The Commission of Inquiry on enforced disappearances in Bangladesh has recommended the dissolution of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and extensive institutional and legal reforms to end enforced disappearances and human rights violations. The recommendations, announced Monday at the commission’s Gulshan Avenue office by Chair Justice Moinul Islam Chowdhury, also call for the withdrawal of the military from internal law enforcement, repeal or major amendment of the 2009 Anti-Terrorism Act, abandonment of militarized counterterrorism policies, and repeal of Section 13 of the Armed Police Battalion Act, 2009. The commission further urged mandatory human rights training, victim-centered justice, compensation, rehabilitation, and conversion of secret detention sites known as “Aynaghar” into museums.

Formed on 15 September 2024 under the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1956, the body investigated enforced disappearances between 1 January 2009 and 5 August 2024. It reviewed government records, coordinated with agencies including DGFI, RAB, NSI, and police units, and inspected secret detention centers. Out of 9,191 complaints, 5,568 were actively considered, with 251 people still missing and 36 confirmed dead. The commission found RAB involved in about 25 percent of cases and police in 23 percent, describing the pattern as a state-supported institutional practice.

The commission submitted interim reports naming responsible individuals and institutions and proposed new laws, including the Enforced Disappearance Prevention and Redress Act, 2025, to ensure accountability and prevent recurrence.