New York – Human Rights Watch (HRW), a U.S. rights group, blasted Bangladesh’s Muhammad Yunus interim government for using a new version of the country’s anti‑terrorism law to target alleged supporters of the former Awami League government.
HRW called on the United Nations human‑rights team in Bangladesh to demand the release of people held without proper evidence and urged authorities to stop political abuse and prosecute real cases of violence.
The Anti‑Terrorism Act was first passed in 2009 by Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League. HRW says the 2025 changes made by Yunus’s team aim to hunt down former party members, a move that comes after pressure from opposition parties and student groups.
“Using the anti‑terrorism law as a tool of political repression is a serious violation of rights,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, HRW’s Deputy Asia Director. “The government must focus on fair, safe elections instead of tightening restrictions on free speech.”
The report notes that thousands have been detained under the interim government, many on weak murder accusations, with dozens more held under the anti‑terrorism law. HRW says this crackdown limits peaceful protest and hurts Bangladesh’s media freedom, a concern echoed by the Bangladesh Editors’ Council.
Yunus has denied that his laws curb free expression, but HRW highlights the growing violence from radical Islamist groups. Reports from local rights NGO Ain O Salish Kendra (AsK) show at least 152 people killed in mob attacks since January.
In a voice of a political activist quoted by HRW, “We’re stuck between being jailed as terrorists or facing mobs. The system must be fair, but the Yunus government has failed to deliver justice.”
The rights group urges the UN to step in and protect civil liberties while the interim administration overshadows Bangladesh’s democratic future.
Source: ianslive
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