Update

***French President Hosts Reception for Human Rights Defenders at Élysée Palace***Human Rights Lawyer Shahanur Islam Joins Hands with ARDHIS for Bangladeshi LGBTQI Asylum Seekers in France***New Platform to Fight Discrimination Against LGBTQI+ Community in Bangladesh***Human Rights Advocates Meet with French Ambassador to the Council of Europe ***Bangladesh Needs to Make Further Progress Towards Gender Equality***JusticeMakers Bangladesh calls for justice and protection for religious minorities in Bangladesh***French Human Rights Ambassador Honours HR Defenders at Paris***JusticeMakers Bangladesh is deeply concerned over the harassment against student of Islamic University in Bangladesh***JusticeMakers Bangladesh urges to withdraw the ban of Prity's book "Jonmo O Jonir Itihas" immediately***JusticeMakers Bangladesh expresses deep concern, condemnation and protest over the vandalism 14 Hindu temples in Thakurgaon***JusticeMakers Bangladesh deeply concern over the threat of crossfire to the lawyer Aminul Gani Tito in Dhaka***JusticeMakers Bangladesh gravely concerns over the attacked on CEO of BELA***JusticeMakers Bangladesh gravely concerns over the disappearance of lawyer in Dhaka***JusticeMakers Bangladesh Urges Immidiate Release of Arrested Transgenders in Dhaka***JusticeMakers Bangladesh concerns over viciously attacked on lawyer Abdur Rashid Mollah at Dhaka***JusticeMakers Bangladesh gravely concerned over attacked on indigenous people at Bogura***JusticeMakers Bangladesh welcomes the decision of Metropolitan Magistrate to acquit four Transgenders in Dhaka***JusticeMakers Bangladesh Protests and concerns Over the Abduction and Torture of Two Trans-women in Meherpur***Shahanur Islam attended the 21st World Summit on Participatory Democracy at Grenoble, France***

Tuesday, November 30, 2021

চট্রগ্রামে যৌন সংখ্যালঘু সমকামী কিশোরকে নির্যাতন, নগ্ন করে ভিডিও ধারণ ও চাঁদা আদায়ের ঘটনায় মানবাধিকার প্রতিষ্ঠান বিআইএইচআর এবং জাস্টিসমেকার্স বাংলাদেশ উদ্বিগ্ন।

চট্রগ্রামে রিয়াজ উদ্দীন বাজারে গগন মার্কেটের দ্বিতীয় তলায় যৌন সংখ্যালঘু সমকামী গে কিশোরকে নির্যাতনপূর্বক নগ্ন করে ভিডিও ধারণ ও ব্ল্যাক মেইলিং করে চাঁদা আদায়ের ঘটনায় মানবাধিকার প্রতিষ্ঠান বাংলাদেশ ইনস্টিটিউট অব হিউম্যান রাইটস (বিআইএইচআর) এবং জাস্টিসমেকার্স বাংলাদেশ গভীর উদ্বেগ প্রকাশ করেছে।


একই সাথে উক্ত ঘটনার সাথে জড়িত অপরাধীদের দ্রুত গ্রেফতার পূর্বক দৃষ্ঠান্তমূলক শাস্তি প্রদানের জোড় দাবী জানিয়েছে বিআইএইচআর এবং জাস্টিসমেকার্স বাংলাদেশ ।

Monday, November 15, 2021

Freemuse, BIHR and JusticeMakers Bangladesh Joint call to end the investigation of band Meghdol

Image: Screenshot from Meghdol’s music video
 Esho Amar Shohore / Meghdol on 
YouTube

On 31 October 2021, the Metropolitan Magistrate Court ordered the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to investigate members of the rock band Meghdol three days after a legal complaint was filed against them for allegedly insulting “religious sentiments” during one of their performances.

“Investigating members of the band Meghdol over their music is in clear violation of the musicians’ human right to freely express themselves artistically,” said Gerd Elmark, Freemuse Interim Executive Director. “The right to freedom of expression is guaranteed by Article 19 of the ICCPR and should be protected. Artists should not be subjected to legal prosecution for their political beliefs or stances towards religion. We call on the Bangladeshi authorities to end the investigation against Meghdol.”

“We are gravely concerned over the incident of investigating members of music group Meghdol for hurting religious sentiment. […] Instead of constitution guaranteeing freedom of artistic expression as free-thinking, artists and activists are continuously facing obstacles and barriers to exercise their constitutional rights by state and non-state actors in Bangladesh. […],” said Shahanur Islam, Secretary General, Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) and JusticeMakers Bangladesh. “We are urging the Prime Minister of Bangladesh to do everything in her power to ensure to drop the case against members of Meghdol after a full and impartial investigation into the reported case […].”

