Enforced Disappearances Among Gravest Crimes, Says Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman

DHAKA, Aug. 29:

Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has described enforced disappearance as one of the gravest forms of human rights abuse, saying his government is investigating every reported case of disappearance and has begun legal proceedings against those responsible.

In a message issued on Saturday ahead of the International Day of the Disappeared, observed on Aug. 30, Rahman expressed sympathy for people who have disappeared in Bangladesh and elsewhere, as well as for their families who continue to await answers about the fate of their loved ones.

“Enforced disappearance is a global problem and one of the most extreme violations of human rights,” Rahman said in the message.

He said such abuses have particularly occurred under authoritarian systems and in regions affected by political conflict, where security and law-enforcement agencies have sometimes been accused of targeting opposition figures and people holding dissenting political views.

Government pledges investigations into disappearances

Rahman accused Bangladesh’s previous government of using enforced disappearance and abduction as instruments of political repression, saying secret detention facilities had been used to hold people for months or even years.

Some of those facilities became known in Bangladesh as “Aynaghar”, a term that came to be associated with alleged secret detention centres.

Citing estimates from domestic and international human rights organisations, Rahman said more than 700 people had been subjected to enforced disappearance at different times under the previous administration.

He described the alleged disappearances as deeply distressing and said his government had launched investigations into each case and initiated judicial proceedings.

The government’s efforts, he said, were intended not only to establish accountability for past abuses but also to prevent similar violations from occurring in the future.

New legislation proposed

Rahman said the government was working to establish a dedicated legal framework to prevent and address enforced disappearances.

A proposed Enforced Disappearance Prevention and Remedy Bill, 2026, has already been introduced in parliament, he said. A separate National Human Rights Commission Bill, 2026, has also been placed before parliament.

According to the prime minister, enactment of the proposed laws would strengthen legal safeguards against enforced disappearance and other serious human rights violations and ensure greater accountability for those involved.

Families left in years of uncertainty

Rahman said an enforced disappearance cannot be measured simply as the loss of one individual because its consequences extend to entire families.

Families of missing people often spend years in uncertainty, not knowing whether their relatives are alive or dead. The absence of information, he said, can prevent families from grieving normally and leave their futures suspended.

He noted that some people who disappeared during years of political unrest returned following the mass uprising of 2024 and the fall of the previous government. But many others remain missing.

Among those whose whereabouts remain unresolved, he specifically mentioned prominent opposition figures Ilias Ali and Chowdhury Alam.

Disappearances and international law

Rahman also referred to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, saying enforced disappearance can constitute a crime against humanity under international law when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population.

The International Day of the Disappeared is observed annually on Aug. 30 to raise awareness about enforced disappearance, support victims and their families, and press governments to establish the fate and whereabouts of missing people.

This year’s theme, “Victims First, Actions Now,” highlights the need to place victims and their families at the centre of efforts to address enforced disappearance.

Rahman called for international solidarity and coordinated action to ensure that individuals and institutions responsible for such abuses are held accountable.

He said combating enforced disappearance requires more than legislation, stressing the importance of credible investigations, independent judicial processes, effective remedies for victims and stronger institutional accountability.

The government, he said, was committed to pursuing both justice for past cases and stronger safeguards to prevent enforced disappearance from recurring in Bangladesh.