BANGLADESH: Lawyer Killed in Mob Violence While Seeking High Court Bail in False and Fabricated Case Linked to Anti-Discrimination Movement

We, the undersigned human rights organizations, bar associations and individual legal experts, express our deep shock and grave concern over the brutal killing of Advocate Nayem Kibria (35), a pro–Awami League lawyer and practicing member of the Pabna District Judge Court, who was beaten to death by an organized mob in the Bashundhara Residential Area of Dhakaon the night of 31 December 2025.

Advocate Nayem Kibria had traveled to Dhaka to seek bail from the High Court of the Supreme Court of Bangladeshin a false and politically motivated fabricated case filed against him in connection with the anti-discrimination movement of 2024. At the time of the incident, he had been staying at his cousin’s residence in Purbachal, Dhaka, to pursue legal remedies.

According to credible reports, at approximately 10:00 PM, following an alleged minor collision between his private vehicle and a motorcycle, a group of unidentified extremist individuals forcibly dragged him out of his car, subjected him to severe and prolonged physical assault, vandalized his vehicle, and left him critically injured on the roadside. He was later taken to Kurmitola General Hospital, where the attending physician declared him dead.

This heinous killing constitutes a clear case of organized mob violence and represents a gross violation of the right to life, personal security, and access to justice, as guaranteed under the Constitution of Bangladesh and international human rights instruments, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

The killing of Advocate Naim Kibria is not an isolated incident. Rather, it forms part of a wider pattern of killings, injuries, vandalism, intimidation, and repression carried out through organized mob violence under the current interim government. These acts have reportedly occurred in an environment of official inaction and silence, raising serious concerns regarding state responsibility and impunity.

According to the JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) Report on the Crackdown against Lawyers in Bangladesh under the Interim Government, at least 849 lawyers across the country have been victimized over the past 14 months in various forms, including killings, arrests, fabricated cases, and intimidation. Furthermore, at least 197 individuals have reportedly been killed by organized mob violence in the past year alone. To date, none of the perpetrators have been brought to justice.

To access and download the full report, please visit the following link:

https://www.jmbf.org/2025/10/press-release-jmbf-releases-2025-report.html

The killing of a lawyer under such circumstances, coupled with the silence and inaction of the interim authorities, reflects a dangerous culture of impunity and poses a serious threat to the independence of the legal profession, democratic norms, and the rule of law. Lawyers must be able to perform their professional duties free from fear, violence, intimidation, or retaliation.

We therefore jointly call upon the authorities of Bangladesh to:

1. Conduct an immediate, impartial, and independent investigation into the killing of Advocate Naim Kibria, including the formation of a judicial inquiry commission headed by a Justice of the High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh;

2. Identify, arrest, and prosecute all perpetrators, ensuring prompt, transparent proceedings and exemplary punishment in accordance with the law;

3. Ensure full accountability for mob violence and take effective measures to prevent its recurrence;

4. Provide adequate protection for lawyers, human rights defenders, and activists;

5. Address the misuse of false and politically motivated cases that endanger lives and undermine justice;

6. Provide adequate physical, psychological, and financial compensation to the family members of the deceased; and

7. Immediately enact a comprehensive Lawyer Protection Act to ensure that lawyers can perform their professional duties without fear.

We urge the international community, including United Nations human rights mechanisms and relevant Special Rapporteurs, to closely monitor this case and the broader pattern of mob violence and attacks against legal professionals in Bangladesh.

Justice for Advocate Nayem Kibria is not only a demand for accountability—it is a critical test of Bangladesh’s commitment to the rule of law, human rights, and democratic governance.

For further information:

Advocate Shahanur Islam, Founder President, JMBF, Email: shahanur.islam@jmbf.org

Signed by:

1. JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), Website: www.jmbf.org

Email: info@jmbf.org;

2. International Association of People's Lawyers Monitoring Committee on Attacks on

Lawyers,

France,

Website:

https://defendlawyers.wordpress.com/,

Email: jsrussell301254@gmail.com

3. People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR), India, https://pvchr.asia,

Email: pvchr.india@gmail.com;

4. The Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and Legal Profession

(ACIJLP), Egypt, www.acijlponline.org, Email: acijlp@thewayout.net;

5. NEVER AGAIN Association, Poland, www.neveragainassociation.org, Email:

nsineaeva@gmail.com;

6. Public Association Dignity, Kazakhstan, Email: dignityast@gmail.com

7. Families of the disappeared ( FoD ), Srilanka, Email: fodmedi3@gmail.com;

8. VOIX DES PRISONNIERS (VDP), France , Website : https://voixdesprisonniers.com,

Email: voixdesprisonniers@voixdesprisonniers.com;

9. Ecological Observation and Wetlands Conservation (Ecoton) Foundation, Indonesia,

Website: https://ecoton.or.id, Email: alaika@ecoton.or.id;

10. Prof. Gill H. Boehringer, Honorable Professor Macquarie University Law School,

Australia, Email: gill_boehringer@hotmail.com.

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