A storm of protest has erupted within the Bangladeshi diaspora as more than 290 expatriates — including academics, physicians, lawyers, freedom fighters, journalists, cultural activists, and social workers — came together under the banner of the Global Bangladesh Unity Network (GBUN) to denounce what they describe as a sweeping campaign of political vendetta, arrests, and harassment targeting prominent citizens and independent voices in Bangladesh.
In a detailed statement released on August 30, 2025, the GBUN warned that Bangladesh is “passing through a grave crisis” where the abuse of legal authority and restrictions on freedom of expression are severely undermining democratic space. The group stressed that these measures are not isolated incidents but part of a broader assault on justice, human rights, and intellectual freedom.
Crisis of Democracy and Intellectual Freedom
The network underlined that among those facing politically motivated charges are some of the country’s most respected figures — including former Chief Justice A.B.M. Khairul Haque, former Minister Abdul Latif Siddique, former Appellate Division Justice A.H.M. Shamsuddin Choudhury Manik, ex-Chief Election Commissioner K.M. Nurul Huda, economist and former Planning Commission member Dr. Shamsul Alam, Bangladesh Medical Association President Dr. Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin, Dhaka University professor and ex-BSEC chairman Shibli Rubayat-Ul-Islam, public administration scholar Dr. Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah, noted economist Professor Abul Barkat, fine artist and activist Kamal Pasha Chowdhury, as well as journalists Shahriar Kabir, Shyamal Dutta, Mozammel Babu, Farzana Rupa, Shakil Ahmed, Arif Hasan, and Monjurul Alam Panna. Even a Hindu monk, Chinmoy Krishna Das Prabhu, and law professor Hafizur Rahman Karzon are reportedly among those being prosecuted.
The GBUN’s position is clear: these arrests are politically motivated, inconsistent with international human rights standards, and designed to silence dissent. “This is not merely an attack on individuals; it is a grave assault on the nation’s intellectual freedom,” the statement noted.
Core Demands and Call to Action
The diaspora network demanded the immediate release of all detained academics, journalists, and cultural figures; an end to politically motivated cases and harassment; independence of the judiciary; safeguards for vulnerable groups such as women, children, and minorities; and internationally credible investigations into human rights violations.
The group urged the United Nations, international human rights bodies, and democratic governments to intervene, insisting that Bangladesh must restore political tolerance and a participatory democratic environment. “What the nation needs is not political vendetta and division, but democratic culture, tolerance, and dialogue,” the appeal stated.
A Long Roll Call of Global Solidarity
What makes this protest particularly striking is the sheer breadth of its signatories. The list spans continents, professions, and generations — from freedom fighters of 1971 to young online activists.
From Australia, signatories include Dr. Abul Hasnat Milton, poet, physician and public health specialist; Dr. M. Osman Gani Talukder, former Vice Chancellor of Varendra University; Dr. Tariq Zaman, agriculturist and researcher; Prof. Dr. Mahbub Alam Pradip, Associate Professor at Acknowledge Education, Sydney; Dr. Shakhawat Hossain, Associate Professor at Acknowledge Education; Dr. Molla Hoque, professor at Monash University; Dr. Satyajit Dutta, physician and organizer; and freedom fighter Harun ur Rashid Azad, who is also a writer.
From the United States, the list includes Dr. Mohammad Shahidullah, Research Associate Professor at the University of Arizona; Dr. Ferdous Faisal; Mithun Ahmed, poet and reciter; Al Amin Babu, journalist and singer; Gazi Ohiduzzaman Liton, activist and organizer; Anwar Sadat Jihan, aerospace engineer; Dr. Shamimuzzaman Sumon Fakir, researcher at Chiba University; Dr. Ibne Bin Faisal, researcher at Tokyo Metropolitan University (Japan but working closely with US colleagues); Marcela Arefin, activist; Tushty Jannath Jahan Islam, dancer and human rights activist (Canada-based but US-linked); and cultural activists like Baizid Hasan, Dewan Alimuddin Shishir, and Khokon Khan.
From Canada, names such as Dr. Mozammel Khan, former Senate Speaker and Professor at Sheridan Institute; Dr. Abdul Awal, former Vice Chancellor of Sylhet Agricultural University; Dr. Bishwajit Roy Setu, physician with the NHS; Dr. Rajib Hossain Latif, physician with the NHS; Bony Abraham, cultural activist; Shyamal Bosak, painter and organizer; Shahadat Hossain, painter; Shayla Ahmed Lopa, human rights activist; and cultural activists like Jhuton Torofdar, Ekramul Reza, Suhel Ahmed, Mohammad Bashir, Golam Mahmud Mia signed the petition. The Canadian list is extensive, also featuring Niranjan Roy, Faizul Karim, Liton Masud, Amin Mia, Sheikh Jasim Uddin, Syed Abdul Gaffar, Delowar Elah, Nurul Khan, Kamal Mia, Engineer Anis Hasan Tapon, Sukomal Roy, Azim Ahmed, Ashish Pal, Ratan Dey, Tasnima Shawon, Monjur Elah, Abdul Hamid, Mahfuz Haque, Shayla Islam, Ziaul Haque Ferdous, Mainul Islam, Advocate Kamrul Islam, Golam Mahmud Mia, Abir Khondoker, Monirul Islam Tarek, Abul Kalam Azad, Nazmul Ahsan, and many others.
