Bangladesh’s rivers were turned into mass graves, as the enforced disappearances inquiry found evidence that hundreds of victims were murdered and dumped into waterways, with the Baleshwar River in Barishal identified as the deadliest site.
The Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances cited the disturbing evidence regarding the disposal of bodies while delivering its final report to Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, which he described as a chilling documentation of demonic atrocities.
The report that exposes a politically driven system of disappearances, secret killings, and cross-border renditions allegedly carried out at the highest levels of the state.
Evidence was also found of bodies being disposed of in the Buriganga River and in Munshiganj, reinforcing long-held suspicions surrounding waterways being used to erase evidence of crimes.
The Chief Advisor instructed the commission to map all locations of extrajudicial killings and disappearances, including the notorious “mirror house,” to preserve evidence and ensure historical accountability.
The report was formally handed over to the Chief Adviser at the State Guest House Jamuna in the afternoon by Commission chief Justice Mainul Islam Chowdhury, accompanied by members Justice Md Farid Ahmed Shibli, Nur Khan Liton, Nabila Idris, and Sajjad Hossain. Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan and Principal Secretary Sirajuddin Mia were also present.
According to the commission, a total of 1,913 complaints were filed with the inquiry. After verification, 1,569 cases met the definition of enforced disappearance, while 287 were categorised as “missing and dead” – a term the commission used to describe victims who were killed after being taken away.
Even these figures, the commission warned, may represent only a fraction of the real scale.
Commission member Nabila Idris said investigators believe the actual number of disappearances could range between 4,000 and 6,000, as many victims or their families never came forward. “Every time we contacted one victim, we discovered many more – people who did not know about the commission, were too afraid to speak, or had fled abroad,” she said, adding that several victims refused to testify on the record despite being traced.
Politically targeted disappearances
The report concludes that enforced disappearances were overwhelmingly politically motivated, a finding the commission said was firmly supported by data and testimonies.
Among those still missing, 68 per cent were BNP leaders and activists, followed by 22 per cent from Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir. Of those who later returned alive, 75 per cent were leaders and activists of Jamaat-Shibir, while 22 per cent belonged to the BNP and its affiliated organisations.
“This was not random abuse,” commission members said. “It was a systematic crime driven by political objectives.”
Allegations reach the top
In what may prove the most explosive aspect of the report, the commission said it found evidence of direct involvement by then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her Defence Advisor Major General (retd) Tariq Ahmed Siddique, and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan in several high-profile disappearance cases.
The report references the disappearances of prominent figures including BNP leader Ilyas Ali, Hummam Quader Chowdhury, Salahuddin Ahmed, Chowdhury Alam, Jamaat leader and former brigadier general Abdullahil Aman Azmi, Barrister Mir Ahmed Bin Kasem, and former ambassador Maruf Zaman.
Commission members said evidence indicates that in many cases, orders came directly from the highest level of government. They also cited information suggesting that some victims were secretly transferred to India through illegal renditions, bypassing any legal process.
‘A nation must never allow this again’
Receiving the report, Professor Yunus praised the commission’s courage and perseverance, calling the findings historic.
“This is documentation of how democratic institutions were twisted into instruments of terror,” he said. “It shows how low human beings can stoop, how demonic and disgusting they can become - while continuing to live normal lives in society.”
He stressed that the report must be made public in simple, accessible language, so citizens can understand what was done in their name, and directed the commission to submit recommendations and future courses of action.
“As a nation, we must come out of this forever,” Yunus said. “We must ensure such atrocities never return.”
Call for justice and protection
Commission members thanked the Chief Advisor for what they described as unwavering political backing, saying the inquiry would not have been possible without his strong stance.
They urged the government to reconstitute the National Human Rights Commission, ensure the safety of victims and witnesses, and take concrete steps to carry the findings forward – signalling that accountability, rather than closure, must follow the report.
The submission of the report marks the end of the inquiry – but potentially the beginning of a reckoning with one of the darkest chapters in Bangladesh’s recent history.