Human rights violations committed during the tenure of the interim government will be investigated by the newly formed National Human Rights Commission, the commission’s chairman retired Justice Mainul Islam Chowdhury has said.
“Action will be taken where allegations are found to be credible,” he told TIMES of Bangladesh following his appointment.
He further said the commission would first review the complaints it has received and then decide on the course of action in each case.
The interim government on Thursday issued a gazette notification forming a five-member National Human Rights Commission, appointing retired Justice Chowdhury as its chairman.
The other four commissioners are Nur Khan and Nabila Idris, members of the commission investigating enforced disappearances, University of Dhaka political science professor Shariful Islam, and human rights activist Elira Dewan.
After the mass uprising on 5 August 2024, the chairman and other members of the commission formed under the previous Awami League government were forced to resign, leaving the body inactive throughout the interim government’s tenure.
Following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government after the mass uprising, law and order in the country deteriorated sharply, with many people falling victim to extrajudicial killings, including a number linked to mob attacks.
According to Human Rights Support Society, at least 195 people were killed and 11,229 injured in political violence across the country in the 17 months following the July uprising. During the same period, 259 people were killed and a further 313 injured in incidents of mob violence and lynching.
The report also says at least 834 journalists were victims of killings, torture or harassment during that time. In prisons, 44 convicted inmates and 83 detainees died, while 2,617 women and girls were subjected to violence. In addition, 41 cases were filed under the Cyber Security Act, leading to the arrest of 33 people.
Professor Shariful Islam, commissioner of the newly formed commission, said the commission would investigate all allegations of human rights violations committed during the interim government’s tenure.
“The commission does not consider which religion, ethnicity, community or government was in power when a violation occurred,” he said. “If a human rights violation has taken place, it will be investigated.”
Another rights group, Ain o Salish Kendra, said one of the gravest human rights concerns in 2025 has been killings linked to mob violence. According to the organisation, at least 293 people were killed in mob attacks during the interim government period.
“Men, women, religious minorities and marginalised people have been brutally killed in mob attacks,” ASK said in a report. “Freedom fighters, members of the Baul community and others have also been humiliated, assaulted and, in some cases, paraded with garlands of shoes.”
An analysis of data compiled by Ain o Salish Kendra shows that at least 197 people were brutally killed in mob violence across the country in 2025. The highest number of deaths was recorded in Dhaka district, with 27 fatalities, followed by Gazipur with 17 and Narayanganj with 11.
Chattogram reported nine deaths, Cumilla eight, while Mymensingh, Barishal, Noakhali, Gaibandha and Shariatpur each recorded six. A further five people were killed in Lakshmipur, Sirajganj and Tangail, and four in Narsingdi and Jashore.
Another commissioner of the newly formed human rights commission, Nur Khan, is currently in Thailand. Asked whether the commission would investigate alleged human rights violations committed during the interim government’s tenure, he declined to make any immediate comment, saying he would assess the situation and take action after returning to the country.
Days before the election, the US-based rights group Human Rights Watch said the culture of politically motivated and arbitrary arrests that developed under the Awami League government has continued during the interim administration.
In its 2025 report, Human Rights Watch said that while the climate of fear and repression, including enforced disappearances, that marked Sheikh Hasina’s 15 years in power appeared to have eased to some extent, the interim government had nevertheless arbitrarily detained thousands of political opponents.
