Disappearance Commission discovers 8 secret detention centres, gets 1,600 complaints
Of the complaints against law enforcement forces, the highest 172 were received against the Rapid Action Battalion
The Inquiry Commission on Enforced Disappearances has said it has identified eight secret detention cells in Dhaka and received over 1,600 disappearance complaints involving various law enforcement agencies as of 31 October.
At a press briefing in the capital's Gulshan today (5 November), the commission's Chairman Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury said 400 of the complaints received have been scrutinised and around 140 people were interviewed.
He also said the commission has found the involvement of several law enforcement agencies with the enforced disappearances, reports the state-run news agency BSS.
"We cannot tell you the exact number of security personnel whose involvement has been found so far, but we have found the involvement of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Detective Branch (DB), Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC), Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and general policemen," he said.
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"We are going to interrogate the relevant security personnel from 7 November and we have already issued summons on seven people for the first day of questioning," Moyeenul said.
He said among the complaints filed against the security forces, 172 were against RAB, 55 against DB, 37 against CTTC, 26 against DGFI, and 25 against Bangladesh Police.
"The previous government controlled each of these forces and used their personnel for personal and party interests," the commission chief added.
On the number of newly discovered detention sites, a commission member, requesting anonymity, told TBS, "The actual count is higher than the reported eight, with some located outside Dhaka."
Showing photos of a recently discovered black site – less than seven feet long and three to four feet wide – marked with signs that detainees had been hung upside down, he said electric shocks and nail removal were also used during the torture.
"If the interim government remains in power for at least one year, we can identify the perpetrators of these crimes," he added.
"The significant challenge we faced was that most law enforcement agencies attempted to destroy evidence and prisoners' writings. However, we managed to retrieve some evidence," said the commission member.
"According to several human rights organisations, the number of enforced disappearances was around 600-800 before Sheikh Hasina's fall, but complaints have now surged to over 1,600. Earlier, families of victims were too fearful to speak out but now they are coming forward," he added.
Human rights organisation Odhikar reported 708 disappearances between 2009 and June 2024. Meanwhile, Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) recorded 629 disappearances from 2007 to 2023, with 97 cases occurring in 2016 alone.
At the press conference, Nur Khan Liton, a human rights activist and commission member, said the commission has received information regarding 200 missing individuals, though it remains unclear how many are victims of enforced disappearances.
"We discovered a torture cell operated by the RAB measuring just 3.5 feet by 4 feet. The only source of light was a small hole in the door, and there was no sanitation except for a small drain where torture victims were forced to carry out basic tasks. People were kept in such cells for years," Liton said.
The inquiry commission, headed by the retired High Court judge, Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury, was formed by the interim government on 27 August, to investigate cases of enforced disappearances that occurred between 6 January 2009 and 5 August 2024.
Last month, the government enhanced the commission's authority in line with the Commission of Inquiry Act of 1956, allowing it to possess the judicial powers of a civil court, summon individuals, access any location, and seize relevant documents.
The commission can also direct the police to investigate any matter, and if it uncovers any evidence of criminal offence, it can refer the case to the magistrate court for prosecution under the Penal Code.
