The worsening human rights situation in Bangladesh has been brought before top UN officials in Geneva, as Advocate Shahanur Islam, President of JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), held bilateral meetings with senior representatives of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers.
At a meeting on Thursday afternoon with Rory Mungoven, Chief of OHCHRโs Asia-Pacific Division, Islam delivered JMBFโs latest findings on political repression, state violence, and shrinking civil liberties under the countryโs interim government.
He warned of โaccelerated attacksโ on LGBTQI+ people, citing data compiled by his organisation. He also denounced the arrest and reported torture of Barrister Turin Afroz, describing it as part of a wider crackdown against lawyers.
Islam accused authorities of silencing the press through fabricated cases, drawing particular attention to journalist Farzana Rupa, jailed for more than a year on murder charges he called false. He further highlighted what he said was a pattern of fabricated charges against opposition activists and leaders, alongside a surge of political violence nationwide.
In response, Mungoven confirmed that the UN was providing technical support to the interim administration for reform initiatives but acknowledged that patterns of abuse, including fabricated cases, had persisted. He assured Islam that the concerns would be conveyed to relevant authorities and forwarded to the Special Rapporteur on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.
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During the meeting, Islam handed over JMBFโs Annual Report on LGBTQI+ Rights in Bangladesh, a summary report on extrajudicial killings and custodial deaths, and an unpublished statistical study on the repression of lawyers. The meeting was also attended by JMBF member Md. Sofik Ahmad and OHCHR officer Livia Cosenza.
Earlier in the day, Islam held bilateral meetings with the Office of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, represented by Ms. Melanie Santizo Sandoval. There, he described what he called โa systematic campaignโ of harassment and arbitrary detention against Bangladeshi lawyers. The Rapporteurโs office voiced strong concern and agreed to issue a formal communication to the interim government.
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โThese meetings were essential to make sure the voices of victims in Bangladesh are not ignored,โ Islam said after the discussions. โWe will continue to bring evidence to the international community until accountability is ensured.โ
The back-to-back meetings highlight JMBFโs growing role in international advocacy, as the organisation pushes the United Nations to confront Bangladeshโs interim authorities over human rights abuses targeting lawyers, journalists, and the LGBTQI+ community.
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