JMBF Press & Public Statement on World Press Freedom Day 2025

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Paris, France; May 3, 2025: Today on World Press Freedom Day, JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) expresses its grave concern over the accelerating repression of press freedom in Bangladesh. As the international community commemorates this day and reflects on the essential role of a free press in sustaining democracy, transparency, and justice, Bangladesh is enduring one of its most alarming and oppressive periods for independent journalism.

Press & Public Statement: JMBF Condemns Politically Motivated Assault and Arrest of Actor Siddiqur Rahman and Fabricated Charges Against 32 Artists

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Paris, France | May 2, 2025: France-based human rights organization JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) strongly condemns the politically motivated physical assault and subsequent arrest of renowned actor Siddiqur Rahman, who was brutally attacked by members of Chhatra Dal, the student wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), on April 29, 2025.

In addition, fabricated charges filed in three separate cases on April 30, April 28, and April 20 against 32 other prominent actors represent a broader, orchestrated campaign to silence dissent and suppress artistic and political expression in Bangladesh.

Press & Public Statement: JMBF Strongly Condemns the Police Handing Over of Two Lesbian Teenagers in Chandpur, Bangladesh

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Paris, France – May 1, 2025: France-based human rights watchdog, JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), expresses its strongest condemnation and deep concern over the recent incident in which two lesbian teenagers—Arohi (19) and Ritu (17)—were forcibly separated and handed over to police in Faridganj, Chandpur on April 26, 2025, under pressure from local religious extremists.

JMBF Raises Alarm Over Human Rights Violations in Bangladesh During Meeting with French Foreign Ministry

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Paris, France | April 30, 2025 — ​JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), a Paris-based human rights organization, has expressed serious concerns over the escalating human rights crisis in Bangladesh during a bilateral meeting with the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs.​

On April 29, 2025, Advocate Shahanur Islam, Founder-President of JMBF, met in Paris with Madame Marjorie Verley, Deputy Head of the South Asia Division and Head of the Bangladesh Desk at the French Foreign Ministry. The meeting focused on what JMBF described as a pattern of "widespread and systematic repression" under the country's interim government, led by Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus.​

Press & Public Statement: JMBF Strongly Condemns Dismissal of Journalists in Bangladesh for Questioning Cultural Affairs Adviser: Calls for Immediate Reinstatement and Protection of Press Freedom

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Paris, France | April 30, 2025 — France-based human rights watchdog, JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), strongly condemns the arbitrary dismissal of three journalists—Mizanur Rahman (Deepto TV), Fazle Rabbi(ATN Bangla), and Rafiqul Bashar (Channel i)—following their professional conduct in questioning Bangladesh’s Cultural Affairs Adviser, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, during a press conference held on April 28, 2025.

The subsequent suspension of news broadcasts by Deepto TV and punitive actions taken by three major television networks, apparently under pressure from online threats issued by a group identifying as the July Revolutionary Alliance (JRA), represents a grave attack on press freedom, democratic accountability, and the fundamental human rights guaranteed under Bangladesh’s Constitution and international law.

Press & Public Statement: JMBF Strongly Condemns the Attack on Former Law Minister and Senior Advocate Anisul Huq at Narayanganj Court

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Paris, France; April 29, 2025: France-based human rights watchdog, JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), expresses its strongest condemnation and deepest outrage over the reprehensible assault on former Law Minister and senior lawyer Advocate Anisul Huq at the entrance of the Narayanganj court premises on April 28, 2025.

JMBF asserts that this shameful and violent act — carried out in broad daylight by a section of lawyers, individuals who are themselves, officers of the court — is an attack not only on Advocate Anisul Huq personally but also on the very principles of justice, rule of law, and judicial independence that underpin a democratic society. The courtroom and its surroundings are sacred spaces for the administration of justice, where violence and intimidation must have no place under any circumstances.

