From Protest to Political Transition: International Responses to Bangladesh's 2024 Movement in the Context of Emergency Constitutional Law
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71239/jicl.v2i3.204Keywords:
Political Transition, Bangladesh’s 2024 Movement, International Human Rights Responses, Emergency Constitutional Law, Post-Crisis StateAbstract
This paper examines how other countries reacted to the July 2024 student movement in Bangladesh through the prism of constitutional crisis and emergency rule. The demonstrations that began over the reinstatement of the civil service quota system quickly escalated into a nationwide struggle against the constitutional order, marked by rampant violations of constitutionally guaranteed rights, including the right to life and personal liberty, freedom of assembly and expression, and the right against arbitrary arrest. The state's response, manifested in the overuse of force, mass detentions, and long-term internet bans, in fact precipitated a de facto constitutional crisis without a declaration of a state of emergency. This study will employ a qualitative research design, using documentary and thematic content analyses of official statements, human rights reports, international media coverage, and policy briefs published between July 2024 and February 2025. The results show a definite split in the international reactions: Western democracies and the international human rights institutions interpreted the crisis as the problem of constitutionality, the rule of law, and international human rights commitments, whereas regional powers viewed the crisis as the problem of political stability, sovereignty, and non-intervention. The article also suggests that the continued international pressure together with the mobilization within the country contributed greatly to undermining the legitimacy of the existing government and the direction to the formation of the interim government that was operating under the conditions of constitutional necessity. The place of international responses within the context of constitutional emergency and international human rights law, therefore, allows the study to add to comparative constitutionalism studies on the way in which international actors affect constitutional failure and post-crisis state politics.
Downloads
References
Abb, Pascal. “Is There a Chinese ‘Developmental Peace’? Evidence from the Beltand Road Initiative’s Impact on Conflict States.” Journal of Contemporary China 34, no. 155 (September 3, 2025): 861–79. https://doi.org/10.1080/10670564.2024.2378043.
Abid, Fahim Abrar, Yun Cheng, Luzi Maj Leonhardt, Debolina Samanta, Tanzil Amin Shuvo, and Mahbuba Kamal. “Annual Human Rights Report 2024: Election, July Revolution, and Minorities in Bangladesh.” SSRN Electronic Journal, 2025. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5161727.
Ahmed, Mustak. “Today, the Entire Bangladesh Is Hostage to the Crowds: Mob Trials, Digital Panic, and the Algorithmic Collapse of Rule of Law After 5 August 2024,” June 16, 2025. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202506.1231.v1.
Ahsan Ullah, AKM. “India-Bangladesh Borders After the July–August 2024 Uprising: A Future Unfolds Beyond Our Conventional Knowledge.” Asian Journal of Comparative Politics, July 15, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1177/20578911251355725.
Alam, Mohammad Ashraful, Prakash Chandra Roy, and Judit Bíró. “Breaking the Chains of Fear: Civil Society’s Role in Defying Autocracy and Shaping Bangladesh’s 2024 July Revolution.” Civil Szemle 22, no. 2 (April 20, 2025): 71–96. https://doi.org/10.62560/csz.2025.02.4.
Ali Chowdhury, M. Jashim. Fifty Years of Bangladesh Parliament: A Critical Evaluation. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill | Nijhoff, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004720831.
Ali Khandokar, Iftakhar, Abdullah All Tanvir, Md. Saddam Hossain Mukta, and Swakkhar Shatabda. “Temporal, Demographic, and Geographical Analysis of Violent Events in Bangla News Media Using NLP Techniques.” Human-Centric Intelligent Systems 5, no. 1 (February 25, 2025): 90–102. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44230-025-00092-8.
Arafat, Md. Yeasir, and Fahmida. “History, Agendas, and Anomalies of Bangladesh Politics.” DIROSAT: Journal of Education, Social Sciences & Humanities 3, no. 2 (July 21, 2025): 323–41. https://doi.org/10.58355/dirosat.v3i2.158.
Azim, Firdous, and Tabassum Zaman. “Awaiting a New Dawn in Bangladesh.” Inter-Asia Cultural Studies 25, no. 6 (November 21, 2024): 951–61. https://doi.org/10.1080/14649373.2024.2407264.
Behera, Anshuman. “Interrogating Political Crisis in Bangladesh: Limited Democracy, Islamization of Polity, and External Power Politics.” Journal of World Affairs: Voice of the Global South 1, no. 2 (August 22, 2025): 210–27. https://doi.org/10.1177/23477970251357705.
