Growing anarchy in Bangladesh major threat to regional peace and security in South Asia: Report

New Delhi/Dhaka Aug 7 The human rights situation in Bangladesh continues to deteriorate as the nation has turned into a "land of anarchy" under the interim government led by Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, the Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) stated in its report on Thursday.

According to RRAG Director Suhas Chakma, at least 637 persons, including 41 police officers, were reportedly lynched to death under the interim government from August 2024 to July 2025 while 51 lynching deaths were reported under Sheikh Hasina-led government during 2023, showcasing a rise of 1250 per cent. Chakma warned that the anarchy in Bangladesh will rise in the coming months.

According to the report, criminal cases were filed against 5,16,327 individuals including 79,491 persons named and 4,36,836 unnamed persons in about 1,567 cases. As many as 878 journalists were targetted and 51 cases were lodged while 39 persons were arrested under the Cyber Security Act of 2023. Another 2,485 incidents of violence against religious and ethnic minorities were reported under the Yunus-led administration.

"The formal justice system has been destroyed with the removal of 21 Supreme Court and High Court judges and removal of all members of the NHRC. The absolute lack of commitment to rights is proven by the fact that after the dismissal of the members of the NHRC on 7 November 2024, Yunus failed to make the NHRC functional," the report mentioned.

Awami League and its affiliate organisations, indigenous peoples of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) and the Hindu minorities do not have right to freedom of association and assembly under the Yunus-led administration, it added.

The authorities imposed a ban on Awami League and the Chhatra League while the indigenous people were attacked by the illegal plain settlers and Bangladesh Army at Dighinala, Khagrachari Sadar and Rangamati Sadar on September 19-20, for organising the 'March For Identity' on September 18 last year, the RRAG said in its report.

Hindu priest Chinmoy Das was charged with sedition and subsequently for murder for organising a peaceful protest of the Hindus in Chittagong in October last year. He has been in prison since November 25, 2024.

The report added: "Reforms under the Interim Government have become means to cling onto power and exclude the indigenous peoples and religious minorities. The Constitutional Reform Commission did not include any member of indigenous peoples or religious minorities and the result of the Constitutional Reforms Commission was the recommendation for removal of 'secularism', thereby removing equal protection of the religious freedom of the religious minorities in the country."

The anarchy in Bangladesh, the report detailed, is set to increase in the coming months leading up to the promised elections, thus posing a major threat to regional peace and security in South Asia.

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