Bangladesh is witnessing the deadliest crackdown against protesters in the country’s post-independence history. The heavy-handed response from the authorities has resulted in the deaths of more than 197 students, journalists, and bystanders, and injured thousands since 15 July 2024 as the crackdown escalated. Sign the petition now and demand that the government of Bangladesh urgently end this repression.
What’s the problem?
Since 1 July 2024, university level students have launched protests to demand reforms in the existing quota-system which reserves 30% of government jobs for descendants of independence war veterans claiming that it unjustly favours supporters of the ruling party.
The protests met with a severe crackdown from the authorities and the ensued violence has resulted in the deaths of more than 197 people, with 75 deaths reported in one day, thousands more people injured and more than 2,500 believed to have been arrested.
Amnesty International’s investigations show that security forces responded to the protests with unlawful, and sometimes lethal, force. The Bangladesh authorities also failed to prevent attacks against protesters allegedly carried out by members of the Bangladesh Chatra League (BCL), a group affiliated with the ruling party. The authorities also put a “shoot on sight” curfew, nationwide blackouts, shutting down the country from the rest of the world.
The rights and safety of Bangladeshis are at serious risk and immediate action is needed to hold the authorities to account.
What can you do to help?
Sign the petition now and demand from authorities that the rights of Bangladeshis are protected, those arbitrarily arrested are released, and that security forces are held to acocunt.
Join us in calling on the Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina to:
- End the crackdown on the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
- Conduct a thorough, effective, independent and impartial investigation into the deaths and hold the perpetrators accountable.
- Urgently lift the “shoot on sight” curfew orders and the blanket ban on protests.
- Immediately release all those who have been arrested solely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.