Israeli airstrikes killed at least 40 people on Thursday across central and southern Gaza, including an attack on a sprawling tent camp that Israel has repeatedly bombed despite designating it a humanitarian safe zone. Israel said the strike targeted a righ-ranking police officer, and blames Hamas for civilian deaths. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Thursday he authorized a delegation from the country's intelligence services and military to continue negotiations in Qatar toward a ceasefire deal in Gaza. There was no immediate comment from Hamas. American, Qatari and Egyptian mediators have spent nearly a year trying to broker a ceasefire and hostage release, but their efforts have repeatedly stalled. The Israeli military also claimed responsibility Thursday for a commando raid in western Syria last September that destroyed what it said was an Iranian-led missile factory. Israel’s war in Gaza has killed over 45,500 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who say women and children make up more than half the fatalities. The officials do not distinguish between civilians and combatants in their tally. The war was sparked by Hamas-led militants' Oct. 7, 2023 attack into Israel. They killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250 that day. Around 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. The Israeli military says a missile fired from Yemen has set off air raid sirens in Jerusalem and central Israel. The attack, at 4:30 a.m. Friday, woke millions of people and sent people scrambling to air raid shelters. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage, though a faint explosion, likely either from the missile or from interceptors, could be heard in Jerusalem. The military said interceptors were launched toward the target and the results are under review. Yemen’s Houthi rebels have been launching missiles and drones at Israel nearly every day in recent weeks. Israel has carried out a number of long-range airstrikes in Yemen, some 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) away. But the strikes have failed to stop the attacks. The Houthis have pledged to continue striking Israel until the war in Gaza ends. Israeli strikes in the Maghazi and Nuseirat refugee camps in central Gaza killed at least 14 people late Thursday, including four women and five children. They were taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, where an Associated Press journalist counted the bodies, bringing the death toll on Thursday to at least 40 people. The Israeli army did not immediately comment on the strikes, but says it only targets militants and blames Hamas for civilian deaths. Earlier Israeli strikes killed dozens more people throughout central and southern Gaza, including inside a sprawling tent camp that Israel designated a humanitarian safe zone but has repeatedly targeted. Israel's military said that strike killed a high-ranking police officer who was involved in gathering intelligence used by Hamas’ armed wing in attacks on Israeli forces. The head of the U.N. World Health Organization says Israel is still allowing only a trickle of sick and wounded people in the Gaza Strip to travel abroad for life-saving medical treatment. At least 5,383 patients have been evacuated with the WHO's help since the war broke out in October 2023, leaving more than 12,000 Palestinians still waiting to leave Gaza, said WHO director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a statement Thursday. The rate of evacuations plunged when the Rafah border crossing shut down in May after Israeli troops took it over — since then, only 436 patients have left Gaza, Tedros said. “At this rate, it would take 5-10 years to evacuate all these critically ill patients, including thousands of children,” Tedros said. “In the meantime, their conditions get worse and some die.” He urged Israel to increase the approval rate for medical evacuations, including no denials of child patients, and to allow all possible corridors and border crossings to be used. Israel controls all the entry and exit points for Gaza. COGAT, the Israeli military agency in charge of humanitarian affairs for Palestinians, has said it does everything it can to approve medical evacuations, which are contingent upon a security check. It did not respond when asked for comment on the latest WHO figures. Israel's military said Thursday it struck rocket launchers used by Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon, a rare attack outside the border areas where Israeli forces conduct near-daily operations since a ceasefire went into effect last November, according to Lebanese state media. Under the ceasefire agreement, Israel has until Jan. 25 to withdraw its forces from Lebanon, while Hezbollah militants must relocate north of the Litani River. Read: Last functional hospital in Gaza torched Israel says it has the right to attack Hezbollah anywhere for alleged ceasefire violations, and that Thursday's strikes were in Nabatiyeh province, which straddles both sides of the Litani. Video circulated on social media of a strike in Jbaa, in the Iqlim al-Tuffah region, showing large flames and secondary explosions. No casualties were reported by Lebanon’s National News Agency. Hezbollah did not immediately comment on the attack. Israeli operations in Lebanon since the ceasefire have included gunfire, house demolitions, excavations, tank shelling and airstrikes. These actions have killed at least 27 people, wounded more than 30 and destroyed residential buildings. