Human Rights Forum Bangladesh (HRFB) has expressed deep concern over the filing of a sedition case against Shampa Goswami, executive director of Prerona Women’s Development Organisation in Satkhira, as well as the harassment she is facing and the risks to her safety.

In a press statement issued on Monday, the forum – a coalition of 20 human rights and development organisations in Bangladesh – said a sedition case was filed against Shampa Goswami at Shyamnagar Police Station in Satkhira on September 29, 2026, under Section 124A of the Bangladesh Penal Code.

Shampa Goswami alleged that police surveillance was being conducted at her residence and her organisation’s office, and that her family members were being harassed.

“HRFB believes that, in light of such allegations, particular consideration must be given to the protection of citizens’ fundamental rights and personal privacy, as recognised by the Constitution of Bangladesh,” the statement said, adding that Article 36 of the Constitution guarantees citizens the right to freedom of movement, while Article 43 guarantees the right to privacy of the home and correspondence.

It said allegations of surveillance at an individual’s residence and office, as well as harassment of their family members, must be treated with due seriousness.

HRFB further stated that when serious allegations – such as those amounting to state-level offences – are levelled against a human rights defender, it is imperative that there be specific, substantiated charges.

It called on the relevant authorities to examine the legal basis of the case filed against Goswami and verify the allegations, while also conducting an impartial investigation into the allegations raised by her.

“Additionally, it calls for measures to ensure that she, her family and the staff and volunteers of her women’s development organisation are not subjected to any form of intimidation, harassment or punitive action in connection with their work,” the statement concluded.

Front Line Defenders, a Dublin-based international human rights organisation that monitors the status of human rights defenders, has listed Goswami as being at “risk of imprisonment” since October this year.

In a short biography, it says Goswami has faced threats, harassment and pressure because of her rights-based work since at least 2012, including after supporting a woman survivor of gang rape in filing a complaint against the perpetrators.

She was subsequently suspended from her post as a schoolteacher in Kaliganj, Satkhira.

The forms of pressure have changed over time, but the harassment has repeatedly returned, Front Line Defenders said.