A bombshell police command in Bangladesh ordering the re-detention of bailed-out Awami League stalwarts has human rights advocates up in arms. Issued by DIG Mohammad Shahjahan of Rajshahi Range, the order compels agencies to rearrest these figures on trumped-up charges right after court releases, sparking outrage from France’s Justice Makers Bangladesh (JMBAF).
JMBAF decried the February 24 ‘special directive’ as a naked power grab that flouts Bangladesh’s constitution. It guarantees personal freedom, legal safeguards, and judicial access—rights now allegedly trampled by executive overreach.
‘This circumvention of bail orders undermines judicial sovereignty and the rule of law’s bedrock,’ the group proclaimed. They painted a grim picture: a legal system reduced to farce, where administrative whims supersede courtroom verdicts.
Founder Shahnoor Islam leveled accusations at the BNP-led government under Tarique Rahman, accusing it of repurposing state tools for score-settling. ‘It’s not random; it’s a patterned assault on democratic guardrails, reminiscent of flawed interim rule,’ he said.
Urging immediate action, JMBAF demands revocation of the order, a halt to selective policing, rigorous judicial compliance, and a neutral inquiry with global watchdogs involved. Without these, they caution, Bangladesh risks a future where law serves the rulers, not the ruled.
This unfolding drama arrives amid political flux, testing the new coalition’s commitment to fairness. Critics fear it signals deeper rot, where past rivalries poison present governance, potentially destabilizing the hard-won peace.