The Bangladesh government has introduced a bill that includes provisions for the death penalty for individuals involved in enforced disappearances. According to a report by an investigative commission, more than 1,569 people were forcibly disappeared during Sheikh Hasina’s 17-year tenure. The proposed legislation also mandates compensation for victims’ families from the convicted perpetrators’ assets. Dhaka, 19 Shrawan (RASS/Afp).
The government has moved forward with legal measures allowing for the death penalty in cases of enforced disappearances. This bill follows an official investigation into the disappearance of over 1,500 individuals during former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s rule. After a regime change following the 2024 popular uprising, an investigative commission was established, which documented at least 1,569 enforced disappearances during Hasina’s 17-year governance.
The commission reports that 251 of those individuals remain missing and are presumed dead. The proposed “Prevention and Treatment of Enforced Disappearance Act” is yet to be passed by Parliament. The draft bill, approved by the Cabinet on Monday night, suggests the possibility of imposing the death penalty if the victim dies as a result of enforced disappearance.
The proposed law also includes provisions for compensating victims’ families using the assets of those convicted. Sheikh Hasina has faced accusations of utilizing security agencies to suppress dissent during her administration. The investigative commission highlighted allegations that political opponents, particularly members of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami, were arrested and forcibly disappeared.
Tarik Rahman, who became Prime Minister following the February 2026 elections, has expressed a commitment to ending state-supported violence observed during Hasina’s rule. Rights organizations note that even though Sheikh Hasina has been removed from power, incidents of violence in Bangladesh remain a challenge due to ongoing political rivalry, weak law enforcement, and a culture of impunity.
Seventy-eight-year-old Sheikh Hasina is currently living in exile in India.
