Bangladesh Signs UN Convention on Enforced Disappearance Amid Commitment to Justice

Bangladesh signed the UN convention against forced disappearances, forming a commission to investigate such cases during Sheikh Hasina’s regime. Interim government chief Muhammad Yunus marked the signing as historic. The commission has 45 days to report on cases between 2010 and 2024, including alleged security force involvement.

Bangladesh inked the UN convention against forced disappearance on Thursday, just two days after forming a commission to trace each case during Sheikh Hasina’s nearly 16-year rule.

'It is a historic occasion,' interim government chief Muhammad Yunus remarked after signing the Instrument of Accession to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances.

The move comes ahead of the International Day for the Victims of Enforced Disappearances observed on August 30. Yunus declared that Bangladesh will adhere faithfully to the convention's stipulations. The newly formed five-member commission is tasked with investigating cases of forced disappearance from January 1, 2010, to August 5, 2024. The commission must submit its report within 45 working days, examining the roles of intelligence and law enforcement agencies, including NSI and DGFI, in the alleged disappearances.