The families of the victims of enforced disappearances yesterday (Thursday) demanded the government should take effective measures to ensure that their beloved ones return immediately. Speaking at a function, they rued the fact that though it is the responsibility of the state to provide the whereabouts of the persons who were the victims of enforced disappearance, yet the state did not take any visible steps in this respect. The families of the victims of enforced disappearances arranged the function, titled ‘Ma er Daak’, at Jatiya Press Club to mark the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances yesterday (Thursday).

August 30 has been globally observed as this day since 2011 to condemn what the United Nations considers “a strategy to spread terror in society”. About 40 families of the victims of enforced disappearances were present. Many members of the victims’ families broke down as they demanded to know the whereabouts of their near and dear ones. They also demanded the government to give them clear directives before the formation of the poll-time interim government.

Speaking at the function, Nagorik Oikkya convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna said he has been attending the programme for the past five years and does not want to attend or give speeches at such programmes any longer.

Dhaka University (DU) academic, Prod. CR Abrar, said “Children want their fathers back, wives want their husbands and parents want their children back. Are these illogical demands?”

“When children with photographs of their fathers demand their fathers back, I feel very helpless,” he added.

Human rights activist Noor Khan Liton expressed his regret that a number of persons have gone missing in the past seven to eight years though, fortunately, one or two have returned.

“Those who returned have said they were kept in chicken coops, kept underground.

Earlier, at least the bodies would be found, but now even those, too, are not found,” he said.

Liton said most of the victims were political leaders and their family members do not get to know the whereabouts of their near and dear ones. “It has been almost nine months since my father went missing. Yet, I have not received any help from anybody,” said Samiha Zaman, daughter of former Bangladesh ambassador to Vietnam, M Maroof Zaman, who is missing.

“Every morning I go to my father’s room. I used to make him morning tea. Now no-one’s there, it’s completely empty. Mother passed away five years back...How long will we wait? Please give me my father back,” Samiha said.

Another victim’s sister, Marufa Islam, said: “I have stood up 25 times since 2013 to get back my brother. We started with eight families, now the number is growing.

 Will we only place our demands in an independent country and yet receive no help?” She is the sister of BNP leader Sajedul Islam Sumon.

Saleha Begum, the mother of missing Chhatra League leader SM Moajjem Hosen Topu, said: “My son was innocent. If he did anything wrong in terms of the law, then he should be punished under the law.

My question is what kind of a country is this where, if people are killed, even their bodies cannot be found?”