Politis

287 deaths linked to abductions during Hasina’s premiership, says Bangladesh

Published January 5, 2026, 12:21
287 deaths linked to abductions during Hasina’s premiership, says Bangladesh

A Bangladesh committee investigating disappearances during the premiership of Sheikh Hasina has stated that at least 287 people are believed to be dead. The committee reports that there is evidence that some bodies were dumped into rivers, such as the Buriganga River in Dhaka, or buried in mass graves. The committee, formed after Hasina's overthrow in August 2024, examined 1,569 abduction cases. The report alleges that security forces acted under the direction of Hasina and her top officials. Many of the abductees are said to have been members of the Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami or the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), both of which opposed Hasina. The committee recommended cooperation with forensic doctors to identify the bodies and collect DNA samples from families. Meanwhile, police have begun exhuming mass graves in Dhaka, where victims with gunshot wounds have been found. The United Nations reports that up to 1,400 people were killed in crackdowns during Hasina's rule. She herself has been sentenced to death in absentia for crimes against humanity.