I am a UK trained Barrister and practicing law in Bangladesh with experience across a wide range of practice areas, including banking and financial institutions, employment law, anti-corruption and money laundering, immigration and citizenship law, Human rights law, Criminal law, civil justice and litigation-related work.
My professional work involves providing legal analysis, research, advisory services, and submissions on complex legal and regulatory issues. I have been regularly engaged by renowned national and multinational companies and institutions, offering expertise on compliance, risk, and legal frameworks within Bangladesh.
In addition to my domestic legal experience, I work as an independent country expert, specialising in the Bangladeshi and Myanmar legal and justice systems. My role includes preparing expert opinions, country reports, and legal assessments for international organisations, law firms, and other stakeholders.
I also engage with international human rights standards and their application to the Bangladeshi context, including obligations under key treaties relating to torture, arbitrary detention, fair trial rights, and freedom of expression. I am experienced in presenting complex country conditions clearly and professionally for decision-makers, legal representatives, and international organisations, while maintaining independence and neutrality.
I am a UK trained barrister and an independent country and legal expert specializing in Bangladesh and Myanmar, providing authoritative opinions and expert reports for immigration and asylum proceedings, including cases before UK and US courts and tribunals. My work focuses on the legal, political, and human rights environment in Bangladesh, Myanmar and surrounding region with particular attention to the risks faced by individuals upon return and the availability (or lack) of state protection.
I also engage with international human rights standards and their application to the Bangladeshi context, including obligations under key treaties relating to torture, arbitrary detention, fair trial rights, and freedom of expression. I am experienced in presenting complex country conditions clearly and professionally for decision-makers, legal representatives, and international organisations, while maintaining independence and neutrality.
I am a UK trained barrister and an independent country and legal expert specializing in Bangladesh and Myanmar, providing authoritative opinions and expert reports for immigration and asylum proceedings, including cases before UK and US courts and tribunals. My work focuses on the legal, political, and human rights environment in Bangladesh, with particular attention to the risks faced by individuals upon return and the availability (or lack) of state protection.
I have prepared detailed expert reports and analyses on a wide range of issues, including:
- Freedom of expression and the persecution of journalists, bloggers, and activists
- Politically motivated prosecutions, including fabricated criminal charges
- Police harassment, arbitrary arrests, preventive detention, and misuse of special legislation
- Enforced disappearances and allegations of extrajudicial killings
- Persecution of human rights defenders and activists
- Targeting of religious minorities and risks linked to violent extremism
- Gender-based persecution, including violence against women
- Family-related persecution, including disputes that escalate into violence
- Citizenship and nationality matters, including dual citizenship issues
- Child custody and guardianship in cross-border contexts
- Bangladeshi immigration laws and practices
- Risks faced by Rohingya and Bihari communities
- Challenges for returnees and document verification issues
Mostafa, Shafin “The Legal Erasure of a People: Understanding the Burma Citizenship Law 1982” The Law Tribune, 17th December, 2024.
Mostafa, Shafin “Privatisation of Justice: Arbitration and the Shifting Role of Courts” The law Tribune, 25th June 2025.