TLDR:
• Inquiry uncovers India’s role in disappearances
• Captive exchanges hint at covert operations
• High-level coordination between India and Bangladesh
DHAKA (The Thursday Times) — The Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearance has implicated Indian authorities in cases of enforced disappearances in Bangladesh. A report handed to Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus highlights intelligence links, covert exchanges, and systemic practices suggesting transnational involvement.
India’s alleged involvement in disappearances
The commission’s report, titled Unfolding the Truth, reveals detailed accounts of suspected Indian involvement in enforced disappearances, including intelligence information about captive exchanges between India and Bangladesh. The findings suggest a coordinated effort between the countries’ security forces, potentially implicating Indian authorities in systemic disappearances.
Testimonies from Bangladeshi detainees have painted a troubling picture. High-profile cases like that of Shukhranjan Bali, who disappeared from Bangladesh’s Supreme Court premises and later surfaced in an Indian prison, and BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed, who was detained in Bangladesh and found near the India-Bangladesh border, underscore the gravity of the allegations.
Captive exchanges and covert operations
The report detailed practices of prisoner handovers between the countries, often involving Bangladeshi security personnel in disguises to avoid detection. Accounts from soldiers revealed how captives were transferred across the border, with some detainees meeting fatal ends shortly after exchanges.
One account noted that two captives received from India were killed near a roadside, while others were handed over to different teams within Bangladesh. These exchanges highlight the systemic nature of such operations, implicating security forces on both sides.
Allegations of detention and torture
BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed described his ordeal in chilling detail. Detained in 2015, Ahmed recounted being imprisoned in a barren cell where a hole in the ground served as a toilet. His blanket bore the letters “TFI,” linked to the Task Force for Interrogation, a unit under Bangladesh’s Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).
The commission corroborated his account, identifying a now-destroyed section of the TFI facility in Dhaka, including former torture chambers and cell locations. Witnesses and soldiers who visited the facility confirmed its existence, although its interior was dismantled to erase traces of its use.
High-level coordination exposed
The formal nature of the handovers, combined with testimonies from security personnel, indicates a high level of coordination between India and Bangladesh. The commission’s findings suggest that enforced disappearances were not isolated incidents but part of a broader, systematic effort involving intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
This level of coordination raises serious concerns about the implications for bilateral relations and human rights. The commission has recommended that Bangladesh’s Foreign and Home Ministries investigate further to identify any Bangladeshi citizens still detained in Indian facilities.
Systemic issues and future steps
The commission stressed the need for more comprehensive investigations to fully understand India’s role in these cases. It called for better safeguards to prevent such abuses, urging greater accountability on both sides.
The report, while shedding light on these troubling practices, underscores the complex dynamics between India and Bangladesh. It remains to be seen how both nations will address these allegations and whether justice will be served for the victims and their families.