Bangladesh is facing a deepening human-rights and political crisis, prompting former Foreign Minister and ex-UN envoy Dr. A. K. Abdul Momen to appeal for urgent UN intervention. In a letter dated 28 October 2025 to the President of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UN HRC), Momen urged immediate action to address political persecution, extrajudicial killings, and the breakdown of due process.
The appeal highlights the banning of the Awami League, the country’s largest political party, under the Anti-Terrorism Act, and the suspension of its registration by the Election Commission in May 2025. Amendments to the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act have allegedly allowed the prosecution of entire political entities, raising concerns over the misuse of legal frameworks to suppress opposition.
Dr. Momen also drew attention to ongoing cases of enforced disappearances and torture connected to the 2024 student–public protests, including a high-profile case involving 25 current and former Army officers, 15 of whom are reportedly in military custody. The appeal calls for civilian-court trials, fair-trial guarantees, and UN monitoring to prevent retaliation or ill-treatment.
The letter warns against any indemnities or legislative protections granted to perpetrators of killings and human-rights violations, labeling them illegal under international law. It also underscores threats to journalists, human-rights defenders, and civil society, citing harassment, arbitrary detention, and attacks that continue to limit freedom of expression.
Minority communities, particularly Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians, remain vulnerable, with civil-society monitors documenting over 2,400 incidents of violence between August 2024 and June 2025. Public-security operations, such as “Operation Devil Hunt,” have further raised concerns about arbitrary detention and lack of due process.
The appeal calls on the UN and OHCHR to establish a monitoring mandate on Bangladesh, ensure judicial independence, guarantee civilian trials for the ‘25 officers’ case, and protect those arbitrarily detained or at risk of reprisals, including witnesses, lawyers, journalists, and human-rights defenders.
Dr. Momen emphasized that Bangladesh’s ongoing political repression, human-rights violations, and failure to uphold democratic norms demand immediate international attention to prevent further escalation of the crisis.
