Many people listed by UN as 'disappeared' have actually drowned in the Mediterranean: FM

Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen on Saturday claimed many of the people listed by some organisations of the United Nations (UN) as missing have actually drowned in the Mediterranean.

The issue of violating human rights is not the real issue. As Bangladesh has an important geographical location, many countries are highlighting the enforced disappearance issue in their own interests, the minister added.

Momen came up with these claims on Saturday while briefing newsmen following a conference on 'Branding Bangladesh' arranged by the Centre of Non-Resident Bangladeshis at a hotel in the capital.

When asked, the foreign minister said "Some bodies of the UN gave us a list of disappeared people. Later it was found that many of them actually drowned in the Mediterranean. They (UN committee) have prepared the list with the help of a Bangladeshi organisation. They don't have any research on the matter."

The minister said "We talked with the police and asked them to hold a discussion with the families of disappeared people in the presence of journalists. In that discussion, the families of disappeared people will say when, how and where their family members were taken to and whether they returned."

Claiming the government doesn’t want a person to be killed or to disappear in the country, he said "There is no such thing as enforced disappearance in our country. We don’t want a person to be picked up forcefully. People must be tried under the law."