The imprisonment of 84 lawyers is the latest and most disturbing example of the suppression of dissent in Bangladesh under the unelected regime led by Dr Yunus’s interim government.

See the news here 84 pro-AL lawyers sent to jail, 9 get bail

These legal professionals, known for defending the Constitution and democratic rights, were denied bail and sent to prison after appearing in court voluntarily. Their only crime: standing with the country’s most popular political party and voicing faith in the judicial process.

This marks a dangerous turning point in the ongoing political repression in Bangladesh. The justice system is no longer being used to uphold the rule of law—it is being weaponized to punish political opposition. Human rights monitors are calling this a clear human rights violation in Bangladesh, where due process is overridden by political interests.

The current regime—installed without public mandate and allegedly backed by foreign lobbying and domestic elites—has turned the judiciary into an instrument of fear. With the courts compromised, lawyers, activists, and political figures are now easy targets for state retaliation. This is not justice—it is institutionalized vengeance.

When legal defenders themselves are imprisoned, the erosion of democratic values becomes undeniable. The persecution of these lawyers is not an isolated incident but part of a wider pattern of abuse and state-sponsored intimidation, aimed at crushing any form of dissent.

We urge the global human rights community to condemn this targeted repression and demand the immediate release of all those unlawfully detained. The human rights violations in Bangladesh must no longer be ignored.