The international community must urgently intervene to prevent an unfolding crisis in Bangladesh. The Mohammad Yunus government has launched a brutal and systematic assault on political opponents, journalists, and human rights defenders, pushing the country toward a dangerous precipice. If swift global action is not taken, Bangladesh risks descending into a full-scale political purge, with innocent lives at stake.
Over the past weeks, opposition leaders and independent journalists have been illegally jailed, their voices silenced under the weight of an authoritarian crackdown. Reports indicate that these prisoners face the imminent threat of assassination while in custody—a dire warning of the government’s willingness to eliminate dissent by any means necessary. The situation is dire, and the world cannot afford to look away.
Adding to the severity of this crisis, the government has begun a targeted campaign of demolishing the homes of opposition figures. Among these is House No. 32, an iconic landmark and the birthplace of Bangladesh’s independence movement. This is not just an attack on political adversaries—it is an assault on the very history and identity of the nation. This escalation signals a grave turning point. The regime appears to be laying the groundwork for even more extreme measures, raising fears of mass killings, state-orchestrated violence, and the complete eradication of any opposition. In the face of such authoritarian aggression, silence from the global community would be complicity.
The United Nations, the United States, the European Union, and democratic nations worldwide must take immediate steps to stop this descent into chaos. The following actions must be prioritized:
Deploy UN Peacekeeping Forces to Bangladesh to protect imprisoned political opponents and journalists from state-sponsored violence.
Impose targeted sanctions on government officials responsible for human rights violations and political persecution.
Call an emergency UN Security Council meeting to address the crisis and demand the release of all political prisoners.
Launch an international investigation into the crimes against humanity committed by the Mohammad Yunus regime.
Ensure protection for journalists and human rights defenders who face imminent danger for speaking the truth.
The world has witnessed too many instances where inaction has led to humanitarian disasters. Bangladesh is now on the verge of such a tragedy. The time to act is now. If the international community fails to intervene, history will remember this as a moment when global leaders allowed democracy to be strangled and human rights to be trampled upon.
Bangladesh’s fight for democracy must not be a solitary one. It is a test for all nations that uphold the principles of freedom, justice, and human dignity. The people of Bangladesh need the world to stand with them—before it is too late.
Dastagir Jahangir, Editor, The Voice