Fahim Abrar Abid is a legal researcher specialised in international law, human rights and asylum cases. He has provided expert opinions used in UK First-tier & Upper Tribunals proceedings, the University of London Refugee Law Clinic, and U.S. immigration matters (USCIS). His reports focus on risk on return, credibility in light of country conditions, political opinion (actual/imputed), and the treatment of minorities, journalists, activists and detainees. He is an Erasmus Mundus scholar in international law and security and the Founder of the Bangladesh Society of International Law.
Reports delivery: Within 2 weeks (For emergency cases: 1 week)
Founder, Bangladesh Society of International Law
I specialise in the political, legal, judicial, human rights, and security context of Bangladesh, with particular relevance to international protection and asylum determination. My expertise covers patterns of persecution, State and non-State actor violence, enforcement practices, and the operation of Bangladesh’s criminal justice and security apparatus.
Research includes but not limited to Rohingya refugees, issues of impunity, judicial independence, police and prison conditions, enforced disappearances, religious persecution, political violence, and environmental injustices affecting indigenous communities, river law, artificial intelligence.
I analyse country conditions through primary legislation, case law, government practice, UN and NGO reporting, and academic research, with attention to regional variation and temporal change. My scholarly work has particularly developed around Bangladesh’s obligations under international human rights and criminal law.
I have over four years of professional experience as a legal researcher working at the intersection of international human rights law and political analysis. Over the last one year as a Country Expert on Bangladesh, I have advised:
- UK First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) proceedings,
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) protection claims, and
- University of London Refugee Law Clinic
My expert reports have been instructed by UK solicitors, refugee law clinics, and US-based legal representatives, and have addressed:
- risk on return;
- credibility assessment in light of country context;
- political opinion (actual and imputed);
- sur place activities;
- treatment of minorities and activists.
In parallel, I served as Coordinator of the Bangladesh Campaign at Global Human Rights Defence (The Hague), where I led country-specific legal research on serious human rights violations, supervised research teams, and contributed to reports relied upon by litigators and international advocacy bodies. This role strengthened my ability to synthesise complex country information into legally relevant, evidentially sound analysis.
I am available to prepare independent, objective expert reports for asylum, immigration, and human rights proceedings relating to Bangladesh.
5 SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
(All peer-reviewed)
All forthcoming papers have passed through the review stage(s) and awaiting publications. Preprints are available on request.
1. Mohammad Towhidul Islam and Fahim Abrar Abid, ‘Criminalising Civil Wrongs in Bangladesh: Compatibility with ICCPR’ in Matthias Vanhullebusch and Ben Stanford (eds), The Asian Yearbook of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, vol 9 (Brill, 2025) 107-140. Read here
2. Fahim Abrar Abid and Mahbuba Kamal, ‘Kaptai Dam as the Lake of Tears: An Injustice to the Jummas’ Rights’ in Ananth Padmanabhan, Nabeela Siddiqui and Gnana Sanga Mithra (eds), River Unbound: Exploring Social Currents, Legal Tides and Stories of Flow (Routledge 2025) 86-92. Read here
3. Manjida Ahamed and Fahim Abrar Abid, ‘The Failure of an Electoral Government to Protect Human Rights Led to the Emergence of People’s Uprising: Bangladesh Context’ in Matthias Vanhullebusch and Ben Stanford (eds), The Asian Yearbook of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, vol 9 (Brill, 2025) 3-34. Read here
4. Fahim Abrar Abid, ‘Crimes Against Culture: The International Law Framework for Cultural Heritage Destruction and its Limitations’ (2025) Harvard International Law Journal. Read here
5. Fahim Abrar Abid, ‘The July Revolution: Quota, Discrimination and Equality in International Law (Cambridge International Law Journal Blog, 7 July 2025). Read here
* This submission is a part of the CILJ Symposium ‘Human Rights in Crisis: The July Revolution in Bangladesh’ initiated and curated by Fahim Abrar Abid.
