Five hundred and forty-four is a horrendous number of people to have gone missing, reportedly, in the last eight years since 2008. Only a few of them have returned; unfortunately 300 of them remain unaccounted for. It is a very sorry state where relatives of victims of such patently criminal acts should find themselves between the devil and the deep sea.

Bangladesh government took limited measures to investigate and prosecute cases of extrajudicial killings and enforced

The Bangladesh government should take urgent steps to confirm the whereabouts and release of men “held by its security authorities outside the authority of the courts,” Human Rights Watch said in a letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina that was made public today.

Security forces in Bangladesh are accused of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and secret detentions, including that of

Human Rights Watch criticises Bangladesh government over the enforced disappearances carried out allegedly by the law enforcement agencies. In a long report, the international rights group also recommends prompt investigation into the allegations of such disappearances.

Families of victims of enforced disappearances, who were mostly opposition BNP activists, today urged the prime minister to get back their dear ones at a demonstration staged in Dhaka.