In a statement issued on Sunday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged the Bangladesh government to immediately cease the prolonged pretrial detention of politicians and individuals associated with the ousted Awami League administration. The international watchdog emphasized that hundreds of people remain incarcerated without formal charges following the August 2024 resignation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina amid widespread protests.

Originally, thousands of Awami League loyalists, activists, and officials were swept up in arrests, and hundreds are still behind bars today. While acknowledging that certain officials from Hasina’s era might be implicated in severe human rights abuses, HRW noted that many current detainees were apprehended without clear evidence, often broadly accused of killing demonstrators.

Detainees’ families and legal counsels report that basic rights—including bail access and essential medical care—are routinely denied, particularly impacting the elderly and those with severe health ailments. According to HRW, at least 10 Awami League officials have died in custody since Prime Minister Tarique Rahman assumed office in February 2026, most without ever facing charges.

“Under one government after another, hundreds of opposition members have been locked up without evidence or due process,” stated Elaine Pearson, HRW’s Asia director, calling on authorities to end the extended arbitrary detention of political rivals.

The rights group also condemned the proposed National Human Rights Commission bill, warning that its current iteration would block the newly formed commission from probing arbitrary arrests.

Those held without charge include past Awami League legislators, allied former lawmakers, journalists, officials, and activists. Additionally, some security personnel face allegations of grave international crimes—such as torture, forced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings—while others are accused of corruption.

HRW highlighted a systemic issue where prosecutors routinely block bail requests without presenting evidence, and lower courts consistently deny these applications. When the High Court does grant bail, authorities frequently bypass the orders by filing new charges. Consequently, defense lawyers are now advising clients against seeking bail to avoid triggering additional police cases.

The organization pointed to 82-year-old former Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque, who was detained in July 2025 over the alleged murder of a protester. Despite the High Court granting him bail, police lodged four supplementary cases, including corruption charges, to block his release. Following the Appellate Division’s intervention, he was eventually freed on 19 August, having never been formally charged during his confinement.

Further alarm was raised regarding the International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh, which has incarcerated over 160 individuals without bail, offering no appeal process for bail denials.

Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury (81), an adviser to Hasina, has been detained without charge for 22 months since October 2024. When he applied for bail in April 2026, the tribunal refused and failed to outline the “exceptional circumstances” legally required to hold someone over a year. Similarly, 75-year-old former MP Kamal Ahmed Majumder has also endured 22 months in custody. The tribunal denied his bail in July, despite him suffering a fractured hip from a fall and developing gangrene that necessitated the amputation of three toes.

Other ailing detainees include 75-year-old Shahriar Kabir, who relies on a wheelchair due to chronic illnesses, and 71-year-old RAM Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury, who battles severe cardiac issues.

HRW documented the 7 February 2026 death of 85-year-old former Awami League lawmaker Ramesh Chandra Sen. Held since August 2024 in connection with an explosives incident and three murders, his family claimed he was refused bail and adequate medication. Additionally, SM Ziaul Haque Zia (65), an Awami League committee member in Jamalpur district, died on 14 April after his bail was rejected. He had been detained on 6 January despite pre-existing poor health.

While international human rights law allows for pretrial detention, HRW stressed it must be an exception subjected to individual judicial review, not a standard practice.

“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 remarked. She urged Bangladesh to halt prolonged arbitrary detentions and mandate independent investigations into all custodial deaths under the government’s watch.