Amnesty International Demands Release of 59 Bawm Community Members Detained Without Trial in Chittagong Hill Tracts

Dhaka, 13 December 2025 – Amnesty International has reported that 59 members of the Bawm community in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) are being held in detention without trial. 

The human rights organization has urged the Bangladeshi authorities that, if there is sufficient evidence of internationally recognized criminal offenses, formal charges should be brought. Otherwise, the detainees must be released unconditionally.

The appeal was made in an open letter addressed to Professor Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of the Interim Government, published on Amnesty’s website on Friday. The letter details the current situation of the detained Bawm community members and offers several recommendations to the Bangladesh government.

According to Amnesty, as part of ongoing military operations in various areas of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, 142 members of the Bawm community were arbitrarily arrested on 7 April 2024, including three children. For over 18 months, 59 of them remain in detention without trial, including the three minors. While 80 of the detainees have been released on bail, three detainees have died since 2024 due to health-related issues.

The organization warned that the lives of those still detained are at serious risk. It also noted that the Bawm community was targeted despite being uninvolved in ongoing investigations of armed group Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) related to bank robbery and abduction in 2024.

The letter further stated that the detainees have been charged under Section 15 of the Special Powers Act for treason, along with additional charges such as robbery and abduction, though no substantive evidence has been presented for these accusations.

Amnesty International expressed deep concern that the 59 detained Bawm individuals are facing arbitrary criminal prosecution and discrimination. The organization emphasized that if adequate evidence exists, action should be taken promptly in accordance with internationally recognized law, or the detainees should be released immediately.

The organization also urged the government to ensure adequate legal support and medical care for the detainees and to allow their families regular access. Amnesty called for an end to ongoing oppression of the Bawm community and emphasized the full implementation of all human rights provisions under the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord.