Nine civil society groups including CIVICUS have written a letter to Bangladesh’s prime minister, Tarique Rahman, who was elected in February 2026 to use this opportunity to bring lasting protections of human rights. Among the priorities highlighted in the letter are ending arbitrary detention, holding those responsible for past violations accountable, abolishing the abusive Rapid Action Battalion, and protecting ethnic and religious minorities. The groups also said that the government should remove legal and policy measures that impose undue restrictions on the right to freedom of association, protect the rights of over a million Rohingya refugees currently in Bangladesh and establish a strong and independent National Human Rights Commission. The groups made specific recommendations in their letter for policy measures and legislative changes.
