Bangladesh Perspectives

From Promising Freedom of Expression to Arresting One Critic Every Week: Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s Government Faces Growing Questions Over Its Commitment to Free Speech. Despite Prime Minister #TariqueRahman’s pre-election pledges to uphold citizens’ freedom of expression, particularly their right to criticise the government, his administration’s record since assuming office tells a very different story. Over the past eight months, at least 30 people have been arrested in #Bangladesh for criticising the #BNP government, the Prime Minister, his family members, ministers, or ruling party MPs. That amounts to approximately one arrest every week for speech critical of the government or the ruling party. The latest incident occurred on 25 October 2026, when Sathi Akhter, a small business owner in Bhaluka, Mymensingh, was arrested after expressing frustration over the deteriorating law-and-order situation and regret for voting for the BNP during a Facebook Live broadcast. According to a report by The Dacca, at least 50 people have been sued or arrested in connection with criticism of the BNP or its government since the party assumed power in February 2026. A closer examination of these cases reveals several disturbing patterns: 1. Ruling party activists frequently initiate complaints and facilitate illegal arrests: Cases are often lodged by leaders and activists of the BNP and its affiliated organisations, including Jubo Dal, Swechchhasebak Dal, and Chhatra Dal. Of the 50 people arrested or sued since February over speech critical of the BNP or its government, at least 18 were the subject of complaints filed by BNP leaders or members of its affiliated organisations. In at least ten incidents, ruling party activists themselves apprehended the individuals concerned before handing them over to the police. 2. Unrelated criminal charges being used to detain government critics: Where the allegedly objectionable speech is difficult to prosecute as a criminal offence, the authorities appear to have resorted to alternative charges. In at least seven cases, individuals who criticised the Prime Minister on social media were reportedly picked up over their posts, only to be subsequently shown as arrested in older, unrelated cases involving allegations under the Anti-Terrorism Act or vandalism. 3. The actual scale of arrests linked to political expression is considerably broader: Importantly, these figures do not include the scores of individuals detained under the Anti-#Terrorism Act for expressing support for the #AwamiLeague or chanting political slogans such as Joy Bangla. Nor do they include arrests under the Cyber Security Act, 2026. According to the Human Rights Support Society (HRSS), 61 people were arrested under the Cyber Security Act between March and August 2026, compared with just 17 during the corresponding period of the previous year. This represents an increase of approximately 259%. Although these arrests cannot all be categorised as cases involving criticism of the government, the sharp increase raises additional concerns about the use of criminal law to regulate expression. From Pre-Election Promises to Post-Election Repression Before the election, Tarique Rahman went so far as to share a cartoon depicting himself, apparently to demonstrate his willingness to tolerate criticism and encourage citizens to express their opinions freely. Eight months into his premiership, however, the emerging record presents a striking contradiction. Report: thedacca.com/one-arrest-a-we… … @hrw @amnestysasia @ESandersFCDO @StateDRL @article19org @Irenekhan @CIVICUSalliance

Calls for Sharia During Coordinated Anti-#India protests in Bangladesh. Over the past few days, several groups aligned with the #BNP, the #JamaatEIslami, and several #Islamist groups have organised rallies and processions against what they describe as "Indian hegemony." At one such procession in #Dhaka, organised under the banner of "Ulema and Mashayekhs" (Islamic scholars and students), thousands of participants chanted various slogans such as: "Delhi or Dhaka? Dhaka, Dhaka" "Agents of India, Beware" AND "Sharia is the Answer." Video: OBC PLUS. ... #BangladeshCrisis #Islamism #SouthAsia @paulocasaca1 @CJBdingo25 @Chellaney

#Bangladesh #PressFreedom Under Scrutiny: #Journalist Rezanur Islam Jailed Over Report on #BNP Government’s LGRD State Minister. A journalist has been arrested and jailed in Bangladesh’s Gazipur in connection with a news report concerning allegations involving the BNP Govt’s LGRD State Minister, Mir Shahe Alam, raising fresh concerns about press freedom and the use of draconian #cyberlaws against the #media. Journalist Arrested and Sent to Jail The arrested journalist, Rezanur Islam, is the Acting Editor of Dainik Agrajatra Pratidin. According to reports, a team from the Bogra Detective Branch (DB) Police arrested Rezanur on Thursday night from the Board Bazar area under Gacha Union in Gazipur Sadar Upazila. Following his arrest, he was produced before a court and subsequently sent to Bogura Jail on Friday under a court order. The case was filed against six individuals, incl. the editor and publisher, under multiple provisions of the Cyber Security Act 2026. Police have stated that efforts are ongoing to arrest the remaining accused. Source:

dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/… Editors' Council Condemns Arrest Reacting to the arrest, the Editors' Council (EC), Bangladesh’s premier association of newspaper editors, expressed deep concern and strongly condemned the detention of Rezanur Islam. In a statement issued yesterday, the Council warned that such actions could have a chilling effect on independent journalism and demanded the journalist’s immediate and unconditional release. Source:

thedailystar.net/news/bangla… Controversy Surrounding State Minister Alam The arrest comes amid growing public discussion surrounding State Minister Mir Shahe Alam, who is widely reported to be a close associate of BNP Chair and PM #TariqueRahman. Alam became embroiled in a major controversy recently after news reports emerged that several unions and schools in his home upazila had been renamed after him and members of his family. The issue sparked widespread criticism and drew national attention. Sources: thedailystar.net/news/news/p… en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh… Growing Concerns for Press Freedom The jailing of a journalist over a report concerning a serving government minister has renewed concerns among media rights advocates regarding freedom of expression, press independence, and the use of cyber legislation against journalists in Bangladesh under the BNP Govt. In its latest report on Bangladesh, @CIVICUSalliance highlighted the continued detention of five journalists, the filing of what it described as baseless charges against a further 140 journalists, an army raid on a media office during which 21 individuals were detained, travel restrictions imposed on the #Dhaka correspondent of the German news agency @dpa_intl, and the initiation of fresh proceedings before the Int’l Crimes Tribunal (ICT) against detained journalists Mozammel Babu and Farzana Rupa. See: monitor.civicus.org/explore/… By the same token, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), in its latest statement on Bangladesh, urged the BNP Govt and PM Tarique Rahman to release the five imprisoned journalists, withdraw politically motivated cases against media workers, end political vendettas targeting the press, protect journalists and media outlets from #mob violence, and halt smear campaigns directed at journalists on the basis of their perceived political affiliations. See: cpj.org/2026/06/100-days-on-… …. #BangladeshCrisis @amnestysasia @AgnesCallamard @taqbirhuda @meeganguly @PearsonElaine @StateDRL @justiceinfonet @job71org @icsforum @article19org @pressfreedom @RSF_inter @IFJGlobal @ifjasiapacific @MediaFreedomC @S_Asian_Rights @CommonwealthJA @ESandersFCDO @CIVICUSalliance @BonaveroIHR @forum_asia @Irenekhan @UN_SPExperts @DoughtyStIntl @volker_turk @UN_HRC @KunalMajumder @CPJAsia

#Bangladesh: Attacks on #Hindu Places of Worship Continue; Two Temples Vandalised Within Three Days in #Faridpur. Despite the change in administration, the condition of Hindus in Bangladesh appears to have seen little improvement. Attacks, intimidation, discrimination, and hate-driven campaigns continue to be recurring features of life for the country's most vulnerable religious minority community. A series of recent incidents across different districts highlights the persistent insecurity and challenges faced by Hindus in Bangladesh under the #BNP-led government. In Faridpur's Madhukhali Upazila, idols at two Hindu temples were vandalised within a span of just three days. Late on Wednesday night, miscreants vandalised an idol at the Kali Temple in Meghchami Union. This attack came only two days after another Kali Temple idol was desecrated in the Bamundi Bazar area of the same upazila. Local members of the Hindu community alleged that following the first attack, police failed to take any meaningful action and instead advised them to cover up the incident. News:
 bangla.thedailystar.net/news… Just days earlier, Hindus across Bangladesh expressed outrage after #Islamist threats forced the suspension of the construction of a Ram idol at the Sri Sri Radha Govinda and Kali Temple in Polashbari Upazila of #Gaibandha district. The incident once again raised concerns about the ability of religious minorities to freely practice and express their faith without intimidation. News: bangla.bdnews24.com/samagrab… At around the same time, three Hindu temples were vandalised in Mokamtala Upazila of #Bogura district on the afternoon of 13 June. The attacks targeted the Shiva Temple located within the Kanchogari Crematorium, the Kanchogari Shitola Temple, and a local Kali Temple. During the attacks, idols housed within these temples were damaged and desecrated, causing widespread concern among local Hindu residents. News: 
bangla.bdnews24.com/samagrab… These incidents are not isolated occurrences. Less than three weeks earlier, the Kali Temple located within the #Pirojpur Municipal Crematorium was reportedly vandalised and set on fire. According to reports, the temple's donation box was looted, along with various items used in Hindu cremation rituals. News:
 bdnews24.com/bangladesh/8e9a… Taken together, these incidents raise serious concerns re: the safety, security, and religious freedom of #minorities in Bangladesh, particularly #Hindus. The repeated targeting of temples, idols, and religious infrastructure across multiple districts suggests a troubling pattern that continues to fuel fear and uncertainty within the community. These developments also raise an important question: is the climate of repression, insecurity, and vulnerability experienced by religious minorities during the #Yunus-led Interim Govt now re-emerging under the BNP government? … @FOREF_EU @paulocasaca1 @CJBdingo25 @zoro8 @Tkbaul @MinoritiesSouth @_PriyaSaha @HinduHate @INSIGHTUK2 @HinduVoice_in @UtsavSanduja @austhindu @canada_hindu @HinduAmerican @RadharamnDas @USCIRF @UN_HRC @NazilaGhanea @nadinemaenza @StateIRF @Chellaney

