Enforced disappearance can no longer be ignored by the state

The picture of forlorn children holding pictures of their fathers forcibly disappeared for six or eight years or more, as was published yesterday, are heart-breaking reminders of this abhorrent practice that has only resulted in unease and lack of public trust towards the government. According to Human Rights Watch, from January 2009 to July 2020 at least 572 people have been forcibly disappeared by security forces and law enforcement agencies. The victims included members of opposition parties, journalists and bloggers. How is this acceptable in a free, independent country whose constitution guarantees every citizen's protection? How can such total lack of accountability of state agencies be acceptable in a democracy?

The number of victims and the way these incidents take place are similar in nature and indicates a systemic practice rather than sporadic acts of individual state actors. This makes it all the more frightening.

In most cases family members have alleged that the victims were picked up from their homes or the streets by plain-clothed members of the police or other law enforcing agencies such as RAB. When the family members asked about them at the offices of these agencies, officials have denied having them in custody. There have been cases of law enforcers refusing to take the case. In such circumstances what are family members supposed to do? Who will they go to?

Those who are lucky are "returned" though these victims usually say very little, if at all anything, regarding what happened to them during the days they were missing. Photojournalist Shafiqul Islam Kajol was "found" near the Indian border in the middle of the night, 53 days after his disappearance. Since then he has been slapped with many cases including one under the draconian Digital Security Act.

The UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances has expressed its desire to visit Bangladesh in relation to two cases of enforced disappearances and mentioned that it is aware that such cases have been reported for the last several years. The group has been examining such disappearances in various countries and how the Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, can be implemented.

But we do not need international bodies to tell us how contradictory this phenomenon is to the spirit of our Liberation War and to democracy. Even the Supreme Court in February this year, referring to those who have disappeared and remain missing, demanded to know: "who will take responsibility for the incidents?"

The culture of complete impunity of the law enforcement agencies involved, the blatant inaction of the state, even denial that such incidents are taking place, have left ordinary citizens living in fear and despair. It is reminiscent of Chile's repressive regime of Augusto Pinochet, infamous for such enforced disappearances of those perceived as a threat. Is that what we want our country to be compared to?   The government can no longer shy away from its responsibility to investigate these disappearances and hold the concerned agencies accountable for every one of them. The state must do everything in its power to find those who remain missing from forced disappearance whether recently or for years. It cannot continue to deny that people have been forcibly taken by members of the law enforcement agencies. This practice of enforced disappearance must come to an end, once and for all.