Victims and their families on Friday demanded enactment of a law to ensure justice for the victims of enforced disappearance through exemplary punishment of the perpetrators.
They also called for ensuring national recognition of the victims and their families and compensations for them at a discussion titled 鈥楪oomer Jabanbondi o Smritir Protirodh鈥� organised by the Bangladesh Research Analysis and Information Network at the National Museum in the capital.
鈥楢 law must be enacted to ensure justice for the victims of enforced disappearance. The law will make sure that the perpetrators receive exemplary punishment,鈥� said disappeared Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader M Ilias Ali鈥檚 wife Tahshina Rushdir at the discussion.
She also urged the government to conduct a fair investigation to bring to book those directly and indirectly involved in these incidents.
United People鈥檚 Democratic Front leader Michael Chakma, who was released in August after five years聽 of disappearance, also demanded a law on enforced disappearance.
鈥楢fter Kalpana Chakma went missing in 1996, no government could provide her whereabouts. Rather, after her disappearance, those facing specific charges were acquitted,鈥� he added.
Researcher Mubashar Hasan said that the government must acknowledge the victims and their families with national recognition.
Demanding compensations for the victims and families, he said that the culture of disappearance by using state forces must be stopped.
The interim government chief adviser鈥檚 press secretary Shafiqul Alam said that justice would be delivered for the enforced disappearances.
鈥楨nsuring justice to end the culture of enforced disappearances is the top priority of the interim government,鈥� he said, adding that persons involved in these disappearances would not be allowed to return in politics.
Shafiqul also said that now ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina鈥檚 regime created a criminal enterprise by gross violation of human rights.
鈥楳any were disappeared not only within the country but also in the neighbouring country,鈥� he said, adding that the government was trying to uphold human rights for every citizen.
Sanjida Islam Tulee, coordinator of Mayer Daak, a platform of the families of victims of enforced disappearance, said that Awami League would not be brought into account until justice was delivered for every disappearance, extra-judicial killing and killing perpetrated during the July-August movement.
The Commission for Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances was formed by the interim government led by professor Muhammad Yunus as the chief adviser after it had taken office on August 8 following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League regime on August 5 amid a student-led mass uprising.
On November 5, the Commission for Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances said that it had received complaints regarding enforced disappearance of over 1,600 victims, the incidents of which occurred during the immediate past 15-year rule of the now ousted Awami League.
The complaints came from the enforced disappearance victims and their families from September 15 to October 31.
The commission also found detention centres in eight locations in the compounds of law enforcement and security agency offices, including the joint interrogation cell, popularly known as Aynaghar, on the premises of the Directorate General Forces Intelligence headquarters, in the Dhaka city and its surrounding areas.
Nearly 200 victims of enforced disappearance incidents that took place between January 6, 2009 and August 5, 2024 remain still untraced.
Commission members said that most of the 1,400 victims were later framed in cases with allegations of possessing illegal arms and involvement in extremism.
The victims were also sent to jail, sentenced to various jail terms, given death sentence, or granted bail while many cases are still underway.