Bhuiyan, Md. Ikhtiar Uddin, and Mohammad Tarikul Islam. “China’s Economic Diplomacy with Bangladesh: Opportunities and Challenges.” In Bangladesh–China Connectivity, 93–111. Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-4848-8_6.
Billah, Waseq, and Syeda Lasna Kabir. “Role of Women in Civil Service: Implications for Effective and Inclusive Governance in Bangladesh.” In Governance and Sustainable Development in South Asia, 107–22. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-67616-1_6.
Braun, Virginia, and Victoria Clarke. “Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology.” Qualitative Research in Psychology 3, no. 2 (January 21, 2006): 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa.
Bukhari, Syed Rizwan Haider, Shujat Ali, and Inam Ul Haq. “Realigning Alliances in South Asia: Exploring the Dynamics of Pakistan-Bangladesh Relations in a Post-Hasina Era.” Journal of Regional Studies Review 4, no. 1 (March 30, 2025): 94–109. https://doi.org/10.62843/jrsr/2025.4a055.
Chowdhury, Joydip. “The Dilemma Between Fundamental Rights and Human Rights in the Constitution of Bangladesh: A Comparative Analysis,” 2025. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5262968.
Chowdhury, Khairul, Nasim Aziz, and Saleh Al Mamun. “Counterinsurgency, Forest Governance, and the Dynamics of Change in the Forests of South Asia: Transition in Bangladesh’s Forests.” Trees, Forests and People 18 (December 2024): 100691. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tfp.2024.100691.
Ciampi, Annalisa, Max Milas, Thamil Venthan Ananthavinayagan, Grażyna Baranowska, Adamantia Rachovitsa, Jens T. Theilen, Verena Kahl, Walter Arévalo-Ramírez, and Andrés Rousset-Siri. “International Human Rights Law.” In Public International Law, 531–614. London: Routledge, 2024. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003451327-24.
Curtis, John. “Bangladesh: The Fall of the Hasina Government and Recent Political Developments.” London, 2025. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10096/.
Das, Garima. “India-Pakistan Rivalry in May 2025, Conflict, Proxy Warfare, and Geo-Political Alignments.” SSRN Electronic Journal, 2025. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5715602.
Dutta, Sujit. “The Bangladesh Upheaval and an Uncertain Future.” National Security 7, no. 4 (March 19, 2025): 273–87. https://doi.org/10.32381/NS.2024.07.04.3.
Flinterman, Wilbert. “Challenging the Promises of Institutional Reform to Protect Labor Rights in Bangladesh.” International Labor Rights Case Law 10, no. 3 (October 30, 2024): 343–49. https://doi.org/10.1163/24056901-10030011.
Gibson, Kate, and Bonnie Johnston. “Acquitted, Released, and Homeless: The Crisis of Stateless Former Defendants.” In Research Handbook On The Punishment Of Atrocity Crimes, 283–303. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2024. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035312917.00022.
Hasan Chowdury, Dr. Saeyd Rashed. “The Role of Political Parties in Bangladesh’s July Revolution of 2024: Insights from Sufi Perspectives.” International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science 8, no. 11 (2024): 2077–93. https://doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2024.8110166.
Hasan, Kamrul. “Bangladesh 2009–2024: The Return to Authoritarianism Under the Awami League and Its Implications for Political Sustainability.” International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences 15, no. 4 (April 30, 2025). https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v15-i4/25282.
Hasan, Md Abul. “The Dilemmas of Bangladesh as a Weak State in South Asia.” Public Administration and Policy 27, no. 3 (December 4, 2024): 316–29. https://doi.org/10.1108/PAP-01-2024-0010.
Hasan, Samiul. “Bangladesh Constitutional Reform 2025: Almost There!” SSRN Electronic Journal, 2025. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5966194.
Hassaan, Hafiz Muhammad, Farzana Bloch, and Muhammad Rashid. “Analyzing the Institutional and Socio-Political Impacts of Sheikh Hasina’s Departure on Bangladesh’s Democracy.” Bulletin of Business and Economics (BBE) 13, no. 3 (August 28, 2024): 171–77. https://doi.org/10.61506/01.00459.
He, Kai, and Feng Liu. China’s Bilateral Relations and Order Transition in the Indo-Pacific. Singapore: World Scientific, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1142/q0480.
