Human Rights Watch calls for urgent reforms in Bangladesh amid rising challenges

In the wake of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ousting through mass protests in August 2024, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has highlighted the pressing need for systemic reforms to address arbitrary arrests and political violence in Bangladesh. A newly released 50-page report titled "After the Monsoon Revolution: A Roadmap to Lasting Security Sector Reform in Bangladesh" outlines recommendations aimed at fostering political neutrality and institutional accountability.

The report emphasizes reforms in key areas, including the judiciary, civil service, police, and military, to ensure the separation of powers and eliminate political repression. While the interim government, led by Muhammad Yunis, has taken notable steps since being appointed by student activists, HRW warns that the progress could falter without swift, structural changes to safeguard democratic governance.

Yunis’s administration has pledged to eradicate extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances, alongside establishing six commissions to address reforms in critical sectors such as electoral processes, justice systems, public administration, anti-corruption measures, and constitutional amendments. Implementation of these recommendations is expected to begin in February 2025.

HRW has urged the interim government to present a resolution at the United Nations Human Rights Council’s March session to ensure sustained international monitoring of Bangladesh’s human rights landscape. Donor governments are also being called upon to support security sector reforms, though HRW cautions against providing assistance without tangible structural changes.