Bangladesh Indigenous Forum urges political parties to clarify stand on indigenous rights

A number of landmark decisions were handed down by the Supreme Court of Bangladesh (SCOB) in 2025. This write-up compiles some of the landmark judgments that have significant constitutional and socio-political impacts.

Bangladesh experienced major changes to its legal framework through ordinances in 2025. In total, the President promulgated 78 ordinances (at the time of writing this piece) across a wide range of areas. Most of them came into being as part of the ongoing reform process. Some of the most notable ones are discussed in this piece.

A number of landmark decisions were handed down by the Supreme Court of Bangladesh (SCOB) in 2025. This write-up compiles some of the landmark judgments that have significant constitutional and socio-political impacts.

Bangladesh experienced major changes to its legal framework through ordinances in 2025. In total, the President promulgated 78 ordinances (at the time of writing this piece) across a wide range of areas.

The notion of human rights due diligence (HRDD) is a structured method,  which state and nonstate actors have to apply to identify, prevent, mitigate, and account for adverse human rights impacts arising from their actions. Needless to say, an important aspect of HRDD is labour rights.

In the countryside of Bangladesh, green paddy fields stretch for miles, nurtured by Naya Krishi farmers of Tangail. Defying modern farming, these farmers continue traditional practices by cultivating seeds passed down from their ancestors.

The question of who will get the custody of a child after a divorce or separation is not merely a family concern in Bangladesh, but also a question of justice, welfare, and rights. One of the primary goals of a legal system is to ensure that every decision that concerns custody is taken in the best interest of the child.

Marriage is a promise and a legal relationship that creates rights and obligations between a couple. While months are spent on wedding planning, little consideration is given into planning the legal and financial obligations of the partners.

When the United Nations General Assembly, in 2010, affirmed that ‘the right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation’ (Resolution 64/292) is a human right, it impliedly recognised water as a fundamental legal entitlement connected to dignity, health, and life.

‘Justice delayed is justice denied’- the aphorism has become a lived reality for many Bangladeshi victims. Our courts are groaning under a mounting backlog: by the end of 2024, roughly 4.5 million cases were pending across the judiciary, with well over 3.8 million cases in the lower courts alone.

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 has recently delivered the first verdict concerning the crimes against humanity committed during the July uprising. 

A case was recently filed under the Cyber Security Ordinance 2025 after a manipulated image of a female faculty member of the University of Dhaka had been posted on the internet with derogatory captions and remarks.

Article 95(1) of the Constitution of Bangladesh mandated the President to consult the Chief Justice (CJ) when appointing Supreme Court (SC) judges.

For decades, Bangladesh’s digital network has operated under the constant threat of arbitrary executive interferences. Access to the internet could be severed without notice or remedy whenever there emerged any political tension within the country.

Bangladesh has entered a new phase in its digital governance story with two Ordinances, namely, The Personal Data Protection Ordinance 2025 (PDPO) and the National Data Management Ordinance 2025 (NDMO). Their appearance, almost devoid of public discussion, invites reflection: are we witnessing the long-delayed codification of digital rights, or the rise of a data-centric State?

A “guardian” is someone who takes care of a child, looks after the child’s property, or both, according to Section 4(2) of the Guardians and Wards Act, 1890. However, under Muslim law, guardianship is divided into two types based on function: Waliyat alal Nafs and Waliyat alal Mal.

The S Alam group has recently lodged an arbitration claim against Bangladesh at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). This event is significant for our investment law regime. The claim was made under one of our older Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) with Singapore from 2004.

The recent Farmgate tragedy, in which a man lost his life after being struck by a bearing pad falling from the Metrorail infrastructure, comes as a timely reminder of how public safety is too often sacrificed to negligence.

Around the world, many people are forced to leave their houses, country of origin and cross borders to find dignity and safety from conflict, persecution and gross violation of human rights.