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says he has authorized a delegation from the Mossad intelligence agency, the Shin Bet internal security agency and the military to continue negotiations in Qatar toward a ceasefire deal in Gaza. The statement had no further details, but Israeli media said the delegation would depart Friday. There was no immediate comment from the Hamas militant group. The U.S.-led talks have repeatedly stalled, and at one point last year Qatar suspended its mediation efforts, expressing frustration. Egypt also is a mediator. Israeli airstrikes killed at least 26 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Thursday as the 15-month war with Hamas dragged on. A strike killed five policemen in the southern city of Khan Younis and their bodies were taken to Nasser Hospital, medical officials there said. Three Palestinians were killed in a separate Israeli strike in central Gaza that hit a group of people walking in the street in the built-up Maghazi refugee camp, according to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. An earlier strike in nearby Deir al-Balah killed eight people who were helping secure humanitarian aid convoys, the hospital said. At least 10 people were also killed Thursday morning by an airstrike in southern Gaza's Muwasi area, inside an Israeli-declared humanitarian zone. The dead included three children and two senior police officers. Israel said that strike targeted a senior member of Hamas’ internal security apparatus. Israel has repeatedly targeted Gaza's police force, which was part of the Hamas-run government, contributing to a breakdown of law and order that has made it difficult for humanitarian groups to deliver aid. Israel accuses Hamas of hijacking aid for its own purposes. The Israeli military has claimed responsibility for a nighttime raid in Syria last September in which it says dozens of commandos destroyed a top-secret Iranian-led missile factory. Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said Thursday that Iran, working with its Syrian and the Hezbollah allies, planned to build hundreds of precision guided missiles per year at the factory that could be transferred to Lebanon. He said the facility was located in western Syria around the town of Masyaf near the Lebanese border. Read more: A new year dawns on a Middle East torn by conflict and change He said Israel had been monitoring the underground facility for several years, but decided to strike at a time when Israel was at war with Hezbollah and the factory was becoming operational. “This facility posed a clear threat to the state of Israel and this is why we had to take action,” he said. Shoshani said over 100 special force soldiers took part in the Sept. 8 raid, backed by dozens of aircraft. Calling it one of Israel’s most complex operations in years, he said soldiers arrived by helicopter and entered the facility, which he said was dug deep into the side of a mountain. In bodycam footage released by the Israeli military, special forces are seen moving through wide underground hallways and seizing documents, before a large explosion destroys the site. The video, which could not be independently verified, also showed images of what the army said was missile-manufacturing equipment. At the time, Syrian state media reported 18 deaths from a series of Israeli airstrikes in the area. Shoshani said there were no Israeli casualties, and that Israel also damaged another missile-production facility in Lebanon during the war. Israel and Hezbollah reached a cease-fire in late November, halting nearly 14 months of fighting. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was released from the hospital Thursday after recovering from prostate surgery Sunday. Doctors at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital said Netanyahu was recuperating satisfactorily, although he still has a period of recovery ahead. Medical follow-ups will continue as usual, according to a hospital statement. Despite doctor’s orders to remain hospitalized, the 75-year-old leader had briefly left the facility to participate in a vote in Israel’s parliament on Tuesday. Ukraine’s president says his country is poised to reestablish diplomatic ties with Syria after the fall of President Bashar Assad and sharply increase agricultural exports to Lebanon despite being engaged in an almost three-year war with Russia. The developments came after a recent visit to those countries by Ukraine’s top diplomat and its government minister for farming, according to a statement from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday. Ukraine is aiming to build up its security and trade relations in the Middle East, he said. Ukraine and Syria are assessing cooperation within international organizations, and