US Human Rights Report: Human rights situation in Bangladesh remains stable, though certain concerns persist

Following the change in governance, Bangladesh’s human rights situation has largely stabilized, though certain concerns persist, according to the US Department of State’s 2024 annual report on the country.

The report states that after the fall of the Hasina administration, the interim government arrested former officials accused of human rights abuses. It also highlighted that under the previous government, there were widespread allegations of impunity for those responsible for such violations.

It further noted that during the July–August uprising, the Bangladesh Chhatra League committed serious human rights violations.

Published on the State Department’s website on Tuesday (August 12, local time), the report’s summary recounts that after weeks of mass student protests and violent clashes with police and the ruling Awami League’s youth wing—which left hundreds dead—former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country on August 5.

On August 8, President appointed Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus as Chief Adviser (Prime Minister-equivalent) and formed an interim government. While incidents continued in August, the human rights situation gradually improved, though some issues remain unresolved.

According to the report, major rights violations under the previous government included:

• Unlawful or intentional killings

• Enforced disappearances

• Torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment

• Arbitrary arrest or detention

• Transnational repression targeting individuals abroad

• Severe restrictions on freedom of expression and the press, including violence or threats against journalists, arbitrary arrests or lawsuits, and censorship

• Significant curbs on workers’ freedom of association

• Violence or intimidation against labor leaders and union members

• Widespread use of the worst forms of child labor

The report adds that few steps were taken by the former administration to hold perpetrators accountable. In contrast, the interim government has arrested several former officials accused of abuses.

Credible accounts from human rights groups and the media confirmed that in July and August, the Bangladesh Chhatra League engaged in serious violations. To address these, the interim government—working with the United Nations—has pursued prosecutions through both the regular judicial system and the Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal.