The state-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) reported on Saturday about an Inquiry report that found India’s involvement in “enforced disappearances” during the deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s regime. According to the news agency, the five-member inquiry commission formed by Bangladesh’s Interim Government headed by retired Supreme Court judge Mainul Islam Chowdhary, there might be some prisoners enervating in Indian jails.
The Commission recommended the ministries of Foreign and Home to extend their efforts to identify Bangladeshi citizens who may be confined in Indian jails. As it is beyond the commission’s jurisdiction to trial outside Bangladesh. The commission said that it has found intelligence information about the practice of captive exchange between India and Bangladesh and demanded a similar possibility for the prisoners.
The commission gave the example of two published cases of Shukharjan Bali who was kidnapped from Bangladesh Supreme Court premises and found in an Indian jail and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Salahuddin Ahmed’s case for such operations between India and Bangladesh. The commission gave some pieces of evidence to prove their claims.
The commission submitted an interim report “Unfolding the Truth” to Chief Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus. Commission calculated that more than 3500 enforced disappearances have occurred.
The chief adviser’s press wing reported that the commission found the engagement of the deposed Prime Minister’s absconding defense adviser, retired major general Tarique Ahmed Siddique, a newly sacked Major general, and two senior police officers in the cases of enforced disappearances.
The commission subsequently proposed the annulment of the RAB and also demanded for demolishing or revising of the Anti–Terrorism Act, of 2009. Commission member Sajjad Hussain said that they have recorded 1676 complaints of enforced disappearances and until now 758 have been examined of which 200 victims never returned or those who returned were shown as arrested.
The commission also added that they have found eight secret detention centers in Dhaka and outskirt area. The commission’s chairman Chowdhury had informed Yunus that they would present one more report in March and would require a year to complete the examination of all the accusations that they had received.