The United Kingdom produced one of the largest blocs of signatures, including lawyers and human rights activists such as Barrister Sayeed Abedin, Barrister Chowdhury Jinnat Al, Barrister M.R. Khan, Barrister Bahar Mohammad Touhidul Islam, Barrister Samsul Hasan Shuvo, Advocate Suranjit Gupta, and Barrister Sumon Ahmed. Activists and online organizers such as Foyez Khan Touhid, Robin Bhuiya, Tanvir Ahmed Raf, Md. Isa Khan Rashed, Pushpita Gupta, Nurul Amin Lipu, Md. Shehab Hossain Zebin, Russel Ahmed, Misbah Bag Khokon, Habibul Islam, Imam Hasan Bhuiyan, Md. Muraduzzaman, Ruhul Kader Bhuiyan, Kawsar Alam, Jashim Ahmed, Md. Yahia, Shams Tanjil, Joy Chowdhury, Asfakur Rahman Morshed, Amil Sadekin, Sohel Bin Abdullah, Sumon Ahmed, Monzur Rahman, Md. Biplob, Md. Joshim, Saifur Rahman, Taj Hossain, Ghosh Chanchal, and Sumon Nath all endorsed the protest.
From Europe, the list spans Germany (Engineer Aminur Rahman Khosru, Freedom Fighter Ramjan Ali Khan, Freedom Fighter Mahbubul Alam, Freedom Fighter Mohsin Haider Monir, Engineer Ashraful Hossain Tipu, Engineer Miftah Islam, Freedom Fighter Syed Selim, Freedom Fighter Faizur Rahman Khan), France (Shohela Purvin Shova, Shahadat Hossain, Anisuzzaman, Md. Yahia, Mujibur Rahman, Forhad Hossain, Kamal Mia), Italy (Freedom Fighter Mahtab Hossain, Freedom Fighter Syed Shamsul Huda, Koyser Alam, Jachim Ahmed, Md. Zainul Abedin, Kawsar Alam, Jashim Ahmed), Sweden (Freedom Fighter Saleh Mostafa Jamil, Freedom Fighter Abdul Muhit Tutu, Freedom Fighter Akhtar M. Zaman, Freedom Fighter Golzar Mia, Engineer Anis Hasan Tapon, Engineer Ashraf Bhuiya, Freedom Fighter Shamsul Alam), Switzerland (Freedom Fighter Tajul Islam), Austria (Saifuzzaman, Freedom Fighter Syed Shamsul Huda), Norway (Dr. Aminur Rahman, Violet Halder), and the Netherlands (David Rahman).
From the Middle East, signatories include dozens of physicians and organizers in Saudi Arabia — such as Dr. K.M. Masudur Rahman, Dr. Md. Mahbub Ullah, Dr. Mosharof Hossain Ripon, Dr. Palash Das, Dr. Nahida Khanom, Dr. Batul Rahman, Dr. Mostafizur Rahman, Dr. Sheikh Momtazul Islam Happy, Dr. Sikkdar Nazmul Haque, Dr. Tridib Ghosh, Dr. Fazle Ahmed, Dr. Golam Mostafa, Dr. Sardar Riazul Mostafa — along with community organizers Md. Mosharraf Hossain, Mostak Ahmed Mondol, Iqbal Hossain Molla, Humayun Kabir, Moniruzzaman Khan, Abdul Hai Mamun, and many more. Kuwait saw a large number of grassroots organizers like Masud Karim, Nurul Amin Ron, Gazi Ohiduzzaman Liton, B.M. Babul Hasan, Abul Kashem, Main Uddin Moin, RokonuJJaman Khan, Bimal Kanti Roy, Morshed Bhuiya, Ali Abdul Wahid, Nazrul Islam, Kamal Hossain, Bahar Uddin, Belal Uddin, Salim Jahangir, Jakir Hossain, Morshed Alam, Mohammad Rashed, Mehedi Hasan, Mohammad Siraj, Amin Rasul, Mohiuddin, and others. Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and the UAE also feature heavily, with signatories like Shibli Mahmud, Abul Kashem, Sumon Ahmed, Shyamal Chandra Shil, Sheikh Nahid Islam, Shah Poran Mojumdar, Abdul Kader Mojumdar, Babu Dulal Das, Md. Yasin Arafat, Selim Chowdhury, Dildar Mahmud, Abul Hashem, B.M. Salauddin, Md. Nasir Hossain, Sanjay Debnath, Abdul Matin, Abdul Khalek, Abul Haque, Abdus Sayem Liton, Lutfur Rahman, Azadur Rahman, and many more.
Asia-Pacific signatories include Engineer Monirul Islam Marine, Engineer Adnan Shah Marine, Engineer Kamrul Islam Marine, Md. Rafiqul Islam, B.M. Salauddin (Singapore), Engineer Mohammad Nazmul Ahsan (Australia), and David Ikram (South Korea). Japan is also represented by academics like Dr. Shamimuzzaman Sumon Fakir, Dr. Ibne Bin Faisal, Dr. Shakhawat Hossain, Ziaul Haque, and cultural activists.
Conclusion
The unprecedented breadth of this roll call — stretching from Sydney to Stockholm, Toronto to Tokyo — underscores the scale of discontent within the Bangladeshi diaspora. The signatories, numbering over 290, argue that the government’s ongoing campaign of arrests and intimidation risks pushing the nation further into political instability and authoritarianism.
The GBUN’s message is unambiguous: Bangladesh’s democratic survival depends on ending vendetta politics, restoring judicial independence, and safeguarding freedom of expression.