Rights Groups Urge Bangladesh's New Government to Prioritize Human Rights

Nine major human rights organizations have written to Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, urging him to place human rights at the forefront of his government's priorities. Rahman and his Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) face significant challenges but are presented with a chance to instigate lasting human rights protections, stated the groups in a letter released today.

Tarique Rahman assumed office after securing a landslide victory in the February election, which was conducted under the supervision of an interim government. This administrative change followed the downfall of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, whose 15-year tenure ended when mass protests unseated her in 2024.

Under Hasina's administration, widespread human rights violations such as enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings were rampant. Although these issues ceased under the interim government, it failed to stop arbitrary detentions of political adversaries and was unable to curb mob violence against journalists, religious minorities, and cultural establishments, as noted by Human Rights Watch (HRW).

Meenakshi Ganguly, Deputy Asia Director at Human Rights Watch, remarked, "Tarique Rahman has been given a comprehensive mandate for change, empowered by Bangladeshis who risked much to dismantle an autocracy. Meaningful reform is imperative to ensure independent institutions can deliver accountability while upholding the rule of law, including the crucial rights to religious freedom and freedom of expression."

The letter outlined priorities like ending arbitrary detentions, holding perpetrators of past human rights abuses accountable, abolishing the controversial Rapid Action Battalion, and safeguarding ethnic and religious minorities. Rights groups also pressed for protection of over a million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and called for the establishment of a robust and independent National Human Rights Commission.

Specific policy recommendations and legislative measures were proposed in the letter. During the campaign, the BNP pledged to protect rights, including economic rights, by bolstering resources for healthcare, education, environmental protections, and social safety nets.

The organizations signing this letter include Amnesty International, Article 19, CPJ, CIVICUS, FIDH, Fortify Rights, Human Rights Watch, the Kennedy Human Rights Center, and the Techglobal Institute.