Zakir Hossain / Dhaka:
A new report by the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances has alleged that Bangladesh’s previous government used its anti-militancy campaign as a cover to carry out systematic enforced disappearances from 2010 to 2024.
Unveiling the report at an event in Dhaka’s Gulshan on Thursday, commission chief and former High Court Justice Moinul Islam Chowdhury said, “The evidence proves that the previous government carried out enforced disappearance on the pretext of an anti-militancy campaign, aiming to douse the extremism, centralise state power, prolong its tenure, and garner international support.”
The commission, formed to investigate cases from January 1, 2010 to August 5, 2024, has examined 1,850 complaints and found credible evidence in 253 cases. According to Justice Moinul, the victims include meritorious students, political activists, journalists, doctors, and engineers. He claimed the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League administration, which was ousted during the 2024 uprising, “institutionalised torture and abduction by politicising the judiciary and law enforcement.” The report also alleges that Bangladeshi citizens were handed over illegally to Indian forces under a “pre-planned and well-organised suppressive policy.”
Justice Moinul added that 81% of complaints came from victims who eventually returned, while 19% are still missing. While the commission has identified individuals involved in the disappearances, he declined to disclose their names, citing the ongoing investigation.
(Zakir Hossain is a freelance journalist and political analyst based in Dhaka, Bangladesh)