BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has called upon the current interim government to provide allowances for every missing family. The state has to take the responsibility of these families now.
He made this call in his speech in front of BNP’s central office in Nayapaltan on Friday (August 30) at the BNP’s solidarity meeting on the occasion of the International Day of Remembrance of Missing Persons declared by the United Nations.
Family members and relatives of the missing persons were present in the meeting. They demanded the return of their missing loved ones. At this time, the stage became heavy with the cries of small children.
Mirza Fakhrul said, ‘The relatives of the missing persons are here, there are sons and daughters, there are family members. They are crying out for the return of their lost loved ones. 12 years of waiting have passed, you will come back, but you don’t come.’
He said, ‘Thankfully, through the movement of the students, through our movement, through the sacrifice of our leaders and activists for 15 years, a terrible monster has been removed. The country has been freed from fascism. We can breathe freely.’
“The Awami League government used the law and order forces to commit crimes against humanity for 15 years. Every year when I stand in front of the missing family, I feel burdened, what will I answer in front of them. What is the answer? No answer.’
Calling on the current interim government, Mirza Fakhrul said, ‘You talk to the international human rights committee. Not only will the UN delegation arrive for two months of killing. As many murders as the dictator government has committed, they should investigate each and every one of them. You say, then they do. From 2009 until now, every one of the disappearances and murders should be investigated through the United Nations.
Calling upon the present government, he further said, ‘I appeal to you to arrange allowance for every missing family. I know there are many families here who are struggling to make ends meet. Many children are studying with great difficulty. So it is the responsibility of the state to stand by the missing family. She who has lost her father will not get her back, she who has lost her husband will not get her husband back. So it is the responsibility of the state to accept the responsibility of these families.
He said, ‘Unfortunately, we have not regained full democracy so far. Let us extend our full support to this government, which is the product of our movement. Through this cooperation, the government should be able to organize elections through a reform. The people of Bangladesh will elect their representatives through elections and those elected representatives will go to the parliament and form the government. That government will solve people’s problems.’
Addressing the activists, BNP Secretary General said, ‘You should not suffer from complacency, do not suffer from satisfaction, there are many conspiracies going on. There is still no shortage of conspiracies at home and abroad. We need to strengthen our unity.’
Wishing the success of the interim government, he said, ‘We believe that this interim government will help the country to return to democracy.’
Mirza Fakhrul mentioned the missing father’s daughter Safa and said, ‘When Safa says – I want my father back, I want to walk by my father’s hand, I want to go to school – then we cannot say anything. So I want to say, the state should take the responsibility of the victims of this family. We know everyone involved in this, they were the head of a force, the head of a unit – they have to be brought to justice. We suffer when political leaders are arrested and taken to jail but the people involved in murders, disappearances are not arrested. Hopefully, we will see them arrested very soon. I will see justice.’
BNP Standing Committee members along with leaders of various organs and allied organizations were present at this time.