The Human Rights Watch (HRW) has alleged in a newly published report that the brutal police crackdown on student-led protests in Bangladesh during July and August last year was orchestrated by the country’s former political leadership rather than frontline law enforcement officers.
Released on Monday (27 January), the HRW report, titled "After the Monsoon Revolution: A Roadmap to Lasting Security Sector Reform in Bangladesh," offers an extensive analysis of how law enforcement and security agencies have historically been wielded as instruments to advance political agendas.
It asserts that high-ranking political figures dictated the response of security forces, overriding the authority of field officers.
The report further states that the interim government now finds itself locked in a struggle against powerful security institutions that previously operated with impunity under political patronage.
HRW Asia Director Elaine Pearson remarked, “Nearly 1,000 Bangladeshis lost their lives while fighting for democracy. This moment presents a historic opportunity to build a rights-respecting future. However, the gains achieved through this hard-fought struggle could be lost unless the interim government swiftly implements structural reforms to prevent future repression.”
Political Orders Behind Police Brutality
Multiple police officers interviewed by HRW stated that the excessive use of force during the protests was not an independent law enforcement decision but a direct order from political leadership.
One officer noted, “I firmly believe that political leaders, rather than field officers, dictated the police response during the unrest.”
Another officer reported witnessing senior officials at the Dhaka Metropolitan Police headquarters monitoring live CCTV footage and issuing commands to open fire on demonstrators, likening their instructions to playing a video game.
A third officer revealed, “Our superiors instructed us to be ruthless and to spare no ‘criminals spreading anarchy.’ While they did not explicitly say ‘shoot to kill,’ their directives were clear—use maximum force, do whatever is necessary, and take a hard stance to restore control.”
The HRW report alleges that these directives came from the then-home minister Asaduzzaman Khan and former IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who, in turn, instructed the former commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, Habibur Rahman to relay the orders down to district-level officials.
A police officer further disclosed that he had seen fellow officers deliberately targeting protestors’ vital organs with live ammunition, even in situations where their own lives were not in immediate danger.
Allegations of Enforced Disappearances and Extrajudicial Killings
HRW’s investigation also sheds light on enforced disappearances and targeted killings, implicating the highest echelons of the former government.
Several officials involved in clandestine operations stated that Sheikh Hasina and her senior government members were aware of these abductions—and, in some cases, personally sanctioned them.
One security official alleged that Hasina was directly informed about the deteriorating health of Abdullahil Amaan Azmi while he was held in a secret detention centre.
The officer, a former military colleague of Azmi, had reportedly appealed for his release, but Hasina rejected the request each time.
The officer further claimed, “Hasina even suggested eliminating Azmi. I refused to carry out the order, but I stopped asking for his release.”
Another security official, reflecting on his decade-long career, stated, “I have personally witnessed enforced disappearances and killings carried out by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). These were real, and they could never have happened without approval from the police headquarters, the Home Ministry, or the Home Minister himself.”
The HRW report also includes testimony from Mir Ahmed Bin Quasem (Arman), who had been forcibly disappeared since 2016.
He recounted encountering an officer who revealed that Arman, Azmi, and Hummam Quader Chowdhury had been abducted and detained, with their fates resting solely on Hasina’s decisions.
All three individuals are children of prominent opposition politicians.
Concerns Over Political Retaliation and Police Abuse Under Interim Rule
The report expresses concerns that Bangladesh’s security forces continue to engage in abusive practices, now targeting former ruling party members under the interim government.
HRW reviewed eight First Information Reports (FIRs) filed over killings during the July-August crackdown, which name 297 individuals—including ousted prime minister Hasina and several Awami League ministers—alongside 600 unnamed suspects.
HRW notes a “disturbing pattern” of politically motivated police actions, stating, “The same mechanisms of state abuse and political vendetta have resurfaced—this time targeting Awami League supporters.”
The report further highlights that over 1,000 police cases have been filed in the first two months of the interim government’s rule, primarily against Awami League members.
Investigations are currently underway against more than 400 former ministers and leaders, with some complainants stating they were unaware of the accused individuals’ identities at the time of filing.
Several complainants told HRW that they were pressured by police or local political figures into signing documents without knowing who was being accused.
Two complainants revealed that local political rivals of the Awami League coerced them into signing police reports, leaving them uncertain about the names listed.
Media Suppression and Charges Against Journalists
The report also highlights a surge in criminal charges against journalists who reported on the Monsoon Revolution.
By November last year, at least 140 journalists had been charged with criminal offences, including murder, for covering the uprising.
HRW interviewed two healthcare workers, Amjad Hossain and Nizam Uddin, who were employed at Chittagong Medical College Hospital during the protests.
They are now facing murder charges for treating student protester Wasim Akram, who later died.
Hossain recounted, “On 16 July, we were assisting doctors with the bodies of Wasim and three others killed in the protests. We even helped the families with funeral arrangements. When I later found my name on the list of accused in Wasim’s murder case, I was in shock. I was in the hospital all day, treating the wounded. I have never been involved in politics, yet my name now appears alongside numerous Awami League members. I have not dared to contact the police. You know how they operate—if I try to prove my innocence, they will arrest me before even listening to my case.”
Calls for Immediate Reforms
The report urges the interim government to implement structural reforms within the Ministry of Home Affairs to ensure that law enforcement agencies operate independently of political influence.
HRW also calls for judicial and prosecutorial independence to prevent executive interference in legal proceedings.
Bangladesh’s transitional period, the report warns, presents a critical test: whether the country will break free from its cycle of political repression or fall into another era of authoritarian abuse.
