New York Times Report: Disappearances Planned by Sheikh Hasina

Last Updated on December 19, 2024 5:47 am

Thousands of people have been disappeared by senior officials of Bangladesh’s ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina through a central program. The influential US daily The New York Times mentioned that the commission formed by the interim government has said this in its initial report.

On Monday, the report titled ‘Ex-Bangladeshi Leader Orchestrated Mass Disappearances, Inquiry Finds’ by Saif Hasnat from Dhaka and Mujib Mishal from New Delhi said that the various tortures during Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule have begun to come to light after she was ousted from power and fled to India.

In the chaotic situation in the country after Hasina’s fall, families of the disappeared have protested outside government offices and military barracks to find out about their loved ones. Many of the disappeared have returned from captivity and shared their experiences with everyone. Some of such incidents have been reported in the New York Times report.

The commission, headed by retired judge Mainul Islam Chowdhury, said it had received more than 1,600 reports of disappearances since it began work in late August. But it estimated the actual number of such incidents was two to three times higher.

The commission’s report said the disappearances were carried out under a “central command structure” and “systematically designed over more than 15 years to remain completely hidden.” It was carried out in a “top-down” manner, meaning that Sheikh Hasina, who has fled the country, and her close aides were involved.

The commission identified at least eight secret facilities where detainees were held and described the torture methods used in these places as institutionalized torture.

In its initial report, presented to Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus on Saturday, the commission called for the disbandment of the Rapid Action Battalion.

Commission member Nur Khan Liton said, “We have collected eyewitness accounts, chain of command accounts and information on how the orders were issued.” These accounts were collected from people directly involved in the disappearances.

Sheikh Hasina’s party leaders, however, dismissed the information received by the commission as politically motivated. They said the initiative was taken to tarnish Hasina’s strong stance in fighting terrorism.

Senior Awami League leader A.F.M. Bahauddin Nasim said, “This is actually a fabricated story. This is nothing but an attempt to characterise Sheikh Hasina and tarnish her reputation in front of the people of the country.”

Abridged version of the report was given to journalists by Dr. Yunus’ office. It said that different units of different security forces often worked in coordination to abduct a specific person. After the disappearance, they would move the specific person from one place to another to deny the allegations of their removal.

Those who were released were often released on the condition that they remain silent, the report said.

Liton, a member of the commission, said investigators estimated that the actual number of disappearances could be two or three times higher than the 1,600 complaints registered so far.

Liton said the commission was careful to avoid details to ensure the safety of victims. He said Bangladesh has no victim protection law. “So we had to be very careful.”