Bangladesh Signs UN Convention to Combat Over 700 Enforced Disappearances

In a significant move towards addressing human rights violations, Bangladesh’s interim government, under the leadership of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, took a decisive step by signing the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. This action, taken on Thursday, marks a pivotal moment in the country’s approach to enforced disappearances, a persistent issue that has plagued Bangladesh for years. The government’s commitment to investigating and addressing each case of enforced disappearance is now under global scrutiny as it moves forward with this international obligation.

Key Event: Signing of the Convention

• Muhammad Yunus, in his capacity as the Chief Advisor of the Government of Bangladesh, officially signed the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.
• The signing was announced through Yunus’s X account (formerly Twitter), where he emphasized the government’s resolve to “investigate each and every case of enforced disappearances.”

International Reaction

• Smriti Singh, the Regional Director for South Asia at Amnesty International, welcomed this significant step by the Bangladesh interim government.
• Singh urged the government to:
  • Proactively ratify the Convention.
  • Enact strong domestic legislation that acknowledges the continuous nature of the crime.
  • Recognize and address incidents of enforced disappearances that occurred before the Convention’s enactment.
  • Enable the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances to “receive and consider communications” on behalf of victims, as stipulated in Article 31 of the UN Convention.

Background: Enforced Disappearances in Bangladesh

• Odhikar, a Bangladeshi rights organization, reported that from 2009 to June 2024, there have been 709 enforced disappearances.
• The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), an anti-crime and anti-terrorism unit of the Bangladesh Police, is alleged to be responsible for 206 of these disappearances.
• The Detective Branch of the Bangladesh Police is reported to be responsible for 240 disappearances.
• Other units of the Bangladesh Police are reportedly responsible for 104 disappearances.

Understanding the Convention

• The International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance is a UN treatyaimed at preventing enforced disappearances and ensuring justice and reparations for victims.
• The Convention defines “enforced disappearance” as the arrest, detention, or abduction by state agents or those acting with state support, followed by a refusal to acknowledge the act.
• The Convention mandates that no exceptional circumstances can justify enforced disappearances and obliges states to investigate and prosecute such acts.

Source: Jurist News