Dhaka, May 22 -- Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Thursday said recent legislative initiatives by Bangladesh's interim government risk undermining fundamental freedoms.

Instead of pursuing its pledge to reform the criminal justice system and bring accountability for serious abuses, the government is attempting to suppress the rights of supporters of the deposed leader, Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League party, the New York-based rights body said in a statement on Thursday.

"Sheikh Hasina's government abused legal powers to silence political opponents, but using similar methods against the supporters of her Awami League party would also violate those same fundamental freedoms," said Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watc...