59 Indigenous Bawm people continue to be detained without trial in Chittagong Hill Tracts in south-eastern Bangladesh. They are accused by the Bangladeshi authorities of being “terrorists”, suspected of being part of, or supporters of, a military group that allegedly robbed two public banks and held a bank manager hostage in April 2024. Of the 142 people arrested in April 2024, three have died in custody amidst concerns of lack of adequate healthcare, while those still in detention remain at serious risk. 80 people have been released on bail, but the other 59 Bawm people, including three children, continue to be jailed without trial. Bangladeshi authorities must either promptly charge individuals with an internationally recognizable criminal offence or release them.
