Funds to be allocated for families of enforced disappearance victims in this budget: Mirza Fakhrul

If freedom fighters and "July warriors" receive allowances, the families of victims of enforced disappearance must also be provided with the same, Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Friday.

The minister also stated that the government will arrange for budget allocations for these families in the upcoming fiscal year.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir made the remarks as the chief guest at a national dialogue titled ‘Right to Remedy and Rehabilitation’ held at the Krishibid Institution Bangladesh (KIB) auditorium in the capital today.

The event was organised to mark the UN-declared ‘International Day in Support of Victims of Torture 2026’ by the Human Rights Development Center (HRDC) and Maayer Daak.

“I have said it repeatedly, if freedom fighters and July warriors receive allowances, why shouldn't the families of the disappeared? They certainly should, and we will try to include provisions for that in this budget,” Mirza Fakhrul said.

Noting that the losses suffered by families of disappeared persons can never be fully compensated, the minister said, “The losses cannot be recovered. But we can stand by them and give them courage. The state can make arrangements to build their future.”

He called for a collective effort for remedy and assured that judicial processes would proceed swiftly, with the government providing full cooperation in this regard.

Describing enforced disappearance as a crime against humanity, Mirza Fakhrul said, “This is a crime against humanity. Those responsible should be tried publicly and punished.”

“The most terrifying man, Zia (dismissed Major General Ziaul Ahsan), has been arrested and is facing trial. Another one has been caught in Dubai—Benazir (former IGP Benazir Ahmed). Look at their body language, their arrogance and their pride. Allah is bringing them before the court, before the people. I believe every one of them will be caught one by one, brought to justice. I believe Allah will show us that.”

Mirza Fakhrul urged not to view enforced disappearance and torture as a political issue. “We do not want to do politics over enforced disappearances, torture and repression. We are all united on this matter. We want justice. We want to stand by the victims and give them recognition. We want to serve them through the power of the law.”

He also referred to the movement led by Maayer Daak, saying that when few people had the courage to speak out, a young woman, current reserved-seat member of parliament, Sanjida Islam took to the streets and even raised the issue internationally, including in Geneva.

He expressed hope that no one would have to endure such suffering in the future.

Lamia Akter Meem, daughter of driver Kawsar Hossain, who disappeared on 4 December 2013, shared her harrowing experience during the dialogue. She still does not know if her father is alive or dead.

“My father and Adnan Uncle were picked up from our home at night. It’s been more than a decade now and I haven’t seen my father. I was only three years old when he was taken. At that age, I didn't even understand what a father meant,” Lamia said.

Lamia shared that she has almost no memories of her father. He would leave for work in the morning while she was asleep and return late at night only to find her sleeping again. Aside from a single photograph taken with him, she has no other recollection.

Lamia also spoke about her visit to ‘Aynaghar’ on 5 June 2025.

“I cannot explain the cells in Aynaghar. They were known as ‘grave cells.’ A healthy person would fall ill within five minutes of being there. My father and my uncle spent days, months and years in those cells. I don't know whether they were given food or what kind of torture they endured. I still do not know who was responsible. But I want justice.”

Lamia mentioned that while walking through Aynaghar with Mayer Dak coordinator Sanjida Islam, she saw her mother’s name written on a wall. Describing one of the small cells, she said it was so cramped that one could not even stand, sit or lie down to sleep properly.

“I didn't ask for much. I only... wanted justice. I wanted my father back. They didn’t return him. When someone asks me, I can't tell them what happened to my father. I don't know if he is alive or dead,” said Lamia.

She noted that even if her father had died, there would at least have been a grave. “I could have stood there and said, ‘This is my father’s grave.’ I don’t even have that. Since I was a child, I have walked with nothing but his photograph. I only know that this man is my father.”

Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem, member of parliament for Dhaka-14, who himself was a victim of enforced disappearance for several years during the now-banned Awami League regime, also addressed the dialogue.

Referring to Lamia’s remarks, he recalled his own daughters and noted that for eight years, Maayer Daak programmes had served as a gathering place for the families of the disappeared to share their grief and find a sense of community.

Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem said, “During the 16 years of autocratic rule, the victims of enforced disappearance were refugees in their own country. These families have been waiting for a long time. How much longer must they wait?"

Quasem outlined three primary demands for the victims and their families. The first is ensuring accountability, providing exemplary punishment for those involved and granting state recognition to the victims. The second is rehabilitation or compensation. The third is implementing effective measures to prevent such incidents from ever happening again.

"No one can fully compensate a family for a loved one who never returned," Quasem said. "But can the government not at least take the responsibility to ensure they are not economically dependent on others?"

He stressed the need for strong laws and clear government action to ensure that no one would face a similar fate in the future. He also called for preserving the July Museum, saying it could become a place where future generations learn to recognise the dangers of fascism.

Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem urged the government to prepare a list of all families affected by enforced disappearance and provide them with either a one-time grant or a monthly allowance.

He said many families were unable even to travel to Dhaka to share their suffering with policymakers and should not have to wait any longer for assistance.

“We will not allow fascism to return to the soil of Bangladesh,” he stated. “The government should embrace these victim families, provide them with support and take steps to heal the wounds that have been inflicted.”

Human rights activist Nur Khan Liton noted that many bullet-riddled bodies had been recovered from the Buriganga River and later found in Munshiganj. He said there were strong grounds to suspect that some of those bodies could have belonged to people who had been disappeared.

He called for DNA samples preserved from those recovered bodies to be matched with samples collected from families of people who are still missing.

The programme began with a welcome speech by MP Sanjida Islam. During the event, Professor Muhammad Asadullah of the University of Regina in Canada presented a position paper titled ‘Support Life After Torture.’

Among others, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Kayser Kamal and Chief Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal Mohammad Aminul Islam addressed the programme.

The sessions were attended by lawmakers, lawyers, human rights activists, civil society representatives, and victims of enforced disappearance and their families.