Terming enforced disappearance as a gross violation of human rights, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has said that the current government is investigating every single incident of disappearance and has initiated legal proceedings.

At the same time, a separate legal framework is being formulated to prevent such crimes against humanity in the future.

He made these remarks in a message issued on Saturday (August 29) ahead of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, observed on Sunday (August 30).

Tarique Rahman said, "On the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, I extend my deepest sympathy and solidarity to all victims of enforced disappearances and their family members in Bangladesh and around the world."

He further stated that enforced disappearance is among the most terrifying of the world's heinous crimes, serving as a global problem and a severe violation of human rights.

Such inhumane incidents particularly occur in authoritarian systems and politically conflict-ridden regions of the world, where state security forces or law enforcement agencies often resort to such cruel and ruthless methods against anti-government movements or political leaders holding dissenting views.

The Prime Minister stated that the fallen, defeated, and fugitive fascist government of Bangladesh had chosen the inhumane path of forced disappearances and abductions to suppress the democratic and political rights of the country's people.

Secret detention centers were established to hold victims of disappearance for months or even years. These secret cells from the fugitive fascist era became publicly known as "Aynaghor" (House of Mirrors).

Citing figures from domestic and international human rights organizations, the head of government said that the ousted fascist government had forcibly disappeared at least 700 people at various times by utilizing state law enforcement agencies.

This is deeply poignant and heartbreaking, he noted, adding that the current government is investigating every incident and has commenced trial proceedings.

Concurrently, a separate legal framework is being formulated to prevent enforced disappearances in the future, with the "Enforced Disappearance Prevention and Remedy Bill, 2026" and the "National Human Rights Commission Bill, 2026" already tabled in the National Parliament.

The government hopes that once these bills are duly enacted into law, no one will dare to resort to such heinous crimes against humanity in the future.

He remarked that an enforced disappearance or abduction is not merely a statistic or the loss of a single individual, but rather the death of a family's dreams, aspirations, and a halted future. Relatives waiting for missing loved ones spend their days in an uncertain reality with no closure and no normal opportunity to grieve.

Tarique Rahman noted that following the long anti-fascist movement and struggle, and the mass uprising of brave students and citizens in 2024 that toppled the fascist clique, some fortunate individuals have returned, while countless others—such as M. Ilias Ali and Chowdhury Alam—remain missing to this day.

He added that Article 7(2) of the Rome Statute of the ICC defines enforced disappearance as a crime against humanity and emphasizes exemplary justice for such acts.

The International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances is observed worldwide to awaken global conscience against state-sponsored or enforced disappearances, with this year's theme being "Victims First, Actions Now."

In concluding his message, the Prime Minister called for global unity and solidarity to ensure the trial and accountability of individuals and institutions involved in this inhumane crime.