Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has called for global unity and solidarity for holding trials of those involved in enforced disappearances.
The PM made the call in a message on Saturday marking the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances to be observed on Sunday.
Terming the enforced disappearances as one of the most heinous and gruesome acts, the prime minister said it is a global problem and also an extreme violation of the human rights. Such crimes are particularly prevalent in those countries ruled by an autocratic regime.
“The state security forces and law enforcement agencies, most of the time, preferred such brutal and ruthless paths against the dissidents to clamp down on anti-government movements,” he said.
The ousted fascist government of Bangladesh resorted to the inhumane practice of enforced disappearances and abductions, detaining many people for months or even years at the detention centres known as ‘Ainaghar’, he added.
According to the statistics of local and international human rights organisations, the law-enforcing agencies disappeared more than 700 people at different times during the deposed fascist regime.
To stop such inhuman crimes, Tarique Rahman said the present government has started the trial after investigation into each incident. A legal framework is also being prepared to stop such crimes in future, he said.
The Prevention and Remedy of Enforced Disappearance Bill, 2026 and the National Human Rights Commission Bill, 2026 were placed in the parliament, he said, adding that the government hopes that if the acts come into effect, nobody would do such heinous crime.
Recalling the mass uprising in 2024, Tarique Rahman said after ousting the fascist government, a few persons were able to come back, but many people like ‘Illius Ali and Chowdhury Alam still remain missing.
Under Article 7(2)(i) of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, "enforced disappearance of persons" is defined as a specific crime against humanity and gives importance to exemplary punishment for committing enforced disappearance, said the prime minister.
The International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances is being observed across the world, aiming at stimulating the world's conscience against the “enforced disappearance” with a theme “Victims First, Actions Now”.
