Conclusions and Recommendations

Reports of human rights organizations in the past decade, documentations of the UN Working Group and the present study have shown that enforced disappearance has become a worrying phenomenon in Bangladesh. The government’s denial has accentuated the situation and continues to provide impunity to perpetrators. If the state agencies are not involved contrary to the claims of the relatives of the victims and the human rights groups, the Bangladesh government must allow an independent inquiry into this alarming phenomenon. It is against this background that this report makes the following recommendations:

1. Bangladesh immediately signs the 1992 Convention on the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance to demonstrate its commitment to uphold the fundamental rights of citizens.

2. The government of Bangladesh appoint an independent commission with members from the government, representatives of national and international human rights organizations, members of civil society and journalists to investigate each alleged incident of enforced disappearance of the past decade and bring perpetrators to book.

3. The independent commission is allowed to work with the UN agencies to find out who is responsible for the disappearances and provide answers to the questions of families as to where their loved ones are located.

4. The government respond to the queries of the UN Working Group which has provided a list of alleged victims of enforced disappearance and allow the members of the Working Group to visit Bangladesh.

5. The government stop harassment of the families of the victims and ensure safety and provide legal and material support to the families of the victims in their pursuance of justice.

6. Repeal or amend laws regarding law enforcement agencies [for example ‘Good Faith’ clause in section 13 of the of the Armed Police Battalion (Amendment) Act 2003] which provide the impression of impunity to the members of the law enforcing agencies.

7. Revamp the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) with inclusion of representatives from human rights organizations, journalists and the legal community empowering it to conduct investigations of incidents of enforced disappearance, make its findings public, and ensure full cooperation of the government in the process of any and such investigation.