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Published : 18 Mar 2025, 01:08 PM
The term of the commission investigating the enforced disappearances carried out by law-enforcing agencies during the ousted Awami League government's rule has been extended by three and a half months.
The inquiry panel will now have until Jun 30 to submit its report, according to a notice issued by the Cabinet Division on Monday.
The commission’s tenure was originally set to end on Mar 15, and the extension took effect from that date, the Cabinet Division said.
On Dec 14, the commission submitted an interim report to the chief advisor, parts of which were published the following day.
The report claimed to have found evidence of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina “direct involvement” in some of the enforced disappearances under the Awami League regime. The report also recommended starting the judicial process for these incidents and the dissolution of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).
After submitting the report, commission chief Moinul Islam Chowdhury said they would provide another interim report in March, adding that a final report would take at least another year.
On Feb 12, Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus visited three secret detention facilities, infamously known as "Ayna Ghor", along with members of the advisory council and the inquiry commission on enforced disappearances.
The five-strong commission, led by former High Court judge Moinul, was formed on Aug 27 by the interim government to investigate cases of enforced disappearances during the Awami League's 15-year rule.
The commission considered events from Jan 6, 2009, to Aug 5, 2024, the day of the Hasina administration's fall.
Later, the original Cabinet Division notice setting out the commission's remit was scrapped and replaced by a new one on Sept 15, fixing Dec 15 as the deadline for the submission of the report. The new notice also introduced changes in the commission’s objectives and responsibilities.
On Dec 3, the commission’s term was extended by three months until Mar 15. The commission now has three more months to submit its report.
The commission's responsibilities include investigating enforced disappearances carried out by law-enforcing agencies, security forces, intelligence agencies, investigative bodies, and similar organisations with the support of the government.
It will also identify individuals, organisations or institutions involved in enforced disappearances in places such as "Ayna Ghor" or any other known or unknown locations, and recommend appropriate legal action against them. Additionally, the panel will propose necessary legal reforms to prevent enforced disappearances.
The other members of the commission are retired High Court judge Md Farid Ahmed Shibli, human rights activist Nur Khan, BRAC University teacher Nabila Idris, and human rights activist Sazzad Hossain.
