The interim government on Tuesday formed a five-member Commission to probe the incidents of forced disappearance committed by the law enforcement agencies during the last 15 years.
The commission was formed in response to strong demand of the kin of the disappeared people.
The Commission, headed by former High Court Justice Moinul Islam Chowdhury, will trace and identify missing persons and investigate the circumstances under which they were disappeared forcibly by various intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
It will investigate forced disappearances between January 1, 2010 and August 5, 2024 allegedly carried out by members of police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Special Branch of police, Intelligence Branch, Ansar Battalion, National Security Intelligence (NSI), defence forces, Directorate General of Defense Intelligence (DGFI) and Bangladesh Coast Guard.
The other members of the body are High Court’s former additional Justice Farid Ahmed Shibli, human rights activist Noor Khan, BRAC University teacher Nabila Idris and human rights activist Sajjad Hossain.
The Cabinet Division issued a notification in this regard.
The Commission, formed under Section 3 of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1956, will submit a report to the government within the next 45 working days, reads the notification signed by Cabinet Secretary Mahbub Hossain.
It was reported, several incidents of extra judicial killing in the name of cross fire, forced disappearance and recovering bodies after picking up individuals in the name of law enforcement agencies, took place in the last 15 years.
Media also reported that many people were kept in ‘secret’ prison for a long time. Allegations were rife against the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) for making a secret prison known as ‘Ayna Ghar’ for torture.
Soon after the fall of Sheikh Hasina led government amid a mass upsurge, people have been asking the interim government to form the probe body to look into those incidents.
While addressing the nation on Sunday, Dr Yunus said justice will be ensured in all wrongdoings of the fascist government including heinous crimes like extra judicial killing, forced disappearance, killing, abduction and ‘Ayna Ghar’ and all those who are involved in these offences will be brought to book.
Apart from unearthing the whereabouts of the forcibly disappeared persons, their identity and on which condition they were disappeared, the commission will inform the relatives of the forcibly disappeared people after detecting their whereabouts.
It will also collect information regarding investigations of other agencies and organizations on the forcibly disappeared people.
As per the gazette, which comes into effect immediately, the chief of the Commission will get the status and other benefits of a justice of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court and its members will get the status and other benefits of a justice of the High Court Division.
The cabinet division will give the Commission secretarial assistance and bear its expenses alongside assigning any public servant to help the Commission in its work.
