Panel finds evidence of ex-B'desh PM Sheikh Hasina's role in ordering enforced disappearances

Dhaka (The Uttam Hindu): An investigative commission has claimed that it has found evidence of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's involvement in ordering incidents of enforced disappearances during the past Awami League regime. The panel also recommended the initiation of the trial process in the cases of enforced disappearances and the disbanding of the Rapid Action Battalion, or RAB, bdnews 24 reported.

The Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances submitted an interim report to Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus on Saturday.

The Chief Advisor's Office disclosed the information in a statement later.

The report, titled "Unfolding the Truth," said several senior officials of the Hasina administration were also found involved in the "enforced disappearances” such as her defence advisor retired Major General Tarique Ahmed Siddique, former director general of the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre sacked Major General Ziaul Ahsan, and high-ranking police officers Monirul Islam, and Harunor Rashid.

Commission chief Justice Moinul Islam Chowdhury said they would submit another interim report in March. The final report would take at least another year, he added as reported by bdnews 24.

"The 'officials involved in the forced disappearances' did the crimes in a systematic design that makes it difficult to detect them. The forces exchanged the victims and operations were deliberately segmented."

The commission chief said, "Many of the victims are still not out of danger. They were subjected to so much 'horrendous torture' that they are still suffering from trauma."

The commission said it had 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 members requested Yunus to visit the much-debated secret internment centres known as "Ayna Ghor", or "house of mirrors", saying the complaints had increased a lot after the chief advisor assured the victims of protection and justice.

The commission also suggests that the victims can get "courage" due to the visit by the interim government head.

Yunus agreed to the request and said he would visit the "joint interrogation cells" run by the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence, or DGFI, soon.

These cells are known as the "Ayna Ghor", which existed before the Awami League came to power.

The chief advisor thanked the commission for its interim report and assured all necessary support to take the work forward.