Statement of Solidarity with Bangladesh

The Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) commiserates with the people of Bangladesh who have been affected by Tropical Cyclone Roanu, especially the families of those who perished. We pray for the recovery of those who were injured, and the hundreds of thousands who were forced to leave their homes. Indeed, improved warning systems may have helped reduce the number of casualties as at least half a million people were able to evacuate to safety ahead of time.

Unfortunately, the same regard for security is not in evidence when it comes to human-made disasters in Bangladesh. In fact, in recent years, the State itself has been keeping its citizens in a perpetual state of catastrophe.

From April 2015 – January 2016 alone, at least 24 persons have been disappeared in Bangladesh – an average of six people per month*. Given the well-documented profiles of the victims, it can be concluded that the disappearances are political in nature and were committed by the State to stifle dissent. Still, despite the existence of thorough documentation by reputable human rights organizations, the State has the audacity to claim that enforced disappearance does not exist in Bangladesh.

Victims and their relatives are left with no hopes of relief from the Bangladeshi government. It is common practice for the police to refuse to accept reports from relatives when these mention that State agents were involved in the disappearance of their missing kin. Thus, one cannot expect prompt and impartial investigations to ever be conducted.

In the judiciary, the few men and women brave enough to assert their independence are stripped of their powers and relocated to remote areas when they issue decisions that may implicate State agents. Such moves have methodically ensured that even supposedly independent institutions in Bangladesh lose all semblance of independence and are completely subservient to the regime.

The distrust in government agencies is such that victims and their relatives can only turn to human rights organizations in their quest for justice. Sadly, true to its mission to silence all dissent, the State has launched a clampdown on these organizations. Not only are their members being surveilled and harassed, the parliament has even enacted a law requiring approval from the NGO Affairs Bureau before an NGO may access its funds. This has resulted in the bank accounts of human rights organizations being frozen, making it extremely difficult for them to operate.

Today, as the International Week of the Disappeared draws to a close, simultaneous activities are being held in different countries across Asia in solidarity with Bangladesh. AFAD recognizes that the sheer number of enforced disappearance cases in Bangladesh and the impunity with which these are committed demand global attention. The apparent systematic nature of these disappearances may even justify admissibility of evidence in the International Criminal Court. We at AFAD will be watching the State of Bangladesh vigilantly. We will not shirk from doing whatever it takes to help protect the rights of the Bangladeshi people and for justice to be served.

The road to justice may be long and arduous, but we commit to our Bangladeshi sisters and brothers that we are with them every step of the way.

* This figure only reflects the number of reported cases; actual number of cases are suspected to be much higher.