Bangladesh's Interim Govt Investigates 600 Disappearances

In Bangladesh, over 600 people are reported to have disappeared during the 15-year rule of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, according to Human Rights Watch. The disappeared included political rivals, journalists, and academics, with allegations pointing towards enforced disappearances orchestrated by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI). These two agencies have faced severe accusations of gross human rights violations and were allegedly used by Hasina’s government to silence political opponents. To address this issue, the newly-installed interim government led by Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus has established an independent commission composed of former High Court judges, human rights activists, and educators. This commission aims to trace and identify the individuals who have disappeared, interviewing family members to build a comprehensive understanding of the scale of the problem. The urgency of this investigation is underscored by international pressure, as the United States has already imposed sanctions on the RAB for its role in widespread human rights abuses. Human rights organizations have called for the disbandment of RAB and reforms within DGFI to ensure the protection of human rights in the future.