Human Rights Watch, World Report 2025

Country Report: Bangladesh (Part 2)

​Freedom of Press and Expression 
The Cyber Security Act (CSA), enacted in 2023, retains many of the abusive elements of its predecessor, the Digital Security Act, granting wide authority to officials to criminalize and jail political critics. 
 
The interim government has committed to protecting free speech and welcomed criticism. However, as of October, authorities had filed cases against at least 129 journalists and scrapped nearly 200 press accreditations, underscoring the point that without systemic reform, the abusive practices will remain the same regardless of the change of government. In September, courts ordered police to investigate a man accused under the CSA for insulting Yunus and the Quran in a Facebook video. 
 
Women’s and Girls’ Rights 
Despite the pivotal role that women played in the July uprising, they have not been adequately represented in the cabinet of the interim government. As set out in UN Security Council resolution 1325, women are entitled to full, equal, meaningful, and safe participation in all discussions about the country’s future, including guiding the government’s approach to transitional justice, legal reform, and institution-building. 
 
Sexual and gender-based violence are widespread and women and girls in Bangladesh have little recourse to seek protection or access justice for these crimes. 
 
A report released by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics found that rates of child marriage were on the rise, with 42 percent of girls in the country married before the age of 18, and 8 percent before age 15. 
 
Rohingya Refugees 
There are nearly one million Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh. In September, Yunus reiterated his support for a mechanism that would hold the junta in Myanmar accountable for the abuses it has perpetrated against the Rohingya, adding that the international community must help to create conditions under which the Rohingya can return safely to Myanmar. The authorities have repeatedly stated that the country is unable to accept more refugees. 
 
An increase in violence in Myanmar mid-year drove another 18,000 Rohingya refugees to seek asylum in Bangladesh, but security forces have pushed back thousands. Unregistered refugees risk hunger, and do not seek necessary healthcare out of fear that they will be returned. Bangladesh is bound by the customary international law prohibition on refoulement, and under the UN Convention Against Torture, to not forcibly return anyone to a place where they would face a real risk of persecution, torture, or other ill-treatment. Rohingya refugees in camps face precarious living conditions, including due to violence by armed groups and gangs in the camps. There is no criminal justice system available to refugees. Security forces have failed to address a culture of impunity surrounding sexual violence, where women and girls as well as LGBT refugees are often victims of attacks. 
 
A fire at a refugee camp in January and heavy monsoon rains in July exacerbated the humanitarian crisis. 
 
Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity 
Same-sex conduct is criminalized in Bangladesh with penalties from ten years to life in prison. There are no legal protections against discrimination on the basis of sexuality. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and advocates have reported increased threats of violence. 
 
Labor Rights 
In January, garment factory workers, most of whom are women, blocked a highway to protest the failure of their employers to increase their wages according to a new government compensation scheme, but were dispersed by police firing tear gas. 
 
In September, a garment worker was shot dead and at least 20 others were injured in violent clashes between workers demanding better wages and the police. The interim government committed to reviewing the minimum wage and to support workers amid the rising cost of living. 
 
In September, an explosion on the oil tanker MT Suvarna Swarajya killed at least six workers, underscoring the failure of shipping companies to take adequate safety measures to protect their employees. The shipbreaking industry in Bangladesh is dangerous and underregulated, as many companies use loopholes to circumvent international labor and environmental regulations. 
 
The authorities have yet to amend the labor laws to protect workers’ freedom of association and collective bargaining in line with International Labour Organization (ILO)’s conventions and recommendations. The authorities also have not ratified the ILO Violence and Harassment Convention (C190), which requires comprehensive protections to end violence and harassment, including gender-based violence, at work. 
 
Human Rights Watch, World Report 2025. New York