Samiul Biswas
Samiul Biswas is a volunteer of Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM) who has been instrumental in documenting human rights violations committed by the BSF and other state agents along the India-Bangladesh border. He has also been active in mobilising the local community to resist the torture and illegal restrictions carried out by the BSF.
Human rights defenders in India face a diverse range of attacks and harassment from state and non-state actors alike, including killing, physical assault, arbitrary detention, threats and judicial harassment. Police officials are often the perpetrators of violence against HRDs, which is usually carried out with impunity. Armed groups and private companies also target HRDs for work related to economic development projects and their impact on the local communities or the environment. HRDs are increasingly the targets of online smear campaigns by radical nationalists.
