Enforced Disappearance Commission Submits Interim Report to Yunus

Enforced Disappearance Commission Submits Interim Report to Chief Adviser Yunus

The Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances submitted its second interim report today to Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus at the state guest house Jamuna. Commission Chair Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury handed over the report in the presence of members Nur Khan, Sazzad Hossain, and Nabila Idris.

Also attending were Housing and Public Works Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan, National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman, and Principal Secretary Siraj Uddin Mia.

The commission has received 1,850 complaints of enforced disappearance, of which 1,350 have been verified. Members estimate the final number could exceed 3,500, with over 300 individuals still missing.

Reacting to the report, Chief Adviser Yunus called for its publication both online and in print. “There is global interest in these horrifying incidents,” he said. “They were perpetrated by so-called ‘gentlemen’ of our own society. Based on your findings, there should be a horror museum to show people the brutality of confinement in a three-by-three-foot cell.”

Yunus instructed the commission to identify short-term action points and assign responsibilities to relevant ministries.

One commission member revealed that some perpetrators, overwhelmed by guilt, had reached out in remorse. Two such letters, reportedly written by former officers, were found at the Gonobhaban, and the former army chief publicly acknowledged them.

Justice Moyeenul urged a legal amendment to allow a person missing for five years to be presumed dead, instead of the current seven. Yunus welcomed the idea and asked for concrete follow-up recommendations.

Praising the commission, Yunus said, “You are working in defiance of threats and fear. Your courage will inspire future generations committed to human rights.”