A commission investigating enforced disappearances named former RAB official Kismat Hayat in connection with the disappearance of seven people, including BNP-affiliated Jubo Dal?
During the Awami League government’s tenure, retired Lieutenant Colonel Kismat Hayat, a former director of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)-1, reportedly admitted to his involvement in the disappearance of seven people, including Sajedul Islam Sumon, a leader of the BNP’s volunteer wing, Jatiyatabadi Swechchhasebak Dal. Over the past year, his company, Compact Dream Engineering, has received multiple contracts from Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) worth a combined Tk 30.5 million.
Among the contracts awarded to the company was a recent project to renovate and operate traffic signals in the Gulshan-2 area of Dhaka.
According to information obtained during an investigation, Compact Dream Engineering received a contract worth Tk 6.2 million on August 27 for the renovation and operation of traffic signals in Gulshan-2. The one-year contract runs from August 27 this year to August 23, 2027. Kismat Hayat is the company’s principal shareholder and chief executive officer.
Earlier, on June 1, the company received another contract worth Tk 20.4 million from DNCC’s Traffic Engineering Department. It had also secured a contract worth Tk 3.9 million before August 5, 2024, which remained ongoing afterward. The total value of the three contracts stands at Tk 30.5 million.
Sumon and Six Others Disappeared in 2013
Sajedul Islam Sumon, a leader of the BNP-affiliated Swechchhasebak Dal, disappeared on December 4, 2013. Six other people, including three students of Jagannath University, also went missing on the same day. The families of the victims have long accused RAB of involvement in their disappearance.
Sumon’s sister, Sanjida Islam Tuli, founded Mayer Daak, an organisation representing families of victims of enforced disappearance. For years, members of the organisation have campaigned for information about their missing relatives and demanded justice. Despite their sustained efforts, many families remained without definitive information about the fate of their loved ones.
Following the political changeover on August 5, 2024, new information emerged from investigations into enforced disappearances. A report by the commission investigating such cases named Kismat Hayat in connection with the enforced disappearance and killing of activists affiliated with the BNP, its student wing, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, and Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir during 2012 and 2013. Sumon was among the victims identified in connection with these cases.
According to the commission’s report, Hayat acknowledged his involvement in the disappearances in a written statement submitted to the commission. He reportedly claimed that he had participated in the operations on the instructions of former army officer Ziaul Hasan. The case is currently under investigation by the International Crimes Tribunal.
Questions Over Government Contracts
The awarding of government contracts to a company owned by a former official facing allegations related to enforced disappearances has raised questions about the due diligence conducted before the contracts were awarded.
In particular, the case has highlighted the need for transparency regarding whether the relevant authorities properly scrutinised the company and its ownership in light of the serious human rights allegations against its principal shareholder.
Attempts were made to contact Kismat Hayat for comment, but his response could not be obtained. According to sources, the former RAB official is currently outside Bangladesh. However, his reported whereabouts abroad could not be independently verified.
Asked about the allegations, DNCC Administrator Shafiqul Islam Milton said the city corporation’s tendering process was conducted through the government’s Electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) system.
“Those who rank highest in the SLT and TDS receive the contracts. There is no scope for manipulation,” he said, adding that the same process had been followed for traffic management and waste management contracts.
Asked specifically about the contract awarded to Hayat’s company, Milton said, “I was not aware that the company belonged to a former RAB official.”
The awarding of public contracts to a company owned by a former official under investigation over alleged enforced disappearances has therefore raised questions about the adequacy of the tender evaluation and verification process.
However, determining whether any irregularities occurred will require a review of the relevant tender documents, the procedures used to verify the company’s eligibility, and other pertinent records.