Bangladeshi authorities should immediately take steps to end the prolonged pretrial detention of politicians and others linked to the deposed Awami League government, Human Rights Watch said today.

Police detained thousands of party officials, activists, and supporters after Sheikh Hasina was forced to step down as prime minister in August 2024 following weeks of protests. Hundreds remain in prison without being charged with any crime. While some officials may have been complicit in the previous government's rights violations, many were arrested without apparent evidence on allegations of murdering protesters.

Family members and lawyers allege that detainees, many of whom are older people with serious health conditions, have been denied bail and medical care. At least 10 Awami League office holders, most of whom were not charged with any crime, have died in prison since Prime Minister Tarique Rahman took office in February 2026.

“Under one government after another, hundreds of opposition members have been locked up without evidence or due process,” said Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The government of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has pledged reform, and as a first step he should end the prolonged arbitrary detention of political opponents.”

The government's new National Human Rights Commission bill, if adopted in its current form, would prevent the new commission from investigating alleged arbitrary arrests. Those detained without charge include former Awami League members of parliament, former lawmakers who supported the Hasina administration, activists, officials, and journalists. Other detainees, including members of the security forces, face accusations of corruption and serious international crimes including torture, disappearances, and extrajudicial killings.

Legal challenges and bail circumvention

Prosecutors have repeatedly sought to deny bail in cases where no evidence has been produced. Lower magistrate and district courts have consistently refused bail, while government authorities have filed fresh cases to circumvent High Court bail orders.

In one instance, ABM Khairul Haque, an 82-year-old former chief justice, was arrested on 24 July 2025 for allegedly murdering a protester. Over the following three months, he was arrested in four additional cases, including for corruption. Although his family stated he was in poor health and suffered a heart attack while in prison, lower courts denied bail in each case. On 10 March 2026, the day before the High Court granted bail in the final case, police applied for his arrest in two new cases to prevent his release.

After the High Court granted him bail on 12 May, police filed another murder charge, alleging he was at a murder scene at the same time as an earlier alleged murder, despite the locations being over 10 kilometres apart. Following a third instance where the High Court granted bail and police filed further cases, Haque was finally released on 19 August after intervention by the Appellate Division. He had not been charged with any offence during this period.

Lawyers for other detainees have told Human Rights Watch they now advise clients not to seek bail, because if they succeed, the police file a new case against them.

Conditions in the International Crimes Tribunal

The Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal allows detention without charge beyond one year only in written "exceptional circumstances". The tribunal has not released any of the over 160 people it has detained on bail, and those individuals have no right to appeal bail rejections.

Specific cases involving the tribunal include:

• Dr. Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury: An 81-year-old former Hasina advisor detained in October 2024. He has spent 22 months in custody without charge. When seeking bail in April 2026, the tribunal adjourned proceedings twice rather than allowing bail or setting out exceptional circumstances.
• Kamal Ahmed Majumder: A 75-year-old former parliament member detained for 22 months. His family reported he suffered gangrene on his foot requiring the amputation of three toes and broke his hip after a fall. The tribunal refused bail in July.
• Shahriar Kabir: A 75-year-old activist with chronic ailments who requires a wheelchair.
• RAM Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury: A 71-year-old who has been in detention for 22 months without charge and has serious heart problems.

Prison deaths and medical care

Families report that many detained relatives are not receiving adequate medical care. Ramesh Chandra Sen, an 85-year-old former Awami League lawmaker arrested in August 2024 for murder and explosives cases, remained in detention until his death on 7 February 2026. His family stated he was denied proper medication and refused bail.

SM Ziaul Haque Zia, a 65-year-old Jamalpur district Awami League member, was detained on 6 January while in poor health. He died on 14 April after being denied bail.

“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. “The Bangladeshi government should order independent inquiries into all prison deaths under its watch and stop arbitrarily detaining people for prolonged periods without charge.”