The inquiry commission on disappearances in its report said most people who were victims of enforced disappearance during the previous Awami League government were either killed, tortured, held in unknown locations, or threatened.

The head of the commission Justice Moinul Islam Chowdhury disclosed this while speaking at a press conference in Dhaka’s Gulshan on Thursday (June 19).

He said many of these disappearances were politically motivated. 

Justice Moinul strongly claimed that members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Indian intelligence agencies were also involved in the process.

According to probe report, the commission analyzed 1,850 complaints and confirmed specific evidence in 253 cases. Among those disappeared, victims faced four major outcomes: some were killed; some were falsely labelled as militants; some were pushed across the border and arrested in India; and a few, considered fortunate, were released without charges.

He said 81 percent of complaints were from victims who later returned, while 19 percent involved those still missing. Investigators have completed initial probes into 12 such missing cases and identified those suspected to be involved. 

However, more details were not disclosed due to ongoing investigations, the commission head said.

Justice Moinul said progress is being made on other unresolved cases but stressed the need for caution and full investigation before revealing any information. Challenges include lack of old call records and missing details on the crime locations or suspects.

He said terrorism is a global threat, and Bangladesh is no exception, citing the 2016 Holey Artisan attack as proof. He stressed that counter-terror efforts must follow the law, respect human rights, and not serve political interests, warning that misuse erodes public trust and institutions.

Justice Moinul also said RAB was most responsible for these disappearances, and that both Bangladeshi and Indian intelligence agencies were involved. 

“We can take action against the Bangladeshis, but not the Indians,” he added.

Commission member Nur Khan Liton said the military was not directly involved through the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), but it cannot be claimed they were unaware.

Another member, Md Sajjad Hossain, said the commission has asked India for information on Bangladeshi detainees and is checking whether any of them were victims of enforced disappearance.

MSK/