Families of slain BNP leader, enforced disappearance victim demand justice

Families of the BNP leaders and activists, who were subjected to enforced disappearance or died in party programmes, have demanded justice and urged the government to find the missing ones.
"I want to trace my child. Return my child to my bosom," said Firoza Begum, mother of enforced disappearance victims Kalu and Miraz Ahmed, at the Barishal divisional youth rally of the BNP in the city's Bangabandhu Park on Saturday.
She held the government responsible for the disappearances of her two sons, saying, "I want the fall of this illegitimate government".
Bibi Khadiza, widow of the late Swechchasebak Dal leader Abdur Rahim, demanded justice for her husband's death.
"I want justice for my husband's murder. What was my husband's fault? Why did the police shoot my husband 133 times innocently in the procession?" she said.
Local journalist Mamunur Rashid Nomani, who was behind bars in a case under the Digital Security Act, said, "The former mayor of Barishal beat me up for exposing the truth. They attacked me, and filed a case against me under the Digital Security Act. I spent a long time in jail without any guilt".
"I want the Digital Security Act to be repealed. I want no other journalist like me to be victimised by this law," he said.
Leaders and activists of BNP wings Jubo Dal, Swechchasebak Dal and Chhatra Dal from Patuakhali, Bhola, Jhalakathi, Pirojpur and Barguna districts took part in the rally with BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as the chief guest.
Fakhrul alleged that more than 600 BNP leaders and activists were subjected to forced disappearance by the Awami League government.
"The Awami League abolished the caretaker government system only to perpetuate power. The government has prolonged the crisis in the country today by abolishing the caretaker government system," he said.
Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal President Kazi Rawnakul Islam Sraban chaired the protest rally under the direction of Swechchasebak Dal General Secretary Rajib Ahsan, Jubo Dal Acting General Secretary Shafiqul Islam Milton and Chhatra Dal General Secretary Saif Mahmud Jewel.
Barishal city unit BNP President Monirul Islam Khan Faruk, Jubo Dal President Sultan Salauddin Tuku and Swechchasebak Dal President SM Zilani, among others, addressed the rally.