85 families of lost ones cry for justice
Sumi Akhter broke down while narrating how she found her husband Nurul Alam’s body in the Karnaphuli river.
The police picked up Nurul Alam, a Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal leader of Chattogram unit, from his home on 30 March 2017. The next day Nurul's body was found in the river with bullet wounds in the head, and his hands and legs tied up.
Sumi came to Dhaka with her 16-month-old child, demanding justice.
Mohammed Ripon came from Jashore for his brother Rezwan. A school student, Rezwan, was picked by a group of people claiming to be policemen from Benapole Bazar area on 3 August, 2016. He has been missing since then.
Masum's mother Ayesha Ali was too choked with emotion to speak and failed to control her tears. Masum was abducted on 4 December 2013 with seven others from the capital's Nakhalpara area. JCD leader Sajedul Islam. was among them.
Families of Sajedul, Masum and others have been staging programmes in an effort to get them back.
These families, along with the families of extrajudicial killing and abduction victims, formed an organisation, Mayer Dak. On Saturday, the platform organised a public hearing demanding justice for abduction, extrajudicial killings, and victims of torture by law enforcement agencies in the capital's National Press Club.
A total of 85 families attended the hearing. No one could hold back their tears as at the three-hour hearing as the speakers broke down in anguish.
Chaired by Sajedul Islam's mother Hajera Begum, the programme was attended by politicians, members of civil society, and human rights activists.
The relatives of disappeared people urged prime minister Sheikh Hasina to rescue them or find out whether they were dead of alive.
Badrul Alam, a businessman from Sylhet, shared his experience of police torture. The police picked him up three years ago on suspicion and broke one of his ankles. They also shot him and the bullet remains lodged near his stomach.
“I do not know why they picked me up. Police intercepted my motorbike while I was on my way home. They tortured me severely and said if I was killed, there would no longer be any arson in Sylhet. Believe me, I was not involved in politics and all the journalists of the city know this. I was saved by media reports,”, Badrul said, still limping when he moved.
Minor girl Hridy Hossain, daughter of Bangshal Chhatra Dal leader Parvez Hossain, wanted to know the whereabouts of her father. Parvez’s father Shafiuddin passed away in 2016 after going desperately searching for any trace of his son.
Samiha Zaman, daughter of former ambassador Maruf Zaman who was abducted on 4 December last year, sat at a corner of the stage, holding up a photograph of her father.
Rajab Ali Mandal, an aged person from Jhenidah, wept for his son. Police picked his son up from his home during Ramadan of 2016.
“His body was found the next day with a bullet in his head. I still do not know what his fault was,” he said.
Kushtia Islamic University student and leader of Islami Chhatra Shibir Al Mukaddas and Waliullah was picked up from a Kushtia bound Hanif Paribahan bus in Savar on 4 February, 2012. No trace of the then has been found as yet.
Mukaddas’s uncle Abdul Hai said, “There is evidence that they were picked up at a RAB check post, but their whereabouts are still unknown. The families filed a writ in the High Court, which directed to bring them before the court. But the order is withheld now.”
Freedom fighter Abdul Matin, father of Cumilla Chhatra League leader Shawon, asked, “Did we liberate the country for this?”
Chhatra Dal leader Sajedul Islam’s sister Sanjida Islam said, my brother was picked by a RAB-1 vehicle. We have been all over, but no one even showed any sympathy. Only we know how we have been passing these endless nights. We filed a writ at the High Court, to no avail.”
RAB was accused of killing Brahminbaria businessman Shahnur Rahman on 29 April 2014. His brother Hafez Mehedi Hasan said, “We filed a case but did not get any justice. My only question to that major of RAB is, what was my brother’s fault?”
Political and civil society leaders
Nagorik Oikya convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna said, “It seems fruitless to plead to the government to get your dear ones back . They just turn a deaf ear as they are unelected and not liable to the people.”
Human rights organisation Odhikar president CR Abrar said, the officers who think that they would get indemnity on political consideration are wrong. They will have to face punishment.
He also asked the families to keep a record of the officers involved in the incidents.
Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal secretary Khalequzzaman said, everyone knows that law enforcers are killing in cold blood, but terming this as crossfire. Everyone except the government knows about it.
Dhaka University teacher Asif Nazrul said, the agony of the missing person’s relatives is endless as they cannot even bury the body, they just wait endlessly.
Ganashanghati Andolon’s Junaid Saki said, most of the cases of abduction are political and so the state would have to take responsibility.
He also said, the ruling party politicians should understand they might face the same fate if the law enforcers remain unaccountable.
Journalist Mahfuz Ullah, Jatiya Mukti Council secretary Faizul Hakim, former MP Nilufar Chowdhury, Communist party leader Ruhin Hossain Prince, Odhikar’s director Nasiruddin, among others, spoke at the programme.
The programme ended amidst sobbing of the relatives. Presiding over the programme, Hazera Begum, an aging mother of a missing son, in her concluding speech said, “My days seen unending without my son. It is too painful.”
*This report, originally published in Prothom Alo print edition, has been rewritten in English by Imam Hossain and Galib Ashraf.