Family members of the eight youths who were allegedly picked up by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) a year ago urged the government to at least confirm whether they are dead or alive.
“We have been under mental stress for the last one year as we don’t know whether they are dead or alive. If anyone could confirm that they are dead, we could at least pray for their departed souls; if they are alive we could pray for their safe return,” said Nusrat Jahan Laboni, sister of Mazharul Islam Rasel, one of the victims of enforced disappearance.
The family members of the eight youths organised a press conference at the National Press Club in the capital yesterday to mark one year of the incident. With tears in their eyes, they recalled how law enforcers had picked up their loved ones and the agony they are going through.
The families claimed that Rapid Action Battalion-1 personnel picked up Sajedul Islam Suman, 36, his cousin Zahidul Karim Tanvir, 30, Mazharul Islam Rasel, 24, Abdul Quader Bhuiyan Masum, 22, Asaduzzaman Rana, 27, and Al Amin, 26 from Block I of Bashundhara Residential Area on December 4 last year.
Of the victims, Sajedul of Nakhalpara is the general secretary of 38 ward BNP unit. In a separate incident, Adnan Chowdhury and Kawsar Ahmed were picked up from their residences at Shaheenbagh around 2:00am on December 5. Their families also pointed fingers at law enforcers for their disappearance.
Since the incident, the family members of the victims have approached government high ups, arranged press conferences, appeared on TV shows, organised human chains and seminars against enforced disappearances but got no results.
“We went to RAB-1 office many times. They assured us that they would bring our boys back. But when we visit their office now, the RAB men seem disturbed,” said Laboni.
“His abduction was a sudden incident and we are still hopeful that someday he will miraculously return,” she said describing her brother’s abduction.
Minara Begum, Rana’s sister said, her brother had come to the city searching for job.
“He came from our village home in Rangpur and stayed with me. Our parents used to send him his monthly expenses. Now my mother blames herself for sending him to the capital,” she said, demanding her brother’s immediate return.
Kaniz Begum, the mother of Adnan, another victim said: “RAB men came to our house and told us that they would take Adnan for a few minutes. We handed him over in good faith, but since then there has been no trace of him. No agencies have admitted having him. Our faith is shattered, our son is gone.”
Kawser, 22, a driver and the eldest son of Kamala Akhter and Belal Hossain, was picked up by RAB men in the middle of the night around 3:00am from his Shaheenbagh house.
Kamala said since their other son lived abroad, Kawser was the family’s bread winner.
‘Now my 70-year old husband has to sell vegetables to earn money. One would never understand what pain we are going through,’ said Kamala, who could not hold back her tears while talking.
“How long will we wait for the return of our loved ones,” the victims’ family members asked and appealed to the prime minister to take steps in this regard.
Aysha Ali, the mother of another victim Masum, said her son was not a criminal. “Then why was he picked up? Why did he disappear? Why would he not be returned?”
Attending the press conference, Nagarik Oikya convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna said the family members of the disappeared people had the right to know the whereabouts and fates of their loved ones.
‘We all want to know whether they are dead or alive. We want to know what measures the government has taken so far to bring the victims back,’ said Manna.