At Least 187 Children Arbitrarily Arrested in Six Months, 127 Under Anti-Terrorism Act: JMBF Raises Alarm
Paris, France | 5 October 2026: JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) has published its six-month monitoring report (April–September 2026) on politcally motivated arbitrary arrest of children in Bangladesh under the newly formed government led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).According to the report, at least 187 children were arbitrarily arrested across the country between 1 April and 30 September 2026 solely for peacefully expressing political views associated with the Bangladesh Awami League.
The France-based international human rights organisation released the report on 5 October from its headquarters in Paris. The report was published as a press release on the organisation’s official website and social media platforms. It was also emailed to the United Nations Human Rights Council, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, UNICEF headquarters, the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights, European Commission headquarters, and various media outlets, national and international human rights organisations, and foreign embassies in Bangladesh.
According to the report, May recorded the highest number of arbitrary arrests of children, with 60 children arrested(32.09%). JMBF documented 42 arrests in September (22.46%), 38 in August (20.32%), 32 in June (17.11%), 9 in April (4.81%), and 6 in July (3.21%).
JMBF confirmed that the Anti-Terrorism Act was applied in the cases of at least 127 arrested children (67.91%). A further 2 children were arrested under the Special Powers Act, 1 under the Speedy Trial Act, 5 under the Explosive Substances Act, and 1 under cyber-related legislation. For the remaining 51 children (27.27%), the organisation could not identify the specific law under which they had been arrested.
A total of 74 children (39.57%) were arrested in incidents related to peaceful political processions or flash marches in support of the Bangladesh Awami League, while 57 (30.48%) were arrested in incidents related to preparations for processions or political activities.
The documented information indicates that at least 69 children (36.90%) were sent to Child Development Centres following their arrest. However, JMBF could not reliably determine where 111 children (59.36%) were held after their arrest.
Advocate Shahanur Islam, Founder President of JMBF, said, “Children’s political affiliation or peaceful expression of their views can never justify their arbitrary arrest or deprivation of liberty. The documented arrest of at least 187 children in six months, and the application of the Anti-Terrorism Act in the cases of 127 children, are deeply concerning. The State has a duty to ensure every child’s safety, dignity, continuity of education, and access to justice. We call on the government to immediately end the arrest, harassment and repression of children for political reasons, promptly review the cases concerned and release children held arbitrarily, and ensure accountability through independent and impartial investigations into every allegation.”
Although JMBF documented the arbitrary arrest of 187 children, it believes the actual number may be higher. Most arrests are not reported in the media, and JMBF has not been able to document every reported incident.
JMBF prepared the report through regular research and monitoring of information published by 154 national, local, and regional media outlets, online news portals, e-papers, television news channels, radio outlets, and magazines in Bangladesh and abroad.
According to JMBF’s observations, politically motivated arrests of children constitute serious violations of children’s rights, including their rights to personal liberty, access to justice, freedom of expression, and participation in political activities.
In most documented incidents, children were arrested for participating in or preparing for peaceful political processions, chanting political slogans, distributing leaflets, marking political occasions, or publishing political posts on social media.
JMBF considers the application of stringent laws, including the Anti-Terrorism Act, the Special Powers Act, the Speedy Trial Act, and the Explosive Substances Act, in these incidents to constitute serious human rights violations.
Notably, 17 children were arrested in the Maijdee municipal market area of Noakhali on 5 June. Chhatra Dal leaders and activists detained them and handed them over to the police; cases were subsequently filed against them under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
In September, seven children, including a 12-year-old, were arrested in connection with a political flash march in Langalband, Narayanganj. In Kuakata, 14 children were arrested under the Anti-Terrorism Act in connection with a flash march held under the banner of the Chhatra League.
In Sujanagar, Pabna, a tenth-grade student, was detained after school for allegedly celebrating Sheikh Hasina’s birthday and posting photographs of the celebration on Facebook. He was later formally recorded as arrested in a previously filed case under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Earlier, in February, three children were detained while on their way to pay tribute to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Dhanmondi 32 in the capital. They were then formally recorded as arrested in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act approximately two and a half months earlier.
JMBF believes these incidents illustrate serious human rights violations through the detention of children for alleged involvement in peaceful political activities and expression, followed by their formal arrest under stringent national security laws.
JMBF calls on the Government of Bangladesh to immediately end the arbitrary arrest and detention of children on the grounds of political expression, political affiliation, or participation in peaceful processions, assemblies, and political and social activities.
Cases involving children detained in such incidents must be reviewed promptly, the children released, and politically motivated allegations withdrawn. The use of the Anti-Terrorism Act and other stringent special laws to criminalise children’s peaceful political activities must also end. In all legal proceedings involving children, their age, best interests, and child-sensitive judicial procedures must receive the highest priority, and detention must be considered only as a measure of last resort.
In addition, accurate records must be maintained for every arrested child, including their age, the reason for arrest, the law applied, the arresting agency, court orders, place of custody, and information on bail and release.
Aggregate statistics on arrests and detention must be published regularly while protecting children’s identities and privacy, and essential information must be provided promptly to their families and lawyers.
Every allegation of children being detained, tortured, or forcibly handed over to the police by political individuals or groups must be investigated independently, impartially, and transparently, and those responsible must be held accountable. J
MBF also calls for the safety, legal assistance, and necessary protection of affected children and their families to be ensured.
In Solidarity,
Mst. Jannatul Ferdous
Assistant Secretary General
JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF)
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READ AND DOWNLOAD THE FULL REPORT IN ENGLISH, বাংলা & FRANÇAIS (PDF)
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JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan international human rights organization registered in France under the French Association Law of 1901 (Registration No. W931027714), committed to defending human rights, promoting social justice, and empowering communities in Bangladesh and beyond. JMBF is officially registered in the European Union Transparency Register (REG No. 0635235105176-78).
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