Human Rights Support Society presents 7-point demand, calls for stronger inquiry commission on enforced disappearance
According to HRSS' data, hundreds of people have gone missing over the last decade, many of whom are yet to be found
Human Rights Support Society (HRSS) has called for strengthening and making the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearance "effective and permanent."
The rights organisation made a seven-point demand today (29 August) during a discussion at the National Press Club, held to observe "International Day in Memory of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances 2025."
HRSS stated that merely signing international conventions is not enough; effective action is now a matter of urgency in Bangladesh.
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According to HRSS' data, hundreds of people have gone missing over the last decade, many of whom are yet to be found. The HRSS emphasised that without making the recently-formed investigation commission strong and effective, proper justice for these crimes is not possible.
The seven demands put forward by HRSS are to effectively implement the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappeared; to provide information to families about those still missing as soon as possible and ensure a fair investigation to punish the culprits; to make the recently-formed investigation commission strong, effective, and permanent; to provide legal, financial, and psychological support to the victims of disappearances and their families; allow the families of the long-term missing to access their bank accounts and assets; to ensure the accountability of law enforcement agencies through parliamentary oversight and mandatory human rights training; to include human rights protection commitments in the policies and manifestos of political parties; and to raise public awareness by giving due importance to human rights, extrajudicial killings, and disappearances in textbooks and the media.
Mikel Changma, a victim who returned after being disappeared, said, "In the last 50 years, countless murders and disappearances have occurred in the country to suppress dissenting voices.
"Although the government formed a commission, there has been no effective progress. We want the culprits to be swiftly identified and punished with exemplary sentences," he said
Mahadi Amin, adviser to BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, said, "If we [BNP] form the government, we will ensure justice for disappearances and provide assistance to the affected families."
Human rights activist Nabila Khan said, "The responsibility for enforced disappearances falls not just on an individual, but on the entire system. Law enforcement agencies must be given enough freedom, manpower, and training to operate using non-lethal methods.
"However, the most critical element is political will," she opined.
