Govt must take responsibility of their families

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday said the government must take the responsibility of 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 nine to 10 years. Over 500 of our leaders and workers, including Ilias Ali and Chowdhury Alam, remained missing for many years," he told a human-chain programme.

The BNP leader said the children of the victims of the enforced disappearance still wait for the return of their fathers.

"You've heard the cries of the victims' children. You (govt) say these (disappearances) do not happen here.

If so, where did they go? It's your responsibility to trace them and return them back to their families one by one. You must do it. Otherwise, you'll be tried in people's court."

BNP's human rights cell arranged the programme in front of Jatiya Press Club, marking the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances.

The family members of many victims joined the programme holding the photos of their missing loved ones.

Speaking at the programmes, the aggrieved family members appealed to the government for taking effective steps to find out whereabouts of their fathers and sons and brothers.

Fakhrul alleged that Bangladesh has now become such a country where people go missing, but no one can find their whereabouts.

"Law enforcers pick them up, but the government doesn't give any answer to it. We cannot hold back our tears seeing the pain and 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 families.

Fakhrul urged people from 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 politicised the entire administration," he alleged.

Fakhrul called upon all to get united to install a democratic and pro-people administration. "Let's work together and launch a movement…"