Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus to take decisive measures to strengthen Bangladesh’s human rights record and ensure accountability before the 2026 general election.
In a letter titled “Follow-up on Human Rights CSO Meeting during UNGA 2025”, the global rights organisation expressed appreciation for the interim government’s initial reform steps following the July Revolution that ousted Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League administration in 2024. However, it cautioned that “much more remains to be done” to prevent future abuses and secure democratic governance.
“We urge you to expand human rights protections and ensure Bangladesh has the strong institutions needed to guarantee free and fair elections and guard against future backsliding,” the letter said.
The letter, sent on behalf of a coalition of international human rights groups, warned that the security sector remains “largely unreformed” and accused some members of the security forces of resisting accountability efforts. It called on the interim administration to end all ongoing “arbitrary arrests and detentions”, including those targeting Awami League members in what HRW described as “politically motivated cases lacking credible evidence”.
Accountability for past crimes
HRW praised the International Crimes Tribunal’s (ICT) recent move to bring charges against serving and former officers of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) for enforced disappearances and torture.
It urged the military to “fully respect the ICT’s civilian jurisdiction” and called on the government to ensure the tribunal has adequate resources and independence to prosecute all alleged perpetrators “regardless of institutional or political affiliation”.
The rights group also reiterated its long-standing call for a moratorium on the death penalty, including in cases under the ICT’s jurisdiction.
Security sector reforms
Describing RAB as “beyond reform”, HRW urged Dr Yunus’s government to disband the elite force and remove all military personnel from civilian law enforcement. It also demanded limits on the DGFI’s authority, saying its powers should be confined to military intelligence “with operational limits and a clear legal mandate”.
The organisation called on the government to criminalise enforced disappearances in line with international law and to adopt the draft Enforced Disappearance Prevention and Redress Ordinance, ensuring compliance with the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.
Reform of rights institutions and laws
The letter also called for comprehensive reform of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to bring it in line with the Paris Principles, ensuring its independence in funding, member selection and investigations.
HRW criticised the Cyber Security Ordinance 2025—enacted after the repeal of the controversial Cyber Security Act 2023—saying it “fails to meet international standards” and “poses serious risks of state overreach”.
It urged the government to amend other laws that restrict freedom of expression, including the Anti-Terrorism Act, Special Powers Act, Official Secrets Act, and criminal defamation provisions under the Penal Code.
The organisation also expressed concerns about the draft Personal Data Protection Ordinance and National Data Management Ordinance, warning that they grant “sweeping exemptions for state authorities” that could enable unchecked surveillance.
Freedom of expression and political participation
HRW called on the interim government to guarantee press freedom, protect journalists from harassment and arbitrary arrest, and implement the Media Reform Commission’s recommendations in line with international standards.
It also urged the dismissal of politically motivated cases filed both before and after August 2024 and demanded an end to the blanket ban on Awami League activities under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Citing a February 2025 UN fact-finding report, HRW said the government should refrain from actions that would “undermine a return to genuine multi-party democracy and disenfranchise a large part of the electorate”.
Civil society and Rohingya rights
The group urged reforms to the NGO Affairs Bureau, which it described as a “political tool” previously used to harass civil society organisations, and recommended revising the Foreign Donations (Voluntary Activities) Regulation Act to ensure NGOs can operate freely.
On the Rohingya issue, HRW called on Dhaka to protect refugees from forced repatriation to Myanmar, ease restrictions on movement, and expand access to education and livelihoods in the camps. It emphasised that “no part of Myanmar is currently safe” for voluntary or sustainable returns.
Finally, the letter urged Bangladesh to fully cooperate with the International Criminal Court’s ongoing investigation into crimes committed in the Bangladesh–Myanmar context, including the arrest and transfer of any ICC-wanted individuals present in the country.