Forces accused of enforced disappearances must not investigate themselves: Humam Quader 

Chattogram-7 BNP MP Humam Quader Chowdhury today (29 August) demanded that any department, institution or security force accused of involvement in an enforced disappearance should not be allowed to investigate the allegation itself.

He raised the demand at a seminar titled “Bangladesh against the Rohingya Genocide and Enforced Disappearances: Commitment to Accountability, Human Rights and Justice”, at the Tofazzal Hossain Manik Mia Hall of the National Press Club.

“The department, entity or force against which an allegation has been made cannot investigate it,” Humam said, adding that the Enforced Disappearance Act and the National Human Rights Commission Act should be considered together.

He said that when allegations involve several security forces, questions naturally arise over which authority should conduct the investigation. 

Such concerns could be addressed through an independent investigation by the Human Rights Commission, he added.

Recalling his own experience of enforced disappearance, Humam said he had been picked up by the Detective Branch (DB) and subsequently handed over to the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI).

Humam further said accountability should extend beyond those directly involved in enforced disappearances to those who issued orders and individuals who could be held responsible under the principle of superior command responsibility.

Regarding the Rohingya crisis, Mawdud Hossain Alamgir Pavel, convener of the BNP’s Media Cell, said major powers including China, India, the United States and Russia have strategic interests in Myanmar.

He said the international community should use this geopolitical reality to engage with the Myanmar government and the Arakan Army and help create a pathway for the repatriation of Rohingya refugees.

He also suggested that plans could be developed to enhance the skills of Rohingya refugees so that they could contribute to the reconstruction of Myanmar.

Speaking on the Rohingya crisis, AB Party Secretary General Barrister Asaduzzaman Fuad said, “Bangladesh must move beyond a relief-dependent approach and adopt a clear national strategy.”

At the same time, he stressed the need to ensure an independent investigative body, a stronger human rights commission and effective accountability to prevent enforced disappearances from recurring.

Sahab Enam Khan, professor in the Department of International Relations at Jahangirnagar University, said the Rohingya crisis cannot be resolved if it is viewed solely as a humanitarian or bilateral issue.

The crisis is also linked to Myanmar’s internal conflict, regional security and global geopolitics, he said.

“There is no alternative for Bangladesh to the repatriation of the Rohingya,” Professor Sahab Enam said.

He called for ensuring education, skills development and a dignified life for Rohingya refugees, while stressing that their own voices must also be included in discussions about their future.