Press & Public Statement: JMBF Gravely Concerned About the Arbitrary Arrest of Senior Lawyer Advocate M.M. Mujibur Rahman in Khulna

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Paris, France; April 28, 2025 – The France-based human rights organization, JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), strongly condemns and expresses grave concern over the recent arbitrary arrest of Advocate M.M. Mujibur Rahman, former president and general secretary, and senior lawyer of the Khulna District Bar Association, on April 22, 2025, under the draconian Special Powers Act, 1974.

JMBF asserts that the arrest of Advocate M.M. Mujibur Rahman represents a serious and flagrant abuse of power by the authorities of Bangladesh. This action is not only unjust but also a direct attack on the core principles of justice, freedom, and democracy. Such acts of arbitrary detention violate the fundamental rights guaranteed under both the Constitution of Bangladesh and international human rights law, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and the UN Basic Principles on the Independence of Lawyers and Judges.

JMBF Files Urgent Formal Complaint to UN Over Detention and Torture of Barrister Turin Afroz

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Paris, April 27, 2025 — JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) has formally submitted a complaint to the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Special Procedures, urging immediate intervention in the case of Barrister Turin Afroz, who they say has been subjected to grave human rights violations in Bangladesh.

In their submission, sent on April 26, 2025, JMBF addressed three UN Special Rapporteurs — on the Independence of Lawyers and Judges, on Torture, and on Arbitrary Arrest — detailing allegations of arbitrary arrest, custodial torture, and denial of the right to a fair trial.

Press & Public Statement: JMBF Gravely Concerns About the Custodial Torture of Barrister Turin Afroz During Police Remand

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Paris, France | April 27, 2025: France-based human rights watchdog, JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), expresses its gravest concern and unequivocal condemnation regarding the brutal custodial torture of Barrister Turin Afroz during her police remand at Uttara West Police Station between April 8 and 12, 2025.

According to credible reports from reliable sources and multiple leading newspapers in Bangladesh, Barrister Turin Afroz — a distinguished advocate and former prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) — was subjected to severe physical and psychological abuse while in police custody. Two uniformed female police officers, alongside a male and a female individual in civilian clothes, allegedly perpetrated acts of violence against her. She was viciously beaten with lathis (batons) on her thighs and legs, kicked, slapped, punched, and subjected to repeated physical assaults on the back parts of her body.

JMBF Statement on International Lesbian Visibility Day 2025

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Paris, France; April 26, 2025: Today, on International Lesbian Visibility Day 2025, JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) stands in steadfast solidarity with lesbians across the globe — especially with those in Bangladesh who continue to live, love, and resist under immense pressure and threat.

In Bangladesh, being a lesbian often means facing a life of secrecy, fear, and discrimination. The silence surrounding their struggles is not a choice but a survival strategy in a society that criminalizes same-sex love and perpetuates deeply rooted homophobia. Despite these immense challenges, countless lesbian individuals in Bangladesh persist with extraordinary courage.

JMBF Holds Bilateral Meeting with French MP Pouria Amirshahi to Address Human Rights Concerns in Bangladesh

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Paris, April 25, 2025 — JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) held a bilateral meeting today at 3:00 PM in Paris with Mr. Pouria Amirshahi, Member of the French National Assembly and President of the France-Bangladesh Friendship Group. The meeting focused on growing concerns regarding human rights violations and democratic backsliding in Bangladesh under the current interim government.

JMBF was represented by its Founder and President, prominent Bangladeshi human rights lawyer Advocate Shahanur Islam, and Chief Adviser Robert Simon, a renowned French human rights activist.

Press & Public Statement: JMBF Condemns the Arrest of Lady Biker Esha: A Disturbing Act of Homophobic Injustice

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Paris, France | March 25, 2025:  France-based human rights organization JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) expresses its deepest concern and strongest condemnation regarding the recent arrest and imprisonment of Irin Jahan Esha Sheikh, widely known as the “Lady Biker,” in Khulna, Bangladesh.

It has become increasingly evident that Esha was not detained based on any credible evidence of criminal activity, but was instead targeted because of her identity as a lesbian and her consensual romantic relationship with another woman. This case represents yet another tragic instance of the criminalization of same-sex relationships and the systematic persecution of sexual minorities in Bangladesh.

