Families of Enforced Disappearance Victims Demand Rehabilitation and Priority Justice at Parliament Special Committee Meeting
Representatives of victims of torture, enforced disappearance and killings, and of martyr families, have demanded that enforced disappearance be prevented through constitutional amendment, the judiciary be strengthened, and justice be ensured for disappeared persons and their families.
They made the demands on Wednesday (28 October) during an exchange of views at the ninth meeting of the Thirteenth National Parliament's special committee on constitutional amendment, held in the Cabinet Room of the National Parliament Building. The meeting was chaired by the committee's president and Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed.
At the meeting, representatives of victims of torture, enforced disappearance and killings over the past 17 years, and of martyr families, presented their experiences and expectations.
They stressed state recognition for disappeared persons, rehabilitation of the affected families, and ensuring justice on a priority basis. At the same time, they called for effective steps to prevent such incidents from recurring in the future.
Family members of disappeared persons and Members of Parliament Sanjida Islam, Humam Kader Chowdhury, Anisur Rahman and Mst Tahsina Rushdi presented their experiences at the meeting. Raising various aspects of being victims of torture and of being deprived of legal protection and justice, they demanded that remedies for such incidents be ensured.
The representatives said effective legal protection and accountability need to be ensured to prevent incidents such as enforced disappearance and torture from recurring. They also stressed taking necessary measures to ease the suffering of affected persons and families and to smooth their path to justice.
Committee members Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman, Joynul Abedin, Information Minister Andalib Rahman, Expatriate Welfare State Minister Md Nurul Haq, and Social Welfare State Minister Farzana Sharmin were present at the meeting.
