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Bangladesh

Monthly Updates

January 2023

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) recorded an "alarming rise" in Rohingya deaths at sea in 2022, with at least 348 reported missing or dead. Over 3500 Rohingya fled across the Andaman Sea or Bay of Bengal last year, mostly from Myanmar or Bangladesh, up from 700 in 2021. UNHCR has called for a full regional response and investigation into why Rohingya are fleeing. A January Human Rights Watch report further alleges Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are subject to extortion, harassment, and wrongful arrest by police. Myanmar is currently on trial for genocide at the International Court of Justice over the military crackdown in 2017 that saw over a million (mostly Muslim Rohingya) flee to Bangladesh.

December 2022

Thousands of protesters gathered in Dhaka on 10 December in a demonstration organized by the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), calling for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to step down in favour of new elections under a caretaker government. Reports of intimidation and violence were noted, and two top BNP leaders and over 500 supporters were arrested. The protesters called attention to the cost-of-living crisis, corruption and the increasing suppression of dissent; triggered in part by recent clashes (and arrests) between BNP activists and leaders on 7 December which led to at least one death and 60 injured. Human rights activists have criticized the escalated repression of peaceful protests by Bangladeshi authorities given the past month's events.

November 2022

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is mobilizing against the ruling Awami League (AL) in preparation for the parliamentary elections next year. The BNP has held public rallies in response to the recent economic crisis in the country and has accused the AL government of election rigging and voter fraud in the last two general elections. As a response, there has been a significant increase in repression by the authorities over the past few weeks, who have arrested many political activists at these opposition-led rallies. This has raised concerns about a significant increase in the level of political violence and harassment, something that has marred previous electoral seasons. In August, BNP rallies were attacked in multiple districts, and local party offices and homes of BNP leaders were vandalized. These attacks, with the help of police in many cases, appear to be aimed at creating fear in the opposition camp.

October 2022

Ahead of the 2023 parliamentary elections, violent clashes at political rallies have escalated amid Bangladesh's cost-of-living crisis. Bangladeshi authorities are accused of voter intimidation as well as carrying out mass arrests and raids of opposition supporters affiliated with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party - undermining their right to freedom of association and peaceful assembly. While questions remain as to the instigators of the violence, Human Rights Watch notes that those affiliated with the ruling Awami League "appear to have impunity" for attacks. 

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GSoD Indices Data 2012-2021

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Basic Information

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Population Tooltip
166 303 490
System of government
Parliamentary system
Head of government
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (since 2009)
Head of government party
Awami League (AL)
Electoral system for lower or single chamber
First Past the Post
Women in lower or single chamber
20.9%
Women in upper chamber
Not applicable
Last legislative election
2018
Head of state
President Abdul Hamid
Selection process for head of state
Indirect election (assembly)
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) date
14/05/2018
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) percentage of recommendations supported
70.92%
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Human Rights Treaties

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State Party State party
Signatory Signatory
No Action No action
United Nations Human Right Treaties
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
State Party
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
State Party
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
State Party
Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
State Party
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment
State Party
Convention on the Rights of the Child
State Party
International Convention on Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
State Party
International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance 
No Action
International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
State Party
International Labour Organisation Treaties
Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention
State Party
Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention
State Party
Equal Remuneration Convention
State Party
Abolition of Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention
State Party
Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment
State Party
Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention
State Party
in
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Attributes Over Time

Representative government neutral Representative Government
Sep 2022
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2023
Representative government neutral Fundamental rights
Sep 2022
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2023
Representative government neutral Checks on government
Sep 2022
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
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Representative government neutral Impartial administration
Sep 2022
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2023
Representative government neutral Participatory engagement
Sep 2022
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2023

GSoD Indices

Regime type
0 10