ASK urges govt to return victims of enforced disappearance to families

PBC News:  Human rights organisation Ain-o-Salish Kendra (ASK) has called upon the government to find out the missing persons who are the victims of enforced disappearance and return them to their respective families as soon as possible.

It made the call to the government in a statement in observance of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances 2022.

The statement said the Bangladesh government has repeatedly denied the incidents of enforced disappearances at the national and international levels repeatedly.

However, the specific allegations of the incidents of enforced disappearances have been found in the fact finding initiatives by the families, relatives or witnesses, journalist and human rights organisations. New reports have also appeared on the mass media that the victims were shown arrested some days after abduction.

According to the data collected by the ASK from different mass media, families and relatives have raised the allegations that 28 persons became the victims of enforced disappearances between 2019 and 2022 (August 29). Of them, 12 have been shown arrested, while 5 have returned home. Others are still missing.

In its statement, the ASK made six demands to the government on Monday (August 29).

The demands are: Apart from returning the victims of enforced disappearances to their families, establishing a system where the enforced disappearance related complains can be made. Besides, formation of an independent and impartial commission for fair investigation into the allegations of enforced disappearances, taking punitive measures against the persons responsible after bringing them before justice, signing the international charter related to enforced disappearances, and bringing amendments to the existing legal structures for ensuring the trial of such incidents.