The chief of the government-formed commission says they have received about 1,600 complaints by Oct 31
Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus has pledged to assist the Commission on Enforced Disappearances in identifying and bringing to justice those responsible for the incidents of enforced disappearances during the Sheikh Hasina regime.
During a commission meeting on Saturday, he assured the members, "Whatever you need, we will ensure and provide all kinds of support."
A press release from the Chief Advisor’s Office, at the end of the meeting held at the State Guest House Jamuna, said the commission members would submit an interim report to the government by mid-December and continue their work thereafter.
Law Advisor Asif Nazrul said, if needed, the government would extend the commission's term by another two years and issue necessary orders, including creating legal provisions to protect the victims.
Justice Moinul Islam Chowdhury, a retired High Court judge and chairman of the commission, said at the meeting that they had scrutinised 400 complaints and interviewed 140 complainants by Oct 31.
A commission member said, "We are overwhelmed by the number of complaints. Many people are still hesitant to come forward to the commission due to fear of retaliation from law enforcement members. This indicates that the actual number of incidents is much higher than what has been reported so far."
Another commission member suspected that the number of enforced disappearance cases could be at least 3,500 and said they are working on identifying the perpetrators and those who ordered these crimes.
The commission discussed that many of the victims are currently imprisoned, with some even facing death sentences, as they were forced to provide confessional statements post-arrest.
Some victims of disappearance are believed to be detained in prisons in India.
Commission members requested the government's support to preserve evidence from secret locations where victims had been hidden.
One member said, "Many victims have told us that they had not seen sunlight for years. They could only tell it was a new day when breakfast was served."
A member of the commission proposed that the government impose travel bans and possibly cancel the passports of the accused individuals.
During the meeting, home advisor Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said they would act immediately once the commission provides a list of the accused.
Mahfuj Alam, special assistant to the chief advisor, stressed the importance of disclosing the commission's findings to the public and revealing the identities of those overseeing the incidents of enforced disappearances.
