Human rights defenders and interim government advisers on Friday said that ensuring trial of the perpetrators of enforced disappearance faced many challenges, particularly created by ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina鈥檚 collaborators.
They urged the political parties to end the culture of impunity that encouraged extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearance as observed during the rule of Sheikh Hasina.
The allegations were brought at the inaugural ceremony of two-day 8th Congress of AFAD in a city hotel jointly organised by rights organisation Odhikar and Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearance.
Law, justice and parliamentary affairs adviser Asif Nazrul said that the interim government formed the Commission for Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances and ratified the Instrument of Accession to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.
He, however, reminded that legal reforms could not be satisfactory unless ensuring justice to victims and punishment for the actual perpetrators.
鈥業n my experience, I find three obstacles; one is the strength of the vested group under the leadership of the fascist former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and she lead all the crimes happened in the past 15-16 years. The strength of those who committed enforced disappearances and extrajudicial kills are deep rooted,鈥� said Nazrul terming it the biggest challenge as the fascist ruled over 15 years and the interim government is trying to reverse it in a limited period.
He said that the second one was discontinuity of taking measures for ensuring justice for the victims and their families as the next elected government would continue the process or not.
Asif said that third challenge was the culture of impunity as the big ruling parties were behaving like kings instead of serving people.
Industries adviser Adilur Rahman Khan said that justice was the priority of all the people of Bangladesh, who suffered under the brutal fascist regime in the past 15 and half years.
Chairing the event, Odhikar president academic CR Abrar said that not everyone under the fascist Sheikh Hasina regime had gone away and many were still in the country with lots of asset.
鈥楾hey will try to undermine the authority of students and the regime backed by the students-mass,鈥� Abrar added.
鈥榃e will bring an end to these incidents of involuntary disappearances in the region,鈥� he added.
Attorney general Md Asaduzzaman urged the interim government鈥檚 law adviser to initiate the draft of an ordinance in which this kind of crimes against humanity should be given top priority to deal with so that no one could dare to commit crimes like enforced disappearance in future.
鈥業 will do whatever is required to do in accordance with the law. But, that law should be applied in a proper manner,鈥� Asaduzzaman added.聽
The Commission For Disappeared And Victims of Violence (KontraS) of Indonesia coordinator Yatri Andriyani said that Indonesia failed to ensure justice after the fall of authoritarian regime.
鈥業 hope that Bangladesh will succeed to ensure justice for the victim families,鈥� she said.聽聽
She hoped that Bangladesh would create an example by punishing perpetrators of the forced disappearances by overcoming all obstacles.
Former ambassador M Maroof Zaman, who was reportedly picked up by security agencies on December 12, 2017, and returned 467 days later, said that he was tortured and beaten brutally until he fell unconscious.
鈥楾he security agency members also beat in my private parts as well,鈥� he added.
On November 5, the Commission for Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances said that it had received complaints regarding enforced disappearance of over 1,600 victims in the incidents occurred during the 15-year rule of Awami League.
The complaints were received 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 of 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.
Amina Akter, wife of BNP leader Md Firoz, said that her husband and brother-in-law remained missing since 2012.
鈥榃e are still waiting for their return,鈥� she added.