Syria could this year become a “reliable partner” for Ukraine, Zelenskyy said. The Ukrainian officials met with Syria’s new de facto authorities led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. The insurgents had ousted Assad, a longtime ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, in early December. Ukrainian agricultural exports to Lebanon are around $400 million a year but Zelenskyy said he hopes to at least double that. Ukraine is a leading world producer of wheat, corn, barley, sunflower oil and other food products. The Israeli military says it targeted a senior member of Hamas’ internal security apparatus in a strike in the Gaza Strip that Palestinian officials say killed nine other people, including three children. The strike early Thursday hit a tent in an Israeli-declared humanitarian zone known as Muwasi, where hundreds of thousands of displaced people are sheltering in tents during the cold and rainy winter. The military said Hossam Shahwan, a senior officer in the Hamas-run police force in Gaza, was involved in gathering intelligence used by Hamas’ armed wing in attacks on Israeli forces. Maj. Gen. Mahmoud Salah, another senior police official, was also killed in the strike. The military says Hamas militants hide among civilians and blames the group for their deaths in the nearly 15-month war, which was ignited by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack into Israel. The Hamas-run government had a police force numbering in the tens of thousands that maintained a high degree of public security before the war while also violently suppressing dissent. The police have largely vanished from the streets in many areas after being targeted by Israel, contributing to the breakdown of law and order that has hindered the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid. Read  more: Women and children among 12 killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza The forces together with armed vehicles were deployed in the city of Homs Thursday to look for the militants affiliated with ousted President Bashar Assad, state media reported. SANA, citing a military official, said that the new de facto authorities led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham had set up centers in Syria’s third-largest city for former soldiers and militants to hand over their weapons, similar to other parts of Syria. In early December, a lightning insurgency took out the decades-long rule of Assad in less than two weeks. HTS has since run much of war-torn Syria under the authority of its leader Ahmad al-Sharaa. Officials who were part of Assad's notorious web of intelligence and security apparatus have been arrested over the past few weeks. An Israeli strike has killed at least eight Palestinian men in the central Gaza Strip. The dead were members of local committees that help secure aid convoys, according to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, which received the bodies. An Associated Press reporter at the hospital confirmed the toll. Earlier on Thursday, an Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza killed at least 10 people, including three children and two senior officers in the Hamas-run police. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the strikes. Israel has repeatedly targeted the police, contributing to a breakdown of law and order in the territory that has made it difficult for humanitarian groups to deliver aid. Israel accuses Hamas of hijacking aid for its own purposes. Al Jazeera has condemned the Palestinian Authority’s decision to bar it from operating in the occupied West Bank, saying the decision was “in line” with similar actions taken by Israel. In a statement Thursday, the Qatar-based broadcaster accused the Western-backed authority of seeking to “hide the truth about events in the occupied territories, especially what is happening in Jenin and its camps.” The Palestinian Authority, which cooperates with Israel on security matters, launched a rare crackdown on anti-Israel militants in the urban Jenin refugee camp last month. The authority has international support but is unpopular among many Palestinians, with critics portraying it as a subcontractor of the Israeli occupation. The Palestinian Authority announced the suspension of Al Jazeera’s activities on Wednesday, accusing it of incitement and interfering in Palestinian internal affairs. The Palestinian Authority exercises limited autonomy in parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Israel banned Al Jazeera last year, accusing it of being a mouthpiece of Hamas. Israeli strikes have killed or wounded several Al Jazeera reporters in Gaza, and Israel has accused some of them of being militants. Israeli forces raided Al Jazeera’s West Bank headquarters last year, but the broadcaster has continued to operate in the territory. Al Jazeera denies the allegations and accuses Israel of trying to silence its coverage. Its 24-hour reporting from Gaza has focused on the deaths of Palestinian civilians. It has also broadcast Hamas and other militant videos in their entirety, showing attacks on Israeli forces and hostages speaking under duress.

