Mymensingh: Human rights organization Odhikar today formed a human chain at Mymensingh Press Club here to observe the Day for the Victims of Enforced Disappearances. Organization's district coordinator journalist Abdul Qayyum hosted it after a rally on CK Ghosh Road in the city this morning.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, enforced disappearances victims narrated their experiences in the human chain. They alleged that Sheikh Hasina, as part of a 'militant' drama based on her own ideology, used law enforcers to torture them for months after the disappearances. Although the drama ended with the fall of Hasina, victims continue to suffer, burdened by false cases filed at that time.
Rashed, a victim of disappearance, shared his ordeal of being abducted and forced to confess to being a militant. He stated that cases were filed against them under robbery and anti-terrorism laws, resulting in imprisonment. Despite being ordinary people working in agriculture, these cases are still ongoing.
Former president of the District Bar Association, Advocate Nurul Haque, emphasized the need to bring those involved in creating this 'militant drama' to justice. President of the Journalists Union of Mymensingh, M Ayub Ali, highlighted the pattern of enforced disappearances during the 16-year-long authoritarian government, where political opponents and active voices of civil society were illegally detained.
Advocate ATM Mahbub ul Alam, a member of the District Coordination Committee of the National Citizens Party (NCP), commented on the attempts during Sheikh Hasina's regime to eliminate opposition politics through disappearances. Meanwhile, Mymensingh Metropolitan BNP Joint Convener Advocate Hannan Khan called for legal and constitutional protection to prevent future disappearances.
The event saw attendance from various notable figures, including July Revolutionary Alliance Mymensingh District Joint Convener Md. Mazharul Islam, Mymensingh Metropolitan BNP Joint Convener AKM Mahbubul Alam, and several journalists and human rights activists.