Md Joynal Abedin Khan :
‘The International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances’ was observed in the country and in city on Tuesday, disclosing the number of the people disappeared in last nine years.
According to Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK), about 447 people disappeared in last nine years and 338 of them are still traceless.
About 50 were allegedly picked up by law enforcers in last six months. Of them, the bodies of six persons were recovered, four were shown arrested in different cases, but 38 are still missing.
In 2015, about 55 people were allegedly picked up by law enforcers. Of them, bodies of eight people were recovered, five returned and five were shown arrested in different cases, while 35 remained missing.
At least 102 people went missing in 2014. Of them, one was shown arrested in a case and bodies of 23 people ware recovered and 12 people were released by the abductors. Eighty-eight people are still in missing.
In 2013, about 58 were allegedly picked up by law enforcers. Of them, bodies of eight people were recovered, five returned and five were shown arrested in different cases while 30 people are remain missing.
In 2012, about 56 were allegedly picked up by law enforcers while 34 people are still missing. Also in 2011, about 56 were allegedly picked up by law enforcers while 39 people are still missing. In 2010, about 46 were allegedly picked up by law enforcers while 33 people are yet missing.
According to Police Headquarters, about 4397 case were filed in connection with the abduction and picking up by miscreants. Of these, 806 cases were filed in 2015, 920 in 2014, 879 in 2013, and 806 in 2012.
On April 11, a 22-year old college student was allegedly picked up by DB officials who are still traceless, said Mou Akter, cousin of the victim.
On December 7, the former president of Swechhasebak League, Tejgaon unit, went to morning walk and never returned.
A 21-year old Abu Jar Ghiffery was forcibly taken away by law enforcers from Chapali village under Kaliganj upazila in Jhenidah district on March 18, said the victim’s father Nur Islam in a program organized ahead of the ‘International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances by some human rights organizations in the city on Tuesday. “The following day, we organized a press briefing in the district and demanded his life security. But sadly on the 13th April in 2016, the bullet-hit body of Ghiffery was found in Jessore Sadar upazila,” he said.
On May 4, 2014, Police Headquarters abolished plainclothes teams in different units of the police and Rapid Action Battalion, and set specific conditions for conducting drives in plainclothes.
On May 24, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court said, the law enforcement officials must wear the uniform while arresting people.
Minister for Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan said that they had given a policy guideline to the police headquarters on operations by plainclothes teams and no member of forces should go unpunished if he violated superior instructions.Nurul Huda, former Inspector General of Police, said, “If plainclothes drives were required, it must be backed by teams in uniform and should not be indiscriminate. But plainclothes teams were abusing the practice,” he said.
