KATHMANDU: Under the despotic leadership of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, families of political prisoners in Bangladesh who were imprisoned in secret eagerly awaited word about their loved ones on Tuesday. Although a large number of the missing have since been found, worries about the others who are still missing persist.
Families desperate for information were stated by Sanjida Islam Tulee, organizer of "Mayer Daak" (The Call of the Mothers), a nonprofit that advocates for the release of detainees. Rights organizations have claimed that Hasina's security forces kidnapped some 600 individuals, including members of the Jamaat-e-Islami, an organization that is outlawed, and the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
On Monday, after weeks of deadly protests, Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman announced Hasina's resignation and the formation of a caretaker government. President Mohammed Shahabuddin later stated that all individuals arrested during the protests, including key opposition leader Khaleda Zia, would be released. Zia, the BNP chairperson, had been under house arrest due to a graft conviction and is in poor health.
Among those released was Ahmad Bin Quasem, an opposition activist and lawyer, who had been abducted by security forces in 2016. His release, confirmed by family friends, followed a medical check-up, with his condition reported as stable. Despite these developments, many families continue to seek answers about the fate of their loved ones.
Human Rights Watch reported over 600 enforced disappearances under Hasina's rule, with nearly 100 still missing. The government has denied allegations, suggesting some missing individuals may have drowned while attempting to reach Europe. The uncertainty surrounding the fate of many detainees continues to cause distress among their families.
