A centuries-old practice of systemic sexual exploitation of young boys, known as Bacha Bazi, continues unabated in Afghanistan despite legal bans by both the previous government and the Taliban. According to a detailed report, thousands of impoverished boys are forced into wearing women's clothing, dancing for powerful men, and enduring rape by local commanders and officials. The tradition, rooted in the 13th cnetury and revived during the 1980s Mujahideen war, persists as an open secret under the Taliban's current rule.

From the 13th century to the 2020s: the enduring horror of Bacha Bazi

The report traces the practice back to at least the 13th century, but its most notorious resurgence came during the Mujahideen's war against the Soviet Union in the 1980s, when warlorrds kept boys as status symbols. After the Taliban first outlawed Bacha Bazi in the 1990s, the practice returned with the old power structures following their ousting in 2001. Today, under the Taliban's second rule, the same commanders and influential figures remain the main perpetrators, according to the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC).

The Taliban's 1990s ban and the return under warlord power

The Taliban initially banned Bacha Bazi when they came to power in the 1990s, but it did not eliminate the underlying power dynamics. After their 2001 ouster, warlords and commanders who had previously been involved resumed the practice openly. The source notes that before the Taliban takeover, military and police officials were also implicated, indicating how deeply the abuse was embedded in the state apparatus. This history raises questions about whether the current regime's ban is any more enforceable than its predecessor's.

Sold by families or abducted by police: the victims' two paths

According to the report, victims come from impoverished families who sometimes sell their sons into the system, while others are abducted — even by police. Survivors report beatings, psychological torment, and being discarded once they grow facial hair, after which many turn to prostitution, drugs, or suicide. AIHRC documents that victims suffer serious psychological trauma, stress , distrust, and feelings of revenge, and some adolescent victims go on to keep their own bachas,perpetuating the cycle. The source highlights that this intergenerational trauma makes the practice self-sustaining.

What Barat Ali Batoor's 2010 documentary revealed

Photographer Barat Ali Batoor captured the hidden plight of bacha bazi boys in a 2010 Frontline documentary, bringing international attention to the tragedy . The source highlights that foreign forces operating in Afghanistan through the 2000s and 2010s were aware of the practice but often powerless to intervene due to alliances with Afghan commanders engaged in it. This awareness without action has been a source of ongoing criticism, as the abuse continued under the noses of the international community.

Why the US State Department still lists Afghanistan on trafficking reports

The U.S. State Department's Trafficking in Persons report confirms that Bacha Bazi, along with child soldier recruitment and human trafficking, continues in Afghanistan under the Taliban. the suspension of international aid after the Taliban's 2021 return has left victims with limited support, raising questions about how the international community can respond effectively without enabling the regime. The article's findings suggest that without addressing the root power structures, any ban remains largely symbolic. What remains unknown is the precise scale of the abuse, how many boys are currently enslaved, and whether the Taliban's internal enforcement has any genuine impact.