A recent investigation into enforced disappearances in Bangladesh has revealed that several children were held in secret detention centers alongside their mothers. The Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances, which is looking into abuses that occurred during the rule of the ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, published a preliminary report on Tuesday detailing these findings.
The commission reported that at least half a dozen children were detained for months in secret prisons, with some even used as leverage in interrogations. Babies, for example, were reportedly denied milk as a form of psychological pressure during questioning.
Hasina, who fled to India in August 2024 following a student-led revolution that overthrew her government, faces arrest warrants on charges of crimes against humanity, including extrajudicial killings and the illegal abduction of hundreds of people.
The commission’s report highlighted “multiple verified cases” of women disappearing with their children, some as recently as 2023. One such case involved a pregnant woman and her two young children being detained and beaten in a detention center. The commission emphasized that this was not an isolated incident.
In one case, a witness recounted being held in a detention center as a child with her mother, allegedly run by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), a notorious paramilitary force. The report noted that the woman’s mother never returned.
Another case involved a couple and their baby, with the child being deprived of milk as a form of psychological torture aimed at pressuring the father.
When Hasina’s government was in power, it denied the allegations of enforced disappearances, claiming that many of the missing individuals had drowned while attempting to reach Europe.
According to the commission, approximately 200 Bangladeshis who were abducted by security forces remain unaccounted for.
Committee member Sazzad Hossain stated that although some victims were unable to identify the specific officers responsible for their torture, their testimonies would still be crucial in identifying those involved. In such cases, the commission will recommend holding the commanders accountable.
The commission’s report also noted that the psychological, legal, and financial impacts on the victims’ families have been severe and multifaceted.