An Israeli airstrike on Saturday struck a car in Gaza, killing five individuals, including employees of World Central Kitchen (WCK). The charity expressed heartbreak and uncertainty, stating it had no prior knowledge of any connection between the workers and the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack that triggered the war. Israel's military claimed one of the victims, identified as Ahed Azmi Qdeih, was involved in the assault on Nir Oz kibbutz and had ties to Hamas. Qdeih’s family denied the allegations, asserting that he had worked for WCK. The strike is the latest in a series of attacks on aid workers in Gaza. WCK had previously suspended operations following an Israeli airstrike in April that killed seven of its staff. The organization also paused its work earlier this year after another strike killed a Palestinian worker. This incident occurred as another Israeli airstrike hit a car near a food distribution site in Khan Younis, killing 13 people, including children. Save the Children reported that a local employee was also killed in the same region, while other airstrikes in Gaza and southern Lebanon continued to escalate the humanitarian crisis. Read: Israel says it struck Hezbollah weapons smuggling sites in Syria, testing a fragile ceasefire Additionally, Hamas released a new hostage video on Saturday, showing Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander pleading under duress. The video highlights the ongoing suffering of hostages in Gaza and the international pressures on Israel and Hamas. Meanwhile, the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon appears to be holding, although sporadic violence continues in both Gaza and Lebanon, underscoring the broader instability in the region. Source: With inputs from agencies

President Mohammed Shahabuddin on Sunday asked the national human rights commission to incorporate the influential personalities and opinion leaders in the process of establishing human rights. This effort of incorporating the influential personalities and opinion leaders like Imam, religious leaders, teachers and leeaders of different professionals will increase the human rights situation in Bangladesh in the large scale,  he said. The president made the statement while delivering his speech at the programme  of observing the International Human Rights Day at the Hotel Intercontinental in the capital. President Shahabuddin calls for vigilant anti-corruption efforts to foster development The programme hosted by National Human Rights Commission( NHRC) was held with the theme of 'freedom, equity and justice for all'. Pointing out that the scope  of work of NHRC is wide across the country, the President said that since its inception, the commission has been making efforts to preserve, develop and ensure human rights. One of the main steps in creating and establishing a human rights culture is to create awareness about human rights issues. "Increase in human rights awareness will pave the way for victims of human rights violations to seek redress," he said. He also directed the commission to elevate the people's involvement in all activities of mutual dialogue, meetings, seminars, workshops, education and promotion of co-operation in the protection of human rights. In order to develop  the human rights culture in Bangladesh, he said the commission should take necessary initiatives to increase research and publication, increase round-the-clock monitoring of human rights violations, create awareness on human rights issues and conduct advocacy activities. Envoys of Pakistan, Egypt, Vatican city and Sri Lanka present credentials to President Shahabuddin Urging to ensure the presence of the National Human Rights Commission wherever human rights violations occur in the country, the president said the commission  should stand by the oppressed and continue all efforts to punish the oppressors and become a symbol of trust and confidence to the exploited and oppressed. The president specifically requested the international community to ensure a permanent solution to all kinds of conflicts and stand by the persecuted and oppressed people, noting that all problems can be solved through dialogue, not war. "But sadly, it is true that the prevailing global human rights situation would distress any sane person. Thousands of people are dying every day in various ways, including wars, ethnic and sectarian riots, epidemics and natural disasters, thousands are being killed in Gaza, millions of peoples’  human rights are being violated,” he said. Criticising the silence of the world in this issue, he said many powerful countries are playing the role of silent spectators. Many countries and organisations are indulging in double standards in the name of human rights, he said. President seeks more Dutch investment in Bangladesh Pointing out that the issue of human rights should be considered universal and equal for all and no discrimination or partiality should be done, the president said, "I hope that wherever human rights are violated in the world, all countries, human rights organisations and human rights activists will raise their voices in protest regardless of party, religion and caste." . Law, Justice and Parliamentary  Affairs Minister  Anisul Haque and full-time member of National Human Rights Commission Salim Reza spoke in the programme while secretary of Law and Justice Department Golam Sarwar and Secretary of Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Department Mr. Md. Moinul Kabir were also present. Chairman of the NHRC Kamal Uddin Ahmed presided over the programme.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has said the situation in Gaza is not only a classic example of ethnic cleansing but also genocide by a state power assisted by leaders of “the free world and proponents of human rights, humanitarian laws and all moral and ethical values.” “Israel-Gaza war is not a war at all. It is, in fact, barbaric and collective punishment and killing of a captive group of innocent men and women and especially children who cannot be combatants,” he said while speaking at the 8th Extraordinary Islamic Summit in Riyadh on Saturday (November 11, 2023). The Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit was held in the city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to discuss the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people. Read more: Israel must stop killing babies and women in Gaza: Macron tells BBC Momen said it is destroying cities and towns, hopes and aspirations of a nation, and calculated deprivation of an occupied people of their rights – to food, shelter, water, essential medicines, fuel and electricity, and of course, a decent life.

