Wed Nov 20 16:59:06 UTC 2024: ## Bangladesh Interim Government Cancels Passports of 22 Veteran Security Officials
**Dhaka, Bangladesh – November 20, 2024** – The interim government of Bangladesh, led by Chief Adviser Mohammad Yunus, has taken a significant step in its crackdown on alleged human rights abuses, ordering the cancellation of passports for 22 high-ranking former officials from the country’s intelligence and law enforcement agencies. The move, announced by the Home Ministry on Thursday, comes in response to ongoing investigations into the alleged abduction and disappearance of political opponents during the previous Sheikh Hasina administration.
The 22 individuals, many of whom held prominent positions within the military, the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), the National Security Intelligence (NSI), and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), are suspected of involvement in these disappearances. The Home Ministry cited primary evidence of their complicity and stated that passport cancellation is a preventative measure to stop them from fleeing the country.
Among those affected are former DGFI head Molla Fazle Akbar (2009-2011), and several other former generals and high-ranking officers. The list also includes Mohiuddin Faruki, a senior police officer currently imprisoned on murder charges.
The decision follows a recommendation from a special commission investigating disappearances. While the Home Ministry’s notification was issued Thursday, the actual passport cancellations may take a few days to process. This action represents the largest such targeting of the Bangladeshi security establishment under the Yunus government, which is currently grappling with a law and order crisis stemming from public anger over police conduct during recent protests. The police’s role in suppressing student demonstrations under the previous government has drawn widespread criticism.
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