Why is the Yunus Government in Bangladesh Systematically and Brutally Targeting Lawyers?

Advocate Shahanur Islam

In an unprecedented and deeply alarming move, the interim government of Bangladesh, led by former Nobel Peace Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, has launched a systemic campaign aimed directly at the country’s legal community. According to documentation from JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), since assuming power in August 2024, the Yunus administration has orchestrated an alarming series of politically motivated arrests, fabricated charges, killings, forcible possession of the Bangladesh Bar Council and other district bar associations, and physical attacks targeting lawyers. 

Over 391 legal professionals are now facing false accusations such as murder and explosive explosions. More than 131 have already been arrested, some detained without charges solely for their professional activities and political beliefs, while many more have been subjected to abuse, threats, and harassment. What we are witnessing is not a series of isolated incidents, but a deliberate, orchestrated attack on the rule of law and the very independence of Bangladesh's judiciary.

Pourquoi le gouvernement Yunus au Bangladesh cible-t-il systématiquement et brutalement les avocats?

Par l’Avocat Shahanur Islam

Dans une initiative sans précédent et profondément alarmante, le gouvernement intérimaire du Bangladesh, dirigé par l’ancien lauréat du prix Nobel de la paix, le Professeur Muhammad Yunus, a lancé une campagne systémique visant directement la communauté juridique du pays. Selon les documents de JusticeMakers Bangladesh en France (JMBF), depuis son arrivée au pouvoir en août 2024, l’administration Yunus a orchestré une série inquiétante d’arrestations politiquement motivées, de charges fabriquées, de meurtres, de prises de contrôle forcées du Barreau du Bangladesh et d’autres associations de barreaux de districts, ainsi que d’attaques physiques ciblant les avocats. 

Plus de 391 professionnels du droit font actuellement face à de fausses accusations telles que des meurtres et des explosions d’explosifs. Plus de 131 ont déjà été arrêtés, certains détenus sans aucune inculpation, uniquement pour leurs activités professionnelles et leurs opinions politiques, tandis que beaucoup d’autres ont été victimes d’abus, de menaces et de harcèlement. Ce à quoi nous assistons n’est pas une série d’incidents isolés, mais une attaque délibérée et orchestrée contre l’état de droit et l’indépendance même du système judiciaire du Bangladesh.

JMBF Becomes a Formal Member of ILGA World

Paris, France – April 15, 2025 – JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) is proud to announce its official acceptance as a member of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Association (ILGA World)— a leading global federation committed to advancing the rights, dignity, and well-being of LGBTI+ communities worldwide.

✨শুভ বাংলা নববর্ষ ১৪৩২!

"নতুন বছর, নতুন অঙ্গীকার — সামাজিক ন্যায়বিচারের পথে এগিয়ে চলার" 

🌸 শুভ নববর্ষ ১৪৩২ 🌸 

নতুন বছর, নতুন সম্ভাবনা ও আশার বার্তা নিয়ে আসা বাংলা নববর্ষ ১৪৩২ উপলক্ষে দেশ-বিদেশে অবস্থানরত সবাইকে জানাই আন্তরিক শুভেচ্ছা ও অভিনন্দন। 

নতুন বছর হোক মানবাধিকার, সামাজিক ন্যায়বিচার ও মানবিক মর্যাদার বিজয়ের বছর। আসুন, বৈষম্য ও নিপীড়নের বিরুদ্ধে সোচ্চার হয়ে গড়ে তুলি একটি ন্যায়ভিত্তিক, সমতা ও মানবিকতায় পূর্ণ সমাজ। 💛 থাকুক আপনাদের জীবনে শান্তি, সুস্বাস্থ্য ও সাফল্যের ছোঁয়া। 

শুভ নববর্ষ! 

অ্যাডভোকেট শাহানূর ইসলাম সৈকত,

প্রতিষ্ঠাতা সভাপতি 

জাস্টিসমেকার্স বাংলাদেশ ইন ফ্রান্স (জেএমবিএফ) 

www.jmbf.org

BANGLADESH: JMBF Strongly Condemns Arbitrary Detention of Environmental Activist and Model Meghna Alam Under Draconian Law

Paris, France | April 13, 2025 — France-based human rights watchdog JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) strongly condemns the arbitrary arrest and preventive detention of environmental activist, model, and Chairperson of the Miss Bangladesh Foundation, Meghna Alam, under the Special Powers Act of 1974—a controversial law long criticized for suppressing dissent.

Meghna Alam, also crowned Miss Earth Bangladesh 2020, was detained from her residence in Dhaka on April 9, 2025, and transferred to Kashimpur Jail following a closed-door court hearing on April 10. Her 30-day preventive detention was ordered under the Special Powers Act, based on vague allegations that she was spreading misinformation and threatening diplomatic relations.

Press and Public Statement: JMBF Strongly Condemns Obstruction of Democratic Participation in Chattogram Bar Election Under the Present Interim Government

Paris, France; April 12, 2025 — France-based human rights organization, JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), expresses grave concern and unequivocal condemnation over the blatant obstruction of democratic rights witnessed in the 2025 Chattogram District Bar Association election. On April 10, lawyers aligned with the Awami League and other left-leaning parties were deliberately barred from collecting nomination forms by a group of BNP-Jamaat affiliated lawyers, effectively disenfranchising all opposition candidates. The resulting uncontested election of BNP-Jamaat candidates for all 21 posts stands as a clear violation of constitutional, legal, and human rights standards.