BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia has demanded formation of a probe commission comprising retired judges, eminent lawyers, representatives of human rights bodies and media personalities to investigate all recent incidents of abduction, forced disappearance and killing.Addressing a view exchange with family members of recent victims of abduction and killing at her Gulshan office in the city on Thursday evening, she said that bodies are found these days here and there. Referring to the sensational killing of Fulgazi upazila chairman Ekramul Haque, she said that a chaotic situation is prevailing in the country due to misrule and misdeeds of the present government.”The civilized environment has disappeared from the country. No one is safe in the hands of the present government. There is no rule of law in the country. Bangladesh is now a name of panic,” she said. The programme was as police barred a gathering of Dhaka City unit of the BNP at the Institution of Engineers in the afternoon where Khaleda Zia was scheduled to address as the chief guest. The family members of victims of abduction and killing were scheduled to join the gathering which was planned to protest against the rising incidents of killing, forced disappearance and abduction across the country.Khaleda Zia strongly criticised the government for barring the party from holding its scheduled meeting. She asked the government for safe return of all leaders and activists of BNP, who were picked up allegedly by law enforcers.Referring to rise of incidents of killing and abduction, she reiterated her demand of dismantling of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) as the force is now involved in abduction and killing. “We had formed the RAB to check militancy and terrorism. But the present government has disgraced the force, using it politically. For this reason, the government has also tarnished the image of patriotic Army,” she said. She is against the arrest of any person in the darkness of night. “No arrest can be made in plainclothes and when law enforcers arrest any person it should be made in presence of a witness and if possible in presence of a magistrate,” she said. Family members of BNP’s missing leaders M Ilias Ali, Chowdhury Alam and 20 other families attended the meeting with Khaleda Zia. Some of the victims’ family members spoke at the programme. The members of victims families present also raised the demand for dissolving RAB. BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam, standing committee member Tarikul Islam also spoke.
