Dhaka – The Commission for Inquiry on Enforced Disappearance, established by Bangladesh’s interim government, has implicated former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in incidents of enforced disappearances. In its preliminary report titled Unfolding the Truth, the commission estimated the number of such disappearances to exceed 3,500.
The findings were disclosed through the office of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Saturday night. According to the commission, evidence pointed to Hasina’s direct involvement as the orchestrator of these disappearances. Several high-ranking officials, including her defense adviser Major General (retd) Tarique Ahmed Siddique, former National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre head Major General Ziaul Ahsan, and senior police officials Monirul Islam and Mohammad Harun-Or-Rashid, were also implicated.
Many of the accused have fled the country, reportedly seeking refuge abroad, following the collapse of Hasina’s Awami League regime on August 5 amid a student-led uprising.
The commission, chaired by retired Supreme Court Justice Mainul Islam Chowdhury, revealed a “systematic design” behind these disappearances. Chowdhury noted that operations were compartmentalized to maintain secrecy, with perpetrators often unaware of their victims’ identities.
Key law enforcement entities, including the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), were accused of collaborating in abductions, torture, and prolonged detentions. The report recommended abolishing the RAB and revising the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2009 to prevent further misuse.
Rights activist and commission member Sajjad Hossain disclosed that 1,676 complaints were officially recorded, of which 758 cases have been examined. Among these, 200 victims, or 27%, never returned, while many others reappeared under dubious circumstances as detainees.
The inquiry also uncovered eight covert detention facilities in and around Dhaka. Survivors and witnesses recounted harrowing experiences of torture and indefinite captivity in televised interviews and on social media platforms.
Justice Chowdhury emphasized the enormity of the task, requiring an additional year to investigate the remaining cases. He assured a follow-up interim report by March.
Chief Adviser Yunus commended the commission’s efforts, pledging full governmental support for their mission.
The revelations mark a critical juncture in Bangladesh’s human rights landscape, with calls for transparency, accountability, and systemic reform growing louder.
