UN accuses Bangladesh govt of using ‘enforced disappearance’ to target opponents 

The United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) has claimed that Bangladeshi security forces, since 2009, forcibly disappeared some 600 people. 

While the majority were either released or eventually formally produced in court as arrests, "dozens were found dead" with "86 documented cases in which the victims' fate and whereabouts remain unknown," it said in a report published on 6 December.

WGEID, citing "credible sources" noted that the "frequent and ongoing use of enforced disappearance" is allegedly used "as a tool by law enforcement agencies, security, and intelligence forces, especially to target political opponents or other dissidents."

The UN working group also claimed that the Bangladesh government uses enforced disappearances "as a tool to curb any criticism against the government or form of political opposition." 

"Accordingly, gross human rights violations, including enforced disappearance, dramatically increased ahead of the 2014 election and in the lead-up of the 2018 election. In this context, tactics of mass arrest of opposition leaders and activists, accused in fabricated cases, have allegedly been deployed," WGEID said in a letter sent to the Bangladesh government.

Apart from the police, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) was involved in the majority of cases, "by routinely picking up people, extra-judicially killing them and disposing the bodies," the letter furthered. 

"Police officers would allegedly refuse to register complaints concerning enforced disappearances or only accept them upon removal of any allegations of law-enforced involvement. When complaints are registered, there seemingly is no investigation and when complaints are registered, there seemingly is no investigation and closure reports are filed, including in cases where courts ordered an investigation," the letter criticised the lack of investigation by law enforcers into the incidents.

Earlier, on 10 December, 2021, the US imposed sanctions on RAB and seven of its former and current officials over human rights violations.

The US State Department linked the current Inspector General of Police (IGP) and former RAB director general (DG) Benazir Ahmed, and former RAB-7 commanding officer Lt Col Miftah Uddin Ahmed to the "extrajudicial" killing of Teknaf Municipality councillor Ekramul Haque, during an anti-drug drive in May 2018.

Meanwhile, the Treasury Department designated RAB, Benazir, and five other former and current RAB officials under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, EO 13818 citing "serious human rights abuse relating to their tenure."

The others sanctioned are: 

• Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, DG, RAB, 15 April, 2020 to present
• Khan Mohammad Azad, additional director general (operations), RAB, 16 March , 2021 to present
• Tofayel Mustafa Sorwar, former additional director general (operations), RAB, 27 June, 2019 to 16 March, 2021
• Mohammad Jahangir Alam, former additional director general (operations), RAB, 17 September, 2018 to 27 June, 2019
• Mohammad Anwar Latif Khan, former additional director general (operations), RAB, 28 April, 2016 to 17 September, 2018