The Commission for Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances said on Tuesday that it had received complaints regarding enforced disappearance of over 1,600 victims, the incidents of which occurred during the immediate past 15-year rule of the now ousted Awami League.
The complaints came from the enforced disappearance victims and their families from September 15 to October 31.
The commission also found detention centres in eight locations in the compounds of law enforcement and security agency offices, including the joint interrogation cell, popularly known as Aynaghar, on the premises of the Directorate General Forces Intelligence headquarters, in the Dhaka city and its surrounding areas.
Nearly 200 victims of enforced disappearance incidents that took place between January 6, 2009 and August 5, 2024 remain still untraced.
鈥榃e have received over 1,600 complaints either from the victims or from the affected families. Out of these, we have interviewed 140 complainants and also examined 400 complaints,鈥� the commission chief and a former High Court Division judge, Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury said,聽 addressing a press conference at the commission office in the capital鈥檚 Gulshan.
He said that the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence, the Rapid Action Battalion, police, Detective Branch of Police, Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime, and Criminal Investigation Department were allegedly involved in the enforced disappearance incidents.
鈥楾he commission had already summoned complainants and accused officials of the law enforcement agencies for hearing that begins from November 7,鈥� he added.
He also mentioned that of the 400 complaints they had examined, 172 complaints accused RAB personnel, 55 complaints accused DB members, 37 accused CTTC personnel, 26 accused DGFI members, 25 complaints accused police personnel, and 68 accused others.
鈥業f we cannot clean politics, good governance will never be established,鈥� said the commission chair.
Another member of the commission and BRAC University teacher Nabila Idris said that they had uncovered secret detention centres in eight locations, including Aynaghar in Dhaka city and its adjoining areas.
鈥楳embers of the law enforcement agencies were destroying cells and walls to remove evidence. The officials involved in destroying evidence are committing the same criminal acts that their previous colleagues did by conducting enforced disappearances,鈥� said Nabila.
Commission member Nur Khan Liton said that they had discovered eight secret detention centres in Dhaka city and areas surrounding it.
The Joint Interrogation Cell known as Aynaghar on the DGFI headquarters premises was in the nearest location among all, he added.聽
Nur Khan Liton said that around 200 victims of enforced disappearance incidents, occurred during the 15-year long Sheikh Hasina regime remained untraced till now.
Asked about the fate of the rest over 1,400 victims, commission member Sazzad Hossain said that most of these victims were later framed in cases with allegations of possessing illegal arms and involvement in extremism.聽
鈥榃e have traced the rest of the victim; they were sent to jail, sentenced to various jail terms, given death sentence, or granted bail. Many cases are still underway,鈥� Sazzad told 抖阴精品.
The commission officially began its work on September 15 with a three-month timeframe.
Asked whether it would be able to complete the task within the deadline, commission member Sazzad replied in the negative.
鈥榃e have to create a database as well. We will seek more time from the government soon,鈥� he said.
Justice Farid Ahmed Shibli, a member of the commission, was also present at the press briefing.
The Commission for Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances was formed by the interim government led by professor Muhammad Yunus after it had taken office on August 8 following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League regime on August 5 amid a student-led mass uprising.聽