Hossan, Md. Alomgir. “Students’ Perspective on the Interim Government of Bangladesh: A Study at the University of Rajshahi.” HISTORICAL: Journal of History and Social Sciences 4, no. 3 (September 19, 2025): 389–413. https://doi.org/10.58355/historical.v4i3.205.
Islam, Mohammad Saiful, Abdul Malek, and Anjuman Ara Begum. “A Legal Analysis of the Constitutional Court and Unconstitutional Constitutional Amendments in Bangladesh.” Beijing Law Review 15, no. 04 (2024): 2018–33. https://doi.org/10.4236/blr.2024.154113.
Jahan, Rounaq. “Bangladesh: The Challenge of Breaking Away From Past Undemocratic Practices.” The Round Table 114, no. 1 (January 2, 2025): 59–62. https://doi.org/10.1080/00358533.2025.2457264.
Jalil, Md. Abdul, Md. Zahidul Islam, and Muhammad Khalilur Rahman. “Towards A Legal Mandate: The Struggle for the Recognition of the July 2024 Revolution in Bangladesh.” Ind J Human Soc Sci 6, no. 11 (2025): 8–16. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17592962.
Joyshree Das, Joya, and Mannan Kazi Abdul. “The Legitimacy of the Interim Government Formed in Bangladesh on August 8, 2024: A Mixed Approach.” Journal of State Government and Mass Media 3, no. 3 (September 20, 2025): 1. https://doi.org/10.64907/xkmf.v3i3.jsgmm1.
Kalam, Abul, and Md. Al-Mamun. “Analyzing the Rhetoric of Contemporary BSMRSTU Student Movements: Manifestations and Social Implications in Gopalganj, Bangladesh.” Frontiers in Political Science 6 (June 6, 2024). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpos.2024.1307615.
Karim, Mohammad Razaul. “China’s Strategic Partnership with Bangladesh: India’s Reaction and Global Migration Effects.” In Governance, Migration and Security in International Relations, 103–15. Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-9424-3_7.
Khare, Pranjal, and Vishambhar Raghuwanshi. “Exploring the Complexities of India-Bangladesh Relations.” In International Relations Theory and Philosophical Political Insights Into Conflict Management, 209–30. New York, 2025. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-9626-1.ch009.
Mahmud, Rifat. “Crisis Management of the Anti-Quota Student Movement in Bangladesh: Governance Capacity in Misery.” Journal of Developing Societies 41, no. 4 (December 6, 2025): 445–64. https://doi.org/10.1177/0169796X251344338.
Md Saolin, Faizar. “Awami League’s Competitive Authoritarian Rule in Bangladesh (2014-2024),” 2025. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5261820.
Mohsin, Amena, ASM Ali Ashraf, Niloy Ranjan Biswas, and Mohammad Atique Rahman, eds. The Futures of Borders and Geopolitics in South Asia. Global Political Transitions. Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-6595-9.
Mukherjee, Ankita. “Bangladesh Crisis and Challenges for India,” 2025. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5284473.
Murshid, Navine. “How Bangladeshi Students Toppled a Government.” Current History 124, no. 861 (April 1, 2025): 123–28. https://doi.org/10.1525/curh.2025.124.861.123.
Muzykant, Valerii, and Barek Hossain. “Shifting Narratives: Russia’s Image in South Asian Media in 2022–2024: By the Example of the Mass Media in People’s Republic of Bangladesh.” Theoretical and Practical Issues of Journalism 13, no. 4 (December 9, 2024): 710–22. https://doi.org/10.17150/2308-6203.2024.13(4).710-722.
OHCHR. “UN Human Rights Investigation May Support Accountability for Bangladeshi Student Crackdown.” Geneva, 2025. https://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2025/02/un-human-rights-investigation-may-support-accountability-bangladeshi-student.
———. “UN Human Rights Investigation May Support Accountability for Bangladeshi Student Protests Repression.” Geneva, 2025. https://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2025/02/un-human-rights-investigation-may-support-accountability-bangladeshi-student.
Rahman, Mohammad Mizanur, Ahmed Shafiqul Huque, and Mokbul Morshed Ahmad. “Civil Service and Socio-Economic Progress in Bangladesh: A Developmental State Perspective.” Public Administration and Policy, June 27, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1108/PAP-12-2024-0189.
