Michael Chakma, a prominent indigenous rights activist from Bangladesh, recently recounted his harrowing five-year ordeal after being abducted by armed men near Dhaka. Chakma, who was released earlier this month, described how he was held in a dark, tiny cell, blindfolded, and handcuffed, before being abruptly freed. He initially feared for his life, believing his captors would kill him, but instead, he was unexpectedly released.
Chakma’s abduction in 2018 was part of a larger pattern of enforced disappearances during the 15-year rule of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Chakma revealed that he was interrogated about his opposition to Hasina, beaten for weeks, and then left in isolation in what he described as one of “hundreds” of similar cells in an unknown detention facility.
Sheikh Hasina’s government has been accused of widespread human rights violations, including the suppression of dissent, the arrest of opposition leaders, and crackdowns on free speech. These actions culminated in her resignation this month following deadly student-led protests that left hundreds dead. The interim government, now led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has made it a priority to investigate the disappearances and extrajudicial killings that occurred during Hasina’s tenure.
Human Rights Watch reported in 2021 that nearly 600 people have been forcibly disappeared in Bangladesh since 2009, with the fate of many remaining unknown. The rights group has verified 86 cases of enforced disappearances where the victims’ fates are still unclear, while others were either released, shown as arrested, or found dead. Activists and rights organizations believe that victims were held in various secret detention centers across the country, and any involvement of the military, paramilitary, or police could complicate the ongoing investigations.
The newly formed interim government has established a five-member commission, led by a former high court judge, to investigate these disappearances. However, there are concerns about potential cover-ups by the perpetrators. Meenakshi Ganguly, Asia Deputy Director for Human Rights Watch, emphasized the need for transparency, urging security forces to release those who are still missing or, if they were killed in custody, to provide answers to their families.
Despite multiple attempts, neither Hasina, who is currently residing in an undisclosed location near New Delhi, nor her son Sajeeb Wazed, who has been speaking on her behalf from the U.S., responded to requests for comments on these allegations. Bangladesh’s military and police also did not provide any statements regarding their potential involvement in the disappearances. The investigations are seen as a crucial step in addressing the human rights abuses that have plagued Bangladesh in recent years.
