HRW urges Bangladesh to end prolonged pretrial detention of political opponents

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the Bangladesh government to take immediate steps to end the prolonged pretrial detention of politicians and others linked to the deposed Awami League government, saying hundreds remain in prison without being charged with any crime.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the international rights organisation said thousands of Awami League officials, activists and supporters were detained after Sheikh Hasina was forced to step down as prime minister in August 2024 following weeks of protests. It said hundreds remain in detention.

HRW acknowledged that some former government officials may have been involved in serious rights violations under the Hasina government. However, it said many detainees were arrested without apparent evidence on allegations of murdering protesters.

Families and lawyers of the detainees have alleged that many, including elderly people and those with serious health conditions, have been denied basic rights such as bail and adequate medical care, HRW said.

At least 10 Awami League officeholders, most of whom had not been charged with any crime, have died in prison since Prime Minister Tarique Rahman took office in February 2026, according to the organisation.

“Under one government after another, hundreds of opposition members have been locked up without evidence or due process,” said Elaine Pearson, Asia director at HRW. She urged the government to end what she described as the prolonged arbitrary detention of political opponents.

HRW also criticised the government’s proposed National Human Rights Commission bill, saying that if adopted in its current form, it would prevent the new commission from investigating allegations of arbitrary arrests.

The organisation said those detained without charge include former Awami League lawmakers, former lawmakers who supported Hasina’s administration, activists, officials and journalists who backed the government. Some members of the security forces are accused of serious international crimes, including extrajudicial killings, torture and enforced disappearances, while others face corruption allegations.

According to HRW, prosecutors have repeatedly opposed bail in cases where no evidence has been produced. Lower courts have consistently rejected bail applications, while High Court bail orders have sometimes been circumvented by authorities filing fresh cases.

The organisation cited the case of former chief justice ABM Khairul Haque (82), who was arrested in July 2025 over an alleged murder of a protester. He was subsequently arrested in four more cases, including corruption charges. Although the High Court granted bail, police repeatedly filed new cases to prevent his release.

Haque was finally released on 19 August following intervention by the Appellate Division. HRW said he had not been charged with any offence throughout the period.

Lawyers representing other detainees told HRW that they now advise their clients not to seek bail because police may file new cases against them if they secure release.

HRW also raised concerns about prolonged detention by Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal. It said the tribunal has detained more than 160 people without granting bail to any of them, while detainees have no right to appeal bail rejections.

Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury (81), adviser to former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, has spent 22 months in custody without charge since his detention in October 2024, HRW said. When he sought bail in April 2026, the tribunal neither granted bail nor specified the “exceptional circumstances” required to justify detention beyond one year.

Former MP Kamal Ahmed Majumder (75) has also spent 22 months in detention, according to HRW. His family said he developed gangrene in his foot, requiring the amputation of three toes, and later fractured his hip in a fall. The tribunal rejected his bail application in July.

The organisation also highlighted the health conditions of several other detainees, including Shahriar Kabir (75) who suffers from chronic illnesses and requires a wheelchair, and RAM Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury (71) who has serious heart problems.

HRW said Ramesh Chandra Sen (85) a former Awami League lawmaker, died in detention on 7 February, 2026, after being held since August 2024 in connection with three murder cases and an explosives case. His family alleged that he was denied proper medication and bail.

It also cited the death of SM Ziaul Haque Zia (65) a Jamalpur district Awami League member who was detained on 6 January while already in poor health. He died on 14 April after being denied bail, according to HRW.

The organisation said international human rights law permits pretrial detention in some circumstances, but such detention should be an exception rather than the rule. It said each detainee’s detention should be reviewed individually by a judge to determine its legality and necessity.

“A justice system that lets older people die in custody before they are ever charged is not treating pretrial detention as the exceptional measure it always should be,” Pearson said.

She called on the Bangladesh government to order independent inquiries into all deaths in custody under its watch and stop arbitrarily detaining people for prolonged periods without charge.