A government-appointed commission in Bangladesh has revealed that at least 287 people are presumed to have been killed in enforced abductions during the rule of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, according to its final report submitted to the interim government on Sunday.

The Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances, established after a nationwide uprising toppled Hasina’s administration in August 2024, investigated 1,569 cases of abductions.

After verification, the panel concluded that 287 victims are likely dead, while many others were unlawfully detained or remain missing.

The commission said evidence indicates some corpses were dumped in rivers, including the Buriganga in the capital Dhaka, or buried in unmarked mass graves.

Commission member Nur Khan Liton told AFP that officials identified several locations where bodies were presumably buried, and recommended that authorities engage forensic experts to identify remains and preserve DNA samples for families.

According to the final report, security forces operated under the command of Hasina and senior government officials during the 15-year period of her rule.

A significant number of the abducted were linked to political opposition, including members of the Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

In December 2025, police began exhuming a mass grave in Dhaka connected to the uprising against Hasina, uncovering at least eight bodies with bullet wounds, the Criminal Investigation Department chief said.

The United Nations has estimated that up to 1,400 people were killed in crackdowns during Hasina’s attempts to retain power amid mass protests in 2024.

In November 2025, Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia for crimes against humanity related to the violent suppression of dissent.

Reactions and Aftermath
The inquiry’s findings have intensified calls for accountability and justice in a nation still grappling with the legacy of political violence.

Families of victims have welcomed the report as a step toward truth, but also urged swift trials of security personnel and political figures implicated in abuses.

The interim government, led by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, has pledged to pursue investigation and reforms to prevent future abuses.

Some human rights analysts note that the total number of disappearances could be far higher than documented, due to underreporting and fear among victims’ families.