In brief
An investigation by a commission set up by Bangladesh’s interim government revealed extensive cases of enforced disappearances orchestrated by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her officials, leaving thousands of families searching for answers.
On December 16, 2024, a commission led by retired judge Mainul Islam Chowdhury released a preliminary report detailing a systematic program for abductions that had persisted through Sheikh Hasina’s lengthy rule. Following her ouster amid intensified protests against perceived authoritarianism, the dark practices of the state emerged, prompting an urgent search by the families of victims outside government and military sites.The commission has been gathering testimonies since late August and noted over 1,600 individual reports of disappearances, while suggesting the real count might be two to threefold higher. Their findings indicate a “central command structure” responsible for executing these actions, with evidence suggesting collaboration at the highest levels, directly implicating Hasina and her closest allies, many of whom are now in exile.The report mentions at least eight secret detention facilities, highlighting not only the scale of the abductions but also the severe treatment faced by victims, including institutionalized forms of torture. As the investigation continues, it underscores the urgent need for accountability and justice for the families affected by these grievous human rights violations.
