Enforced Disappearance: 10 army officers flee despite travel bans
News Desk :
At least 10 senior Bangladesh Army officers accused of involvement in state-sanctioned enforced disappearances have fled the country-despite being subject to arrest warrants, travel bans, and revoked passports-according to a senior official from the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances.
The revelation has sparked renewed scrutiny over the effectiveness of enforcement mechanisms and raised further concerns about accountability for past abuses, reports Netra News.
Among those directly impacted is Anisha Islam Insa, whose father, Ismail Hossain Baten-a businessman and BNP leader – was allegedly abducted by operatives of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) from Mirpur in Dhaka on 19 June 2019.
“Ever since my father disappeared, I see those black uniforms as monsters in disguise-like black-clothed hyenas. When my brother sees RAB, he trembles in fear,” she said.
During former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s nearly 16-year rule, Bangladesh witnessed a deeply troubling trend of enforced disappearances-often linked to law enforcement and intelligence agencies and disproportionately targeting political dissidents.
Following the collapse of the Awami League-led government on 5 August last year, the newly formed interim administration launched a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the incidents. Simultaneously, the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) began preparing criminal charges against those allegedly involved.
In the ensuing months, the government revoked the passports of 42 law enforcement officials believed to have participated in enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. Travel bans were issued for 11 officers from the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), 15 from RAB, six from the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit and the Detective Branch (DB), and 10 from the army. Arrest warrants followed in January.
Despite these actions, several high-ranking officials have managed to flee Bangladesh, casting doubt on the state’s ability-or willingness-to enforce accountability.
“We have a substantial body of evidence,” said Nur Khan Liton, human rights lawyer and head of the Commission, confirming that at least 10 suspects-from warrant officers to top generals-are now on the run.
Those identified include Lieutenant General Molla Fazle Akbar, Major General Sheikh Mamun Khaled, Lieutenant General Md. Akbar Hossain, Major General Md. Saiful Abedin, Major General Md. Saiful Alam, Major General Ahmed Tabrez Shams Chowdhury, Major General Hamidul Haque, Colonel Mahadi Hasan, Warrant Officer Md. Ziaur Rahman, and Warrant Officer Imrul Kayes.
Strikingly, the first seven individuals all served as DGFI chiefs between 2009 and 2024-overlapping entirely with Hasina’s term in office.
How they managed to escape, in defiance of travel bans and judicial directives, remains unclear.
Speaking to Netra News, Khan suggested some suspects may have exited via land borders with India, while others might have exploited airport systems. “We’ve informed the Chief Adviser and raised these issues with the Army Chief as well. If agencies had been vigilant, these escapes could have been stopped,” he said.
Netra News previously reported that Bangladesh’s intelligence agencies facilitated the departure of a former president through Dhaka airport-deepening suspicions of institutional complicity.
The Commission has formally contacted Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman to determine the whereabouts of the fleeing officers but has yet to receive a response.
For the families of the disappeared, fading hope is being replaced with frustration.
“They promised answers within three months. But the man we accused is still walking free,” said Insa. “We pass night after night without sleep. Even after the fall of Hasina’s government, we don’t know what happened to my father.”
Her mother, Nasrin Akter Srithi, added: “We no longer smile. My son is traumatised.”
Legal experts have cautioned that failure to prosecute those responsible could set a dangerous precedent.
“If justice is not served, others will feel emboldened to commit similar crimes,” said Supreme Court lawyer Manzoor Al Matin. “The credibility of our armed forces and law enforcement depends on meaningful action.”
Khan echoed that sentiment: “There must be visible trials. Without that, impunity will persist.”
Al Matin urged both the Commission and the government to disclose whom they approached for information and what responses were received. “The security forces also bear responsibility. No institution or government can avoid this duty.”
Despite repeated requests, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) did not respond to Netra News’s inquiries.
At a press briefing on 3 July at Dhaka Cantonment, Colonel Md. Shafiqul Islam of the Military Operations Directorate stated that legal action would be taken against army personnel found to be involved in enforced disappearances.