Enforced Disappearance in Bangladesh

Announcement

Please join the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission for a virtual briefing on enforced disappearances in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh security forces, particularly the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), have been linked to nearly 600 cases of enforced disappearances, illegal under international law, since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina returned to power in 2009. While some victims are released or taken to court after weeks or months of secret detention, others become victims of extrajudicial killings and scores are still missing.  

A new report by Human Rights Watch documents 86 cases in which victims are still missing and demonstrates a persistent refusal by Bangladeshi authorities to investigate and hold perpetrators accountable. The government has repeatedly ignored calls by donor governments, the United Nations, human rights organizations and civil society to address the culture of impunity or to disband the notorious RAB. Instead, members of security forces who are accused of human rights violations appear to be rewarded with promotions and medals while victims’ families endure years of trauma. 

Coinciding with the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, human rights advocates and researchers will discuss how Congress and the U.S. government can contribute to ending enforced disappearances and other grave human rights violations committed by security forces in Bangladesh. 

This virtual briefing will be open to Members of Congress, congressional staff, the interested public, and the media. To attend, please register here. For questions, please contact Svetlana Shkolnikova (for Co-Chair McGovern) or Piero Tozzi (for Co-Chair Smith). For help with registration or technical support, please contact Matt McLaughlin of the TLHRC staff. 

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