Commission finds Hasina’s involvement in enforced disappearance cases

The Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearance has found the involvement of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in enforced disappearance cases.

The commission submitted its first interim report to Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the state guest house Jamuna in the capital on Saturday.

The five-member commission led by retired justice Mainul Islam Chowdhury handed over the report titled “Unfolding The Truth”.

The commission already recorded a total of 1,676 complaints of enforced disappearances, while 758 complaints have already been scrutinised. It estimates the number of enforced disappearances in the country would cross 3,500.

The commission has found the prima facie involvement of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and some high-ranking officials of security forces and her government, including her defence adviser, Major General (retd) Tarique Ahmed Siddique, sacked Major General Ziaul Ahsan, senior police officers Monirul Islam and Md. Harun-Or-Rashid.

The commission has also recommended disbanding the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).

Chief Adviser Prof Yunus thanked the commission for submitting the interim report and promised all possible support in accomplishing the job. 

The Chief Adviser said he would visit some of the Aynaghar, or secret detention centres and joint interrogation cells detected by the commission to get a firsthand knowledge about the sufferings of the victims. 

Commission members Justice Farid Ahmed Shibli, human rights activist Nur Khan, BRAC University teacher Nabila Idris, and human rights activist Sajjad Hossain, interim government’s advisers’ council members Adilur Rahman Khan and Sharmeen S Murshid, Principal Secretary to Chief Adviser Md Siraj Uddin Mia and Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam were present at the meeting, among others.