Bangladesh likely to sign international convention on enforced disappearances before August 30

Dhaka: Bangladesh plans to sign the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance soon, a top official of the interim government said here on Wednesday.

The interim government is considering forming a commission to investigate the incidents of forced disappearances as many people disappeared during the reign of the ousted Sheikh Hasina government, Chief Adviser's press secretary Shafiqul Alam told reporters at the Foreign Service Academy.

"About 700 people disappeared during the tenures of the Sheikh Hasina government and some 150 people are still missing," Alam was quoted as saying by the state-run BSS news agency.

The issue of signing the international convention was discussed in the meeting of the Advisory Council of the interim government, he said.

The signing may take place before August 30, Alam said.

He said the interim government is committed to investigating each case of enforced disappearances.

There is a discussion to form a commission to look into the cases of disappearances, he said, adding that there is a similar Commission in Sri Lanka which they will look into.

The International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances falls on August 30.

Hasina fled to India on August 5 after resigning from her post amidst unprecedented anti-government student-led protests.

The Hasina-led government was replaced by an interim government, and 84-year-old Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was named its Chief Adviser.

Bangladesh's interim government has said it will try those involved in the killings during the recent mass movement of the students against the Hasina-led government in the International Crimes Tribunal.

Over 230 people were killed in Bangladesh in the incidents of violence that erupted across the country following the fall of the Hasina government, taking the death toll to more than 600 since the massive protest by students against a controversial quota system in government jobs first started in mid-July.