The government has taken preparations to highlight its efforts as Bangladesh's human rights record will be examined by the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group for the fourth time on November 13. The review meeting, to be held in Geneva, will be webcast live. Bangladesh is one of 14 states to be reviewed by the UPR Working Group during its ongoing session from November 6 to 17, 2023.  Also read: UN rights body not 'correctly' informed on recent violence in Dhaka: Momen Bangladesh’s first, second and third UPR reviews took place in February 2009, April 2013, and May 2018, respectively, said an official. Usually, Law Minister Anisul Huq and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam, along with senior officials, join the review.  The law minister is likely to lead the Bangladesh delegation this time around as well. The UPR Working Group comprises the 47 member states of the Human Rights Council.  Also read: UN rights body studying text of Cyber Security Bill closely However, each of the 193 UN member states can participate in a country review. The documents on which the reviews are based are:  1) National report — information provided by the state under review. 2) Information contained in the reports of independent human rights experts and groups, known as the Special Procedures, human rights treaty bodies, and other UN entities. 3) Information provided by other stakeholders including national human rights institutions, regional organizations, and civil society groups. The UPR is a peer review of the human rights records of all 193 UN member states.  Since its first meeting in April 2008, all 193 UN member states have been reviewed thrice.  During the fourth UPR cycle, states are again expected to spell out steps they have taken to implement recommendations posed during their previous reviews which they committed to follow up on and highlight recent human rights developments in the country. Universal Periodic Review The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a unique mechanism of the Human Rights Council that calls for each UN member state to undergo a peer review of its human rights records every 4.5 years.  The UPR provides each state the opportunity to regularly:  1) Report on the actions it has taken to improve the human rights situations in their countries and to overcome challenges to the enjoyment of human rights.  2) Receive recommendations – informed by multi-stakeholder input and pre-session reports – from UN member states for continuous improvement. Established in March 2006 by the UN General Assembly in resolution 60/251, the UPR is designed to prompt, support, and expand the promotion and protection of human rights in every country. Also read: UN rights body urges 'peaceful, inclusive, safe environment' ahead of election As a constitutional democracy, Bangladesh continues to remain "fully committed" to protecting human rights for all.  Under the government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh has been adopting progressive policies to realize a better society for all where fundamental human rights, the rule of law, equality, and justice prevails, officials said. Bangladesh considers all human rights to be universal, indivisible, interrelated, interdependent, and mutually reinforcing.  Since the 3rd cycle of Universal Periodic Review, the government of Bangladesh continued to adopt legislative and policy reforms, "enhance" democratic institutions and accountability mechanisms to realize the aspiration of “a society in which the rule of law, fundamental human rights and freedom, equality, and justice, political, economic and social, will be secured for all citizens” as pledged by the constitution.

