Human Rights Watch stated that after Sheikh Hasina was forced to resign as prime minister in August 2024 following weeks of protests, police detained thousands of party leaders, activists, and supporters. Hundreds of them remain imprisoned without being charged with any crime.
The report noted that although some officials from the Hasina government may have been involved in serious human rights violations, many were arrested without any visible evidence linking them to the killing of protesters. Their family members and lawyers have alleged that many of them are elderly and some suffer from severe health issues. They are also being deprived of fundamental rights, including bail and medical care.
According to HRW, at least 10 Awami League leaders have died in prison since Prime Minister Tarique Rahman took office last February. Most of them did not face specific criminal charges.
Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said that under successive governments, hundreds of opposition members have been kept in prison without evidence or due process. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's government has promised reforms, and as a first step toward fulfilling that promise, he should end the arbitrary and prolonged detention of political opponents.
The HRW report stated that instead of taking reform initiatives, the new national human rights commission bill initiated by the Bangladesh government, if passed in its current form, will block the newly formed commission from investigating allegations of arbitrary arrests. Those who have been detained for long periods without charges include former Awami League members of parliament, other former MPs who supported Hasina's administration, as well as activists, officials, and journalists who backed the Awami League government. Others detained include members of the security forces accused of serious international crimes, including extrajudicial killings, torture, and enforced disappearances. Some of them also face corruption charges.
Noting that prosecutors have repeatedly opposed bail in cases where no evidence has been presented, HRW said that lower and district courts have consistently rejected bail pleas. Furthermore, while the High Court grants bail, government authorities file new cases to block those orders from taking effect.
As an example, the HRW report highlighted the case of 82-year-old former Chief Justice A. B. M. Khairul Haque. He was arrested on July 24, 2025, on charges of killing a protest participant. Over the subsequent three months, he was shown arrested in four cases, including corruption charges.
Lower courts rejected Khairul Haque's bail petitions in every case, even though he was ill and suffered a heart attack while in prison, his family members told Human Rights Watch. Although the High Court granted his bail, just one day before he was to secure release from the court, police showed him arrested in two more new cases on March 10, 2026. Consequently, his release was blocked.
Lower courts rejected bail petitions for Khairul Haque in the two new cases as well. Later, on May 12, the High Court granted him bail. However, before Khairul Haque could be released, police filed another murder case against him. In the new police allegation, he was placed at the scene of another murder at the exact same time he was already accused of being at a previous murder scene, despite the two locations being more than 10 kilometers apart.
The same scenario was repeated once more for former Chief Justice A. B. M. Khairul Haque. After the High Court granted him bail, police filed a new case against him for a third time. In this manner, authorities attempted to bypass the new bail order issued by the High Court, which had instructed the police that Khairul Haque should not be arrested or harassed unless there was a specific case against him.
Following intervention by the Appellate Division, Khairul Haque was finally released on August 19. Throughout this entire period, no criminal charges were formally framed against him.
