Open letter: Urge Bangladesh government to end crackdown, curfew and restore communications

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23 Jul, 2024

Open letter addressed to the international community in the widest sense (governments, intergovernmental agencies, international and regional organisations, and all allies supporting human rights and people’s movements)

We, the undersigned, are concerned feminists, activists and supporters of people’s movements and we are calling on leaders of the international community in the broadest sense, from formal government and intergovernmental agencies, to international and regional institutions who value human rights and people’s movements. We ask you all to urge, through public and private communications, that the Bangladeshi government immediately end their violent crackdown on students and protesters and accede to their nine demands, lift the curfew and end the communication blackout.

We support the students’ call for resignation of key figures in the government and police as well as for due process for police and Chhatra League members who engaged in the killing of over 174 students. We also support the need for commitments for no repercussions for the students and protesters engaged in the protests or their families, and we additionally urge that no one criticising the government should be penalised in any way, as this is a basic tenet of free speech and a truly democratic government would not punish its critics.

We deplore the excessive use of violence and the government order to ‘shoot at sight’ unarmed civilians. We are also concerned at the statement of Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad A. Arafat, to Somoy Television, that the government had not yet used its might against the protesters, and that “even if the government fires rubber bullets every second, it would still take five years to run out.” This exemplifies the serious effects of militarisation on human rights, and the need for demilitarisation globally, so that countries such as the UK do not profit from selling rubber bullets and teargas that will invariably be used for harsh crackdowns such as this. The spending and the raw materials wasted on these materials would be better repurposed towards essential goods and services that people and communities need. 

We appreciate that the original issue that students mobilised around was the availability of good quality public sector jobs. Secure public sector jobs are not just needed in Bangladesh: they are needed globally to build care-centred economies and new energy sectors that are environmentally friendly, not dependent on resource depletion and are community-needs focused. These two elements are essential for forging a climate-just future as well as surviving future epidemics or pandemics. Expanding investment in care and in creating more good quality public sector jobs is the path forward for a strong economy that does not continue to allow a wealthy elite to hoard and create the economic disparities and cost of living crises that we are undergoing across the globe.

As feminist and people’s movements, our solidarity will always be with the marginalised and the oppressed, and we recognise that the struggle for freedom, justice and equality in Bangladesh is interconnected with the same struggle worldwide. To paraphrase the words of Aboriginal activists in Queensland from the 1970s, we have come because their liberation is bound up with ours, and we will work together. No justice, no peace.

In solidarity,

Organizations:

  1. South Feminist Solidarity
  2. MenaFem Movement for Economic, Development And Ecological Justice 
  3. International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW AP)
  4. Women and Modern World Social Charitable Center (CWMW)
  5. Women’s Centre- Sri Lanka
  6. Groupe de Réflexion et d’Initiative pour l’Avancement de la Grand’Anse (GRIAG)
  7. VWA FANM AYISYÈN (VFA)
  8. Tripla Difesa Onlus Guardie Sicurezza Sociale ed Eco Zoofila 
  9. La Verità Onlus – International Diplomacy
  10. Beyond Beijing Committee Nepal
  11. Stand Up Movement Lanka 
  12. DISABILITY PEOPLES FORUM UGANDA
  13. Lanka Fundamental Rights Organization
  14. Fundación para Estudio e Investigación de la Mujer 
  15. Women’s Major Group
  16. Centre for Environment, Human Rights & Development Forum – CEHRDF
  17. Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID)
  18. NGO CSW LAC 
  19. Workers for Palestine NL 
  20. The African Women’s Network for Community management of Forests – REFACOF
  21. AATMA ✦ عتمة
  22. SCODE
  23. Realizing Sexual and Reproductive Justice
  24. Why Me for Women’s Rights
  25. Manushya Foundation
  26. ALTSEAN-Burma
  27. Sukaar Welfare Organization 
  28. Youth Movement for Environmental and Social Change 
  29. If We Do Not Rise, Karnataka
  30. Ciranda
  31. International Alliance of Inhabitants
  32. AIPWA 
  33. South Asian Women in Media
  34. Asia Democracy Network
  35. SINDHU VAAS FOUNDATION, WOMEN ACTION FORUM 
  36. Human Rights Hub (HRH), South Asia Youth Network (SAYN)
  37. Degrowth Copenhagen
  38. Free Media Organization
  39. PA “Bir Duino Kyrgyzstan”
  40. INDIES – Indonesia
  41. International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN)
  42. Afghan Women’s Network 
  43. Women Relief Aid South Sudan 
  44. The Working Class Climate Alliance
  45. Asian Muslim Action Network 
  46. Karapatan Alliance Philippines
  47. Association for Land Reform and Development (ALRD)
  48. Community Development Association(CDA)/Host BLRN-NLC/ILC
  49. The Regional Coalition for Women Human Rights Defenders in South West Asia and North Africa (WHRDMENA)
  50. International Women’s Development Agency (IWDA)
  51. Equidad de género: ciudadanía, trabajo y familia (México) 
  52. Campaign of Campaigns

