The term of inquiry commission for “enforced disappearances” by law enforcement agencies during the Awami League government has been extended by three months.
The commission was supposed to submit its final report by 15th of December, but a Tuesday notification, issued by the cabinet division extended the time until 15th of March.
Earlier, on 27th of August, the interim government has formed a commission under the leadership of retired High Court Judge Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury. The other members of the commission are; Justice Farid Ahmed Shibli, human rights activists Nur Khan and Sazzad Hossain, and BRAC University teacher Nabila Idris.
The notification states the functions of the commission. It reads: the commission “will search for people who forcefully disappeared in ‘mirror house’ (Aynaghor) or any kind of unknown place by any member of the law enforcement agencies, investigation agencies, or similar forces or organizations or by any person or group of persons with the support, assistance or consent of the government, will identify the persons, organizations, and institutions involved in the ‘enforced disappearances’, and finally will make recommendations for taking appropriate legal action against them and recommend necessary legal reforms to prevent the incident of forced disappearance, and perform other related functions.”
During the ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina led government’s 15 years in power, extrajudicial killings in the name of crossfire, recovery of dead bodies or enforced disappearances were one of the mostly talked issues. Several media reported of torture in custody and long-term detainment in the secret detention centers.
Translated by Afsar Munna
