Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged Bangladesh’s interim government to ensure that security forces operate with neutrality and uphold the rule of law while prosecuting political violence. The appeal follows a United Nations report that exposed serious human rights violations by law enforcement agencies, including the police, border guards, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and intelligence units, during last year’s protests that ultimately led to the removal of Sheikh Hasina’s government.

The interim administration, led by Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus, had initially pledged to reform the security sector. However, HRW noted that it has instead deployed security forces, including the military, for “Operation Devil Hunt,” which has resulted in nearly 2,000 arrests—many of them supporters of Hasina’s ousted Awami League government.

“Bangladesh is politically polarized after decades of repression by the Awami League government, but the authorities should not repeat mistakes of the past and should instead ensure impartial rule of law,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy Asia director at HRW.

“As the UN has said, the interim government should focus on urgent reforms to the political system and economic governance.”

The UN report detailed severe rights violations, including extrajudicial killings, indiscriminate firing, mass arrests, and torture. It estimated that between July 1 and August 15, security forces were responsible for the deaths of up to 1,400 people, most of whom were shot.

Painting a grim picture of the situation, the report emphasized the necessity of “accountability and justice” for national healing.

Political unrest escalated when Hasina, currently in exile in India, announced on February 7 that she would address her supporters online. This sparked intense protests by students and opposition groups, which ultimately forced her resignation. Some demonstrators targeted properties linked to Hasina’s family and party leaders, even demolishing the home of her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the leader of Bangladesh’s independence war against Pakistan.

HRW reported that the government launched Operation Devil Hunt following violent clashes between Awami League members and student protesters on February 8.

“Awami League supporters, in an attempt to block a group of students from attacking the home of a former minister, caused serious injuries. The interim government said that the security operation would target groups ‘linked to the fallen autocratic regime,’ describing them as ‘devils.’”

HRW further noted that the interim government had condemned Hasina for inciting violence and formally requested her extradition from India to face trial.

“Yunus has also called for calm, saying, ‘Respecting the rule of law is what differentiates the new Bangladesh we are working together to build from the old Bangladesh under the fascist regime.’”

Despite the government’s stance, HRW emphasized that even supporters of the former administration have the right to peaceful assembly and protest under international law. Security forces, the organization stressed, should protect and facilitate that right, using force only as a last resort.

As Bangladesh navigates this turbulent period, HRW urged the interim government to take decisive steps toward accountability. It recommended that the administration propose a resolution at the upcoming UN Human Rights Council session in March, seeking technical assistance, further investigations, and monitoring by UN-backed human rights experts. The resolution, it added, should acknowledge past government oppression while recognizing positive steps taken by the interim leadership.

“Bangladeshis are angry over the repression by the Hasina administration, and they deserve justice and accountability, but it has to be a rights-respecting manner,” said HRW’s Ganguly.

“All crimes, including mob violence, should be punished, but when authority figures characterize opponents as the ‘devil,’ it can fuel abuses by security forces that have never faced accountability.”

With the world watching, Bangladesh’s interim government faces a crucial test: balancing the pursuit of justice with the protection of human rights.