Govt to form commission to probe enforced disappearances

The advisory council of the interim government yesterday decided to form a commission to investigate the enforced disappearances that took place during the Awami League tenure.
The commission, once formed, will investigate the reasons behind the enforced disappearances and identify the culprits, reports a Bangla daily.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the Advisory Council of the interim government at the State Guest House Jamuna yesterday with Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus in the chair.
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, briefed to media about the meeting’s decisions.
Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission has demanded full disclosure of information about secret detention cells, known as “Aynaghar,” including their current status, the identities of its administrators, and those responsible for establishing them.
In a press release, the NHRC yesterday said that The Daily Star’s August 21 report titled “Inside the Aynaghar,” along with similar reports from various media outlets, has drawn its attention.
The NHRC expressed serious concerns and has taken suo moto (self-initiated) action, calling for comprehensive information about the Aynaghar.
According to the reports, these secret detention cells held victims of enforced disappearance for days, months and even years in inhuman conditions during Sheikh Hasina’s 16-year regime. These facilities are notorious for their complete isolation, with detainees unable to see any light from the outside world.
The NHRC requested the senior secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs to provide details regarding the current status of the Aynaghar, its administrators, the identities and numbers of those detained, the legal grounds for their detention, and those responsible for establishing the cells, according to the press release.
The deadline for submitting the report has been set for September 25.
“In a democratic state, the physical and mental torture inflicted over the years in the ‘Aynaghar’ is seen by the Commission as a severe violation of both constitutional and legal norms, as well as human rights. The damage caused to detainees due to indefinite detention is irreparable, and they are entitled to compensation,” the NHRC said.
The notice states that the commission can only request reports from the government concerning allegations of disappearances or abductions by law enforcement agencies, whether initiated suo moto or based on complaints.
Due to the limitations of Section 18 of the National Human Rights Commission Act, 2009, the Commission cannot conduct its own investigations and must rely on government reports, which can sometimes take years to receive, it said.
The commission believes that this legal limitation leaves it in a helpless position and requires urgent reform.