The Commission Finds India’s Involvement in Enforced Disappearances
The investigation commission has uncovered India's involvement in cases of enforced disappearances in Bangladesh. While presenting intelligence on prisoner exchange activities and the possible fate of detainees, the commission stated in its report: "India's involvement in enforced disappearances in Bangladesh has become a topic of significant public discourse."
The five-member commission, led by former Justice Mainul Islam Chowdhury, recently handed over its report titled "Truth Unveiled" to Chief Adviser Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus at the state guest house, Jamuna.
The commission indicated that there is a strong suggestion within law enforcement agencies that some detainees may still be in Indian prisons.
"We urge the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs to make every possible effort to locate any Bangladeshi citizens who might still be detained in India," the commission noted. It added, "Investigating such matters beyond Bangladesh’s borders is outside the commission's jurisdiction."
The report highlighted two widely discussed incidents that provide crucial evidence on how these enforced disappearances were carried out.
One such case is that of Sukhranjan Bali, who was abducted from the premises of the Bangladesh Supreme Court and later found in an Indian prison. The other is the case of BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed.
Additionally, Hummam Quader Chowdhury mentioned that he overheard conversations in Hindi outside his detention cell, with individuals asking, "When was he captured? Has he provided any information? Has he been interrogated yet?"
The commission noted that the case of BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed serves as an example of the operational mechanisms of the Bangladesh-India prisoner exchange system.
In 2015, after being arrested while in hiding in Uttara, Salahuddin Ahmed reported being held in an abandoned cell with a hole in the floor used as a toilet.
The blanket provided to him bore the initials "TFI," which hinted at the "Task Force for Interrogation." At the time, the only active TFI facility was under the supervision of the RAB Intelligence Branch, which operated within a walled structure at the RAB-1 Battalion headquarters in Uttara, Dhaka, despite being part of the RAB headquarters.
