TDS Desk

A recent interim report from the Commission for Inquiry on Enforced Disappearance has highlighted alarming patterns of enforced disappearances in Bangladesh, with several units of the Bangladesh Police implicated as key perpetrators.

The publicly shareable portion of the report, submitted to Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, was released to the media on Saturday.

Among these, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Detective Branch (DB), and Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crimes (CTTC) have been frequently identified as leading actors in enforced disappearances, according to victims, witnesses, and family members.

The document outlines how enforced disappearances have been systematically practiced for over 15 years, reflecting what the commission termed as a “culture of disappearance.”

SYSTEMATIC NATURE OF DISAPPEARANCES

Out of 1,676 complaints received by the commission, 758 cases were thoroughly reviewed.

The findings reveal a coordinated strategy to avoid detection.

Security forces reportedly operated in plain clothes and frequently misattributed their activities to other agencies.

For instance, operations conducted by the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) were often attributed to RAB, and vice versa. Sometimes, the forces exchanged responsibilities, with one unit abducting the victim, another detaining them, and yet another being involved in their release or killing.

The report includes a case study involving a 17-year-old victim. Call records revealed that his SIM card was activated at the DGFI headquarters shortly after his abduction. He was initially detained at DGFI’s Joint Interrogation Cell (JIC) but later transferred to RAB detention centres in Dhaka and subsequently arrested months later by RAB-7 in Chittagong.

Enforced disappearances constitute severe human rights violations, depriving individuals and their families of basic protections.

The commission found that victims were routinely blindfolded and deprived of any information about their location to obscure accountability.

Detention centres used by RAB units displayed similar layouts, despite being geographically dispersed. For example, detention cells under RAB-11 in Narayanganj, RAB-7 in Chittagong, and RAB-2 in Mohammadpur exhibited nearly identical structures and proximity to armories. This uniformity suggests centralized planning and oversight, according to the report.

The report emphasizes the inadequacy of Bangladesh’s legal frameworks, including the Army Act of 1952, in addressing crimes like enforced disappearances. Given these deficiencies, the commission highlighted the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) as the only judicial forum in Bangladesh equipped to handle crimes against humanity.

It suggested leveraging the ICT’s jurisdiction to address these atrocities.