New Delhi, 12 November 2025: The Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) today welcomed the resolution adopted unanimously by the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) Governing Council at its 216th session in Geneva on 23 October 2025 against alleged human rights violations, threats and acts of intimidation, arbitrary arrest and detention, inhumane conditions of detention and lack of due process in proceedings against six arrested parliamentarians. The RRAG is one of the complainants regarding the arrest and detention of former parliamentarians Saber Chowdhury, Fazle Karim Chowdhury, Habibe Millat, Asaduzzaman Noor, Mosharraf Hossain and Muhammad Faruk Khan on whose conditions the IPU adopted the resolution.
More than 100 former parliamentarians, all members of the Awami League, are currently in detention in Bangladesh, facing multiple ongoing criminal proceedings while parliamentarian Mr. Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun died in custody on 29 September 2025.
The IPU stated that on two separate occasions, the independent trial observer mandated by the IPU to monitor the legal proceedings in these cases was unable to travel to Bangladesh, as the necessary visas were not granted on time and the repeated requests for support in facilitating visa delivery for an IPU delegation to travel to Bangladesh remain unanswered. Furthermore, it repeated requests for support in facilitating the preparations for an IPU mission, including the timely delivery of visas for an IPU delegation to visit Bangladesh, have thus far remained unanswered
“This denial of visas on time to the IPU trial observers and an IPU delegation to Bangladesh shows that Interim government of Bangladesh led by Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus is trying the jailed former parliamentarians in Kangaroo Courts and has gross human rights violations to hide.” – stated Mr Suhas Chakma, Director of the RRAG and one of the complainants to the IPU.
The IPU expressed deep concerns at the continued detention of Mr. Fazle Karim Chowdhury, Mr. Asaduzzaman Noor, Mr. Mosharraf Hossain and Mr. Muhammad Faruk Khan, in the light of the disturbing allegations of the appalling conditions of detention and the irreversible effects that these conditions are allegedly having on their health and the allegations of serious violations of the right to a fair trial in the proceedings against the six former parliamentarians, as well as about the nature and severity of the charges, some of which reportedly may carry the death penalty, and at allegations suggesting that the initiation and proliferation of criminal proceedings against former members of the Awami League may be politically motivated
The IPU reiterated its wish to send a trial observer to monitor the upcoming court proceedings and a delegation to Bangladesh as soon as possible in order to meet with the authorities responsible for exercising legislative, executive and judicial powers, as well as with the prison authorities and any other institution, civil society organization or individual in a position to provide relevant information regarding the situation of the six former parliamentarians.
“The resolution of the IPU calls for effective actions by the international community who are blindly supporting the Interim Government in the hope that Nobel Laureate Yunus has respect for the rule of law and democracy. Dr Yunus has no respect for the rule of law, turned the judiciary into Kangaroo courts and the case is building up for stripping him of the Nobel prize”. – further stated Mr Suhas Chakma, Director of the RRAG.
