Bangladesh’s interim government has taken some positive steps to address the terrible legacy of enforced disappearances, but some of the hardest and most important steps remain to be taken, according to new advice last week from UN rights experts. Almost a year ago, mass protests toppled the authoritarian government of Sheikh Hasina and made way for an interim government, which says it is committed to reforms and human rights protections before elections scheduled for 2026.
The experts, from the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, heard accounts of “horrific torture” from survivors of enforced disappearance, and met the relatives of victims who are still missing. They found that “victims are deeply afraid to report cases” because “many of the alleged perpetrators of enforced disappearances remain employed” by the police and army. There is an “urgent need to establish a victim and witness protection system,” they said, and urged security sector reform including disbanding the notorious paramilitary Rapid Action Battalion. The experts also called for improved vetting to ensure that Bangladeshi personnel linked to enforced disappearances cannot serve on UN peacekeeping missions.
The interim government has ratified the International Convention on Enforced Disappearances and established a Commission of Inquiry, which has submitted two interim reports. It has received over 1,850 complaints and its term was recently extended to December 2025.
However, the experts said there have been attempts to intimidate commission members and victims’ families and to destroy evidence and hamper investigations. Some survivors continue to face harassment with unjust criminal charges, especially under Bangladesh’s Anti-Terrorism Act, which has long been used against journalists, human rights defenders, and critics of past governments.
The experts said that suspects should be prosecuted but expressed concern about due process standards and possible use of the death penalty. Draft legislation to address enforced disappearances raises concerns and requires further consultation, they said. They highlighted the need for “far-reaching reforms” that place victims at the center and called for international support for a comprehensive transitional justice process.
Bangladesh’s interim government faces many challenges and has limited time left. To meaningfully address the horror of enforced disappearances, the government should heed the UN experts’ advice and press forward with urgent reforms to the judiciary and security sector, and with the appropriate prosecution of perpetrators.
