Bangladesh’s Awami League warns of escalating human rights violations

Dhaka: Bangladesh’s Awami League party has expressed grave concern over worsening human rights violations under the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, stating that ‘journalists are being hunted like criminals, activists are branded enemies of the state, and ordinary citizens live in fear of mobs that now dictate justice.

In a report titled “Bangladesh’s Human Rights Crisis: Voices Silenced, Freedoms Crushed, Fear Everywhere”, the party asserted that harassment, arbitrary arrests, and enforced disappearances of journalists, writers, and human rights activists have reached unprecedented levels across Bangladesh.

“Between August 2024 and July 2025, 496 journalists were subjected to harassment, while three lost their lives in the line of duty. Scores of media workers face constant threats, court summons, and intimidation, creating a climate where speaking out is a perilous choice,” the report detailed.

Highlighting the atrocities on journalists across the country following the ouster of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the party stated that the repression took a darker turn with journalists and writers dragged into courts on “trumped-up murder and assault charges”, linked to incidents in which they had no involvement.

According to the report, across Dhaka, Sylhet, Chattogram, and dozens of other districts, journalists, both seasoned and local correspondents, were implicated in “fabricated cases, many tied to past political unrest”. It added that the sheer scale of these prosecutions, often citing flimsy or contradictory “witness testimonies,” underscored an organised effort to “criminalize free thought and intimidate the press”. (IANS)

Also Read: ‘Forced to become witness against Sheikh Hasina’ Says Awami League

Also Watch: