Commission uncovers dissent, foreign links in enforced disappearances

The government-appointed commission investigating enforced disappearances in Bangladesh has, in its interim report, revealed internal dissent within security forces and cited foreign links in connection to the cases.

The report highlights several instances where security personnel handling victims of enforced disappearance expressed dissent—often facing adverse personal and professional repercussions.

It also concluded that enforced disappearances were not isolated incidents, but part of a broader pattern where "international enablers" played "decisive roles" alongside domestic forces.

“Internal dissent within the security forces—especially concerning enforced disappearances, political neutrality, and institutional accountability—often led to punitive consequences,” reads the report, a copy of which was obtained by BSS.

The commission stated that the politicization of institutions created a system where such crimes were condoned, normalized, and sometimes rewarded. Officers who resisted often found themselves marginalized.

One unnamed officer told the commission that his refusal to support enforced disappearances led to his isolation. Before each new posting, he said, “colleagues were warned not to trust me,” and he was targeted with fabricated allegations. His family's communications were also reportedly monitored.

Another testimony came from the family of a young man who suffered a mental breakdown while working for an intelligence agency. Tasked with compiling a list of political dissidents, he later discovered those on the list had been eliminated. “The guilt overwhelmed him,” his family reported. He was eventually hospitalized for severe psychological trauma.

A soldier assigned to a secret detention facility known for systemic abuse shared that he was explicitly instructed not to show normal behavior or empathy towards detainees. Guards were discouraged from speaking near prisoners and instead told to use signs and whistles—methods confirmed by multiple blindfolded victims.

Despite the environment, some officers resisted. The same soldier, unable to leave his post, quietly passed his meals to detainees, who were routinely served less food. One former detainee confirmed receiving these meals.

The commission noted that complicity in such crimes often took an emotional toll on security personnel. One Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) intelligence officer allegedly refused an order to kill a detainee whose location had been compromised. He stayed in his post until August 5, refusing to follow illegal orders.

The report emphasized that resistance did not always lead to immediate consequences. It cited the example of two RAB officers who submitted handwritten notes to their superior, stating they would not participate in illegal activities.

“When I was ordered to go on an operation, I said that if there was any plan for extrajudicial killing or unlawful action, I could not be part of it,” read one of the notes.

These notes were reportedly passed to the then Prime Minister and were later discovered at her official residence, Ganobhaban, following the regime’s ouster.

Despite such resistance, the report found that crimes persisted. Witnesses reported victims being killed at remote locations, their bodies disposed of using train lines, or being thrown in front of moving vehicles.

“There was an environment in which crimes like enforced disappearances were tacitly condoned, and those responsible were not treated as offenders in any meaningful way,” the report stated.

The commission also cited foreign links, stating that enforced disappearances were not solely domestic in nature. “Alongside the India nexus, the Awami League also benefited from sustained Western cooperation under the banner of counterterrorism,” the report said.

Senior officers confirmed that partnerships—particularly with the United States—helped build capacity within Bangladesh’s security forces, even as allegations of abuse increased. One victim recalled being interrogated by two Americans while in custody under the Detective Branch (DB).

Although the foreign agents were not directly involved in abuse, the commission noted that “their presence gave legitimacy to a broader system of enforced detention.”