Dhaka, Broadcasting News Corporation: The Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances submitted its final report to Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Sunday (January 4, 2026).

The commission handed over the report at the state guest house, Jamuna, in the afternoon. Present during the submission were the Commission’s Chairman Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury, and members Justice Md. Farid Ahmed Shibli, Nur Khan Liton, Nabila Idris, and Sazzad Hossain. Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan and the Chief Adviser’s Principal Secretary Sirajuddin Mia were also in attendance.
The commission informed that a total of 1,913 complaints were submitted to the inquiry commission. After scrutiny, 1,569 complaints were classified as enforced disappearances according to the definition. Among these, 287 complaints fell under the ‘Missing and Dead’ category.

Stating that many are still coming forward with complaints, commission member Nabila Idris said, “The number of enforced disappearances could be between four to six thousand. When we contacted many of the victims, we found more victims through them who had not contacted us, did not know about us, or had moved to other countries. There are many with whom we initiated contact, but they were unwilling to speak on the record.”

The commission members stated that political motives were primarily behind the enforced disappearances. They said, “The data we have obtained proves that this was a politically motivated crime.

The commission stated in its report that among the victims of enforced disappearance who returned alive, 75 percent were leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir, while 22 percent were from the BNP and its affiliate organizations. Among those who remain missing, 68 percent are leaders and activists of the BNP and its affiliates, and 22 percent are from Jamaat-Shibir.
Evidence has been found that the then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her defense adviser Major General (Retd.) Tarique Ahmed Siddique, and the then-Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan were directly involved in high-profile disappearance cases. Notable cases among these include BNP leader Ilias Ali, Hummam Quader Chowdhury, Salahuddin Ahmed, Chowdhury Alam, Jamaat leader and former Brigadier General Abdullahil Aman Azmi, Barrister Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem, and former Ambassador Maruf Zaman.

Commission members informed that the former Prime Minister herself was the direct order-giver in many instances of disappearance. Furthermore, the information obtained regarding the “rendition” (secret handover without legal process) of disappearance victims to India makes it clear that these actions were carried out under the direct orders of the highest level of the government.

Chief Adviser Professor Yunus thanked the members of the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances for their tireless hard work and firm determination. He said, “This is a historic task. On behalf of the nation, I thank everyone in this commission. The incidents you have described can be summarized in one word available in Bengali—pishachik (diabolical); these events can only be described by that term. You have witnessed these brutal atrocities through your conversations and the experiences of those who went through them. This work could not have been accomplished without a strong resolve.”

The Chief Adviser added, “This report is the documentation of what kind of diabolical behavior can be inflicted upon people under the guise of democracy by crushing all the institutions of Bangladesh. It is a documentation of how low a human can sink, how demonic, and how gruesome they can be. Those who committed these horrific acts are humans just like us. After orchestrating the most brutal incidents, they are living normal lives in society. As a nation, we must move away from such atrocities forever. We must find a way to ensure that this brutality can never return.

The Chief Adviser has called for the reports to be conveyed to the people in simple language. Additionally, he instructed the commission to submit necessary recommendations and future courses of action.

Furthermore, the Chief Adviser directed the mapping of locations, besides “Aynaghar”, where extrajudicial killings and disposal of bodies have occurred. The commission stated that, according to the investigation, the maximum number of killings and disposal of bodies occurred in the Baleshwar River in Barisal. Hundreds of victims of enforced disappearance were murdered and thrown into this river. Evidence of disposing bodies in the Buriganga River and Munshiganj was also found during the investigation.

The members of the Enforced Disappearance Inquiry Commission extended their special thanks to the Chief Adviser. Noting that this task would not have been possible without the Chief Adviser’s firm stance, they said, “We succeeded because you were firm. You provided us with all the support we needed at every stage. It was you who strengthened our morale.”
They urged the Chief Adviser to reconstitute the National Human Rights Commission to carry these efforts forward and requested the government to take necessary measures to ensure the protection of the victims.