Former chairman of the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances and former justice Moinul Islam Chowdhury described enforced disappearances as a grave human rights violation and said they are worse than death. He made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at a symposium titled “Human Rights Situation in Bangladesh: A Review,” held at the Bangladesh Institute of Law and International Affairs (BILIA) auditorium in Dhanmondi.

Justice Moinul explained that while families of the deceased can mourn and perform funeral rites, families of the disappeared remain in uncertainty, not knowing the fate or whereabouts of their loved ones. He said such families live in prolonged suspense, facing social stigma, financial hardship, and isolation.

Other speakers at the BILIA event included former commission members Justice Md. Farid Ahmed Shibli, Sajjad Hossain, and Nur Khan Liton; Odhikar director Taskin Fahmina; BILIA secretary Dr. Muhammad Ekramul Haque; and BILIA director Ambassador M. Maruf Zaman.