Int’l Day of Victims of Enforced Disappearances today

International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances will be observed today (Sunday) in the country along with the rest of the world, highlighting the plight of people who have disappeared under mysterious or unlawful circumstances and the suffering of their families.

The day is observed annually on August 30.
Human rights, political and social organisations are set to hold various programmes to mark the day, focusing on raising public awareness, remembering victims and demanding truth, justice and accountability.

The observance comes amid renewed attention to enforced disappearance cases in Bangladesh. The government has recently taken initiatives to provide support and recognition to families affected by enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman handed over job appointment letters to 74 people, including members of families affected by enforced disappearances and killings, as well as families of July mass uprising victims and injured fighters.

The Ministry of Liberation War Affairs has also initiated the process of establishing a directorate dedicated to the welfare of families of victims of enforced disappearances, murders and extrajudicial killings. The proposed body would provide welfare assistance, medical treatment, legal protection and rehabilitation to affected families and victims of torture.

Liberation War Affairs Minister Ahmed Azam Khan said on Saturday that the government is working to build a Bangladesh free from enforced disappearances, killings, oppression and torture. He made the remarks after visiting the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre ahead of Sunday’s observance.

The United Nations designated August 30 as the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances through General Assembly Resolution 65/209 in 2010, with the observance beginning in 2011. The day seeks to draw global attention to the fate of disappeared persons and express solidarity with their families.

The UN says enforced disappearance continues to occur in different regions of the world and has often been used as a tool of political repression. Victims may be deprived of their liberty while authorities or those acting with government support refuse to acknowledge their detention or disclose their whereabouts, placing them outside the protection of the law.

The International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance was adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 20, 2006. In 2026, the convention marks its 20th anniversary, with the UN highlighting the theme “Victims first. Actions now” and calling for stronger measures to prevent disappearances and ensure victims’ rights to truth, justice and reparation.