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The government has formed a commission to investigate the number of people who disappeared at the hands of law enforcement officers during the 16-year rule of the Awami League, led by Sheikh Hasina.
On Tuesday (August 27), the Cabinet Division issued a notification forming a five-member committee chaired by Justice Moinul Islam Chowdhury. Other members of the committee include retired High Court Justice Md. Farid Ahmed Shibli, human rights activist Nur Khan, BRAC University professor Ms. Nabila Idris, and human rights activist Sajjad Hossain.
The notification stated that from January 1, 2010, to August 5 of this year, the committee will identify the individuals forcibly disappeared by any members of law enforcement agencies such as Bangladesh Police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Special Branch, Detective Branch, Ansar Battalion, National Security Intelligence (NSI), Defense Forces, Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), and Coast Guard. The commission will determine the circumstances under which these disappearances occurred.
Details of these enforced disappearances must be submitted to the relevant authorities, and recommendations must be made. If any missing individuals are found, their relatives must be informed. The commission will also collect information from other agencies or institutions conducting investigations into disappearances. According to the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1956, the investigation report must be submitted to the government within 45 working days.
The notification also mentioned that the commission's chairperson would enjoy the status and benefits of a Supreme Court Appellate Division judge, and the members would have the status and benefits of High Court judges.
Several individuals were released from the notorious 'Aynaghar' after Sheikh Hasina resigned from the position of Prime Minister and left the country on August 5. These individuals had been forcibly detained and disappeared for several years. Notably, BNP leaders Elias Ali and Chowdhury Alam disappeared over a decade ago and are still missing.
The past 16 years have seen a series of disappearances and killings, creating fear among the public. Members of opposition political parties, particularly BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, have been the primary victims of these incidents. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam has claimed that over 600 party members were disappeared by the Awami League government, with allegations of over a thousand more being killed.
According to the statistics of the private human rights organization Odhikar, more than 700 people have disappeared in Bangladesh in the past 15 years, with over 150 individuals still missing.
Sanjida Islam, coordinator of the family support group 'Mayer Daak' (A Mother's Call), told the media, "We have long demanded accountability for those responsible for the disappearances. Bangladesh is joining the international convention against enforced disappearances. We now hope for justice. We believe that by forming this commission, the government will ensure justice for all disappearance cases."
Last week, legal adviser Dr. Asif Nazrul announced the decision to form a commission to investigate each disappearance case, which was also decided upon in a meeting of the advisory council.
Messenger/Shahed
