CIRCULAR FOR RECRUITMENT: Volunteer Research Assistant (Remote)

Focus Area: Torture, Extrajudicial Killings & Custodial Death in Bangladesh

JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) is inviting applications from passionate and committed individuals to join our team as Volunteer. Research Assistant (Remote). This voluntary position aims to support documentation, research, and advocacy efforts related to torture, extrajudicial killings, and custodial deaths in Bangladesh.

About JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF)

JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France is a France-based international human rights organization dedicated to defending human rights, promoting social justice, and empowering communities in Bangladesh and beyond. JMBF works to document human rights violations, support victims, and advocate internationally for the protection of fundamental rights.

STATEMENT: JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF)'s Statement on the International Women’s Day 2026

Paris, France | 8 March 2026: On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2026, JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) expresses its solidarity with the women and transgender women of Bangladesh who continue to strive for equality, dignity, and justice despite persistent discrimination, violence, and systemic barriers.

While Bangladesh has made notable progress in certain areas of women’s empowerment over the past decades, the overall human rights situation of women and girls remains deeply concerning. Gender-based violence continues to be widespread and pervasive across the country, affecting women and girls in both rural and urban areas. From homes and educational institutions to workplaces and public spaces, women frequently face harassment, abuse, and discrimination. National surveys indicate that a significant proportion of women in Bangladesh have experienced some form of violence during their lifetime, highlighting the urgent need for stronger protection mechanisms and accountability.

BANGLADESH ALERT: JMBF Strongly Condemns Death of a Man in Alleged Police Torture in Mahadevpur, Naogaon; Calls for Judicial Inquiry and Accountability

Paris, France | 05 March 2026: JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) expresses deep concern, condemnation, and strong outrage over the death of 66-year-old Abdul Hamid Dhola, who reportedly died after being kicked by police officers in Malahar Uttarpara village under Hatir Union of Mahadevpur Upazila in Naogaon district on 4 March 2026.

According to allegations emerging from local eyewitnesses, family members, and media reports, police officers from Mahadevpur Police Station went to the house of Abdul Hamid late at night on 4 March 2026 to execute an arrest warrant against his son, Imran Hossain. When they failed to find the accused, the officers allegedly attempted to forcibly take Abdul Hamid with them. During this process, he was reportedly kicked by police officers, causing him to collapse on the ground and die at the scene.

JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France Joins EU-Wide BIPOC Youth Network Through #DiasporaVote! MoU

Paris, France | March 01, 2026: JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) has officially become a founding member of a new EU-wide network of BIPOC-led and youth-led organizations following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) coordinated by #DiasporaVote! ASBL.

The agreement brings together 13 civil society organizations from across Europe that are working to promote racial justice, youth participation, LGBTQ+ rights, and disability inclusion. The initiative aims to strengthen cooperation among organizations led by or representing Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities and diaspora groups advocating for inclusive policies within the European Union.

BANGLADESH ALERT: JMBF Expresses Deep Concern and Strong Condemnation Over Police ‘Special Directive’ on Politically Motivated Arrests in Bangladesh

Paris, France | 26 February 2026: JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) expresses deep concern, anger, and strong condemnation over the “special directive” issued on 24 February 2026 by Rajshahi Range Police Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Mohammad Shahjahan. The directive reportedly instructs law enforcement authorities to re-arrest leaders and activists of the Bangladesh Awami League, one of the country’s largest political parties, whose activities were banned by executive order of the previous interim government, after they secure bail from the courts, by showing them arrested in other cases.

BANGLADESH ALERT: JMBF Expresses Deep Concern and Strong Condemnation Over the Disgraceful Attack and Blatant Pressure on the Judiciary by Ruling-Party Lawyers at the Barishal Court

Paris, France; 24 February 2026: JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) expresses deep concern and strong condemnation over the recent extreme disorder, pushing and shoving at the bench, forced entry into the courtroom, and intimidating and disrespectful behavior toward the judge allegedly carried out by lawyers aligned with the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) at the Court of the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate in Barishal.

BANGLADESH ALERT: JMBF Expresses Deep Concern and Strong Condemnation Over the Handover of Two Students to Police in Dinajpur on Allegations of Homosexuality

Paris, France | 14 February 2026: JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) expresses its deep concern and strong condemnation over the incident in which two young men were detained, interrogated, confined, and handed over to the police on allegations of “homosexuality” in an area adjacent to Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University (HSTU) in Dinajpur on 19 January 2026. JMBF firmly considers this incident to be a blatant violation of fundamental human rights, particularly the right to privacy, and a heinous example of unlawful mob persecution.

