Family members of eight people allegedly picked up by the members of Rapid Action Battalion from the capital’s Bashundhara area several months ago demanded that the government let them know the whereabouts of their missing relatives.
They said they just wanted to know if their missing relatives were still alive or dead. They were picked up allegedly by the RAB members on December 4 last year.
They made the demand from a press briefing at the National Press Club yesterday.
The missing people are ward 38 BNP Secretary Sajedul Islam Sumon, 36; Sumon’s cousin Jahedul Touhid Tanvir, 30; Kawsar of Shahinbagh; West Nakhalpara’s Abdul Kader Bhuiyan Masum, 24; East Nakhalpara’s Mazaharul Islam Rasel, 24; Mugda’s Asaduzzaman, 27; North Badda’s Al-Amin, 26; and AM Adnan Chowdhury, 28.
During the briefing, Hazera Begum, mother of Sumon, said he along with seven others were gossiping and eating peanuts in Bashundhara area on the day of the incident. A couple of microbuses with sticker of RAB 1 pulled over in front of them and took them away at gunpoint.
Since then they have been missing, she said. “We contacted the RAB office and police stations a number of times but no one has been able to give any positive answer until date.”
Kismat Hayath, director of RAB 1, told the media that they were quite sure that no one from the RAB 1 was involved in it. He, however, said the elite force was investigating the matter.
Following the incident, the family members filed general diaries with Gulshan, Tejgaon Industrial, Mugda and Badda police stations. Besides these, a case was filed with Bhatara police station accusing unidentified people.
Sultana Kamal, former
adviser to a caretaker government and executive director of rights group Ain O Salish Kendra, who was present at the briefing demanded immediate rescue of the missing persons.
“Law enforcers do not belong to a group or party and they should trace all missing persons without giving priority to their political ideologies.”
Sultana Kamal said the law enforcers should be held accountable if they failed to maintain law and order.
Prominent lawyer Dr Shahdeen Malik and founder of Gonoshasthaya Kendra Zafrullah Chowdhury were also present at the briefing, among others.
In reply to a question, Dr Shahdeen Malik said, as per the constitution and the laws of the land, the law enforcers must place arrestees before a court within 24 hours of his/her arrest.
Zafrullah said people should raise their voice against disappearance. The lawyers needed to take courageous role in such cases.
At the same briefing, Mohammad Abdul Latif, father of another missing person, urged the government to bring his son back.
He said some people identifying them as Detective Branch of Police officials had taken away his son Mohammad Ashiqur Rahman, 25, on March 27.
A general diary was filed with Ramna police station in this regard and an application was also submitted to the state minister of home affairs.
Following the media briefing, the families formed a human chain in front of the National Press Club demanding that their missing near and dear ones be rescued immediately.