JMBF Holds Key Meetings with Amnesty International France and ARDHIS in Paris

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Paris, April 24, 2025: JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) held two bilateral meetings in Paris on Wednesday (April 23, 2025) with Amnesty International France and the Association for the Recognition of the Rights of Homosexual and Trans Persons to Immigration and Residence (ARDHIS). The discussions focused on the deteriorating state of LGBTQI+ rights in Bangladesh and potential avenues for international collaboration.

Press & Public Statement: JMBF Strongly Condemns RAB’s Extrajudicial Killing of Siam Molla in Barishal

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Paris, France; April 22, 2025: France-based human rights organization JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) expresses deep concern and outrage over the brutal killing of Siam Molla, a young man from Barisal, and the critical injury of Rakib Molla, a Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinee, during an alleged anti-drug operation carried out by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on the evening of Monday, April 21, in the Ratnapur area of Agoiljhara upazila, Barishal.

Press & Public Statement: JMBF Strongly Condemns the Detention and Humiliation of Lawyers in Comilla as a Dangerous Erosion of the Rule of Law in Bangladesh

Paris, France | April 21, 2025: France-based human rights organization, JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), expresses grave concern and unequivocal condemnation over the recent detention and public humiliation of six respected lawyers in Comilla, Bangladesh, today on April 21, 2025, in connection with what appears to be a politically motivated and fabricated case arising from the anti-discrimination student movement of August 2024.

Today, on April 21, 2025, six senior members of the Comilla Bar Association—including former presidents and secretaries—were ordered into judicial custody by Senior District and Sessions Judge Md. Mahbubur Rahman. Among those detained are Advocate Mostafizur Rahman Liton, Advocate Jahangir Alam Bhuiyan, Advocate Zakir Hossain, and Advocate Saiful Islam. These individuals are not only distinguished members of the legal profession but also long-standing defenders of justice, constitutional rights, and human dignity in their communities.

বাংলাদেশে আইনজীবীদের উপর ইউনুস সরকারের সুপরিকল্পিত ও নৃশংস হামলা কেন?

অ্যাডভোকেট শাহানুর ইসলাম সৈকত

বাংলাদেশের আইনজীবী সমাজ আজ এক অভূতপূর্ব সঙ্কটের মুখোমুখি। শান্তিতে নোবেল পুরস্কার বিজয়ী প্রফেসর মুহাম্মদ ইউনুসের নেতৃত্বাধীন অন্তর্বর্তীকালীন সরকার বাংলাদেশে আইনজীবী সম্প্রদায়কে সরাসরি টার্গেট করে একটি সুপরিকল্পিত ও পদ্ধতিগত দমনাভিযান শুরু করেছে, যা অত্যন্ত উদ্বেগজনক ও অশনিসঙ্কেত বহন করছে।

ফ্রান্সভিত্তিক মানবাধিকার সংস্থা জাস্টিসমেকার্স বাংলাদেশ ইন ফ্রান্স (জেএমবিএফ), যারা নিয়মিতভাবে বাংলাদেশের আইনজীবীদের ওপর সংঘটিত সহিংসতা পর্যবেক্ষণ ও নথিবদ্ধ করে, তাদের সংরক্ষিত তথ্য অনুযায়ী, ২০২৪ সালের আগস্টে বিগত বাংলাদেশ আওয়ামী লীগ সরকারের পতনের পর ইউনুস প্রশাসন একটি রাজনৈতিক উদ্দেশ্যপ্রণোদিত অভিযান শুরু করে। এই অভিযানে আইনজীবীদের গ্রেফতার, মিথ্যা মামলায় জড়ানো, হত্যা, বার কাউন্সিলসহ বিভিন্ন জেলা বার অ্যাসোসিয়েশনের দখল এবং আইনজীবীদের ব্যক্তিগত সম্পত্তিতে হামলার মতো ন্যক্কারজনক ঘটনা ক্রমবর্ধমানভাবে ঘটে চলেছে।