Reyad, Zahid Hasan, Mohammad Moin Uddin Chowdory, Meher Afroz Aneey, Asifur Rahman, MD Arfan Hossain, M. Istiaque Hossain, MD Zakir Hossan, and Mokarram Hossain. “Public Opinion Transforms Legislative Decisions in Bangladesh: A Case Study Focusing on the Constitutional Law.” Cambridge Open Engage, April 15, 2025. https://doi.org/10.33774/coe-2025-rdkkp.
Reyad, Zahid Hasan, Suraya Najnin, M. Istiaque Hossain, and MD Arfan Hossain. “Trias Politica in the Proposed Constitutional Framework: A Study of Bangladesh.” Cambridge Open Engage, April 14, 2025. https://doi.org/10.33774/coe-2025-00jm0.
Reza, S.M. Ali, and Md. Mazhar Uddin Bhuiyan. “Analyzing the Role of Key Stakeholders in the July Uprising 2024 in Bangladesh: Actors and Factors Approach.” Journal of Political Science 25 (February 19, 2025): 214–37. https://doi.org/10.3126/jps.v25i1.75783.
Rony, Rahat Jahangir, and Nova Ahmed. “Teens Online Behavior and Support Interventions in Bangladesh.” ACM Journal on Computing and Sustainable Societies 3, no. 1 (March 31, 2025): 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1145/3704813.
Ruud, Arild Engelsen, and Mubashar Hasan. “Democratic Bricolage: Resilience and Innovation in Autocratic Bangladesh.” Asian Survey 64, no. 3 (June 1, 2024): 452–79. https://doi.org/10.1525/as.2024.2092052.
Saleh, Abu, A S M Mahbubur Rahman, Md Faisal Haque, Janet Clark, and Muhammad Shahnawaz Khan Chandan. “The Role of Theatre for Development in Reducing Prevalent Harmful Traditional Practices in the Rural North of Bangladesh.” Community Development Journal, July 2, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1093/cdj/bsaf014.
Sarkar, Srimanti. “Electoral Dynamics in Bangladesh: From Independence to Democratic Chaos (1971–2024).” In Electoral Politics in Asia, 159–84. Singapore: Palgrave Macmillan, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-8082-5_7.
Sarker, Pranto Kumar, Maruf Ahmed, and Md. Zahidul Islam. “Police Accountability in Criminal Investigation: USA and Bangladesh.” Journal of Asian and African Social Science and Humanities 10, no. 4 (January 4, 2025): 1–23. https://doi.org/10.55327/jaash.v10i4.354.
Sayed Mohammad Abu Daud. “Constitutional Legitimacy of the Interim Government: Analysis on Bangladesh Perspective.” International Journal of Law, Social Science, and Humanities 1, no. 2 (November 29, 2024): 59–64. https://doi.org/10.70193/ijlsh.v1i2.156.
Siddik, Abu Bakar. “Bangladesh’s July Revolution: Analyzing the 2024 Movement for Free Speech and Democracy,” 2025. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5043479.
Siddik, Md Abu Bakkar, Md Syful Islam, Sheikh Muzzammil Hussen, and Md. Khalid Syfullah. “Use of Lethal Weapons to Kill Protesters by Bangladesh Police: A Discussion Analyzing 253 Deaths of July 24 Revolution.” Dialogues in Health 8 (June 2026): 100277. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dialog.2026.100277.
Sikri, Veena. “The Geo-Strategics of Regime Change in Bangladesh.” National Security 7, no. 4 (March 19, 2025): 237–50. https://doi.org/10.32381/NS.2024.07.04.1.
Sufian, Abu. “Geopolitics of the NRC-CAA in Assam: Impact on Bangladesh–India Relations.” Asian Ethnicity 23, no. 3 (July 3, 2022): 556–86. https://doi.org/10.1080/14631369.2020.1820854.
Talukdar, Mohammad Rafiqul Islam. “Political Regimes and Paradigms in Bangladesh.” Asia-Pacific Social Science Review 25, no. 2 (June 25, 2025). https://doi.org/10.59588/2350-8329.1572.
Thapa, Sunil. “Realpolitik and the Political Transition in Bangladesh: A South Asian Perspective.” SSRN Electronic Journal, 2025. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5334611.
Tieri, Silvia, and Raian Hossain. “Bangladesh 2023-2024: From Democratic Backsliding to the Monsoon Revolution, Towards Democratic Transition.” Asia Maior 35 (2024): 31. https://www.asiamaior.org/?p=2317.
