UN Flags Possible Crimes Against Humanity in Bangladesh: A Wake-up Call for Corporate Accountability

Klaus M. Schmidt Flores

by Nahmad Hassan from Pexels, 1 August 2024

Bangladesh’s former government is facing allegations of possible crimes against humanity due to systemic human rights violations during the 2024 student-led protests, resulting in a transitional administration taking over.

In February 2025, following an investigation of the July-August 2024 student-led protests, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights(OHCHR) published a report outlining evidence of human rights violations in Bangladesh. This report alleges breaches to human rights, in manners such as enforced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings, have occurred possibly amounting to crimes against humanity. This report not only highlights the incidents, but also places Bangladesh under the human rights spotlight, whilst raising urgent questions within regions experiencing political transition and instability over corporate responsibility and ethical engagement practices.

The protests, which quickly escalated from a peaceful demonstration into nationwide unrest, erupted as discrimination claims were made over the controversial reinstatement of a job quota system. According to the OHCHR, approximately 1,400 individuals have died as a result of this protest, a majority of which being children, whilst hundreds more have been arbitrarily detained, or subjected to torture in custody (Fortify Rights, 2025). The UN report findings identify that these violent outbursts have been a coordinated effort to silence dissent, made by the former Bangladesh Government under Sheikh Hasina’s leadership, plausibly qualifying as a crime against humanity under international law (United Nations Human Rights Office, 2025).

As a national response, Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus has been appointed head of a transitional government tasked with the stabilisation of the country’s democratic governance. Despite new reforms, such as the creation of a truth commission tasked with investigating the enforced disappearances and being committed to the protection of international human rights standards, the question remains whether these are sufficient to restore balance (Human Rights Watch, 2025).

The European Union’s upcoming Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, being implemented in 2027, implements a rigorous supply chain oversight, requiring corporations to identify, mitigate, report, and implement programs addressing human rights risk across their operations (European Commission, 2024). This change demonstrated how Bangladesh’s democratic transition illustrates the end of an era of passive investment, and the beginning of an era where human rights compliance and international norm alignment thrive.

Sources and further readings:

United Nations Human Rights Office. (2025, February 12). ‘Bangladesh’s protest crackdown may be crime against humanity, says UN’. (Euronews).  

Fortify Rights. (2025, February 15). ‘Bangladesh: Ensure Justice for Victims of Security Forces’ Crackdown, Reform Domestic Tribunal’.   

Human Rights Watch, (2025, January 2025). ‘Bangladesh: Lasting Reforms Needed to Stop Abuses’.  

European Commission. (2024, July 25). ‘Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence’.