The Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances in Bangladesh has revealed that mobile phone surveillance technology was instrumental in locating victims before their secret abductions by the ousted regime of Sheikh Hasina. BSS reported this on Sunday.
The commission’s report, titled Unfolding the Truth, states that interviews with victims and Armed Forces personnel confirmed the critical role of mobile technology in the surveillance process. Officers from RAB and the military indicated that covert abductions, termed "silent pick-ups," relied heavily on such technology to pinpoint targets’ locations.
Led by retired justice Mainul Islam Chowdhury, the five-member commission presented the report to Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the state guest house Jamuna.
The report detailed that prior to the establishment of the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC) as an independent agency, its predecessor, the National Monitoring Centre (NMC), operated within the DGFI Headquarters, providing surveillance systems to RAB, DB, and other forces.
While surveillance has transitioned to the NTMC, preliminary findings indicate residual capabilities within individual forces, raising concerns over the lack of judicial oversight. Victims reported signs of monitoring, including suspicious calls and conversations referenced during interrogations, highlighting the invasive use of surveillance in enforced disappearances.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
