Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday demanded that ousted dictator Sheikh Hasina be tried for her involvement in enforced disappearances, saying that the trial must take place in Bangladesh and that she should receive the maximum punishment.
Speaking at an event organised by Mayer Daak on International Enforced Disappearance Day at Manik Mia Avenue in Dhaka, Fakhrul described enforced disappearances as crimes against humanity, calling for accountability for those who had disappeared family members.
He said that the interim government had so far failed to provide answers to the victims鈥� families and stressed that the BNP would continue to stand by them until justice is delivered.
Fakhrul said that the families of victims, including children who have lost fathers, siblings, or parents, deserve full information.
He also criticised the interim government for failing to bring the Enforced Disappearances Commission鈥檚 findings to the public and for ignoring the grief of the victims鈥� families.
Fakhrul said that the interim government had聽 failed to address the grief of the victim families 鈥� their mothers, brothers, and relatives 鈥� and must be held accountable for this.
He said that the BNP has consistently demanded that these incidents be properly investigated and tried.
Referring to the scale of alleged abuses, Fakhrul claimed that during the Awami League administration, around 20,000 people had faced extrajudicial killings, 1,700 leaders and activists had disappeared, and 60 lakhs people had been subjected to false cases.
He said that the BNP sought elections to ensure that the judicial process for these crimes was accelerated and justice was served.
The programme included a human chain and photo exhibition, chaired by Sanjida Islam Tuli, with participation from families of the disappeared and leaders of various anti-fascist political parties.
Fakhrul concluded by hoping that the country鈥檚 youth would witness justice for their fathers and brothers.
