A new US State Department report has documented widespread human rights abuses in Bangladesh under former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, while noting early reforms since an interim administration took power in August.
The 2024 Country Report on Human Rights Practices says the most serious violations occurred in the months before Hasina fled the country on 5 August, 2024, following weeks of mass student-led protests. After some incidents in August, the human rights situation in the country stabilized, although some concerns persisted, it observed.
The US State Department cites unlawful killings, enforced disappearances, torture, media censorship and political repression as major concerns under the Awami League. It says security forces and ruling party activists acted with “widespread impunity”.
Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was sworn in as chief adviser – the equivalent of prime minister – three days after Hasina’s departure. The report says his government has begun releasing political prisoners, dropping speech-related criminal charges and investigating alleged abuses.
The most violent period came between mid-July and early September in 2024. Human rights groups say hundreds died in clashes between protesters, police and Awami League activists.
The Human Rights Support Society reported at least 986 deaths. Protest organisers claimed more than 1,400 were killed and over 22,000 injured – most from gunfire. More than half of those killed were students; over 100 were children.
The interim government has pledged prosecutions, including against members of the Awami League’s student wing, the Bangladesh Chhatra League.
Beyond protest-related deaths, the report says at least 17 people were killed in alleged extrajudicial incidents between January and October. Some deaths occurred in custody or during so-called “crossfire” operations.
Enforced disappearances were also recorded, mostly targeting opposition activists. Dozens of long-missing detainees were freed after the change in power. A new Commission on Enforced Disappearances has already identified eight secret detention sites and received 1,600 complaints.
Under the previous government, suspects were routinely tortured during police remand, according to the report. Alleged methods included beatings, electric shocks and sexual abuse. Rights groups say such abuse was used to extract confessions or bribes. No cases have been reported since August.
Freedom of expression was sharply curtailed before August, with journalists harassed, arrested and prosecuted under the Digital Security Act (DSA) and its successor, the Cyber Security Act (CSA). More than 5,800 cases were pending in August, including 1,340 classed as “speech-based offences”. The interim administration says it will drop such cases and release those detained.
However, it has also revoked the official credentials of 167 journalists linked to the former government, restricting their access to ministries and official events.
Labour rights and safety
The report points to barriers to union formation, particularly in export processing zones where trade unions are banned. Labour leaders face harassment and violence, while factory inspections are limited.
From January to June, 475 workers died in workplace accidents. In September, a boiler blast at a shipyard killed seven and injured six. The report says there are only 446 inspectors for more than 530,000 workplaces nationwide.
Child marriage and refugees
Bangladesh has one of the highest child marriage rates in the world. UN data shows more than half of girls marry before 18, with government figures also indicating a rise in marriages involving girls under 15.
The country hosts more than one million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar. The previous government blocked registration for tens of thousands who arrived in 2024. The interim administration has allowed humanitarian agencies to provide limited assistance.
Impunity concerns
The State Department says impunity for abuses remains a “central obstacle” to reform. While arrests of some former officials mark a change, it is “too early to assess” whether accountability will be sustained.
The report concludes that Bangladesh is at a “fragile turning point”. It says recent changes could pave the way for lasting human rights improvements – but warns that without deep institutional reform, the country risks repeating past abuses.