30 August is the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances.
The victims of enforced disappearances, various social and humanitarian organizations and human rights groups have been observing 30 August as the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances since 2011. The United Nations declares the day as the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances
Taking power in 2008, the ruling Awami oppressive government started the practice of enforced disappearances and extra-judicial killings to suppress the opposition parties and persons of dissent opinions to prolong their power everlasting.
The government targeted the activists of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, the most active political organization, and main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its wing-forces in this dark mission.
623 civilians have been disappeared by the law enforcers from 2009 to 2023. Among them, 84 dead bodies were recovered; 383 were shown arrested and the remaining disappeared have no trace. Their families do not know the whereabouts.
This fascist government has disappeared 5 leaders and activists of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatrashibir in different times.
Brigadier General Aman Azmi (ret.), son of language fighter and former Jamaat Ameer professor Golum Azam, was picked up by law enforcers with plain clothes identified themselves as the members of DB (Detective Branch of police) from his residential house of Moghbazar of the capital on August 24, 2016 midnight.
Advocate Barrister Mir Ahamad bin Kashem, son of Mir Kashem Ali, was picked up by law enforcers with plain clothes identified themselves as the members of DB (Detective Branch of police) from his Mirpur DOHS residential area of the capital on August 9, 2016.
7 years have passed but no law enforcement agencies have acknowledged their arrests even though several people who returned from disappearance told the media about their location in torture cells.
Even the activists of Bangladesh Islami Chhatrashibir, the largest student wing of south Asia, have been disappeared.
The members of law enforcement agencies identified themselves as the members of DB (Detective Branch of police) disappeared Muhammad Waliullah, student of Da’wah & Islamic Studies department of Islamic University, Kushtia and finance secretary of Bangladesh Islami Chhatrashibir Kushtia University unit and Al-Mukaddas, student of Al-Fiqh and Legal Studies of Islamic University, Kushtia from Nabinagar of Ashulia area of Dhaka on February 4, 2012, while they were going to Kushtia from Dhaka but the law enforcers did not acknowledge their arrests.
The law enforcers with plain clothes identified themselves as the members of DB (Detective Branch of police) picked Hafez Zakir up, president of Jamaat Adabor thana unit from his Shyamoly Ring Road residential house on April 3, 2013 midnight. It is a matter of sorrow that the law enforcers did not acknowledge his arrest. The family members wanted to file a GD but police did not accept it.
Different human rights groups including Amnesty International expressed deep concerns and demanded a fair investigation about the victims of enforced disappearances and extra-judicial killings but the government did not pay heed to. Rather, the ministers of illegal government have criticized the disappeared. It has increased the burdens of sorrows of disappeared family members.
No one hears the sounds of crying of the victims of enforced disappearances. Government and its organs do not pay heed to the sounds of crying of the victims of enforced disappearances. The relatives of the disappeared do not know whether the disappeared live or alive.
Children are waiting for their father; wife for her husband; parents for their sons but the waiting time has no end. They are waiting with eagerness that their beloved ones will return one day. We do not know when this wait will end.