DHAKA: A government-appointed commission in Bangladesh reported on Monday that at least 287 people are presumed to have been killed in abductions during the tenure of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. The findings come after a nationwide following the mass uprising of August 2024 that led to Hasina’s removal from office.
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The commission said it had investigated 1,569 cases of abduction, concluding that 287 of the victims were likely murdered. Some corpses are believed to have been disposed of in rivers such as the Buriganga in Dhaka, while others may have been buried in unmarked mass graves.
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Commission member Nur Khan Liton said several unidentified graves had been discovered, and experts recommended cooperation with forensic specialists to identify remains and collect DNA samples from victims’ families.
The report attributed responsibility for the abductions and killings to security forces acting under directives from Hasina and her senior officials. It noted that many of the victims were affiliated with opposition parties, particularly the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Jamaat-e-Islami.
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In a related development, Bangladeshi police in December 2025 began exhuming a mass grave in Dhaka as part of ongoing investigations into the alleged abuses. The commission’s findings mark a significant step in the country’s efforts to investigate political-era disappearances and pursue accountability.