As many as 344 people have fallen victim to enforced disappearances between January 2014 to July 2019, according to a local rights and legal aid body.
Of them, dead bodies of 44 people were recovered, 60 were shown arrested by the police and 35 returned home, according to a statement by Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) on Thursday. The rest 205 people are still missing.
To this end, ASK called upon the government to form an independent and neutral commission for the investigation of allegations of enforced disappearances.
The body also called upon the government to provide necessary reparation to the victims of enforced disappearance and ensure proper rehabilitation for them.
It further asked for taking punitive measures against those who are involved in acts of enforced disappearance and ensure justice for the disappeared person and their family.
For the last few years, the incidences of enforced disappearances have created grave concern, fear and serious insecurity among the people of the country, said ASK.
In most of the cases, families, relatives and witnesses alleged that the victims were picked up by law enforcers.
It is unfortunate that the government continues to claim that no enforced disappearances take place in Bangladesh. They rather claim such incidents to be private kidnapping, not disappearances by the public officials or law enforcement agencies, added the body.
ASK also stated that although the government refuses to acknowledge such instances of disappearance, victims’ family members and witnesses of enforced disappearance continue to claim that their family members were picked up by people with law enforcement agencies identity.
Since 2009 the current government declared a ‘zero tolerance’ policy against all human rights violations by law enforcement agencies.
However, a decade down the line, such a commitment is not reflected in the realities.
During the 67th Review Session of Bangladesh by the Committee Against Torture, the committee expressed regrets for unavailability and lack of information Bangladesh provided on any investigations being conducted regarding allegations of enforced disappearance by law enforcement agencies.
August 30 is the International Day for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.
The United Nations (UN) adopted the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICPPED) in 2006 to provide protection from such incidences and the Convention entered into force in 2010.
On the eve of the day, ASK strongly demands the government to acknowledge the reality of enforced disappearances in Bangladesh and ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and promptly and thoroughly investigate all incidents of disappearance and ensure due process of law.
It further urges the government to punish the perpetrators with penalties proportionate to the gravity of the offence.
