Solidarity statement on the ongoing situation in Bangladesh

We are deeply alarmed by the reports of police brutality and violence in Bangladesh which has led to deaths and injuries of protesting students. As a women’s rights organization working on using the law to protect and uphold the rights of women and girls, we are particularly concerned about the reports of violence, abuse and sexual harassment against female student protesters and women human rights defenders who participated in the recent protests in Bangladesh demanding quota reform. 

We condemn the complete internet shutdown in Bangladesh from 19-23 July leading to disruption of telecommunication services and broadcast media. This is deeply concerning as it severely restricts the right to freedom of expression, including the right to seek, receive, and impart information, especially during a crisis. 

We are concerned about the consequences of this as the restriction in accessing the internet and telecommunication servicesis immobilizing Bangladeshi legal aid organizations, organizations of persons with disabilities and women’s rights organizations from doing crucial work on the ground including providing legal and health related services and information delivery among others. In a country of 170 million, this lack of access is adding to the vulnerability of groups for whom these services are essential and who are impacted the hardest when there is conflict, unrest or disruption, including women and girls and those with disabilities. It also prevents the effective monitoring of the overall situation which is critical to the protection of women and girls from further abuse and prevention of sexual and gender-based crimes.

We fear that the prevailing situation in Bangladesh is yet another example of a disturbing global trend of shrinking civic space, crackdowns on civil society and the voices of young people. This growing trend of using laws and other measures to clamp down on women human rights defenders (WHRD) and civil society in general has been happening across various regions, including Georgia and Kyrgyzstan, in the UK and recently in Kenya – threatening civic space and civil society’s essential work on the ground. 

This trend must be reversed in Bangladesh, and elsewhere, to allow civil society to thrive and contribute to national and global development. The breakdown of rule of law, free speech and the right to peacefully protest (without fear of loss of life, violence, repression, or retaliation) has serious implications as it harms all our societies and leaves the most vulnerable, including women and girls, with fewer protections and less of a voice. Voices of women and young people are essential to the country’s future and must be heard and properly included. Their engagement is not a mere formality but a crucial component of free and equal societies.

In solidarity with the people of Bangladesh, the international community and civil society in Bangladesh and worldwide, we strongly urge the Government of Bangladesh to support human rights and uphold the rule of law by restoring full telecommunication and internet access immediately, addressing complaints of assault and violence against female protesters and ensuring the protection of all women human rights defenders, civil society and youth activists in accordance with its obligations under the Sustainable Development Goals and international human rights law.