BBC documents Taliban's grip on Afghan society five years after return

Five years after seizing power, the Taliban continues to consolidate control over Afghanistan through sweeping changes affecting every aspect of society. A BBC examination of Taliban operations reveals how senior leadership is directing transformations across legal, social and technological domains, often with limited transparency or public consultation.

The investigation documents the group's approach to governance, showing how Taliban officials are making consequential decisions on matters ranging from personal and family law to the use of digital technologies. These policies reflect the movement's ideological framework while facing the practical challenges of administering a nation of some 40 million people.

The Taliban's five-year consolidation of power has involved centralizing authority while grappling with the complexities of modern state administration. Senior figures have worked to establish bureaucratic structures and implement policies designed to enforce their vision of Islamic governance, though effectiveness and consistency across the country remain uneven.

The BBC's access to Taliban officials provides rare visibility into decision-making processes within a movement that has historically operated with minimal public accountability. The findings underscore how the group's return to power has fundamentally altered the institutional and social landscape across Afghanistan, with implications continuing to unfold for the Afghan population.