New Delhi– The New Delhi-based Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) announced Friday that it will file a formal complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, accusing him of overseeing a wave of politically motivated killings during his tenure as head of Bangladesh’s caretaker government.
According to RRAG’s newly released report, Bangladesh: Organised Murder for Membership to the Awami League and its Affiliate Organisations, at least 123 members of the ruling Awami League and its affiliated groups—including the Chhatra League, Juba League, and others—were victims of targeted killings between August 5, 2024, and April 30, 2025. The report attributes these deaths to political violence carried out under Yunus’ interim administration.
RRAG Director Suhas Chakma alleged that the violence amounted to crimes against humanity, stating that the attacks often resembled Taliban-style executions. “At least 41 victims were brutally hacked to death—some by throat-slitting—while 21 others died in custody,” Chakma said in a statement. “These killings are just the tip of the iceberg, as many cases remain unreported due to fear and media suppression. Women, children, the disabled, and even the mentally ill were not spared.”
The report cited multiple graphic incidents. On December 17, 2024, alleged Yunus supporters murdered Mohammad Masud Rana and 12-year-old student Mohd Rian in Nachol, Chapaiganj, for posting the patriotic slogan “Joy Bangla” on Facebook. Earlier that month, Arina Begum was killed while praying because her son led a local chapter of the Chhatra League. In another case, a mentally ill Chhatra League member was lynched at Dhaka University on September 19, 2024.
Other victims include Abdullah Al Masud, a former student leader who had previously survived a politically motivated attack and used a prosthetic leg. He was beaten to death while buying medicine. On August 13, Awami League worker Babar Ali was murdered by throat-slitting after being abducted outside his home in Bogura district.
Chakma said inflammatory rhetoric from opposition groups—including Jamaat-e-Islami, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and the Anti-Discrimination Students Movement—combined with silence or encouragement from interim government leaders like Yunus and Home Affairs Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, fueled a culture of political vendetta.
“The banning of the Chhatra League, and later the Awami League itself, essentially legitimized this campaign of violence,” Chakma said. “Yunus and senior members of his administration must be held accountable.”
The rights group claims that these killings are part of a broader pattern of impunity. It cited an estimated 1,400 deaths during the July–August 2024 unrest, which allegedly included the killings of 44 police officers. However, relatives of many victims declined to testify before the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights due to fear of reprisal. According to RRAG, the interim government prohibited police from registering cases or making arrests related to the violence.
RRAG asserts that the situation in Bangladesh mirrors the post-election violence in Kenya in 2007–2008, which led to ICC investigations and indictments. “We will be approaching the International Criminal Court to seek justice,” Chakma said.
The group also raised concerns over Muhammad Yunus’ upcoming visit to the United Kingdom from June 10 to 13, where he is scheduled to receive the Harmony Award 2025 from King Charles III. RRAG has called on British authorities to reconsider hosting Yunus, citing the serious allegations against him. (Source: IANS)
