Tensions are boiling in Bangladesh after a senior police official’s order to re-arrest Awami League leaders post-bail, prompting fierce backlash from human rights watchers. Rajshahi Range DIG Mohammad Shahjahan’s ‘special directive’—dated February 24—tells forces to file new cases and detain these individuals anew, defying fresh court freedoms.
Justice Makers Bangladesh (JMBAF), operating from Paris, called it an egregious violation of core rights. ‘Bail from a competent court isn’t optional; overriding it shreds constitutional protections for liberty and justice,’ their statement roared.
The group warned of cascading effects: eroded judicial independence, blurred power lines, and a slide toward dictatorial control masked as policy. Bangladesh’s charter, they noted, explicitly shields against such abuses.
Shahnoor Islam, JMBAF founder, framed it politically: the BNP coalition under PM Tarique Rahman is allegedly fast-tracking vengeance by hobbling legal norms, aping prior regimes’ missteps. ‘This orchestrated bypass of bail is constitutional sabotage—stop it now,’ he demanded.
Their wishlist is comprehensive: retract the directive pronto, end arrests by affiliation, uphold court mandates fully, launch an independent commission, and rope in international monitors for transparency.
As Bangladesh steers through coalition dynamics, this flashpoint reveals fault lines. It challenges whether the government prioritizes reform or retaliation, with the rule of law hanging in the balance. Long-term, unchecked trends could entrench division, hampering national progress.