US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas today (October 09, 2023) said that they firmly believe that “competition” in the Indo-Pacific is not about forcing countries to choose, but it is about offering an alternative vision based on respect, prosperity, and partnership. “It’s my hope that our definition of competition in this region allows us to renew our sense of purpose and reinvigorate our commitment to a shared vision for the Indo-Pacific,” he said. The US ambassador was speaking at a plenary session on “Defining Competition in the Indo-Pacific”, moderated by Zillur Rahman, executive director of Centre for Governance Studies and chairman of Bay of Bengal Conversation. Read: Indo Pacific not political, but a natural region: Ram Madhav Jeremy Bruer, Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh; Lilly Nicholls, Canadian High Commissioner to Bangladesh; and Sarah Cooke, British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, also spoke at the event. “Together,” Ambassador Haas said, they stand as stewards of stability, prosperity, and inclusivity. By championing democracy, human rights, and open dialogue, he said, the US is paving the way for a region that not only endures but thrives. “Through the recognition of our sovereign foreign policy prerogatives, we forge partnerships that are based on mutual respect, shared aspirations, and, especially in the case of our friends on this panel, partnerships and alliances that transcend borders and stand as a testament to our collective commitment to a stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” said the US ambassador. Quoting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Ambassador Haas said, “The Indo-Pacific region must be an area of peace and prosperity for all. Our vision for the region is to have a free, open, peaceful, secure, and inclusive region.” Read: Indo Pacific should be centrally about people: ORF President  The United States wholeheartedly agrees to this vision, he said. Looking to the future, Haas said, it is in everyone’s interest to protect that freedom, that openness. “And I’d also like to add to that diversity, that makes the Indo-Pacific such a dynamic engine of growth and prosperity, not just for the citizens of the region, but for the entire world.” He said they collectively champion a resolute commitment to upholding a rules-based international order, fostering robust economic integration, and safeguarding the sanctity of maritime commons. “We are also collectively committed to relying on our alliances and partnerships with each other, and others in the region, to achieve these aims. This is absolutely central to our approach,” he said. Read: Young leaders' passion, innovation invaluable in tackling climate challenges: Ambassador Haas The US ambassador said they applaud Bangladesh’s vision of a “free, open, peaceful, secure, and inclusive Indo-Pacific” and note significant overlap with their own, including on issues such as freedom of navigation and overflight; open, transparent, and rules-based multilateral systems; and environmental resilience. “Here we also underscore that just as we seek a free and open region, we believe we can only truly fulfil these visions when we apply those principles domestically as well,” Haas said.

A vibrant civil society is essential to the prosperity of every nation, according to a joint Franco-German statement. France and Germany are "deeply attached to respect for the rule of law as well as to the democratic acquis in Bangladesh,” it said. They will continue to support defenders of human rights in Bangladesh, like throughout the world, reads the joint statement. Britain, France and Germany say they will keep their nuclear and missiles sanctions on Iran "We regret the Bangladeshi court's decision regarding Adilur Rahman Khan and ASM Nasiruddin Elan," said the statement. Bangladesh, France reiterate interest in expanding bilateral trade and exploring potentials for investment in infrastructure "We have expressed our concern to the authorities on this situation and will maintain our dialogue with them on this case," the joint statement said. The two countries recalled that Adilur Rahman Khan, on behalf of the human rights organization Odhikar, was the 2017 recipient of the Franco-German Prize for Human Rights and the Rule of Law.