JOINT STATEMENT: Granting Impunity for Criminal Offences Committed during the July Uprising in Bangladesh-A Grave Threat to Justice, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law

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, iii) Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and Legal Profession (ACIJLP), Egypt, iv) Public Association “Dignity”, Kazakhstan, v) Northern Uganda Transparency & Accountability Forum, Uganda, vi) Tal Sparlay (Ever Spring), Pakistan, vii) Contre la Torture en Tunisie (OCTT), Tunisia, viii) Global Bangladesh Unity Network (GBUN), Australia ix) Movement for the Defense of Humanity and the Abolition of Torture (MDHAT), Cameroon, and x) Actions de Protection Mère et Enfant "APME Asbl, République Democratique du Congo express our deep concern and strong protest against the issuance of the “July Mass Uprising (Protection and Determination of Liability) Ordinance, 2026,”which seeks to grant impunity for criminal offences committed between 1 July and 31 August 2024 under the pretext of “political resistance” in Bangladesh.

JOINT STATEMENT: the new Anti-Racism Strategy lacks political courage – and the potential for change

Paris, 9 February 2026, 2025: We, six BIPOC youth-led organizations, want to express our disappointment in the recent Anti-Racism Strategy published on January 20th, 2026. The new strategy serves as a continuation of the Anti-Racism Action Plan (ARAP), a roadmap for fighting racism in the EU, which was developed following the killing of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020. The Action Plan was unprecedented in many ways: it recognized, for the first time, the concept of structural racism, appointed the first-ever Anti-Racism Coordinator, and pushed Member States to develop national action plans against racism.

BANGLADESH ALERT: JMBF expresses deep concern and strong condemnation over the death of Awami League leader Ramesh Chandra Sen due to medical negligence in Dinajpur

Paris, France | 7 February 2026: The human rights organization JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) expresses its deep concern, strong anger and severe condemnation over the tragic death of Bangladesh Awami League Presidium Member, former State Minister for Water Resources and former five-time elected Member of Parliament from the Thakurgaon-1 constituency, Mr. Ramesh Chandra Sen, who passed away this morning, 7 February, due to the failure to ensure timely and adequate medical treatment while in custody at Dinajpur Prison.

JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) Calls for Stronger International Action on LGBTI Rights in Bangladesh

Paris, France | 04 February 2026: Advocate Shahanur Islam, a Bangladeshi human rights defender, 2023 Laureate of the French Marianne Initiative for Human Rights Defenders and Founder and President of JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), has called for stronger international engagement to address the deteriorating situation of LGBTI rights in Bangladesh under the current interim government led by former Nobel Peace Prize laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus.

BANGLADESH ALERT: JMBF Expresses Strong Protest and Deep Concern over the Alleged Death of a Youth due to Torture by Army Personnel in Satkhira

Paris, France | 30 January 2026: JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) expresses its deep concern, outrage, and strong protest over allegations regarding the death of a young man named Ismail Hossain (22), allegedly due to brutal torture by members of an army patrol on the evening of Thursday, 29 January, in the Kakbashia Bazar area of Ashashuni Upazila, Satkhira District.

JMBF firmly believes that the alleged death resulting from torture by army personnel constitutes a grave violation of fundamental human rights as proclaimed by the United Nations and stands in clear contravention of international human rights law.

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.

PRESS RELEASE: JMBF's Statement on the International Day of Endangered Lawyers 2026

Paris, France | 23 January 2026: On 24 January 2026, on the occasion of the International Day of Endangered Lawyers, JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) is compelled to state an uncomfortable truth: the gravest threat to the independence of lawyers in Bangladesh today stems not from chaos, but from governance failure under the current interim government led by Nobel Peace Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus.

BANGLADESH ALERT: Dismissal of Two University Teachers on Allegations of “Blasphemy” — A Gross Violation of Justice, Academic Freedom, and Human Rights

20 January 2026 | Paris, France: JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), a Paris-based human rights organization, strongly condemns and expresses deep concern over the dismissal of two respected teachers of the University of Asia Pacific (UAP) on 18 January following allegations of blasphemy.

BANGLADESH ALERT: JMBF Expresses Deep Concern and Strongly Condemns the Death of a BNP Leader Allegedly Due to Torture in Army Custody in Chuadanga

Paris, France | 15 January 2026: JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) expresses its deep concern, outrage, and strongest condemnation over the death of Shamsuzzaman Dabloo (50), General Secretary of the Chuadanga Municipality BNP, allegedly as a result of torture while in army custody in Jiban Nagar, Chuadanga.

BANGLADESH ALERT: Death of an Awami League Leader in Jail Custody in Pabna Due to Lack of Medical Treatment

Paris, France | 12 January 2026: France-based human rights organization JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) expresses its deep concern and strongest condemnation over the death of renowned musician and Cultural Secretary of the Pabna District Awami League, Prolay Chaki, who died in custody in Pabna due to alleged medical negligence.