Khaleda urges UN to probe enforced disappearance incidents

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia today called upon the United Nations to carry out an investigation into the enforced disappearance of Bangladeshi people that took place between 2009 and 2015.

“The family members of the victims should at least be informed whether their near and dear ones are dead,” Khaleda said while addressing a programme at her Gulshan office.

The programme was organised to mark the “International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances” with the families of 26 enforced disappearance victims attending it.

BNP insiders said the programme was organised suddenly after the Jatiya Press Club authorities cancelled a pre-scheduled event of Odhikar, a rights body, on enforced disappearance amid presence of family members of over a dozen victims.

In her brief speech, the former prime minister consoled the families saying if BNP comes to power her government will carry out proper investigation into incidents and find out the whereabouts of the victims.

A video documentation was also presented with media reports on the enforced disappearance incidents.

“I urge the government -- at least tell me whether my son is dead and where he was buried, so that I could visit his grave,” said Shamsuddin, sixty-year-old father of Nizamuddin Munna, joint general secretary of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal’s Dhaka Airport Unit.

Meanwhile, Tahsina Rushdir, wife of missing BNP Organising Secretary M Ilias Ali, said, “The prime minister had assured me of finding out my husband. Although three years have passed, we know nothing about him.”