#TariqueRahman-led #BNP Govt Follows the #Yunus-led Interim Govt in Capitulating to #Islamist Demands, Backtracks on Appointment of #Music Teachers in Schools. Following in the footsteps of the Muhammad #Yunus-led Interim Government, the BNP Government under Prime Minister #TariqueRahman has chosen to appease Islamist pressure groups rather than promote arts and cultural education, reversing plans to appoint music teachers in government primary schools. On 14 June, #Education Minister ANM Ahsanul Hoque Mlion informed Parliament that the government had decided against appointing music teachers in government primary schools. The statement came in response to a question raised by Jamaat-e-Islami MP Md. Nurul Islam, who represents the Chapainawabganj-3 constituency. The decision marks a continuation of a policy reversal that began under the previous Interim Govt. On 28 August 2025, officials from the Ministry of Education formally proposed the appointment of dedicated assistant teachers for music and physical education in government primary schools. The initiative was intended to strengthen the holistic development of #children by ensuring greater access to #arts, #culture, and physical education within the school system. However, the proposal faced strong opposition from several Islamist political parties and organisations, including Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Andolon Bangladesh, Khelafat Majlish, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon, Hefazat-e-Islam, and others.. As a result of this pressure, the Interim Government withdrew the proposal on 2 November 2025, effectively scrapping plans to appoint music and physical education teachers in primary schools. News: bddigest.com/news/53850/ The BNP Govt's latest decision not to revive the initiative suggests a continuation of the same policy approach. Rather than advancing educational reforms aimed at the all-round development of children, BNP has chosen to maintain a position that aligns with #Islamists. Opposition from Islamist organisations to music and cultural activities is not unexpected, given their literal and backward worldviews regarding all forms of artistic and cultural expression. However, BNP has traditionally projected itself as a party committed to liberal democratic values, cultural pluralism, and freedom of religion. This raises an important question: if the party claims to support a modern and inclusive vision of society, why is it unwilling to support educational initiatives that promote the intellectual, physical, and creative development of children through music and physical education? Music and arts education are widely recognised as important components of a well-rounded education system. Alongside physical education, they contribute to creativity, critical thinking, confidence, discipline, and social development. The decision to abandon such initiatives, coupled with related developments such as historic revisionism in new school books, therefore raises broader concerns about the direction of educational policy and the extent to which political considerations are shaping decisions that affect future generations. In a political landscape where the country's principal secular political force, the #AwamiLeague, remains effectively banned and Islamist parties wield increasing influence over public discourse and policymaking, the BNP government's decision is likely to reinforce concerns about the growing accommodation of religious hardliners within mainstream #politics. … #BangladeshCrisis #IslamistResurgence @MujMash @AFP @HannahEP @CordeliaSkyNews @TheEconomist @b_parkyn @ReutersAsia @suhasinih @APNews @JonathanEmont @CharlieCamp6ell @SSabihaAlam @DavidPBMaddox #News @SCMPAsia @State_SCA @GERonSouthAsia @paulocasaca1 @CJBdingo25 @Chellaney @FOREF_EU @UNESCO #Music

