Bachelet asks Bangladesh to probe enforced disappearance allegations

Khalid Umar Malik
19 Aug 2022, 05:01 GMT+10

Michelle Bachelet has urged the Bangladesh government to establish an independent investigation into allegations of enforced disappearances.
On Wednesday, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stated that she raised the issues with government ministers during her visit to Dhaka.
According to her, for several years, various UN human rights mechanisms, including the UN Committee Against Torture, have expressed concern about allegations of enforced disappearances, ...

DHAKA, Bangladesh - Michelle Bachelet has urged the Bangladesh government to establish an independent investigation into allegations of enforced disappearances.

On Wednesday, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stated that she raised the issues with government ministers during her visit to Dhaka. During her four-day visit to Bangladesh, she also visited the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar.

According to her, for several years, various UN human rights mechanisms, including the UN Committee Against Torture, have expressed concern about allegations of enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and torture, many of which have been attributed to the Rapid Action Battalion, and the lack of accountability for such violations.

"I expressed my deep concern to government ministers about these serious allegations, emphasizing the need for an impartial, independent, and transparent investigation into these allegations and security sector reform," Bachelet stated.

Bachelet met with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen. She also met with National Human Rights Commission officials and civil society members.

According to the ministers, they discussed allegations of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, among other things.

"There are ongoing, troubling allegations of short-term and long-term enforced disappearances, as well as concerns about a lack of due process and judicial safeguards," Bachelet said.