Individuals:

  1. Mahmuda Najnin
  2. Sehnaz Kiymaz Bahceci
  3. Souzan Nadaa, Menafem movement 
  4. Edme Dominguez R, Gadop Sweden 
  5. Daren Paul Katigbak 
  6. Amb. Edda Giuberti Leader Mondiale 
  7. Ashila Dandeniya, Stand Up Workers Union  
  8. Tahmina
  9. Marina Hunink Graciolli de Paiva
  10. Kristina Miletic
  11. Pushpita Saha
  12. Dr. Massimiliano Spotti, Tilburg University
  13. Sever Dzigurski
  14. Shewli
  15. Irene Castillo, Ges Asociación Civil
  16. Linda al Sharif 
  17. Thierry Fanin
  18. Dr. Deborah S. Rogers, Initiative for Equality
  19. Mariana Anacleto, Free University Amsterdam
  20. Claudia
  21. Yasmin Hegazy
  22. Gabriele Koehler, independent scholar
  23. Diogo Wahnon
  24. Juliette
  25. Veronica E. Brown, Women’s Major Group
  26. Yvo Hunink, Regen Studio
  27. Ferdous Ara Rumee
  28. Alexander Watt
  29. Judith Vollebregt 
  30. Nirvana Mujtaba, Oxfam Canada
  31. Preyan Choudhuri, Oxfam Canada
  32. Ahmed Elseidi
  33. Farah Ahmad
  34. Chueqa Yang, Jobs To Move America
  35. Ishita D
  36. Pragyaa Rai
  37. Ilse Smit
  38. Claerwen O’Hara, La Trobe University
  39. gina cortés v.
  40. Jordana Silverstein
  41. Dr. Adil Hasan Khan, Melbourne Law School
  42. Sophie Rigney, RMIT University
  43. Vasuki Nesiah, NYU
  44. Shubha Kayastha, Feminist activist
  45. Maithri
  46. Martin Brehm Christensen
  47. SBM
  48. Saika Sabir, University of Melbourne
  49. Mari-Claire Price
  50. Heidi Paredes
  51. Alba R. Boer Cueva, The University of Sydney 
  52. Paz Roman
  53. Larissa Dulat
  54. Luciana Carusi
  55. Sarah Bailey
  56. Khalid Miah
  57. Meena Saraswathi Seshu, SWASA 
  58. J Devika, Feminist scholar
  59. Ilse van der Hoeven, City of The Hague
  60. Felipe Eduardo Cascaldi Garcia
  61. Isabel Cueva w
  62. Matthias Boer
  63. Linnet, If we do not rise, Karnataka, India
  64. Jashodhara Dasgupta, Independent researcher 
  65. Maitrayee Mukhopadhyay
  66. Mona Mishra, Delhi, India
  67. Dr Julia Dehm, La Trobe University
  68. Madhu Bhushan, Feminist activist
  69. Ghausia Rashid Salam
  70. Sruti Bala, University of Amsterdam 
  71. Ain C
  72. Priyanthi Fernando, individual activist
  73. Bina Bantawa, Indigenous Feminist
  74. Apoorva Sharma, La Trobe University
  75. Tanvee Nandan, University of Melbourne
  76. Dylan Asafo, University of Auckland
  77. Dr. André Dao, Melbourne Law School
  78. Dr Sutapa Majumdar
  79. basanta chhipa, Civil Society
  80. usha titikshu, Path 
  81. Anushaya Collure
  82. Ruki Fernando
  83. Janelle Koh, University of Melbourne
  84. Adv Dr Shalu Nigam, Lawyer from India 
  85. Dinesh Pant, Naya Patrika Daily, Nepal
