Bangladesh: Rights body to drag Yunus to ICC over 123 killings

New Delhi-based rights group Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) on Friday claimed that at least 123 Awami League members were victims of targeted murder under Muhammad Yunus’ regime, including 41 being hacked to death in Taliban style attacks. 

RRAG Director Suhas Chakma said that they would approach the International Criminal Court (ICC) against the targeted murder under the Bangladesh caretaker government led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus.

The rights group in a report, ‘Bangladesh: Organised murder for membership to the Awami League and its affiliate organisations’, released on Friday stated that at least 123 members of the Awami League and its affiliate organisations such as Swechasebak League, Chhatra League, Juba League, Matsojibi League, Krishak League were victims of targeted murder under the regime of Muhammad Yunus from August 5, 2024 to April 30 2025.

The RRAG report said that the victims include at least 41 Awami League members who were hacked to death, sometimes by slitting of throats, in a La Taliban style, while 21 others were killed in the custody of the Interim government.

“These murders of the Awami League members are just the tip of the iceberg, as not all the murders of the Awami League members were reported in the local media, and further, the RRAG was not able to monitor the local media. It is, however, clear that even children, women, the mentally unstable, and maimed were not spared,” said PRAG Director Chakma in a statement.

Citing specific cases, the RRAG stated, on December 17, 2024, the alleged supporters of Mohammed Yunus murdered Mohammed Masud Rana and 12-year-old Mohd Rian, a class five student at Nachol, Chapaiganj, for merely writing ‘Joy Bangla slogan in their Facebook page five months before the students’ movement. The statement said that on December 5, 2024, Arina Begum was hacked to death while offering Namaaz just because her son was the President of the Chhatra League of Kajldighi Kaliaganj Union and had been living in hiding. On September 19, 2024, Tofazzal, Kathaltoli Union Chhatra League in Patharghata Upazila, a mentally unstable man, was brutally killed in the Dhaka University compound by a student mob despite being mentally sick.

On September 8, 2024, former Rajshahi University Chhatra League leader Abdullah Al Masud whose veins in one of the legs and hands had been severed in a brutal attack in 2014 and had been walking with a plastic leg was beaten to death when he went to purchase medicine despite no longer being associated with the Chhatra League. On August 13, 2024, Awami League worker Babar Ali was murdered by slitting his throat after being picked up from in front of his house in Bogura district, the PRAG statement said.

Chakma said that the shrill political rhetoric by the political opponents, whether Jamaat-I-Islami, Bangladesh National Party, the Anti-Discrimination Students Movement and the top leadership of the Interim government headed by Mohammed Yunus, effectively encouraged the vengeance against the Awami League. “The banning of the Chhatra League and subsequently the Awami League itself justified these acts of vendetta with impunity,” stated Chakma.

The RRAG stated that out of the 1,400 people who might have been killed between July 15 and August 5 also included the Awami League members but their relatives could not testify before the inquiry conducted by the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights because of the fear of being killed. “The situation worsened as the interim government had provided absolute impunity by prohibiting the police from filing cases or arresting anyone involved in last year’s July-August uprising, including for the murder of the 44 policemen,” the statement said.

It said that crimes against humanity are being committed in Bangladesh by both state and non-state actors. The rights body stated that these targeted murders for being members of the Awami League and its affiliate organisations under the interim government constitute a crime against humanity. Mohammed Yunus, as head of the interim government and Adviser for Home Affairs, Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, are liable for the murder of the Awami League members.

Chakma said that the RRAG will file a formal complaint with the International Criminal Court as the war crimes committed in Bangladesh till date including by Yunus' Interim Government are akin to the crimes against humanity committed in the context of post-election violence in Kenya in 2007-2008, which was investigated by the International Criminal Court.

The targeted killing of political opponents during Yunus’ regime is among other issues being raised with the UK government, as Yunus is scheduled to visit the UK on June 10-13 to receive the Harmony Award 2025 from King Charles III, the PRAG statement said.