SS News Desk
Dhaka, October 9, 2025
Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, is facing mounting criticism for allegedly using the country’s amended Anti-Terrorism Act to suppress peaceful dissent and target political opponents, particularly members and supporters of the deposed Awami League.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has condemned the government’s actions, saying the controversial use of the anti-terrorism law is fueling a wave of politically motivated arrests. The law, originally enacted in 2009 and amended in 2025, has been expanded to criminalize public support for the Awami League, which was officially banned in May. The ban includes prohibitions on meetings, publications, and online speech, and has resulted in mass arrests.
“The interim government should not mirror the political repression seen under Sheikh Hasina,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy Asia director at HRW. “Stuffing prisons with political opponents and silencing dissent undermines the promised democratic transition.”
Since coming to power in August 2024 after weeks of violent protests that left over 1,400 dead, Yunus’s administration has detained thousands, many under dubious charges. Reports of custodial mistreatment and denial of medical care have drawn comparisons to abuses seen during the Awami League’s rule.
One high-profile incident occurred on August 28, when 16 people—including journalists, academics, and an ex-minister—were arrested after participating in a peaceful discussion organized by Mancha 71, a group celebrating Bangladesh’s 1971 independence. Despite being harassed by a mob during the event, police arrested the participants under the Anti-Terrorism Act, later accusing them of inciting violence.
“These people are in jail, but those that attacked them are roaming free,” said a family member of one of the detainees. “This government seems to be just like the Awami League government after all.”
The Bangladesh Editors’ Council and rights organizations like Ain o Salish Kendra have warned that press freedom and civil liberties are rapidly eroding. Meanwhile, the government has struggled to control rising violence from conservative religious groups. At least 152 people have been killed in mob attacks this year.
In July, the UN and the Bangladeshi government signed a three-year agreement to support human rights monitoring. Yet, observers say the government must do more. “The anti-terrorism law is being weaponized to silence dissent,” Ganguly said. “The Yunus administration should focus on restoring trust and ensuring credible elections in February 2026.”
