Family members and relatives of “forced disappeared” persons on Friday said that they are still waiting for the return of their loved ones.
At a human chain organized in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka on Friday morning, they yet again urged the authorities concerned to find out the victims.
BNP leader Ilias Ali’s son Abrar Ilias was one of the participants at the human chain. He claimed that Ilias was picked up on April 17, 2012. Four leaders of the BNP had disappeared in just two weeks around that time from Sylhet.
Abrar said a movement was waged in Sylhet back then, protesting the construction of Tipaimukh Dam in India.
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His father had become one of the victims of enforced disappearance for leading that movement, alleged Abrar.
“We are still waiting for my father as we have seen many people return from the jail under the name of 'disappearance' after remaining missing for many years,” Abrar said.
Timber businessman Ismail Hossain’s wife Nasrin Jahan, daughter Anisha Islam, and son Enam were also present at the human chain. Ismail was “forcibly disappeared” on June 19, 2019, they said.
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“I wait for my father’s return every single day. We want our father back,” said Anisha, a ninth grader.
Nagorik Oikya’s Convenor Mahmudur Rahman Manna said: “It’s the responsibility of the government to find out the disappeared people as they are in-charge of our protection. But that is not happening.”
Noted photographer and journalist Shahidul Alam alleged at the program that the government is responsible for all the recent incidents of disappearances.
Former vice-president of Dhaka University Central Students Union (Ducsu) Nurul Haque Nur urged the authorities to disclose the whereabouts of disappeared persons immediately.
