NCP calls for national consensus against enforced disappearances

Leaders of the National Citizen Party (NCP) today(26 June) urged all parties and the state to ensure that enforced disappearances, torture, and repression are permanently eradicated from the political culture of Bangladesh.

Marking the UN-designated International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, they made the call at a discussion titled "From Torture to Resistance: Memory, Justice and Protest in Bangladesh" at its temporary central office in Banglamotor.

Calling for a national political and social consensus to acknowledge and compensate victims of state-backed torture, extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances, they demanded structural reform and accountability in law enforcement agencies to prevent such abuses in the future without any delay.

Saying that Justice for victims must start with recognition and reparation, NCP Joint Member Secretary Akram Hossain said, "There are women who were raped simply for voting for the opposition. But to date, there has been no official record of the number of people physically tortured under the current regime. This failure to acknowledge is a major shortcoming of the state."

He added, "We cannot build a new Bangladesh without recognising those who were tortured under fascist regimes. Recognition and compensation must be extended to all victims — regardless of party affiliation."

NCP Joint Organising Secretary Saifullah Haidar broke down in tears as he recalled his father's disappearance in 2011.

"My father was held for three months and later jailed for years in a fabricated case even before I was born," he said.

"Our family, once well-established, was torn apart. My sister was forced into early marriage. My father died of lung cancer in 2021. If only he had lived to see 5 August," he said.

Saying that torture is not apolitical — it's a tool of power, Senior Joint Convener Samanta Sharmin said that torture and enforced disappearances have long been part of a colonial policing system designed to control subjects, not serve citizens.

"This structure — inherited from British rule — continues to treat people as subordinates. Reforms can't be cosmetic. We must rebuild the system from the ground up," she said.

Sharmin also criticised the state's failure to uphold the memories of mass resistance and sacrifice.

"When memory fades, impunity grows. Women played a pivotal role in the recent mass uprisings, but today, their political agency is being undermined," she noted.

Calling for police reform and accountability commissions first, speakers stressed that without reforms in law enforcement and judicial institutions, any change of government will simply continue the cycle of repression.

"Have we ever seen a political party push for a police reform commission?" one speaker asked. "We see discussions on election commissions, but none on the institutions that directly affect people's rights and safety."

Mentioning that a culture of justice must replace the culture of fear, Joint Member Secretary SM Saif Mostafiz said, "Before 5 August, people were abducted or killed just for expressing dissent on Facebook. That culture must never return, and all political forces must pledge not to allow it again."

They also said justice is not a verdict — it is social rehabilitation. The NCP stressed that justice must go beyond legal proceedings and include compensation, rehabilitation, and recognition for the victims and their families.

"When someone is abducted or tortured, at least 20 families are affected directly or indirectly. A single prosthetic limb cannot compensate for a life shattered. Justice lies in ensuring such incidents never happen again," said a participant.

The discussion concluded with a unanimous call for a new political agreement — one that transcends party lines and centers on human dignity, memory, and justice.