  86. Sumedha Choudhury, University of Melbourne 
  87. Professor Dianne Otto, Melbourne Law School
  88. Wendeline van der Feltz, International Development Organisation
  89. Ms Nusrat Jamil, Women’s Action Forum (WAF)
  90. Sarah Yeung, The University of Western Australia
  91. Uzma Noorani Women’s Action Forum 
  92. Ammu Abraham, Forum against oppression of women, PUCL Maharashtra 
  93. S Navas, Independent
  94. Sheema Kermani
  95. Mohammad Ahsanuzzaman Lawyer 
  96. Khawar, Independent
  97. Nusrat Jamil  (Ms), WAF Women’s Action Forum 
  98. Ois
  99. Nidhin
  100. Haris Jamil, University of Melbourne
  101. Brinda Adige, Ananya Mahila Okkuta
  102. Aditi Saraf, Utrecht university
  103. Jessica de Souza Lipinski
  104. ali jamshed 
  105. Laura Giesen
  106. Nusrat 
  107. Eva Martín Martínez
  108. Sara Mahdi, Autonomous University of Barcelona
  109. Ada Matei
  110. Md Rabiul Islam, Khulna University of Engineering and Technology 
  111. Muntaka, University of Chester
  112. Ester Xicota Torres, Pontificia universidad católica del Perú 
  113. Samiur Talukder, West Coast Point
  114. M. Islam
  115. Sharmin Sultana Mesbah
  116. Mahfuza Mala
  117. Sadia Hossain
  118. Andreas P
  119. Renuka kad, VAK
  120. Tasnuva Helal, Rajuk Uttara Model College
  121. John Sebastian, University of Melbourne, Australia
  122. Sahar Ghumkhor 
  123. M Law, Nossal Institute for Global Health, University of Melbourne
  124. Maria Matheas, University of Melbourne 
  125. Fin Healy, Melbourne university 
  126. Zakir Hossain, Individual Activist
  127. Transrightsnow Collective
  128. National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) and All India Feminist Alliance (ALIFA), India
  129. Anita Cheria, OpenSpace
  130. Tanvee Nandan
  131. Koki Mulwa, The Share Trust
  132. Krisztina Campbell
  133. Sarah Cupler
  134. Andrea Vega Troncoso
  135. Becky Fullerton
  136. Crystal McKinnon, University of Melbourne
  137. Dr Jessica Marian, National Tertiary Education Union
  138. Bhumika Muchhala, TWN
  139. Sarah R.
  140. magda zenon
  141. Khedija Arfaoui, Ph. D., Tunisia, Tunisian League of Human Rights
  142. Shannon Kowalski
  143. Yunli Wang
  144. Ifa Rushdi
  145. Kate Jama, University of Melbourne
  146. Tom Spearman, Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona
  147. sivani 
  148. Julian Kraus-Polk
  149. Reaz Mohammed, Bangladeshi diaspora
  150. Geetanjali
  151. Maya
  152. Dr Richard Joyce, Melbourne Law School
  153. Arwen Spicer
  154. Veerle 
  155. Kavita Naidu, Progressive International
  156. Tetet Lauron
  157. Priya Lukka
  158. Sarah Zaman