Dhaka: Justice (Retd) Moinul Islam Chowdhury, Chairman of the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances, revealed today that the majority of victims during the deposed Sheikh Hasina regime encountered one of four grim outcomes.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the victims of enforced disappearances faced possibilities including death, being subjected to media trials and subsequently branded as terrorists or militants with new criminal charges, arrest in India after being pushed across the border, or eventual release without prosecution, often after undergoing torture. These insights were shared as Justice Chowdhury presented the commission’s second interim report at a press conference held at its office.
Justice Moinul Islam asserted that the former regime systematically employed enforced disappearances as a mechanism to suppress dissent. He stated that many supporters of the fallen regime, who remain in service, have destroyed evidence, impeded the inquiry, and instilled a climate of fear among witnesses and victims. The victims comprised meritorious students, political activists, and journalists, with the Hasina administration allegedly institutionalizing enforced disappearances as a counter-terrorism tactic to consolidate political control.
The commission chief further accused the government of politicizing law enforcement and weaponizing the criminal justice system to execute these acts. Addressing cases where victims remain missing, he mentioned that “According to Section 10 of the Commission of Inquiry Act, 131 cases have been documented through general diaries and forwarded to the Inspector General of Police for search and rescue.”
He emphasized the undeniable existence of secret detention centers, noting that victims experienced nearly identical patterns of detention, torture, and branding as terrorists, with legal charges using similar language. This uniformity across various cases, he argued, points to political motives. Initial investigations have been concluded for 12 victims who are still missing, and those responsible for their disappearances have been identified.
Despite facing institutional non-cooperation and pressure, Justice Moinul Islam affirmed the commission’s determination to continue its work. Present at the press conference were commission members retired Additional Judge Farid Ahmed Shibli, human rights activist Nur Khan, BRAC University faculty member Nabila Idris, and rights advocate Sajjad Hossain.