Bangladesh Commission Reveals 287 Killings During Hasina Era, Bodies Dumped in Rivers and Mass Graves

A government-appointed commission in Bangladesh has revealed that at least 287 people were killed during the rule of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The commission, formed after Hasina was toppled in August 2024 following a mass uprising, stated that some of the victims' bodies were dumped into rivers, including the Buriganga in Dhaka, or buried in mass graves. The commission investigated 1,569 cases of abductions, with 287 presumed dead. Nur Khan Liton, a commission member, said unmarked graves were identified in several locations, and recommended forensic experts' involvement to identify the bodies and collect DNA samples from family members. The report accused security forces of acting under Hasina's command, targeting members of opposition parties such as Jamaat-e-Islami and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). In a separate investigation, police exhumed a mass grave in Dhaka, uncovering at least eight bodies with bullet wounds from the 2024 uprising. The United Nations estimates up to 1,400 people were killed in crackdowns during Hasina's attempts to retain power. Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia in November for crimes against humanity.