Disturbing Pattern of Politically Motivated Prosecutions

Written by Jerry Allen, Country Coordinator for Sri Lanka and Bangladesh

In July and August 2024, 1,400 students were killed in protests in Bangladesh.  Subsequently the Awami League government was overthrown by the military on 5^th August 2024.  An unelected interim government of “Advisors” was appointed.

Since last August there has been a wave of prosecutions targeting individuals linked, or perceived to be linked, to the previous Awami League government.  In many cases, families of those killed during the 2024 uprising have filed murder complaints naming dozens or even hundreds of people without clear individual evidence.  These cases have resulted in arrests of former government officials, legal professionals, civil society members, and cultural figures including individuals with no formal political affiliations.  Courts have routinely denied bail, and key figures have been detained based on vague or politically charged allegations.  Journalists perceived to be supportive of the previous government have been arrested and charged in criminal cases based on accusations from individuals, some of which appeared to have little factual basis.

With an election planned next February these politically motivated arrests will increase, as well as the associated mob violence. 

Adilur Rahman Khan, once championed human rights, is the government’s press secretary.  He says that "the ongoing issue of arbitrary and illegal detentions in Bangladesh is deeply troubling and cannot be justified under any circumstances" and that "thousands of innocent people have been targeted with false accusations, misusing the legal system to torment opponents."  In other words, the interim government are aware of the situation but seem to be powerless to prevent these arrests.

Human Rights Watch raised major concerns in their 30^th July report.  Here are some quotes:

• “The interim Bangladesh government of Mohammed Yunus is falling short in implementing its challenging human rights agenda.”
• “the interim government has used arbitrary detention to target perceived political opponents and has yet to deliver systemic reforms to protect human rights.”
• "the government is facing enormous challenges including an alarming surge in mob violence, political violence, and harassment of journalists by political parties and other non-state groups, such as religious hardliners hostile to women’s rights and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. On July 26 and 27, a mob damaged at least 14 homes belonging to members of the Hindu …, and there are continuing violations against minority communities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts."

The cases of Shahriar Kabir, Khairul Haque, and Shomi Kaiser

These three emblematic, high-profile cases illustrate the misuse of the legal system for political purposes.

Shahriar Kabir, a journalist and human rights defender, was arrested in September 2024.  His arrest appears to be based on fabricated charges, likely stemming from his critical writings about political parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami.  He has a long history of facing legal persecution for expressing critical views.  Amnesty International declared Kabir a “prisoner of conscience” in 2001 after his initial detention for writing articles and documenting human rights violations. 

A press conference in London last December drew attention to disturbing reports of mob violence during Kabir’s court appearance.  It presented a four-point recommendation to the Interim Government of Bangladesh: provide urgent medical attention to Kabir; bring those responsible for the mob attack to justice; drop the fabricated charges; and ensure a fair legal process by consolidating multiple charges. Shahriar Kabir is now 75 years old and seriously ill.  Please see the report of the conference

Justice Khairul Haque, one of Bangladesh’s most prominent jurists, was arrested on July 24, 2025, and brought before a Dhaka court.  He was charged in connection with the killing of a teenage BNP activist, during the July 2024 uprising.  (The BNP are the political party that was the main opposition to the Awami League, government.)

In court, a lawyer aligned with the BNP made a statement which showed that the arrest was overtly political and not based on the facts of the murder case.  It was nevertheless allowed to stand in court. It forms the primary basis for the case against Justice Haque, despite containing no legal substance or criminal allegations. The court ordered that Justice Haque be sent to jail.  He is 80 years old and has had a long-distinguished career.

Shomi Kaiser, former actress and now businesswoman, was arrested in November 2024 in relation to the attempted murder of a young person shot on 18 July 2024. Attorney General's office justified her detention because she was part of a WhatsApp group and she gave a speech, supporting the government, on 1 August 2024. However, there is no evidence that she messaged anything incriminating and the speech took place on 1 August, 12 days after the 18 July incident.  She was imprisoned for 10 months. 

Azizur Rahman, a rickshaw driver, was the victim of a politically motivated mob attack on 15^th August 2025. He was then arrested by the Dhaka police in connection with a July 2024 attempted murder case.  His name had not previously been listed in this case.  This was clearly a politically motivated arrest.  Please see the full account. FREE AZIZUR

Related Articles

BBC. 14^th August

“Several journalists and supporters of the Awami League have been jailed for months on murder charges. Their bail applications have been repeatedly rejected by courts. Critics say there is no thorough investigation over those murder accusations, and they have been kept in detention only because of their previous support for the Awami League.” Please see the article

Daily Star: Arbitrary detention and the hypocrisy within the government. “thousands of innocent people have been targeted with false accusations”.  Please see the article.

Prothom Alo Flawed detentions and precarious trails.  This highlights criminal cases filed by victims or their families that allege that hundreds of people, mostly Awami League politicians and supporters, are guilty of murder or attempted. Please see this article.