Bangladesh: Indigenous Bawm people detained without trial

Fifty-nine Indigenous Bawm people continue to be held without trial in the Chittagong Hill Tracts in south-eastern Bangladesh. Bangladeshi authorities accuse them of being “terrorists” and allege that they are members or supporters of a military group involved in the robbery of two public banks and the hostage-taking of a bank manager in April 2024.

In total, 142 people were arrested in April 2024. Since then, three detainees have died in custody, raising serious concerns about access to adequate health care. Those who remain in detention continue to face significant risks to their safety and wellbeing.

While 80 people have been released on bail, 59 Bawm people, including three children, are still jailed without trial. Under international law, Bangladeshi authorities must either promptly charge detainees with a recognizable criminal offence or release them.

Here’s what you can do:

Write to the Chief advisor urging him to:

• Either promptly charge individuals with an internationally recognizable criminal offence or release them, if sufficient admissible evidence exists,
• Provide adequate legal representation and access to adequate healthcare for all those detained and allow their relatives to visit them without fear of being arrested in the process;
• End the crackdown against the Bawm community;
• Fully implement all human rights provisions of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Peace Accord.

Longstanding discrimination and the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord

Indigenous Peoples in Bangladesh have faced decades of persecution and discrimination across social, economic, and political life.

More than 25 years ago, the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord was signed by the Government of Bangladesh and the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti, a political party formed to defend the rights of Indigenous Peoples in the region.

The Accord aimed to end conflict and address long-standing injustices in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. However, many of its core commitments remain unfulfilled, and the current situation has forced people to flee their villages.

Detention without legal safeguards and deaths in custody

Many Bawm detainees continue to be held without access to legal representation, leaving their chances of release increasingly uncertain. Due to severe financial hardship, most families have been unable to afford legal assistance and have not applied for bail.

After detainee Lal Tleng died in custody in May 2025, the Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission issued a statement calling for an end to the systematic persecution of the Bawm community. Ongoing detention without adequate safeguards continues to place detainees at serious risk.

Stalled court cases, exploitation, and military operations

The Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission has also raised concerns about Lian Thang Pui Bawm, who remains imprisoned in poor health. In October, he reportedly required a blood transfusion. Although the High Court initially granted him bail, a stay order from the Chamber Court prevented his release. His case is now before the Appellate Division, where securing a hearing date has become increasingly difficult.

Like his case, many others remain stayed and pending in the Appellate Division. There are reports that some lawyers accepted large sums of money from families but failed to secure bail, leaving the Bawm community deeply indebted. Many families have been forced to sell land and property to pursue justice through the courts.

At present, villages including Bethel, Pankhyang, Suanlu, Faruk, Eden, and Darjeeling are under military operations in the Ruma, Bandarban, and Rowangchari sub-districts of the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

Please take action as soon as possible until June 30, 2026. The UA will be duly updated should there be the need for further action.