Nobel Peace Prize must remain a symbol of justice, not silence

Date: 21 December 2025

To

The Norwegian Nobel Committee

c/o Det Norske Nobelinstitutt

Henrik Ibsens gate 51

0255 Oslo

Norway

Dear Members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee,

We, the undersigned representatives of human rights organizations from different regions of the world, write to you collectively with grave concern regarding the ongoing human rights and humanitarian crisis in Bangladesh and the profound moral implications this crisis holds for the integrity of the Nobel Peace Prize.

For more than a century, the Nobel Peace Prize has represented humanity’s highest ethical commitment to peace, justice, human dignity, and moral courage. Its authority rests not only on the prestige of its recipients but on the moral clarity it embodies during moments of widespread human suffering.

Bangladesh is presently experiencing an alarming deterioration of human rights conditions. Credible reports and eyewitness accounts describe targeted violence, destruction of homes and livelihoods, attacks on cultural and religious institutions, and systematic intimidation of vulnerable communities, particularly religious and ethnic minorities. Women and children are among those most affected. These violations are neither isolated nor spontaneous; they bear the characteristics of organized and sustained abuses of fundamental human rights.

In this context, we note with deep concern that Dr. Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and the current Chief Adviser of the Interim Government of Bangladesh, has not publicly exercised moral leadership commensurate with the gravity of this crisis. When an individual entrusted with both global moral authority and national responsibility remains publicly silent amid such suffering, that silence carries serious ethical consequences.

Silence in the face of injustice is not neutrality. It is a position with moral weight.

This letter is not motivated by political alignment or opposition. It is grounded solely in universal principles of humanity, accountability, and justice. Peace cannot exist where fear governs daily life. Neutrality cannot be claimed where fundamental rights are systematically violated.

We respectfully urge the Norwegian Nobel Committee and the Nobel Foundation to reflect on their ethical responsibility at this critical moment. Upholding the moral authority of the Nobel Peace Prize requires transparency, moral clarity, and the courage to confront suffering when it unfolds before the world.

The victims in Bangladesh deserve recognition.

Global conscience demands responsibility.

And the Nobel Peace Prize must remain a symbol of justice, not silence.

History will remember how institutions responded when human dignity was under siege. We sincerely hope the Nobel Committee will be remembered for standing firmly on the side of humanity.

Yours sincerely,

1. Rev. Dr. Robert B. Lancia, Former Legislator, Rhode Island House of Representatives, USA
2. Paulo Casaca, Founder and Executive Director, South Asia Democratic Forum, Belgium
3. Chris Blackburn, Communications Director, European Bangladesh Forum, UK
4. Alan Rides, Director, West London Chamber of Commerce, UK
5. Natalia Sineaeva, Representative, NEVER AGAIN Association, Poland
6. Charlotte Jacquemart, Senior Editor, Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF), Switzerland
7. Priyajit Debsarkar, Chief Editor, Bridge Bangla Foundation, UK
8. Prof. Dr. Md. Habibe Millat, President, Global Center for Democratic Governance, Canada