Over the last 16 months, Bangladesh has witnessed an alarming escalation in the use of prolonged pre-trial detention against political opponents, raising grave concerns about the rule of law, due process, and judicial independence.
Since assuming power, the Yunus-led interim government has arrested at least 129 former ministers and Members of Parliament (MPs). Of those detained, 123 belong to the Awami League, while the remaining detainees are affiliated with the Workers’ Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), and Jatiya Party.
Despite the scale of these arrests, only eight individuals have been granted bail. The vast majority remain incarcerated for extended periods, many for several months, and some for more than a year, without meaningful progress toward trial.
FIND THE FULL LIST OF DETAINEES HERE
This figure represents only a fraction of the overall crackdown. Thousands of leaders, activists, and supporters of the Awami League and allied political parties have also been arrested during this period. Notably, the numbers cited here exclude journalists, lawyers, academics, and civil society figures who have likewise been detained under the same sweeping cases.
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Most of these arrests stem from wholesale “murder” and other serious criminal cases filed in connection with the July–August 2024 violence. Since Aug 2024, more than 1,600 such cases have been registered across Bangladesh, often implicating large numbers of opposition figures indiscriminately.
The most fundamental concern surrounding these arrests is the systemic lack of credible #evidence linking the accused to the alleged crimes in the overwhelming majority of cases. Numerous reports point to politically motivated prosecutions, coupled with widespread allegations of police corruption, extortion, fabricated accusations, and opportunistic score-settling.
Independent reporting and opinion pieces have highlighted how these cases are frequently used as tools of collective punishment and political intimidation, rather than genuine criminal accountability.
The continued use of indefinite pre-trial detention, denial of bail due to executive pressure, and mass criminalisation of political opponents represents a serious erosion of fundamental rights, including the presumption of innocence and the right to a fair and timely trial.
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