The Canada-based Global Centre for Democratic Governance (GCDG) has strongly condemned the arbitrary detention and inhumane treatment of 16 individuals in Bangladesh, including former minister and freedom fighter Abdul Latif Siddiqui, Dhaka University Law Professor Sheikh Hafizur Rahman Curzon, and senior journalist Monjurul Alam Panna.
These individuals were detained without charge and held for more than 12 hours before politically motivated cases were filed against them under the Anti-Terrorism Act, followed by denial of bail and immediate incarceration, the GCDG said in a statement on Saturday.
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The GCDG said it stands in solidarity with the victims of this political repression and urged the international community to monitor the situation closely and hold Bangladeshi authorities accountable for these violations.
This sequence of events, detention without due process, politically driven charges, and lack of bail constitutes a direct violation of Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which guarantees the right to liberty and protection against arbitrary arrest.
The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has repeatedly emphasised that detention becomes arbitrary when individuals are deprived of liberty without legal justification or due process.
The GCDG is particularly alarmed by credible reports of the cruel and degrading treatment of Professor Sheikh Hafizur Rahman in police custody, including denial of medical care and physical abuse.
These actions clearly violate Article 7 of the ICCPR, which prohibits torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment. Bangladesh is also in breach of its own Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention) Act of 2013, which criminalises such abuse.
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The role of the judiciary in this case has also raised serious concerns. The Chief Metropolitan Magistrateโs Court reportedly ordered the incarceration of all 16 detainees without adequately reviewing the legitimacy of the arrests or charges, signalling a disturbing pattern of judicial partiality and political weaponisation of legal institutions. This undermines the rule of law and erodes public confidence in democratic governance.
In light of these grave violations, the GCDG called on the interim government, led by Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus, to immediately release all individuals detained under politically motivated charges, launch an independent investigation into all allegations of custodial abuse, ensure the independence and impartiality of the judiciary in accordance with international standards, and uphold Bangladeshโs obligations under international human rights law.
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