In a collective plea for press freedom and human rights, 19 international organisations have urged the administration of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to halt cases initiated under the Digital Security Act (DSA) against journalist Adhora Yeasmean. This urgent appeal follows an investigation into Yeasmean's video report for a private TV channel RTV on alleged activities of the religious organization Rajarbagh Darbar Sharif, which led to accusations against her under the DSA. Read : Cabinet approves Cyber Security Act to replace controversial DSA The coalition of organizations has also expressed alarm over reports of harassment targeted at Yeasmean by members of Rajarbagh Darbar Sharif. They allege that since mid-July, she has been subjected to unauthorized surveillance, threats, and intimidation. These actions are believed to be retaliatory against her investigative journalism. The coalition insists that authorities swiftly investigate these threats, hold the culprits accountable, and ensure the journalist's safety and psychological well-being. The coalition also calls for Bangladesh to terminate the DSA investigation into Akramul Ahsan Kanchan, a co-accused in Yeasmean's report. Kanchan claimed that Shakerul Kabir, the leader of Rajarbagh Darbar Sharif, acquired local properties deceptively. The coalition views this legal backlash against journalistic sources as a threat to press freedom. Read : DSA amended to prevent misuse of law: Quader Bangladeshi Journalists in International Media (BJIM), a platform of Bangladeshi journalists covering the country for various global media outlets, also endorsed the letter and urged authorities to drop any investigation into Adhora Yeasmin.  “Press freedom is vital for a thriving democracy, allowing voices to be heard and truths to be revealed,” stated BJIM spokesperson Redwan Ahmed. “We urge Bangladeshi authorities to cease using the criminal justice system to harass or intimidate journalists and to drop charges against Adhora Yeasmin for her journalistic work.” Amid the January 2024 election, the groups stress free journalism without fear, noting the DSA's repeal but cautioning against the new Cyber Security Act's threats to expression. The coalition also calls for involving stakeholders to shape rights-respecting legislation, underscoring the need to drop charges against expression and release detainees under the DSA. Read : No journalists will be harassed by Cyber Security Act: Law Minister Organisations who have signed the letter are Amnesty International, ARTICLE 19 South Asia, Asian Human Rights Commission, Bangladeshi Journalists in International Media, Capital Punishment Justice Project, CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ), Committee to Protect Journalists, Forum for Freedom of Expression, Bangladesh, Free Press Unlimited, IFEX, International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), International Women’s Media Foundation, PEN America, PEN Bangladesh, PEN International, Reporters Without Borders, and Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam on Tuesday said Bangladesh has an independent judicial process and the court will take decisions based on evidence regarding Prof Muhammad Yunus. “They can observe the proceedings. We welcome that surely,” he told reporters regarding those who wrote a letter in favour of the Nobel laureate. The state minister wanted to know whether there is any instance in the world where allegations against a person cannot be investigated. Together for Yunus: World leaders past and present joined by Nobel laureates, popstars and tycoons in letter to PM “What I want to say is that there has been no influence of the government in the past, and there will be no such influence in the future either. Bangladesh’s judiciary is independent and the independent judiciary will take decisions based on evidence," said the state minister. “They must have the guts and courage to accept the verdict,” he added, describing the development as “frustrating.” The state minister for foreign affairs also said that calling for the suspension of court proceedings is “unheard of”. “I do not think those who are joining in this call in favour of Prof Yunus are doing proper justice to their own reputation,” he said. Obama writes letter of support as pressure mounts on Dr Yunus The state minister also said that the government does not want to make any comment on an issue related to court proceedings. More than 160 global leaders, including over 100 Nobel laureates, wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, expressing their deep concern about the safety and wellbeing of Prof Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh’s first and so far, only Nobel laureate. Addressed directly to the PM, the letter is signed by Nobel laureates, elected officials, business figures, and civil society leaders. The signatories applauded Bangladesh’s remarkable progress since its independence in 1971. However, their collective concern arose from the “perceived threats to democracy and human rights” that have recently emerged within the country. Petition dismissed, Appellate Division orders to continue labour law violation case against Dr Yunus, 3 others "We respectfully ask that you immediately suspend the current judicial proceedings against Prof Yunus, followed by a review of the charges by a panel of impartial judges drawn from within your nation, with some role for internationally recognised legal experts. We are confident that any thorough review of the anti-corruption and labour law cases against him will result in his acquittal,” the letter addressed to PM Hasina reads.

