Mon Jun 23 15:52:15 UTC 2025: **Summary:**
A Bangladesh government-appointed commission investigating enforced disappearances during the 15-year rule of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has released a report stating that the culture of impunity surrounding these disappearances continues even after her removal from power. The commission has verified over 250 cases and attributes responsibility to individual officers rather than the entire armed forces. Rights groups are calling for full cooperation from security forces. Sheikh Hasina remains in self-imposed exile in India and is facing trial in absentia on charges of crimes against humanity. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, now interim leader, faces political pressure as elections approach.
**News Article:**
**Bangladesh Commission Warns of Continued Impunity in Disappearance Cases**
**Dhaka, Bangladesh – June 23, 2025** – A government-appointed Commission of Inquiry in Bangladesh has released a damning report highlighting the ongoing culture of impunity surrounding enforced disappearances that occurred during the 15-year rule of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The commission, established by interim leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, is investigating allegations of widespread human rights abuses, including the extrajudicial killings and disappearances of political opponents under Ms. Hasina’s leadership.
According to the report, despite the change in regime on August 5, 2024, the institutional machinery that condoned and normalized these crimes remains largely unchanged. The commission has verified over 250 cases of enforced disappearances.
“Enforced disappearances in Bangladesh were not isolated acts of wrongdoing, but the result of a politicised institutional machinery that condoned, normalised, and often rewarded such crimes,” the commission stated.
While Commission chief Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury placed responsibility on individual officers involved in the disappearances, rather than the armed forces as a whole, rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have issued a joint statement calling for full cooperation from security forces. They are demanding unfettered access to all detention centers and records related to seized or detained individuals.
Sheikh Hasina, 77, remains in self-imposed exile in India, defying orders to return to Dhaka and face charges of crimes against humanity. Her trial is proceeding in absentia.
The situation adds to the already volatile political landscape in Bangladesh, with interim leader Yunus facing intense pressure as the nation prepares for elections expected early next year. Bangladesh has a history of military coups, and the army continues to play a significant role in the country’s affairs.
First Piper 