A commission of inquiry formed by the interim government of Bangladesh has provisionally implicated former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the case of enforced disappearance. According to the report presented to Chief Counsel Muhammad Yunus on Saturday, it is estimated that more than 3,500 people are victims of such disappearances.
The Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances claims that there is evidence linking Hasina as the “trainer” behind these incidents. A statement issued by Yunus’ office said, ‘The commission has found evidence of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Involvement as a trainer in cases of enforced disappearance.
The report also names other people allegedly involved, including Major General (retd) Tariq Ahmad Siddiqui, former Director General of the National Telecommunication Monitoring Center Major General (retd) Ziaul Ahsan and senior police officers Monirul Islam and Mohammad Haroon-or-Rashid.
These people, along with many others, are reportedly at large, and are believed to have fled abroad after the Awami League government was ousted on August 5 following a student-led uprising.
The commission’s chairman, retired Supreme Court judge Mainul Islam Chaudhary, said the investigation had uncovered a “systematic design” that allowed the enforced disappearances to go undetected. “Those who committed enforced disappearances or extrajudicial killings lacked information about the victims,” Chowdhury said. PTI.
The commission’s report highlighted the role of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) of the police, the anti-crime force comprising personnel from various branches of the army and law enforcement. The report alleged that RAB and other agencies worked together to abduct, torture and detain the victim. These works were deliberately compartmentalized to avoid detection.
In response, the commission proposed abolishing the RAB and called for the repeal or amendment of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009. Sajjad Hussain, a human rights activist and member of the commission, said that the panel has so far registered 1,676 complaints of enforced disappearances and investigated 758 cases. . 27 percent of those victims never returned, while others were officially recorded as arrested.
In a press conference, the commission announced that it had discovered eight secret detention centers in and around Dhaka. The chairman told Yunus that another interim report would be submitted in March and that a full investigation would take another year.
“You are doing a very important job. We are ready to give you all the support you need,” Yunus told the commission.
TV channels and social media platforms have aired interviews with victims of alleged enforced disappearances, including opposition activists and former military officers opposed to Hasina’s regime.
A five-member commission comprising Justice Farid Ahmed Shibli, rights activist Noor Khan, BRAC University professor Nabila Idris and rights activist Sajjad Hussain has submitted an interim report titled ‘Unfolding the Truth’.
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