Custody Must Not Become a Death Sentence
The reported custodial death of Chhatra League activist Mirza Ishtiaq Ahmed Pranto in Faridpur raises serious questions about accountability, transparency, and the protection of fundamental human rights. According to reports, rights organizations have called for an independent judicial investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death and demanded that those responsible be brought to justice through a transparent legal process.
No citizen should lose their life while under state custody. Allegations of torture, abuse, or mistreatment must be investigated impartially, and the truth must be established through due process. The victim’s family deserves answers, and the public deserves confidence that the rule of law applies to everyone, including state authorities.
A credible, independent investigation is essential not only for justice in this case but also for safeguarding human rights and preventing future custodial deaths.
Read ➡️ https://t.co/94uuuVKnr1
#JusticeForPranto #HumanRights #CustodialDeath #RuleOfLaw #Bangladesh #Accountability
'The Bangladesh Awami League is not a party born of the whims of rulers, the patronage of foreign powers, or the lust for power. It is an emotion that is inseparable from the soil, the people, the history, and the self-identity of Bengal.'
- SHEIKH HASINA.
Sheikh Hasina says the interim government disrupted vaccination efforts, causing a deadly epidemic affecting children across 61 districts. Hundreds have died, with the toll rising daily. “This is not an accident; this is an administrative crime.” #Bangladesh#PublicHealth
BNP Government’s First 100 Days: Promise or Crisis?
One hundred days after promising to “repair the state,” the BNP-led government faces growing public scrutiny. Rising living costs, energy shortages, healthcare concerns, law-and-order challenges, and economic uncertainty have left many citizens questioning whether real change has arrived.
For supporters, this is a difficult transition period. For critics, it is evidence that key promises remain unfulfilled.
100 days later, one question dominates the national conversation: Where is Bangladesh heading next?
#Bangladesh #BNP
89+ Awami League activists detained in just 24 hours.
Is this the "democracy" we were promised? Arresting opposition activists while preaching democratic values is the height of hypocrisy.
The international community must take notice of the growing political repression in Bangladesh and demand accountability.
@UNHumanRights@hrw@amnestysasia
#Bangladesh #HumanRights #Democracy #RuleOfLaw #PoliticalRepression #FreedomOfAssembly #CivilLiberties #BangladeshPolitics
“UNICEF says that the interim government decided to change the way Bangladesh bought vaccines, which led to delays in placing orders. In 10 separate meetings with the interim government where UNICEF flagged risks associated with delays to vaccine procurement.”
"I can tell you I sat with the interim advisor and staff on at least ten occasions," she said. "Saying we are worried, look at my face, I am worried you are going to face an outage." -UNICEF representative.
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We need someone honest to point out that @Yunus_Centre and the Grameen cronies he appointed are to blame for this. He appointed Nurjahan, a Grameen Bank staff member loyal to him, and she reported directly to him. So he would have heard UNICEF’s warnings but chose to ignore them. Why are Western news outlets reluctant to say that Yunus and the Grameen Bank crony he appointed as Health Advisor are to blame for this avoidable tragedy?
Yunus was happy to talk about all sorts of things that happened during Sheikh Hasina’s tenure and lay the blame at her door. Now, will he come clean with the people of Bangladesh and tell them why he repeatedly ignored UNICEF’s warnings about this avoidable tragedy?
https://t.co/sWgsCO6UsN
From vaccine success story to massive measles outbreak
Prior to this outbreak, Bangladesh was making progress toward eliminating measles with its robust, community-led vaccine program and was held up as a model for lower resource counties.
In 2019, then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed received The Vaccine Hero Award from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance in recognition of the country's "tremendous strides."
Then came 2024.
The long-time regime was ousted and an interim government took charge. During its 18 months in power, the temporary leaders decided to revamp the vaccination system. The new plan did not go smoothly.
There were bureaucratic delays. Soon, the country's vaccine supply was disrupted. The shots became unavailable; immunization campaigns were postponed.
This did not go unnoticed. Rana Flowers — the @UNICEF representative to Bangladesh – said in a press conference on May 20 that she had repeatedly warned the government over the past two years that the delays could trigger a crisis. "I sat with the interim adviser and the staff on at least 10 occasions saying, 'We are worried. Look at my face. I am worried. You're going to face a mountain,' " recounted Flowers.
Other groups — including the @WHO and @gavi — also publicly urged the government last year to take action!
