A coalition of major international human rights organisations has urged Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus to strengthen human rights protections, ensure accountability for past abuses, and guarantee free and fair elections as Bangladesh prepares for the 2026 national polls.
In a joint letter sent on Sunday, the groups – including CIVICUS, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Fortify Rights, Human Rights Watch (HRW), Robert F Kennedy Human Rights, and the Tech Global Institute – thanked Yunus for meeting them during the UN General Assembly (UNGA) 2025, but pressed for “urgent and deeper reforms” before the election period.
The letter acknowledged the interim government’s initial steps to restore basic freedoms and launch investigations into enforced disappearances and other violations following the July Revolution and the end of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government in 2024.
However, the groups expressed concern that the security sector “remains largely unreformed” and warned against “ongoing arbitrary arrests and politically motivated detentions,” including those involving Awami League members.
Call for accountability and reform
The organisations called on the government to hold perpetrators accountable for serious abuses during the July Revolution and the previous administration, including enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and torture.
They commended the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) for issuing arrest warrants against active and former members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) for crimes against humanity.
They urged the Interim Government to ensure the ICT’s independence, declare a moratorium on the death penalty, and provide full military cooperation with civilian judicial processes.
The letter further recommended disbanding the RAB, limiting the powers of the DGFI, and adopting the Enforced Disappearance Prevention and Redress Ordinance in line with international standards.
Legal and institutional changes
The rights groups also called for reforms to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to align with the Paris Principles, repeal or amend laws such as the Cyber Security Ordinance 2025, Anti-Terrorism Act, Special Powers Act, and Official Secrets Act.
They also sought a review the draft Personal Data Protection Ordinance and National Data Management Ordinance to prevent surveillance abuses.
The groups urged the Yunus-led administration to protect journalists, prevent arbitrary arrests, and lift restrictions on the Awami League’s activities imposed under the Anti-Terrorism Act, warning that blanket bans could “undermine a genuine multi-party democracy.”
Civil society and Rohingya protection
The groups also called for reforms to the NGO Affairs Bureau and Foreign Donations (Voluntary Activities) Regulation Act to ease restrictions on civil society operations and international funding.
On the Rohingya crisis, the letter reiterated that no part of Myanmar is currently safe for return and urged the government to prevent forced repatriation, ease camp restrictions, and improve access to livelihoods and education amid aid shortages.
Finally, the organisations urged Bangladesh to cooperate fully with the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into the Bangladesh-Myanmar situation, including by arresting and transferring any wanted individuals present on Bangladeshi soil.
