Slim hope of finding 330 missing individuals: Commission on enforced disappearances
The commission has so far received a total of 1,752 complaints
Though investigations are underway to locate 330 individuals who are still missing, there is little hope of finding them, said former justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury, head of the Inquiry Commission on Enforced Disappearances.
He made the remark while speaking at a press conference at the commission's office in Dhaka today (4 March).
Talking to reporters, he mentioned that the commission has received 1,752 complaints to date.
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Of these, preliminary verification has been completed for around 1,000 cases, with 280 complainants' statements recorded and testimonies taken from around 45 officers from law enforcement and intelligence agencies, he said.
Moyeenul said to assist in the search, superintendents of police from border districts and sector commanders of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were also requested to provide information on individuals pushed into Bangladesh from India after 5 August last year.
In response, the Bangladesh Police provided details on 140 individuals, but none have been identified as victims of enforced disappearance in the initial probe, he said.
A complete dataset from police and BGB is still pending, and investigations remain ongoing, former justice added.
He further mentioned that the commission is also investigating the case of Mohammad Rahmat Ullah, a victim of enforced disappearance, who was pushed into Bangladesh through the Gomastapur border in Chapainawabganj on 22 December 2024.
Additionally, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sought a list of Bangladeshi citizens imprisoned in Indian jails. In response, India provided details of 1,067 Bangladeshis detained over the past two to two-and-a-half years.
The commission is currently reviewing the list to determine whether any were victims of enforced disappearances.
Other commission members, including retired additional judge Md Farid Ahmed Shibli, human rights activist Nur Khan, BRAC University faculty member Nabila Idris, and human rights activist Sajjad Hossain were also present at the press conference.