Read ➡️
https://t.co/5RzjqfYSMS
#Bangladesh #BangladeshCrisis
The death of every child breaks my heart. I am a mother. The most unfortunate thing is that these children are dying from a disease we had almost brought to the point of elimination. If everything had remained on track, we would have declared Bangladesh measles-free in 2026.
- Sheikh Hasina
#SheikhHasina #Bangladesh #Measles #ChildHealth #PublicHealth #Vaccination #SaveChildren #HealthForAll #EndMeasles #ProtectChildren
More than five lakh students across the country, including students at the University of Dhaka, are allegedly being deprived of their right to education solely because of their involvement with the Bangladesh Students’ League.
Demanding the full right to education for all, a protest sit-in is being held at the foot of Aparajeyo Bangla at the University of Dhaka.
“We Demand Full Access to Education for All”
#RightToEducation #EducationForAll #StudentsRights #EducationMatters #AcademicFreedom #EqualEducation #AccessToEducation #SaveEducation #HumanRights #YouthVoice #StudentSolidarity #StandForStudents #LetStudentsLearn #InclusiveEducation #EducationIsARight #GlobalEducation #DefendEducation #EducationJustice #LearnWithoutFear #BangladeshEducationCrisis #BangladeshStudentLeague
Consumers across Bangladesh are facing mounting pressure as the prices of vegetables, fish, chicken and eggs continue to rise sharply in local markets.
In Dhaka’s kitchen markets, many common vegetables are now selling for around 100 taka ($0.85) per kilogram or more, while fish prices have climbed beyond the reach of many low- and middle-income families.
At markets including Karwan Bazar, New Market and Hatirpool, vegetables such as eggplant, cucumber, bitter gourd and ridge gourd were all selling near or above the 100 taka mark on Friday. Green chillies rose to 160 taka per kilogram, while bottle gourds were selling for 100 taka each.
Fish prices have also surged. Pangash, often considered one of the more affordable fish varieties, was selling for around 200 taka per kilogram. Shrimp prices reached as high as 1,100 taka per kilogram, while hilsa weighing more than one kilogram was reportedly selling above 3,000 taka.
Chicken and egg prices have also increased in recent weeks. Broiler chicken was selling for around 200 taka per kilogram, while a dozen eggs cost between 140 and 160 taka depending on type and size.
Many consumers say they are being forced to cut back on purchases.
“You can hardly find vegetables below 100 taka now,” one shopper at New Market said. “Earlier I used to buy one kilogram, but now I buy half a kilogram or even less.”
The rising food costs come as many households in Bangladesh continue to struggle with inflation and broader economic challenges, increasing concerns over affordability for ordinary families.
@POTUS@icsforum@StateDept@VP@StateDRL@MediaFreedomC@UN_HRC@UN_News_Centre@WSJ@sajeebwazed@nytimes@amnesty@article19org@pressfreedom@AFP@HRF@omctorg@saddamhussainbd@UNHumanRights@ALBDMedia@UN@BBC@Reuters@UN_SDG@AP@hrw
The 18 months of the #Yunus-led Interim Govt marked one of the most challenging periods for #press freedom in #Bangladesh. During this time, #journalists were blacklisted, fired en masse, arrested, harassed, assaulted, killed, and falsely implicated in hundreds of murder and attempted #murder cases.
The question now is: why is the #TariqueRahman-led #BNP Govt continuing, and in some cases adopting, these same patterns of mass #humanrights violations against journalists and #media workers?
The following statistics speak louder than words in portraying the climate of fear and intimidation under which journalists operated during the Interim Govt of Muhammad Yunus:
- 814 journalists faced incidents of #harassment while carrying out their professional responsibilities, including #threats and physical #assaults;
- 282 journalists were sued in criminal cases related to July 2024 events;
- 174 were sued for murder, 12 for attempted murder, and 37 for #vandalism;
- 11 journalists were arrested, six of whom have remain in custody for more than 600 days without charges being filed.
Report: https://t.co/jWdTWX78Yl
However, these statistics capture only certain dimensions of the pressure faced by journalists and media workers under the Yunus regime. The broader campaign of fear and intimidation also included:
- Forcing media houses to fire certain individuals based on their perceived political beliefs while compelling the recruitment of others;
- Violent #mob attacks on media houses;
- Revocation of professional accreditations and press club memberships;
- Abuse of state institutions such as the central bank and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to financially harass journalists and media workers;
Among other forms of intimidation and repression.
None of this is new information. These attacks on press freedom have been discussed consistently since Aug 2024. However, following the change in government in Feb 2026, some had hoped that the situation for the press would improve.