REMAINING LIST OF PUBLICATIONS
* Peer-reviewed publications
Edited Book (1):
6. Md. Towhidul Islam and Fahim Abrar Abid, Bangladesh, International Law and Security in post-July 2024 (Springer 2026) (Forthcoming)
Journal Articles (6):
7. *Fahim Abrar Abid, ‘Annexation: A Persistent Threat to the UN System and International Law’ Journal of Conflict and Security Law (OUP, 2026). [Forthcoming]
8. *Mahbuba Kamal, Fahim Abrar Abid and Masrur Salekin, ‘Greening the post-July Aspired Constitution through Judicial Activism’ (2026) 24 Judicial Administrative Training Institute Journal. [Forthcoming]
9. *Fahim Abrar Abid, Mahbuba Kamal and Nisharga Nirjan, ‘Student Perspective of the Value of General Education in Professional Studies: Investigating a Law School in Bangladesh’ (2025) 12(2) Asian Journal of Legal Education 153-170. (Sage) Read here
Book Chapters (5):
10. *Fahim Abrar Abid, ‘Reforming Corporate Criminal Liability: Lessons from International Case Studies’ in Meera Mathew, Baidya nath Mukherjee and Daniel Hall (eds), The Evolving Landscape of White-Collar Crime: AI, Technological Advancements, and Transnational Legal Challenges (Springer 2026). (Forthcoming)
11. *Fahim Abrar Abid and Mahia Rahman, ‘Constitutionalising Climate-Resilient Agriculture in Bangladesh: Salinity, Food Security and State Responsibility after the ICJ Climate Advisory Opinion’ in Nanigopal Kapasia, Avijit Roy, Margubur Rahaman and Pradip Chouhan (eds), Climate Change and Agricultural Challenges Solutions for Sustainable Livelihood (Springer 2026) (forthcoming).
12. *Md. Ikra and Fahim Abrar Abid, ‘AI-driven Health Insurance: Balancing Legal Challenges and Human Rights’ in Aman Deep Singh and Animesh Pratap Singh (eds), Human Rights at the Intersection of IP, Technology and Emerging Global Issues (Bloomsbury 2026). Access here
13. *Fahim Abrar Abid and Md. Tanzirul Alam, ‘Water Contamination Risk during Flood and Ensuring Safe Water for Health: A Case Study from Bangladesh, 2024’ in Avijit Roy, Margubur Rahaman and Pradip Chouhan (eds.), Environment and Public Health: Insights Towards Theory, Evidences and Sustainable Solutions (Springer 2026) 281-300. Read here
Blogs (3):
14. *Fahim Abrar Abid, ‘When ‘National Interest’ leads to Ecocide: The Unseen Constitutional Violation of Environmental Laws in Bangladesh’ (Oxford Human Rights Hub, 10 October 2024). Read here
15. Fahim Abrar Abid and Mahbuba Kamal, ‘Forest Laws and Human Health in Bangladesh: Dove-tailing Social Science with Natural Science’ (Map of Justice, 23 May 2023). Read here
Report/Others (4):
16. *Fahim Abrar Abid and others, Annual Human Rights Report 2024: Election, July Revolution, and Minorities in Bangladesh (Global Human Rights Defence 2025). Read here
17. Fahim Abrar Abid, Wiebke Lehner and Maja Przybyszeweka, Women’s Roles in the 1971 Bangladesh Genocide (Global Human Rights Defence 2024). Read here
18. Fahim Abrar Abid, ‘Beyond the Camp: Is Education a Luxury? A Call for Rohingya Refugee Education and Global Justice’ (2023) Fall issue Global Commons. Read here
19. Fahim Abrar Abid, ‘Empowering Reproductive Health: Navigating Digital Frontiers in Bangladesh’ (2023) Fall issue Global Commons. Read here
Newspaper Articles (2):
20. Fahim Abrar Abid, ‘Building a scholarship profile for higher studies abroad’ The Daily Star (Dhaka, 24 October 2024). Read here
21. Fahim Abrar Abid, ‘Bringing Hasina to justice: Legal pathways or dead ends?’ Bangla Outlook (Dhaka, 21 September 2024). Read here
• Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP),
• Jamaat-e-Islami,
• National Citizen Party
• Leftist groups
• And the student wings of the above-mentioned groups
• Convicted individuals
• Secularist
• Online activists and individuals prosecuted under digital security laws
• Women and gender minorities
• Journalists and media workers
• Human rights defenders and NGO workers
• Student activists and protest organisers
• Climate-displaced and marginalised communities