A commission investigating cases of enforced disappearances in Bangladesh has found that some incidents extended beyond the country’s borders, involving cross-border transfers and coordination between security agencies of different countries.

According to the report of the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances, several victims were allegedly abducted in Bangladesh and later handed over to foreign security or intelligence agencies. The commission noted that such actions could not have taken place without cooperation between authorities on both sides of the border.

The findings indicate that members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) coordinated with the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in certain cases, informing them in advance about abductions and identifying specific locations for border transfers. Testimonies reviewed by the commission suggest that in some incidents, vehicles crossed short distances into neighboring territory before detainees were transferred.

The report highlighted multiple cases involving political figures and activists as examples of alleged cross-border renditions. Attempts to match lists of missing persons in Bangladesh with Bangladeshis held in foreign prisons did not yield clear results, and individuals pushed back into Bangladesh by foreign border forces could not account for the unresolved disappearance cases.

The commission rejected claims that enforced disappearances were isolated acts by individual officers, stating that the scale and level of coordination pointed to systematic practices. It warned that continued allegations of involvement by security forces risk undermining public trust in state institutions and the rule of law.

The report also raised concerns about accountability at senior levels, noting that denial of knowledge by commanding officers was not credible given the documented oversight structures and proximity to detention facilities.

The findings add an international dimension to long-standing concerns over enforced disappearances in Bangladesh and are expected to intensify discussions on accountability, institutional reform, and human rights protections.

This image is taken from Al Jazeera.