Following protests against the government in Bangladesh last year, the party of Sheikh Hasina is facing a difficult situation. Sheikh Hasina was forced to leave the country after a coup on August 5th of the previous year. Since then, her party, the Awami League, has been disintegrating and is currently banned in the country. General elections are scheduled for 2026. Simultaneously, the Awami League has been conducting processions in Dhaka. On September 16th, the banned Awami League unexpectedly held a procession in the Shyamoli area, resulting in police detaining several individuals. In total, the police have arrested numerous people from the Awami League’s processions.
According to police reports, from August 5th of the previous year to September 3rd of this year, a total of 44,472 people were arrested in the past year. This indicates that more than 44,000 Awami League workers have been arrested within these 13 months. Out of those arrested, 32,371 have been granted bail, accounting for approximately 73% of the total accused.
Police sources indicated that the accused were arrested in various cases, including those related to the anti-discrimination student movement, processions, or involvement in anti-government and anti-state activities after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government. Some of them are officials, while others are accused of being associates of the Awami League or the government at the time.
According to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), 97 cases were registered in the capital under the Anti-Terrorism Act concerning the illegal processions and programs of the Awami League and its affiliated organizations, along with the banned student league. In these cases, 1,123 people were arrested, with 403 already having been granted bail.
On September 24th, the Awami League planned a march, and upon receiving information about the preparations, the police immediately became active. The police took positions at various locations. During the flash march, 244 people were arrested.
Among the eight ranges related to Awami League activities after August 5th, the highest number of arrests occurred in Chittagong, with 7,823 people arrested within 13 months. Out of these, 6,275 (80%) were granted bail. The lowest number of arrests was in the Sylhet range, with 1,398 arrests, of which 1,174 (approximately 84%) were granted bail.
Breakdown of arrests and bail in six ranges:
Dhaka: 7,355 arrested, 4,806 (65%) granted bail
Rajshahi: 5,018 arrested, 4,221 (84%) granted bail
Khulna: 5,992 arrested, 4,554 (76%) granted bail
Barisal: 1,776 arrested, 1,555 (88%) granted bail
Rangpur: 3,891 arrested, 2,714 (70%) granted bail
Mymensingh: 3,036 arrested, 1,443 (48%) granted bail
A meeting was convened to address how those arrested were receiving bail so quickly. A four-member committee, chaired by a joint secretary of the Home Ministry, was formed on September 14th to oversee the bail issue. The committee includes representatives from the Law Ministry, the Attorney General’s office, and the police. The committee will investigate how people arrested in anti-terrorism cases are being granted bail so quickly.
