PM conceded enforced disappearances in parliament comments: BNP

The BNP is considering Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s comments in parliament on enforced disappearances following criticism by rights groups as her ‘confession’.

The party’s Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi spoke about the issue separately in Dhaka on Friday.

“The prime minister spoke on the enforced disappearances yesterday (Thursday). She has admitted that enforced disappearances are taking place, and they (govt) are connected with these,” Mirza Fakhrul said.     

He was speaking to reporters at the party offices at Naya Paltan.

When Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Raushon Ershad raised the issue in the House on Thursday, Hasina said the situation was grimmer in the US than Bangladesh.

Mirza Fakhrul said the families of the missing people allege that people posing as law enforcers had picked the victims up.

“The rivals are forced to disappear and the law-enforcing agencies are being used. They have admitted that disappearances are taking place in Bangladesh.

“It’s a good thing that they have admitted the truth,” the BNP leader said.

He alleged the government was not taking any action to prevent such incidents as these were being carried out to ‘pursue political ends’.

Senior Joint Secretary General Rizvi, speaking at a human-chain programme in front of the National Press Club, said, “The prime minister has said enforced disappearances take place also in other countries.”

“So she has recognised the fact that they are carrying out enforced disappearances because the other countries also do so,” Rizvi said.

He alleged people were being subjected to enforced disappearance for ‘working against government interests’.

Referring to the recent ‘disappearance’ and return of Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, Rizvi said the businessman was a victim of enforced disappearance for being close to former chief justice Surendra Kumar Sinha.

“The chief justice cancelled the 16th constitutional amendment, which the prime minister did not like. To weaken him (Sinha), his relatives were picked up,” Rizvi said.

He also referred to the disappearances of BNP leaders M Ilias Ali and Chowdhury Mohammed Alam.