State of #Hindus in #Bangladesh: Temple Construction Halted in #Gaibandha Due to #Islamist Threats; Three Temples Vandalised in #Bogura Despite the change in administration, the condition of Hindus in Bangladesh has seen little improvement. Attacks, intimidation, discrimination, and hate-driven campaigns continue to be a recurring feature of life for the country's most targeted religious minority community. Two recent incidents illustrate the challenges and insecurity that Hindus continue to face in Bangladesh under the #BNP government. The first incident concerns the construction of a #Ram idol at the Sri Sri Radha Govinda and Kali Temple in Polashbari Upazila of Gaibandha district. The project came to an abrupt halt following threats, ultimatums, and sustained pressure from Islamist groups. The suspension of construction work followed several days of campaigning by an organisation known as the “Imam Ulema Parishad,” which actively mobilised opposition against the temple project and demanded that the work be stopped. Amid growing tensions and fears of a violent reaction from groups identifying themselves as “Touhidi Janata,” the temple's management committee announced the suspension of construction through a press conference. According to Shyamal Kumar Mohonto, an adviser to the temple committee, the official reason cited for halting the project was the need to preserve “communal harmony.” However, the concept of “communal harmony” in Bangladesh often appears to operate in a manner that disproportionately favours the majority #Muslim community, while placing the burden of accommodation on religious minorities. As a result, incidents involving intimidation, discrimination, and violence against minority communities frequently go unaddressed. This reality is reflected in the more than 2,200 documented attacks on Hindus and other religious minorities in Bangladesh over the past 22 months, almost all which remain without accountability or meaningful resolution. News:
 bangla.bdnews24.com/samagrab… The second incident occurred in Mokamtala Upazila of Bogura district on the afternoon of 13 June, when three Hindu temples were vandalised. The attacks targeted the Shiva Temple located within the Kanchogari Crematorium, the Kanchogari Shitola Temple, and a Kali Temple in the area. During the attacks, idols housed within these temples were damaged and desecrated. News:
 bangla.bdnews24.com/samagrab… This is not an isolated incident. Less than two weeks ago, the Kali Temple located within the Pirojpur Municipal Crematorium was reportedly vandalised and set on fire. According to reports, the temple's donation box was looted, along with various items used in Hindu cremation rituals. News:
 bdnews24.com/bangladesh/8e9a… Taken together, these incidents raise serious concerns about the security and well-being of religious #minorities in Bangladesh, especially Hindus. This naturally raises an important question: Is the repression and insecurity experienced by religious minorities during the #Yunus-led interim administration now making a comeback under the BNP government? .... @FOREF_EU @paulocasaca1 @CJBdingo25 @zoro8 @Tkbaul @MinoritiesSouth @_PriyaSaha @HinduHate @INSIGHTUK2 @HinduVoice_in @UtsavSanduja @austhindu @canada_hindu @HinduAmerican @RadharamnDas @USCIRF @UN_HRC @NazilaGhanea @nadinemaenza @StateIRF @Chellaney

Criminalisation of #Bangladesh’s #History Continues Under the #BNP Government. The criminalisation of Bangladesh’s history appears to be continuing under the BNP Govt. In a troubling development, 300 books on Bangladesh’s founding leader, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and other historical and political figures were confiscated from a mobile library in #Rajshahi. It appears that Prime Minister #TariqueRahman’s govt is following the same path as the previous administration led by Muhammad #Yunus when it comes to criminalising the commemoration of historic events and individuals. On 10 June, approximately 300 books relating to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and other historical and political personalities were seized by the district administration from a mobile library operated jointly by the Department of Public Libraries and Bishwa Shahityo Kendra in Rajshahi. The confiscation followed a raid conducted by two executive magistrates after activists from #ChhatraDal, the student wing of the BNP, brought the library bus to the Office of the Deputy Commissioner. Led by Rajshahi Metropolitan Chhatra Dal Member Secretary Imdadul Hoque Milion, the activists reportedly complained that “the availability of such books was concerning in the post-autocrat political environment”. News: shorturl.at/CgGwr It goes without saying that such actions are alarming for several reasons. First, none of the confiscated books have been banned. Under what legal authority, then, were they seized by the district administration? Second, who is Chhatra Dal to determine which books should or should not be available for citizens to read? Third, what comes next? Public book-burning events reminiscent of those witnessed in #Nazi-era #Germany during the 1930s and 1940s? However, these developments should not come as a surprise to anyone closely following political events in Bangladesh since August 2024. Under the Yunus-led Interim Govt, even discussing certain aspects of Bangladesh’s founding history effectively became taboo. Historical symbols and sites associated with the country’s founding history were subjected to violent #mob attacks. During that period, the BNP did not condemn such practices. On the contrary, many of its supporters and activists actively participated in these campaigns. Since assuming office, the BNP Govt has retained all major decisions taken by the Interim Govt as regards historic commemoration such as cancellation of certain historical days. It has also arrested scores of individuals simply for uttering the independence-era slogan “Joy Bangla.” Against this backdrop, the confiscation of books from a public library represents not an isolated incident, but part of a broader and deeply concerning trend: the continued criminalisation of Bangladesh’s historical memory and the restriction of citizens’ access to historical and political literature. … #BangladeshCrisis #LawAndOrderCrisis @MujMash @AFP @HannahEP @CordeliaSkyNews @TheEconomist @b_parkyn @ReutersAsia @suhasinih @APNews @JonathanEmont @CharlieCamp6ell @SSabihaAlam @DavidPBMaddox #News @SCMPAsia @State_SCA @GERonSouthAsia @paulocasaca1