Eight Bawm (Bom) students arrested in connection with the April 2024 bank robbery case in Bandarban have now spent 680 days in prison without trial, with no charge sheet filed and little progress in the investigation. Sixteen students were initially detained, all facing four cases each under the Special Powers Act and the Anti-Terrorism Act. Families and rights advocates allege arbitrary arrest and systematic obstruction of bail, leaving the detainees trapped in prolonged pretrial incarceration.
Among them, sisters Laltalan Kim Bawm and Partha Joal Bawm have had bail rejected 16 times across the High Court, Sessions Court, and Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, while Tina Bawm’s applications have been rejected 11 times. Although the High Court granted bail in May 2025 after multiple hearings, the state appealed immediately, and the order was stayed in July. Subsequent attempts to reapply have been repeatedly derailed by procedural barriers, including judges declining to hear the cases and deadlines expiring before hearings could occur.
Other detainees face similar barriers. JCJingrinh Par Bawm’s family could not even file for bail for 17 months due to financial hardship, while Lian Luai Thang and Lal Rin Toluang Bawm saw their bail granted and then stayed, with later appeals languishing for months without hearing before being dismissed. One detainee, Bhan Noon Nuam Bawm, reportedly has had no legal representation since April 2024.
Particularly alarming is the case of Akim Bawm, arrested at age 14 years and 10 months. Despite protections under the Children Act 2013, she was held with adults in Bandarban jail and denied education for over a year. Although later recognized as a minor and transferred to the Gazipur Child Development Center, her bail was still denied, and her High Court application remains unheard. Families say the detainees’ cases continue to circulate between courts without resolution, effectively denying them the constitutional right to bail.
Source: Bawm Lives Matter
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