On February 19, 2025, GHRD organized an event in Brussels, bringing together human rights advocates, Members of the European Parliament, and a Norwegian Member of Parliament to discuss ongoing human rights violations in Bangladesh. The event shed light on the persistent repression, arbitrary arrests, and attacks on fundamental freedoms despite the new Bangladeshi government’s promises of reform.

MEP Serban-Dimitrie Sturdza’s Call for Action

MEP Serban-Dimitrie Sturdza strongly condemned the continuing human rights abuses in Bangladesh, stressing the urgent need for real structural reforms. He highlighted key priorities, including:

• The separation of powers to strengthen democratic institutions.
• Justice for victims of enforced disappearances.
• Real guarantees for press freedom and the independence of journalists.

Sturdza urged the EU and the United Nations to remain vigilant, emphasizing the importance of sustained pressure to safeguard human rights in Bangladesh. He also called for exploring additional measures beyond trade preference tools like the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) to support democratic progress. “We must use all the instruments at our disposal to guarantee respect for fundamental rights and support those fighting for justice and freedom,” he concluded.

Key Learnings from the Debate

Despite a broad consensus on the need for urgent intervention, challenges remain in defining a clear strategy for enforcing sanctions. Some stakeholders raised concerns about diplomatic and economic consequences, while others stressed the necessity of immediate action.

The debate reaffirmed several key points:

• Sanctions & Oversight: While sanctions are complex, the necessity of establishing monitoring bodies to ensure oversight and accountability in Bangladesh is crucial. These bodies should provide transparent reporting mechanisms and collaborate with international human rights organizations to track progress, particularly in protecting minority communities.
• Leveraging Financial Influence: The EU must tie financial support to verifiable human rights improvements, ensuring that aid and trade agreements drive meaningful change.

As the international community continues to monitor the situation, events like these play a crucial role in keeping human rights violations in Bangladesh on the global agenda and pushing for concrete, enforceable reforms.