UN Delegation Plans Visit to Dhaka

The UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances is planning a visit to Dhaka to engage directly with local stakeholders and address ongoing challenges related to enforced disappearances.

According to a recent newsletter detailing the Group’s latest session in Bangkok, Thailand, initial discussions on technical cooperation with Bangladesh and its newly formed Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances began in 2024. As part of this collaboration, the Working Group has already held several meetings with members of the commission.

Despite this progress, international watchdogs remain critical. In a March 2022 statement, Human Rights Watch accused the Bangladesh government of routinely disregarding UN concerns on human rights, noting that previous requests by the Working Group for a country visit had gone unanswered.

The Chairperson of the Commission, Justice Moinul Islam Chowdhury, stated in March this year that the body has received 1,752 complaints of enforced disappearance, with investigations completed in 1,000 cases. Of those, 330 individuals remain missing, according to commission records.