More than 160 global leaders, including over 100 Nobel Laureates, have written an open letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressing their deep concern about the safety and well-being of Prof. Muhammad Yunus – Bangladesh's first and only Nobel Laureate. Addressed directly to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the letter is signed by Nobel Prize laureates, elected officials, business figures, and civil society leaders. The signatories applaud Bangladesh's remarkable progress since its independence in 1971. However, their collective concern arises from the “perceived threats to democracy and human rights” that have recently emerged within the country. Also read: Obama writes letter of support as pressure mounts on Dr Yunus “We write to you as Nobel Prize laureates, elected officials, and business and civil society leaders, and as friends of Bangladesh. We admire how your nation has made laudable progress since its independence in 1971,” the letter signed by, among others, Barack Obama, Jose Ramos-Horta, Mary Robinson, Mairead Corrigan-Maguire, Shirin Ebadi, Denis Mukwege, Nadia Murad, Maria Ressa, Oscar Arias Sanchez, Juan Manuel Santos, Ban Ki-moon, Laura Boldrini, Bono, and Sir Richard Branson, reads. In the letter, the signatories called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to conduct the upcoming national election in a free, transparent and fair manner. “However, we are deeply concerned by the threats to democracy and human rights that we have observed in Bangladesh recently. We believe that it is of the utmost importance that the upcoming national election be free and fair, and that the administration of the election be acceptable to all major parties in the country. The previous two national elections lacked legitimacy,” it says. Also read: Petition dismissed, Appellate Division orders to continue labour law violation case against Dr Yunus, 3 others Calling the legal proceedings against Dr Mohammad Yunus “judicial harassment”, the signatories called for an immediate suspension of the current judicial proceedings against him. “One of the threats to human rights that concern us in the present context is the case of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus. We are alarmed that he has recently been targeted by what we believe to be continuous judicial harassment, the letter reads. “We respectfully ask that you immediately suspend the current judicial proceedings against Professor Yunus, followed by a review of the charges by a panel of impartial judges drawn from within your nation with some role for internationally recognized legal experts. We are confident that any thorough review of the anti-corruption and labor law cases against him will result in his acquittal.”        Also read: Labour law violation case: SC orders disposal of rule on charge framing against Dr Yunus within two weeks This latest letter was a follow up to an earlier letter sent in March. It further adds: “As you know, Professor Yunus’ work, which has been inspirational to all of us, focuses on how social business can be a force for international progress resulting in zero poverty, zero unemployment, and zero net carbon emissions. He is a leading example of how Bangladesh and Bangladeshis have contributed to global progress in recent decades. We sincerely wish that he be able to continue his path-breaking work free of persecution or harassment.” “We hope that you ensure the resolution of these legal issues in an expedient, impartial, and just manner while also ensuring a free, fair, and participatory national election in the coming months, and respect for all human rights. We will join with millions of concerned citizens around the world in closely tracking how these matters are resolved in the days ahead.” On September 9, 2021, Labour Inspector (general) SM Arifuzzaman of the Inspection for Factories and Establishments Department filed a labour law violation case against four people, including Prof Yunus, with the 3rd Labour Court of Dhaka. Also read: HC issues rule on why charge framing against Yunus, 3 others should not be scrapped According to case documents in the public domain, the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) visited Grameen Telecom and uncovered various violations of the labour law. They said 101 workers were supposed to be made permanent, but were not. Workers' and welfare funds were not constituted. Additionally, 5% of the dividends of Grameen Telecom was supposed to accrue to the workers, but that didn't happen, the case filed by the DIFE in September 2021 alleged. Obama over the weekend also wrote to Yunus separately, as a sole signatory, expressing his hope that the 'Banker to the Poor' can continue to do his 'important work'. Meanwhile, 34 eminent citizens of the country in a statement published on Sunday, called upon the government to stop all sorts of harassment against Dr Yunus. Also read: Appellate Division orders Dr Yunus to pay NBR Tk 12 crore tax on donations The letter notes his lawyers' contention that the allegations brought in the case are civil in nature, yet the government has pursued a criminal case. Prof Yunus is one of only seven people to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, the US Congressional Gold Medal, and the US Presidential Medal of Freedom.