Yet in the three months since the BNP Govt assumed power, there has been little indication of any meaningful change in the circumstances facing targeted journalists and media workers. For instance:
- Bail applications for detained journalists continue to be rejected under apparent political direction, leaving several imprisoned on fabricated charges for more than 600 days;
- The BNP Govt has decided to proceed against detained journalists Farzana Rupa and Mozammel Babu at the Int’l Crimes Tribunal Bangladesh (ICT-BD) over the so-called “Shapla Chattar Killings”, despite there being no legal basis for prosecuting journalists over their analysis or coverage of violent events;
- No independent review has been conducted into the wholesale criminal cases implicating hundreds of journalists;
- BNP-aligned journalists and media workers have reportedly been forcibly taking over the management of media houses;
Among other troubling developments.
Recently, the Editors’ Council met with PM #TariqueRahman and submitted a list of cases filed against journalists. As to their expectations, the editor of @dailystarnews, Mahfuz Anam, stated:
“We presented the list and firmly told the prime minister that filing such cases against journalists is not a good sign for a democratic country, and it also damages the government's image.”
News: https://t.co/NOHyHQ1vxI
While it is not the responsibility of the independent media to manage the government’s “image,” the coming months will reveal how the Prime Minister truly intends to demonstrate respect for #democracy and press freedom by addressing these obviously false and politically motivated cases, among other wrongs against journalists and media workers to be rectified.
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@RSF_inter@ifjasiapacific@IFJGlobal@article19org@UN_SPExperts@Irenekhan@volker_turk@UNHumanRights@StateDRL@ESandersFCDO@PearsonElaine@CPJAsia@MediaFreedomC@hrw@amnestysasia@EURightsAgency@pressfreedom@KunalMajumder
“The wounds were so numerous that we could not stitch them properly or administer saline.”
This is how the emergency duty doctor who initially treated Jakaria Hasan Jilan described the horrifying extent of his injuries.
At around 8 pm on Saturday evening, Jilan was found critically injured beside a pond in Barobkunda Union under Sitakunda Upazila of #Chattogram. According to media reports, he had been repeatedly hacked with sharp weapons and the tendons in his legs had also been deliberately slit, indicating an exceptionally brutal and targeted assault.
Jilan was first taken to #Sitakunda Upazila Health Complex. However, the doctor on duty reportedly struggled to properly stitch the wounds or administer saline and other intravenous medication because of the widespread and severe nature of the injuries across his body. He was later transferred to CTG Media College Hospital and then to #Dhaka for advanced treatment, where he currently remains in critical condition.
Jilan is only 21 years old and serves as the Vice-President of the Sitakunda Degree College unit of #ChhatraLeague, the student wing of the #AwamiLeague.
News: https://t.co/7KRYBKxpdf
Targeted violence against individuals affiliated with the Awami League began from the very first days of the #Yunus-led Interim Govt and continued with total impunity throughout the eighteen months of the unelected regime.
Alarmingly, rather than subsiding after the change in govt in Feb 2026, such violence has not only continued under the #BNP government led by PM #TariqueRahman, but in many cases appears to have taken even more violent and extreme forms.
In just the first three months of the BNP Govt, at least five Awami League-affiliated individuals have reportedly been violently killed. This includes the recent graphic incident in Chattogram where the body of a Chhatra League activist was found hanging from a flyover under deeply suspicious circumstances. See:
https://t.co/xSbcVaiB4g
Moreover, it is not only politically affiliated individuals who are paying the price. Increasingly, even those connected to them through personal, social, or family relationships are becoming victims of political #violence and intimidation.
In a recent shocking incident in #CoxsBazar, a mother was reportedly killed while trying to protect her son from a violent assault allegedly carried out by local #BNP and #ChhatraDal activists. See:
https://t.co/lRz1tBnaPt
Taken together, these incidents raise serious concerns about the continuing deterioration of political tolerance, rule of law, and public security in Bangladesh.
The persistence of violent attacks on political rivals of the ruling party, alongside the apparent absence of accountability, is contributing to a growing climate of fear and polarization across the country.
….
#BangladeshCrisis #PoliticalViolence #Mobocracy @hrw@amnestysasia@ESandersFCDO@StateDRL@Chellaney@CJBdingo25@paulocasaca1@CrisisGroup@MujMash@CIVICUSalliance@HannahEP@CordeliaSkyNews@cnni@hrw@amnestysasia@omctorg@fidh_en@forum_asia@FortifyRights@BonaveroIHR@USIPorg@UNHumanRights