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Published : 05 Jan 2026, 10:02 PM
The chief of enforced disappearance inquiry Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury has said many military officers deputed to agencies such as RAB, NSI, and DGFI under previous governments are implicated in "cases regarding missing individuals and extortion".
The probe highlights a pattern of systemic misuse of intelligence agencies, he said on Monday, a day after submitting the final report to the chief advisor.
Speaking at a press conference, Moyeenul stressed that stopping this misuse will require “firm political will”.
“The officers deputed from the military to RAB operated outside their command structure. The Army could not take punitive action. DGFI reports to the Ministry of Defence, which is overseen by the prime minister. So the Army had no authority to intervene,” he said.
He added, “While the armed forces were not directly involved in enforced disappearances, most officers deputed to RAB, NSI, and DGFI during these periods were implicated in abductions and extortion. That is why we recommended withdrawing all armed forces personnel from civil administration and intelligence duties.”
On DGFI reforms, he said: “Intelligence agencies must exist, but they must be reformed. Their standard operating procedures need to change. DGFI and NSI must be restructured to prevent misuse: no more bank takeovers, no interference in media houses, no meddling in internal politics… The intent of the next government will determine if this is possible.”
Asked whether rival political parties showed such political will, he said: “No comment. Observers will have to judge that themselves.”
Commission member Nur Khan added, “As citizens, we hope political parties will ensure that extrajudicial incidents do not occur, that no one provides shelter to enforced disappearances, and that the law is strictly applied.”
The commission’s investigations included site visits to potential crime scenes, pickup points, “Aynaghor”, and dumping grounds across the country.
Moyeenul said, “In Munshiganj, a graveyard for unclaimed bodies indicated victims of enforced disappearance. Postmortem reports confirmed that the buried had gunshot wounds and hands tied behind their backs.
“In Barishal’s Baleshwari River and Patharghata in Barguna, we located additional dumping sites. We have begun DNA analysis to identify unknown bodies, in collaboration with Anjuman Mufidul Islam, following international standards, and recommended a comprehensive DNA database.”
Other recommendations include abolishing the RAB, withdrawing armed forces from internal security, revising anti-terrorism laws, formulating community-based preventive measures, enforcing accountability, mandatory human rights training, victim-centred justice, compensation and rehabilitation, and converting Aynaghor into museums symbolising truth and accountability.
Of the 251 missing persons investigated, Moyeenul said most were politically affiliated with opposition parties, primarily the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, with a recurring pattern of large-scale disappearances before general elections in 2014, 2018, and 2024.
Asked if enforced disappearances correlated with a lack of democracy, he said: “Certainly. The deposed prime minister [Sheikh Hasina] sought to remain in power at all costs, even resorting to large-scale abductions. This is indisputable.”
The probe report underscores the urgent need for political commitment, systemic reform, and strict accountability to prevent further misuse of Bangladesh’s intelligence and security apparatus.
