OHCHR / BANGLADESH DISAPPEARANCES

“The initiation of proceedings against those accused of carrying out enforced disappearances and torture under the previous government in Bangladesh is an important step towards accountability. This marks the first time that formal charges have been brought for enforced disappearances in the country. It is a significant moment for victims and their families,” a human rights Spokesperson said. OHCHR

• Video Length: 00:02:11
• Production Date: 15 October 2025
• Asset Language: English
• Corporate Name: OFFICE OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS - OHCHR
• Subject Topical: HUMAN RIGHTS
• Geographic Subject: BANGLADESH
• MAMS Id: 3471135
• Parent Id: 3471135
• Alternate Title: unifeed251015f

Description

STORY: OHCHR / BANGLADESH DISAPPEARANCES
TRT: 02:11
SOURCE: OHCHR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/NATS

DATELINE: 15 OCTOBER 2025, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

Shotlist

1. Various shots, Palais Wilson, UN Human Rights headquarters in Geneva
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“The initiation of proceedings against those accused of carrying out enforced disappearances and torture under the previous government in Bangladesh is an important step towards accountability. This marks the first time that formal charges have been brought for enforced disappearances in the country. It is a significant moment for victims and their families. We urge full respect for the most scrupulous standards of due process and fair trial, as guaranteed in international law. The protection of victims and witnesses in these sensitive and significant cases must be ensured. A key recommendation of our Fact-Finding Report into last year’s deadly student-led protests was that those responsible for serious violations of human rights must be held to account in accordance with international standards. We also urge the authorities to prioritise handling the large number of other pending cases – with some dating back to the previous administration and others since then. It is crucial to ensure due process and fair resolution in each case, and to release promptly anyone who has been arbitrarily detained. This includes survivors of enforced disappearances and others facing unfounded charges, including journalists and those perceived to be supporters of the former regime. Many of them continue to face criminal charges, including under the draconian Anti-Terrorism Act. We also urge the authorities not to pursue the death penalty in any of the cases. Beyond ensuring individual accountability, the best way forward for Bangladesh is a comprehensive process of truth-telling, reparation, healing and justice. Such a process must address the legacy of serious human rights violations and ensure that these abuses can never happen again. We also call on the interim Government to deal with ongoing concerns promptly in line with international law.”

Storyline

Last week, Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal submitted formal charges of crimes against humanity in two cases related to enforced disappearances and torture alleged to have occurred at the Task Force for Interrogation Cell and the Joint Interrogation Cell, respectively. The Tribunal also issued arrest warrants for mostly former, but also some serving, military officers, including a number of former Directors-General of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence, as well as former officials of the Rapid Action Battalion.

“The initiation of proceedings against those accused of carrying out enforced disappearances and torture under the previous government in Bangladesh is an important step towards accountability. This marks the first time that formal charges have been brought for enforced disappearances in the country. It is a significant moment for victims and their families,” Shamdasani said.

On Saturday, Bangladesh’s army announced that it had detained over a dozen of its officers accused of serious crimes committed under the previous administration. It is crucial that the army promptly produces these detained officers to a competent civilian court, for fair and transparent criminal proceedings.

“We urge full respect for the most scrupulous standards of due process and fair trial, as guaranteed in international law. The protection of victims and witnesses in these sensitive and significant cases must be ensured. A key recommendation of our Fact-Finding Report into last year’s deadly student-led protests was that those responsible for serious violations of human rights must be held to account in accordance with international standards,” the spokesperson added.

The crime of enforced disappearances is now formally recognised in Bangladesh for the first time following ratification in August 2024 of the Convention on Enforced Disappearances and an amendment to the International Crimes Tribunal Act.

“We also urge the authorities to prioritise handling the large number of other pending cases – with some dating back to the previous administration and others since then. It is crucial to ensure due process and fair resolution in each case, and to release promptly anyone who has been arbitrarily detained. This includes survivors of enforced disappearances and others facing unfounded charges, including journalists and those perceived to be supporters of the former regime. Many of them continue to face criminal charges, including under the draconian Anti-Terrorism Act,” she said.

“We also urge the authorities not to pursue the death penalty in any of the cases.”

“The best way forward for Bangladesh is a comprehensive process of truth-telling, reparation, healing and justice. Such a process must address the legacy of serious human rights violations and ensure that these abuses can never happen again. We also call on the interim Government to deal with ongoing concerns promptly in line with international law,” she stated in conclusion.