INTERNS at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital (SSMCH) on Saturday blocked the Mirpur Road in front of the hospital in the capital for about an hour demanding the return of a fellow physician allegedly abducted from the hospital premises on Friday. Some people reportedly picked him up in a microbus and drove way.
As the story unveiled, it was reminiscent of the barbaric abduction and killing of freedom fighters and intellectuals by Pakistani occupation forces and their local agents – Razakars and al-Badrs. We fought against such brutalities.
We are now an independent nation free from occupation forces and yet such abductions and forced disappearances are often taking place ending life of the victims in unknown circumstances and buried in unmarked graves. Reports said in most cases of forced disappearances plain clothes people claiming as members of law enforcing agencies have their involvement, in addition to other groups operating under political cover, but the government is not clearing the charges adding credence to people’s doubts.
Only a few week ago a student of Rajshahi University; who also happens to be a functionary of Bangladesh Chhatra League – the student front of ruling party Awami League; was abducted by plain clothes people introducing them as members of Detective Police.
We must say the victims in both cases are lucky; the young physician has been freed on Sunday morning in the capital while the victims of Rajshahi abduction case was rescued from the Port city Chittagong. Indications suggest the wealthy family secured his freedom at a high cost.
But all such victims of disappearance are not as lucky. As per year-end reports on human rights situation in Bangladesh released by Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK), at least 55 persons were victims of abduction or forced disappearance in 2015 and their whereabouts are still unknown. These are reported cases, the actual number could be higher. Killings in crossfire; which looks like summary execution of victims by RAB personnel without trial, were also hefty last year and the years before. Custodial deaths in police torture were also a matter of grave concern for the rule of law in the country. Absence of law is destroying peace and spreading violence in the country. Abduction and secret killing is easier for miscreants without government action to stop it.
Please stop the tactics of arrest by plain clothes men and secret killings similar to those of Pakistan army used against our people for keeping us under their occupation.
