The Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances has found evidence of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s involvement in incidents of enforced disappearances. It also recommended the dissolution of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), accusing the force of human rights violations.
On Saturday (December 14) afternoon, the commission submitted its first interim report to the Chief Advisor of the interim government, Dr. Muhammad Yunus.
The five-member commission, led by retired Justice Moinul Islam Chowdhury, handed over the report titled “Unfolding the Truth” at the state guesthouse Jamuna in Dhaka.
In the report, the commission revealed that out of 1,676 complaints received so far, 758 cases have been verified.
The report states that the commission has found evidence linking former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as the mastermind behind enforced disappearances. Additionally, involvement of several senior officials from her administration has been identified, including her defense advisor Major General (Retd.) Tarique Ahmed Siddique, former Director General of the National Telecommunication Monitoring Center (NTMC) Major General Ziaul Ahsan, and police officers Md. Monirul Islam and Mohammad Harun-or-Rashid.
The report also recommended initiating judicial processes for victims of enforced disappearances and dissolving RAB.
Commission Chair Moinul Islam Chowdhury mentioned that those involved in the disappearances executed their operations in ways that made them difficult to trace. Various forces exchanged victims among themselves and implemented their plans differently to avoid detection.
Commission members present at the event included retired Justice of the High Court Division Md. Farid Ahmed Shibli, human rights activist Nur Khan, BRAC University professor Nabila Idris, and human rights activist Sajjad Hossain.
Advisors from the Ministry of Housing and Public Works and the Ministry of Industries, Adilur Rahman Khan, along with advisors for Social Welfare and Women and Children’s Affairs, Sharmin S. Murshid, were also in attendance.
