Bangladesh Inquiry Presumes 287 Disappeared Victims Killed

Bangladesh Inquiry Presumes 287 Disappeared Victims Killed
—————————
A government-appointed inquiry in Bangladesh has concluded that at least 287 people who disappeared under the rule of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina are presumed to have been killed, deepening the country’s reckoning with past human rights abuses, Shiite News reported.

The Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances said it reviewed 1,569 verified cases of abduction and secret detention spanning several years. In its final report, submitted to the government on Sunday, the commission found evidence suggesting many victims were executed and their bodies concealed, including being dumped in rivers or buried in unmarked and mass graves.

Commission member Nur Khan Liton said investigators had identified several suspected burial sites and recommended seeking international forensic assistance to identify remains and preserve DNA evidence.

The report stated that enforced disappearances were systematic and carried out by security forces under the direction of senior officials, with many victims linked to opposition groups.

The findings come after mass protests in 2024 led to Hasina’s removal from power and subsequent legal action over the violent crackdown on demonstrators.