Wait for disappeared loved ones is a heavy burden on the state: Tarique Rahman

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairman Tarique Rahman said countless families are still living with unanswered questions, waiting for fathers who never returned and children who never came home.

He said this prolonged uncertainty is a heavy burden that the state continues to carry.

He made the remarks as chief guest at a discussion with family members of people who were victims of enforced disappearances, killings and torture during the fascist regime of Awami League government.

The event was held on Saturday afternoon at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the capital and was organised by two platforms, Mayer Daak and Amra BNP Paribar.

Tarique Rahman said the suffering of families affected by enforced disappearances and state violence runs so deep that words often fall short of offering comfort.

He urged people who believe in democracy to remain alert, saying attempts are still being made to derail the democratic path by creating controversy. He said such efforts must not be allowed to succeed.

Referring to the past 16 years, Tarique Rahman said thousands of BNP leaders and activists were tortured, many were killed, and more than a thousand people were forcibly disappeared.

He said some of the affected families were present at the programme, while many others are still waiting for answers.

He said efforts to trace disappeared persons are continuing despite limitations.

Explaining BNP’s stance, he said party activists never resorted to covert tactics in the name of political strategy.

He said he firmly believes that a party whose leaders and activists take an uncompromising stand against injustice cannot be silenced through conspiracy or propaganda.

On the election commission, Tarique Rahman said its recent conduct has raised concerns. He said BNP, however, continues to act with restraint as a responsible political party.

Speaking about accountability, he said justice must be ensured for all victims of injustice, including the martyrs of the 1971 Liberation War, those killed in the 1990 anti-autocracy movement, victims of enforced disappearances and killings over the past 16 years, and those who lost their lives in the movements of 2024 and 5 August.

He said such justice is only possible under a democratic government.

Tarique Rahman said a future democratic government would ensure accountability for enforced disappearances and state violence.

He added that the state would also take initiatives to preserve the memory of martyrs and disappeared persons for future generations.

The BNP chairperson said if BNP forms the government, major roads and important public and private establishments would be named in honour of martyr families.