Saturday, November 13, 2021

Shahida Begum becomes first transgender UP member in Khulna


In a first for the district, a member of the transgender community has won elected office during phase two of the UP elections last Thursday.

Shahida Begum, 43, has been elected as a member of Maguraghona Union Parishad-6 (Council) in Khulna district.

Shahida’s victory was announced on Thursday after she contested a reserved seat for women of wards 4, 5, and 6 under the unionint the second phase of UP polls.

Friday, November 12, 2021

ব্যবসায়ীকে বিবস্ত্র করে ভিডিও : অবশেষে কারাগারে হিজড়া ‘রানী’

বাংলাদেশ হিজড়া কল্যাণ ফাউন্ডেশনের সভাপতি আবিদা সুলতানা মিতু (৪৩)। নারী হয়েও হিজড়া সেজে রাজধানীর ১১ বঙ্গবন্ধু অ্যাভিনিউয়ে সরকারি ভবন দখল করে খোলা এই ফাউন্ডেশনের নাম ব্যবহার করে ভয়ঙ্কর ফাঁদ পেতেছেন মিতু। 

Thursday, November 11, 2021

CCBE urges for impartial investigation into attack against Lawyer Shahanur Islam!

The Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) urges Prime Minister of Bangladesh H.E. Sheikh Hasina to do everything in her power to ensure that a full and impartial investigation into the reported attack is being carried out, with a view to bringing those responsible to justice in accordance with international standards, as well as to ensure the safety of lawyer Shahanur Islam and his family members, since they believe that the continuous harassment against Mr. Shahanur Islam is based solely on his legitimate activities as a human rights lawyer.

The CCBE also express its serious concern over the prosecution and continuous harassment of lawyer Shahanur Islam as well as draw attention to the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, in particular Principles 16, 17 and 18 on Guarantees for the functioning of lawyers and Principle 23 on Freedom of expression and association.

Sunday, November 7, 2021

সমকামিতার’ অভিযোগে গৃহবধূকে বিবস্ত্র করে চুল কাটার অভিযোগ!

ঠাকুরগাঁও সদর উপজেলায় ‘সমকামিতার’ অভিযোগে এক গৃহবধূর (২০) চুল কেটে বিবস্ত্র করার অভিযোগ উঠেছে। এ ঘটনায় আলম (৫২) নামে এক ব্যক্তিকে আটক করেছে পুলিশ।

রবিবার সকালে নিজ বাসা থেকে তাকে আটক করা হয়।

নির্যাতনের শিকার ওই গৃহবধূ বলেন, শনিবার রাতে আলমসহ আরও ৪ থেকে ৫ জন নারী-পুরুষ মিলে তাকে ডেকে নেয়। এর পরে তাকে বিবস্ত্র করে নির্যাতন করা হয়। একপর্যায়ে গৃহবধূর মাথার সব চুল কেটে দেয়। চিৎকার করে আকুতি করলেও তাকে ছেড়ে দেওয়া হয়নি।

ঠাকুরগাঁওয়ে তরুণীকে বিবস্ত্র করে নির্যাতন


============================================================ Advocate Shahanur Islam | An Young, Ascendant, Dedicated Human Rights Defender, Lawyer and Blogger in Bangladesh, Fighting for Ensuring Human Rights, Rule of Law, Good Governance, Peace and Social Justice For the Victim of Torture, Extra Judicial Killing, Force Disappearance, Trafficking in Persons including Ethnic, Religious, Sexual and Social Minority People.

Monday, November 1, 2021

BIHR Joint Statement: No Climate Justice without Debt Justice

The climate emergency is fuelling the accumulation of debt in countries in the global south.

Countries suffering from the worst impacts of climate change have contributed very little to it, yet they are facing more expensive borrowing costs because of their climate vulnerabilities. They are left with almost no option but to borrow to finance climate mitigation and adaptation, and fund reconstruction and recovery after an extreme climate event. Countries that have accumulated unsustainable debt levels have reduced fiscal space and opportunities to invest in adaptation and mitigation, as well as to recover from loss and damage from increasingly severe climate extreme events, slow onset events and environmental hazards. At the same time, climate finance - which should respond to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, as formulated in the 1992 Rio Principles to reflect historical climate debt - is being delivered mainly through loans and debt-creating modalities, placing the financial burden onto the shoulders of the global south.