BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday said the government must take responsibility for the families of those who were subjected to enforced disappearance.
“Who will take the responsibility for the helplessness of these families? There are many people who have not been found for 9-10 years,” he told a human-chain program.
BNP’s human rights cell arranged the program in front of the Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka, marking the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances.
“Over 500 of our leaders and workers, including Ilias Ali and Chowdhury Alam, remained missing for many years,” he added.
The BNP leader also said the children of the victims still wait for their fathers.
“You’ve heard the cries of the children of the victims. You [government] say these [disappearances] do not happen here. If so, where did they go? It’s your responsibility to trace them and give them back to their families one by one. Otherwise, you’ll be tried in people's court.”
The family members of many victims joined the program holding the photos of their missing near and dear ones.
Speaking at the program, the aggrieved family members appealed to the government for taking effective steps to find out the whereabouts of their fathers, sons and brothers.
Fakhrul bemoaned that Bangladesh has now become such a country where children go missing, but no one finds their whereabouts.
“Law enforcers pick them up, but the government doesn't give any answer to it. We can't hold back our tears seeing the pain and agony and the helplessness of the relatives of the victims,” he said.
Expressing solidarity with the distressed family members, the BNP leader called upon the government to return the missing people to their parents, children, wives and brothers and sisters.
Fakhrul urged the people of all walks of life to be vocal to stop the culture of enforced disappearance and get rid of such a crime against humanity.
He alleged that the current government is destroying the entire nation just to hang onto power illegally. "It has destroyed our constitution, our democratic rights and economy, and politicized the entire administration.”
Fakhrul also called upon people to get united to install a democratic and pro-people administration by politically defeating the Awami League government. “Let’s work together and launch a movement to remove the monstrous regime.”
