Rights Group Warns Bangladesh Risks Return to Abuses Without Robust Reform

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has issued a stark warning that Bangladesh risks a return to the rights abuses seen under ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina unless the interim government implements significant and lasting reforms, Al Jazeera reports.

The international NGO’s report, released on Monday, emphasizes that the country’s “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to end legal abuses could be lost if the current administration fails to act decisively.

The HRW report cautioned that ongoing arbitrary arrests and reprisal violence against both former government supporters and critics are undermining progress. The rights group specifically urged Dhaka to establish legal detention practices and repeal laws that were previously used to target critics of the Hasina government. HRW called for reforms centered on separation of powers and political neutrality within institutions, including the civil service, police, military, and judiciary.

The current interim government, led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, assumed control in August following mass protests that ended Hasina’s 15-year rule. Yunus has pledged to institute far-reaching democratic reforms and conduct new elections. While HRW acknowledged that the interim administration has begun addressing the degradation of institutions used by Hasina’s Awami League to persecute opponents, it also noted a disturbing trend. According to the report, police have “returned to the abusive practices that characterized the previous government” when targeting supporters of the ex-premier.

The report detailed instances of family members of those killed by security forces during the protests being pressured into signing case documents without knowing who was being accused. HRW also highlighted actions against journalists perceived to support Hasina’s government, with at least 140 facing murder charges.

HRW recommended that the government seek technical assistance from United Nations rights experts to ensure the lasting impact of any reforms implemented.

Yunus, 84, has described inheriting a “completely broken-down” system of public administration and justice, which he believes needs comprehensive overhaul. Since assuming office, he has vowed to unite the country and acknowledged the need to hold those who committed wrongdoing under Hasina’s administration accountable, saying “those who committed wrongdoing during Hasina’s tenure will be held accountable”.