Thousands of forced disappearances under Hasina rule in Bangladesh: Inquiry

The Commission of Inquiry connected Enforced Disappearances finds that retired of 1,569 confirmed cases, 287 fell into the ‘missing and dead’ category.

Bangladesh has revealed that enforced disappearance cases connected to ousted person Sheikh Hasina could fig a staggering 4,000 to 6,000 people.

A caller study by the Commission of Inquiry connected Enforced Disappearances connected Sunday said a full of 1,913 complaints were filed with it implicit disappearances, of which 1,569 were considered to person disappeared by “definition aft verification selection”.

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“Among these, 287 allegations person fallen successful the ‘Missing and Dead’ category,” the report, which was posted connected Facebook by Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, read.

However, committee subordinate Nabila Idris said the fig of enforced disappearances could beryllium betwixt 4,000 and 6,000.

“Contacting galore victims of the missing finds much victims done those who person not contacted us, don’t cognize astir america oregon person moved to different country. There are galore radical with whom, adjacent if we pass ourselves, they did not hold to talk connected record,” Idris said.

In November, Hasina was sentenced to death successful absentia, months aft fleeing to India, implicit the brutal crackdown by information forces during the 2024 student-led protests, which killed hundreds.

According to the commission, which was founded aft Hasina’s ouster, members said determination was a “primarily governmental motive” down the forced disappearances.

Of those who had disappeared and returned alive, 75 percent were Jamaat-e-Islami members, and 22 percent were Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) members and leaders, the 2 main governmental opponents of Hasina’s Awami League.

“Among those inactive missing, 68 percent of them are BNP and organisation leaders and 22 percent [are from the] Jamaat-Camp,” the study explained.

According to the report, grounds towards the disappearances pointed towards Awami League main Hasina, her defence advisor Tarique Ahmed Siddique, and erstwhile Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal.

It claimed that Hasina had ordered the disappearance of BNP leaders Ilias Ali, Hummam Quader Chowdhury, Salahuddin Ahmed, Chowdhury Alam; Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, Abdullahil Amaan Azmi, Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem, and Maruf Zaman.

Yunus, the interim authorities head, thanked the members of the enquiry for their ongoing enactment investigating forced disappearances, calling it “historic”.

“This study is simply a documentation of however radical tin beryllium treated with ideology by shaking each the institutions successful Bangladesh successful treble standards,” helium said.

“Those who made this horrible incidental are radical similar us. They are surviving mean lives successful nine by causing the astir brutal events. We arsenic a federation indispensable travel retired of this atrocity forever. We request to find the cure to fto this atrocity ne'er return,” helium added.

Late past month, Bangladesh mourned the decease of Khaleda Zia, three-time premier curate and longtime person of the BNP, and Hasina’s cardinal rival.

Khaleda’s decease marked the extremity of an era. The large question successful the federation present is whether her son, Tarique Rahman, volition physique connected her governmental legacy.