The Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances submitted its first interim report today (Dec 14) to the Chief Adviser of the Interim Government, Professor Muhammad Yunus.

The five-member commission, led by retired Justice Mainul Islam Chowdhury, handed over the report titled “Unfolding The Truth” at the State Guest House Jamuna in the capital.

In the report, the commission revealed that it had found prima facie evidence of the involvement of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, along with some high-ranking officials from the security forces and her government, in enforced disappearances. This included Hasina’s defence adviser, Major General (retd) Tarique Ahmed Siddique.

The commission also named former Director General of the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre, sacked Major General Ziaul Ahsan, senior police officers Monirul Islam and Md. Harun-Or-Rashid, among others, as being involved in multiple cases of enforced disappearances.

To date, the commission has recorded 1,676 complaints of enforced disappearances, with 758 of them already scrutinised. It estimates that the total number of enforced disappearances in the country may exceed 3,500.

One of the key recommendations in the report was the disbandment of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), citing its involvement in these incidents.

Commission Chairman Justice Chowdhury described a "systematic design" to keep incidents of enforced disappearances undetected. He added that operations were deliberately fragmented, and that the individuals carrying out these acts of enforced disappearance or extrajudicial killings often lacked knowledge of the victims. The commission found that forces involved in these operations exchanged victims in a manner that made tracing their whereabouts more difficult.

The commission stated that it plans to submit another interim report in March, and that it will require at least another year to complete the scrutiny of all the allegations received.

The Chief Adviser expressed his gratitude to the commission for submitting the interim report, offering full support for its work. "You are doing a very important job. We are ready to provide all the support you need," Yunus said.

BDST: 2024 HRS, DEC 14, 2024
MN