We appreciate Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus-led interim government for forming a five-member commission to trace and identify the victims of enforced disappearances by law enforcement agencies from January 1, 2010 to August 5, 2024. About 700 people fell victim to forced disappearance during the 15 years’ rule of Sheikh Hasina, Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam told journalists.
The commission has been entrusted with the task to trace the persons who fell victim to forced disappearance by different law enforcement agencies including Bangladesh Police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Special Branch (SB), Detective Branch (DB), Ansar Battalion, National Security Intelligence (NSI), defence forces, Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) and Coast Guard.
According to media, during the Awami League regime, many people were killed in crossfire. Such extrajudicial killing by the elite force continued throughout the country as no legal action was taken against those who were involved in the heinous crimes. The past AL government did not take any action against the law enforcers since it had used them for carrying out crimes like killing, torture and forced disappearance to cling on to power.
Family members and children of the victims have long been demanding that an independent and impartial investigation into forced diappearance be carried out immediately. They (victims’ families) narrated several times the ordeal and trauma they were going through losing their near and dear ones and demanded return of the missing people.
As members of law enforcement agencies themselves were involved in the incidents of forced disappearances, they (the past AL government) did not take any initiative to trace the victims of enforced disappearances. Had the government taken any step to find out the victims of enforced disappearance, the situation would have been different.
About 700 people fell victim
to forced disappearance during
the 15 years’ rule of Sheikh Hasina
The commission formed by the interim government has been entrusted with the task to trace the whereabouts of the forcibly disappeared people, their identity and find out under which circumstances the incidents of forced disappeareces took place.
It will also submit report with the details of the incidents of forced disappearance and made recommendations to the authorities concerned.
The commission will inform the relatives of the victims of the forced disappearances after tracing their whereabouts. It will also collect information regarding investigation of other agencies and organisations on the forcibly disappeared people.
We believe the commission will be able to trace the victims of the enforced disappearances and bring smiles to the faces of their children and other family members. People from all walks of life will have to come forward to help the commission in this regard.
The immediate past Awami League government had wanted to cling on to power by intimidating people and resorting to enforced disappearance.
We hope the commission will work to ensure justice for family members of the forcibly disappeared people and the persons responsible for such heinous crimes must be punished.
