Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Wednesday said no one would face enforced disappearance or political persecution in the future.

“We want Bangladesh to never experience enforced disappearances again. This criminal practice must end permanently, and the people of Bangladesh must regain their right to justice,” he said after the ninth meeting of the Special Committee on Constitutional Amendments at the Jatiya Sangsad.

Victims of enforced disappearance, killings and torture during the July-August 2024 movement, along with their family members, attended the meeting.

He stressed that no one should die in police custody. Addressing journalists, he asked whether anyone had been subjected to enforced disappearance or an extrajudicial killing during the government's past eight and a half months.

Asked about an allegation of enforced disappearance involving Miraj Sheikh, the minister said the matter is under investigation.

Salahuddin said Article 32 of the Constitution guarantees the right to life and that no further amendment to the provision was necessary.

Those responsible for enforced disappearances and killings have violated this constitutional provision, he said, adding that the existing Enforced Disappearance Prevention and Remedy Act is consistent with Article 32 and that additional legislation could be introduced if necessary.

Families of people who remain missing also attended the meeting. They included the mother of Sajedul Islam Suman, family members of Humam Quader Chowdhury and Tahsina Rushdir Luna, wife of BNP leader Elias Ali. However, Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Barrister Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem Arman did not attend despite being invited.

The families urged the special parliamentary committee to ensure that no one is subjected to enforced disappearance in the future and that the practice never returns.

They called for safeguards against future disappearances and demanded fair and proper justice for those who had been subjected to enforced disappearance, whether they had returned or remained missing.

They also called for state recognition of the victims and respect for their family members.

Salahuddin described their accounts as deeply moving, saying many participants had been overcome with emotion and were unable to speak.

Asked about allegations that law enforcement agencies accused of enforced disappearances in the past were being assigned to investigate such cases, Salahuddin said the Enforced Disappearance Prevention and Remedy Act, passed by parliament, outlined the investigation process.

Under the law, the branch of a law enforcement agency accused of involvement in a disappearance would not investigate the allegation; another agency would conduct the investigation, he said.

Salahuddin said a caretaker government system must be introduced, adding that there is no alternative to it.

The committee would examine how the system should be introduced, the roadmap and timeline for implementation, and the selection process needed to ensure it remained free from controversy, he said.

Asked whether the constitutional amendments would include any provisions beyond those outlined in the July Charter regarding the caretaker government system, Salahuddin said the BNP had issued a note of dissent on the proposal for a ranked-choice voting system.

The party had called for the provision to be discussed in parliament before a decision was made, he said, adding that further proposals could emerge through parliamentary discussions to provide broader national guarantees.

Salahuddin said opposition parties staging street protests could have placed their demands before the constitutional amendment committee, allowing members to hear their views. However, he said, they appeared to be prioritising street protests.

Commenting on the Inspector General of Police's remarks about “crossfire”, Salahuddin said the wording might have been used inadvertently while discussing strict enforcement of the law.

The IGP had not said that the government had instructed him to carry out crossfire killings or that he intended to do so himself, the minister said. However, he added that using such language was inappropriate.