Paris, Jan 23 (NationPress) A prominent human rights organization stated on Friday that the most significant threat to the independence of lawyers in Bangladesh arises not from chaos, but from a failure of governance by the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus.

This declaration was made in advance of the 16th International Day of Endangered Lawyers on Saturday.

In its statement, Justice Makers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), a Paris-based human rights organization, asserted, “The interim government was given a moral and political mandate—to stabilize institutions, restore justice, and safeguard fundamental rights. Instead, under its governance, the legal profession has been plunged into a state of systematic fear, repression, and violence. Our report reveals not just negligence, but a consistent pattern of tolerance, acquiescence, and indirect support for the persecution of lawyers.”

The rights group reported that lawyers in Bangladesh are being targeted with fabricated criminal charges, facing arbitrary arrests, public defamation, assaults both in and outside courtrooms—and, in the most severe instances, even murder.

“These violations are neither hidden nor incidental. They are thoroughly documented, widely reported, and repeatedly highlighted to the interim authorities. Yet the official response has been silence, procrastination, and denial,” the JMBF stated.

“Silence—or worse, direct and indirect support from the government—in the face of systematic abuse is not neutrality. It is complicity,” it emphasized.

The rights organization noted that under the Yunus-led interim government, law enforcement agencies continue to function as political tools, while prosecutorial powers are being misused to punish lawyers for fulfilling their professional obligations.

It also pointed out that mob violence against legal professionals across Bangladesh has been met with almost complete impunity, sending a clear message that those who uphold the law are no longer safeguarded by it.

“The brutality of this repression lies in its indiscriminate nature. Lawyers are targeted not only for their political opinions but simply for their independence. Even lawyers associated with the ruling political factions have faced attacks or killings. This highlights the true nature of the crisis: the interim government has either lost control of—or intentionally relinquished—its core obligation to protect the justice system,” the JMBF remarked.

“This is not a temporary oversight. It is a systemic deterioration of the rule of law, facilitated by political cowardice and institutional failure. History will not evaluate this era by promises made, but by lives lost and freedoms obliterated,” it stressed.

Stressing that the international community must no longer rely on optimism or reputations, the JMBF added, “The evidence is undeniable. The threat is persistent. Endangered lawyers cannot wait for another expression of concern while they are imprisoned, beaten, or buried.”