Tiwari, Manwendra Kumar. “The Purposive Entrenchment of Constitutional Identity: Insights from Bangladesh.” Constitutional Review 11, no. 1 (2025): 166–96. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.31078/consrev1116.
Uddin, Md. Kamal. “Human Rights Abuses and Criminal Justice in Policing Practices in Bangladesh.” Criminology & Criminal Justice 24, no. 4 (September 25, 2024): 733–56. https://doi.org/10.1177/17488958221120915.
Uddin, MD. Nasir. “Prisoner Snatching and Intelligence Failures in Bangladesh: A Case Study in Vulnerability.” International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence, June 23, 2025, 1–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/08850607.2025.2505099.
Yadawa, Surendra Kumar. “Popular Uprising Brings Regime Changes, but Democratic Institutions Determine Survival of Democracy (in Bangladesh).” Journal of Asian and African Studies, August 23, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1177/00219096251365458.
Zainuddin, Mohammad, Emadul Islam, and Ishtiaque Arif. “From Quota Reform to Regime Collapse: Understanding the Anti-Discrimination Movement in Bangladesh.” Social Movement Studies, May 28, 2025, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1080/14742837.2025.2512716.
Zhang, Puxin, Krishna Jayakar, Richard Taylor, and Chun Liu. “Same Goal, Different Paths: Contrasting Approaches to AI Regulation in China and India.” Telecommunications Policy 49, no. 8 (September 2025): 103019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.telpol.2025.103019.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Md Ali Ashraf, Muhammad Mahmudur Rahman, Md. Basirulla (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
Similar Articles
- Paul Atagamen Aidonojie, Osaretin George Izevbuwa, Eregbuonye Obieshi, Mercy Okpoko, Joshua John Damina, Advancing Gender's Balance Rights Through Constitutional and Legal Reforms: A Comparative Study of Nigeria and Uganda , Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law: Vol. 2 No. 1 (2025): Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law
- Nurul Aisahrani, Salwa Raudhatul Nurjannah, Intan Nadia Putri, Amit Kumar Kashyap, The Constitutional Protection of Freedom of Artistic Expression: A Comparison between Indonesia, Iran and the United States , Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law: Vol. 2 No. 2 (2025): Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law
- Godswill Owoche Antai, Cyril Osim Ndifon, Oluwaseye Oluwayomi Ikubanni, Sylvester Adejoh Ogba, Andrew Ikhayere Imiefoh , The Effect of Conversion of Extradition Methods and Unlawful Deportation on Human Rights in Nigeria , Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law: Vol. 2 No. 2 (2025): Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law
- Ousu Mendy, Constitutional Amendments in Indonesia: An Analytical Perspective of the Reformation Agenda , Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law: Vol. 2 No. 3 (2025): Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law
- Siti Nursyafiqah Binti Hamdan, Rohaida Binti Nordin, Critique Against the Government: Freedom of Speech and Expression in Malaysia , Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law: Vol. 2 No. 3 (2025): Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law
- Muwaffiq Jufri, Raphael D. Jackson-Ortiz , Putra Perdana Ahmad Saifulloh, Evis Garunja, Sonia Ivana Barus, State Power Limitations on Religion for The Fulfillment of The Constitutional Rights of Indigenous Religion Believers in Indonesia , Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law: Vol. 1 No. 3 (2024): Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law
- Bambang Sumantri, Ane Nor Cahya Ilmiah, Salfanil Farizi, Fulfillment of the Constitutional Rights for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities in General Elections , Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law: Vol. 1 No. 3 (2024): Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law
- Paul Atagamen Aidonojie, Kelechi Jude Onwubiko, Mercy Osemudiame Okpoko, Uzoho Kelechi, Obieshi Eregbuonye, Legal Challenges Limiting Women’s Rights to Research Scholarship: A Comparative Analysis of Nigeria, Uganda and Indonesia , Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law: Vol. 2 No. 3 (2025): Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law
- Jehad D. Aljazi, Abdullah Ehjelah, Yusuf Mohammed Gassim Obeidat , Bahaaeddin M.S. Khwaira, Constitutional Protection of Patient Privacy in the Digital Age during a Health Emergency , Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law: Vol. 2 No. 3 (2025): Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law
- Herbert Küpper, The 2020 Amendments of Russia’s 1993 Constitution: A Post-Colonial Interpretation , Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law: Vol. 2 No. 1 (2025): Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law
You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.
![](https://i.ibb.co.com/QHRW9FN/logo-road.png"){kind=logo}
