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Government has begun investigating enforced disappearances, Says PM Tarique Rahman

Published : Saturday, 29 August, 2026 at 10:16 PM

Observer Online Report

File Photo

Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman has said the government has begun investigating every case of enforced disappearance and initiated legal proceedings against those responsible.

He said secret detention facilities operated during the ousted fascist regime had become known publicly as “Aynaghar” (House of Mirrors). According to estimates by local and international human rights organizations, the ousted fascist government used law enforcement agencies to forcibly disappear at least 700 people at different times.

“This is extremely painful and heartbreaking,” he said.

The prime minister made the remarks in a message issued to the media on Saturday afternoon on the occasion of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances.

Tarique said a separate legal framework has been formulated to prevent “disappearances or enforced disappearances” in the future.

“Enforced disappearance is one of the most heinous crimes in the world and one of the gravest violations of human rights,” he said. “It is a global problem and an extreme form of human rights violation.”

He said such inhumane incidents particularly occur under authoritarian systems and in regions affected by political conflicts. State security forces or law enforcement agencies often resort to such cruel and ruthless methods against anti-government movements or political leaders holding dissenting views, he added.

According to Tarique, the fallen and fugitive fascist government of Bangladesh had resorted to enforced disappearances and abductions to suppress the democratic and political rights of the people. It had established secret detention centers to hold victims of enforced disappearance and abduction for months or even years, he said.

The prime minister said the Enforced Disappearance Prevention and Redress Bill, 2026 has already been placed before Parliament. The **National Human Rights Commission Bill, 2026 has also been placed before the House.

“If the bills introduced by the government are enacted into law through due process, no one will dare commit heinous crimes against humanity such as enforced disappearance or abduction in the future,” he said.

Tarique said an enforced disappearance or abduction is not merely a number or the disappearance of an individual; rather, it represents the death of a family’s dreams, aspirations and hopes.

“It is a future brought to a standstill for an entire family,” he said. “The relatives of disappeared people spend their days in an uncertain reality, where there is neither closure nor a normal opportunity to mourn.”

He said some victims had returned after the fall of the “fascist clique” following the mass uprising led by students and the public in 2024, after years of anti-fascist movements and struggles.

“On the other hand, the whereabouts of many people, including Ilias Ali and Chowdhury Alam, remain unknown to this day,” he said.

Tarique noted that Article 7(2) of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court defines enforced disappearance as a crime against humanity and emphasizes the importance of exemplary punishment for such crimes.

The International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances is observed around the world to raise global awareness against enforced disappearances carried out by states or governments. This year’s theme is “Victims First, Actions Now.”

“I call for unity and solidarity across the world to ensure the trial and accountability of individuals and institutions involved in this inhumane crime,” Tarique said.

-HIS