DU Correspondent :
Family members and relatives of those who have gone missing during the Awami League regime are demanding the immediate release of their loved ones and an end to extrajudicial killings.
These bereaved individuals emphasized that such inhumane disappearances should never occur in Bangladesh under any circumstances.
The organization ‘Mayer Daak,’ representing the relatives of those who have disappeared during the Awami League government’s tenure, organized a human chain and rally at the central Shaheed Minar on Friday, coinciding with the International Day for the Prevention of Disappearances.
At the event, relatives, with tearful voices, asked the haunting questions: Where are their loved ones? How are they? Are they even alive?
The anguish of the missing persons’ relatives was palpable as they spoke of their indescribable emotional pain, fear, financial hardships, and ongoing harassment, all while holding photos of their missing family members.
Some have been searching for their children for 13 years, while others have been without their fathers or husbands for 10 to 12 years.
Ayesha Ali, whose son Abdul Quader went missing in 2014, attended the rally and broke down in tears as she spoke. She said, “Everyone says the country has gained independence again.
But for me, the country is not yet independent. I still don’t have my son back. I don’t know if he is alive or not.”
Jamal Uddin, the father of Ishraq Uddin, who was picked up in 2017 and remains missing, shared how the loss of his son has erased all joy and celebrations from their family life.
Michael Chakma, who was recently released after being missing, recounted his harrowing experience at the rally. “On April 8, 2019, seven men in white clothes abducted me from Kalyanpur in Dhaka. After Sheikh Hasina’s fall, I was released in my area,” he said.
“Sheikh Hasina wanted to instill fear in us through these disappearances. I endured that torture for five years.
I understand the pain of those who came here and cried. All the secret prisons in this country, known as ‘Ayanaghar,’ must be shut down,” Michael added.
Several political leaders and figures, including Mahmudur Rahman Manna, president of Nagrik Oikya, Saiful Haque, general secretary of the Biplabi Workers Party, AB Party joint convener Tajul Islam, and lawyer Sara Hossain, also attended the rally to express their solidarity.