbitrary Arrests of 5 Respected Lawyers in Naogaon, Rangpur, Patuakhali, Manikganj, and Moulvibazar; Demands Immediate Release!

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Paris, France; 22 July 2025: JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) expresses its deep concern over the recent arbitrary and unjust arrests of lawyers in Bangladesh. The growing trend of filing false cases, implicating lawyers in politically motivated charges, and denying them bail—leading to imprisonment—is a grave threat to professional independence. These actions constitute a clear violation of the Constitution of Bangladesh, international human rights laws, and the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers.

JMBF firmly believes that lawyers are fundamental pillars in upholding the rule of law and ensuring justice in a democratic society.

The Relentless Defender: How Advocate Shahanur Islam Became the Conscience of Bangladesh’s Legal Resistance

In the shadows of courtrooms and far from the glow of headlines, one man continues to risk his life for the rule of law. Advocate Shahanur Islam, a veteran Bangladeshi human rights lawyer, has spent the last two decades challenging a legal system plagued by corruption, police brutality, and discrimination. Now living in exile, his voice echoes louder than ever through legal reports, international appeals, and grassroots activism.

The Making of a Maverick

Born in northern Bangladesh, Islam's journey to law was not one of privilege, but of purpose. By his late twenties, he had already founded the JusticeMakers Bangladesh (JMBD) and later the international platform JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF). Through these initiatives, he began documenting torture, false arrests, and violence against vulnerable communities.

“Justice isn’t just an idea—it’s a fight,” Islam says. “And it’s a fight we cannot afford to lose.”

State-Sponsored Massacre in Gopalganj: A Human Rights Catastrophe Behind the Mask of the Yunus Administration

By Advocate Shahanur Islam

July 16, 2025, will be remembered as another blood-stained black day in Bangladesh’s history. On this day, under the command of the interim government led by Nobel Peace Laureate Muhammad Yunus—an administration that came to power promising rule of law, democracy, and human rights—the military, alongside the police, opened fire on unarmed civilians in Gopalganj. At least five people were killed and over a hundred injured, with many still reported missing.

They did not stop with the killings and injuries; rather, they snatched the fundamental rights of Gopalganj’s people by imposing a curfew since the day of the violence.

PRESS RELEASE: Congratulations to the Interim Government of Bangladesh on Signing the MoU for Establishing the UN Human Rights Office in Dhaka: Immediate Priority Must Be Given to Investigating the Gopalganj Shooting Incident

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Paris, France; 18 July 2025: JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) extends its sincere congratulations and best wishes to the United Nations and the Interim Government of Bangladesh for signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a regional office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Dhaka, aimed at protecting and promoting human rights in the country.

The MoU, signed in Geneva between UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk and Bangladesh’s Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam, is regarded by JMBF as a landmark step towards improving the human rights situation in Bangladesh.

BANGLADESH ALERT: JMBF Deeply Concerned Over Killing of Four and Injury to Hundreds of Unarmed Protesters by Deadly Army Firing in Gopalganj

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Paris, France; 16 July 2025: The France-based human rights organization JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France(JMBF) expresses deep concern, anger, and protest over the incident in Gopalganj, where the police and army opened deadly fire on unarmed civilians protesting to protect the graveyard of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman—killing at least four innocent people and injuring more than a hundred.

JMBF strongly believes that opening deadly fire on peaceful, unarmed protesters—opposing the arrogant anti-Mujibism promoted by the National Citizens Party (NCP), backed by the current interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus—as well as threatening to destroy Bangabandhu’s graveyard in Tungipara, similar to the demolition of his house at 32 Dhanmondi Road, is a gross violation of Bangladesh’s Constitution, existing laws, and the fundamental human rights enshrined in the United Nations Charter.

BANGLADESH: Death of Female Lecturer in Police Custody at Vatara Police Station in Dhaka — A Stark Reflection of Mismanagement and Cruelty by the Interim Government

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Paris, France; 12 July 2025: JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), a France-based human rights organization established on the foundations of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, expresses deep concern and strong condemnation over the tragic death of Independent University lecturer Firoza Ashravee on 11 July 2025 while in police custody at Vatara Police Station in Dhaka. This incident is yet another chilling example of the insecurity detainees face in state custody and constitutes a grave violation of fundamental human rights.

BANGLADESH: JMBF Expresses Deep Concern and Strong Condemnation Over Barring Pro-Awami Lawyers from Contesting Gazipur District Bar Association Election

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Paris, France; 7 July 2025: JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) expresses deep concern and strong condemnation over the incident where pro-Awami ideology lawyers were barred from contesting the 2025–2026 executive committee election of the Gazipur District Bar Association, thereby depriving them of their professional and democratic rights.

France-based human rights organization JMBF firmly believes that one of the fundamental pillars of pluralistic democracy is equal rights of all citizens to participate in elections and enjoy professional freedom.

BANGLADESH: JMBF Deeply Concerned Over Repressive Cases Against 55 Senior Lawyers of Gazipur District Bar, Imprisonment of Two Seniors, and Interference with Professional Independence

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Paris, France; July 1, 2025: The France-based human rights organization JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) is deeply concerned and alarmed that at least 55 experienced and senior lawyers of the Gazipur District Bar have faced more than 70 cases filed from August 2024 to June 2025. These cases arose in the context of student and mass movements during July-August 2024, accusing them of “murder,” “terrorism,” and “anti-state activities.”

Most of the accused have long held leadership roles within the Gazipur District Bar, serving as important pillars of the judicial system and performing their professional duties with honor.

International Day of the Endangered Lawyer: The Bangladesh Context & JMBF’s Initiative

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Advocate Shahanur Islam

The legal profession is one of the fundamental pillars for ensuring the rule of law, judicial independence, and the protection of human rights. Unfortunately, in Bangladesh—especially under the current caretaker government—many lawyers are facing various forms of repression, harassment, and violence while carrying out their professional duties.

In just the past 10 months, over 500 lawyers across the country have been targeted with politically motivated false cases, most of which involve charges of murder, attempted murder, and bombings.

BANGLADESH: Call for Immediate Release of Unlawful, Politically Motivated Arrests of Senior Lawyer Rezaul Karim & Zahurul Islam Selim in Cumilla

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Paris, France | 10 June 2025: JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), a France-based human rights organization, expresses deep concern over the alarming trend of politically motivated and unlawful arrests of lawyers in Bangladesh under the current interim government led by Nobel Peace Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus. These arrests target legal professionals for simply fulfilling their duties and expressing differing political views—an egregious violation of professional rights and a grave threat to judicial independence, the rule of law, and fundamental human rights.