Dhaka: Human Rights Watch (HRW) has cautioned that Bangladesh’s interim government risks repeating the legal abuses of the ousted Sheikh Hasina regime through reprisals against journalists and mass arrests of political opponents.

In a report released Tuesday, HRW acknowledged that the administration of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Muhammad Yunus has initiated reforms to restore democratic institutions previously weaponized against opposition figures under Hasina’s 15-year rule. However, HRW’s Asia director, Elaine Pearson, warned that without swift and structural reforms, the country’s recent progress could be undone.

The report accused police of reviving oppressive tactics, stating that tens of thousands of Hasina’s supporters had been charged in the two months following her removal. Families of individuals killed during the protests that led to her downfall were reportedly coerced into signing legal documents without knowing the identities of the accused.

Additionally, the report highlighted a crackdown on journalists perceived to be aligned with Hasina’s government, noting that by November, at least 140 reporters faced murder charges for allegedly supporting the previous regime’s suppression of protesters.

Yunus, who assumed leadership after Hasina fled into exile last August, has yet to respond to the report. He has previously stated that he inherited a "completely broken down" system of governance that requires a comprehensive overhaul to prevent a return to autocracy.