Probe enforced disappearances

Bangladesh authorities should heed to international calls for transparent, independent investigations into enforced disappearances, Human Rights Watch said in a statement.

"The evidence of Bangladesh authorities' involvement in countless enforced disappearances is overwhelming," said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at HRW.

The Bangladesh government should stop feigning ignorance and work with the UN to provide urgent answers and effective accountability, she added.

The statement, issued marking the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances on August 30, mentioned that UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet during her three-day visit to Bangladesh called for the establishment of a "specialised mechanism that works closely with victims and families to investigate allegations of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings".

The UN Department of Peace Operations should heed Bachelet's warning that as the biggest contributor of uniformed personnel to UN peacekeeping missions, Bangladesh should ensure it has a robust system in place for the careful human rights screening of security personnel, said the HRW.