Amnesty International issued a sharp warning to Bangladesh’s interim government yesterday, accusing it of failing to uphold basic human rights and urging immediate corrective action ahead of next month’s national elections.
In an open letter to Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, Amnesty Secretary General Agnès Callamard said the interim administration has fallen short of its mandate to restore public trust, arguing that its conduct so far raises serious doubts about the credibility of the upcoming February 12 polls.
Callamard criticised the continued misuse of the Anti-Terrorism Act against journalists and dissenters, describing the arrests of reporters Monjurul Alam Panna and Anis Alamgir in 2025 as arbitrary and politically motivated. She warned that suppressing critical voices during an election period undermines democratic participation and violates Bangladesh’s obligations under international law.
The letter also faulted the authorities for failing to protect lives and freedom of expression amid rising violence. Amnesty pointed to the December 2025 attacks on media offices, harassment of editors, and the lynching of Hindu man Dipu Chandra Das, saying the government’s weak response exposed minorities, journalists and critics to grave risks.
“People must not fear for their lives for expressing their views,” Callamard said, adding that unlawful restrictions on speech and assembly are eroding public confidence in state institutions rather than restoring it.
Despite Bangladesh being a signatory to key international human rights conventions, Amnesty said the interim government’s actions contradict those commitments. The organisation warned that unless authorities urgently guarantee rights to expression, association and security, the election process risks being tainted by repression and fear.
Amnesty has called on the Yunus-led administration to immediately end the abuse of repressive laws, ensure accountability for violence, and create a safe, inclusive environment for political participation, warning that failure to do so would mark a continuation of rights abuses rather than the promised break from the past.
