Another alleged enforced disappearance

It is disturbing that despite much criticism of the practice of picking up alleged criminals by police officers in plainclothes, or arresting them without showing any proof of identity or supporting legal documents, it is still going on in the country. A report by this daily on Saturday mentions a case in which law enforcers allegedly picked up a man on April 19, who hasn't been returned or shown arrested till date. Reportedly, a group of six to seven men, all in plainclothes, picked up Mohammed Mohasin from his residence in Dhaka saying an arrest warrant had been issued against his village address in Bhola.

They, however, produced no legal documents to support their claim and refused to have their ID cards photographed by the family members. What is more distressing is that while taking him away, they told the family not to take any action and that he would be returned within three days. Afterwards, the Kafrul Police Station reportedly refused to file any case in this regard, but allowed to file a GD on the condition that no name of any law enforcement agency would be mentioned. Finding no help from the local police station, the wife of the victim, in a press conference, urged the higher authorities to at least show him arrested in a case so that the family knows if he lives.

The appeal captures the trauma that so many families of disappeared individuals have had to go through in Bangladesh, some longer than others, some never seeing their faces again. It also highlights that enforced disappearance may still be taking place, despite recent international scrutiny of such illegal practices, and that there are efforts underway to hide such practices. After all, why would a police station not file a case on such a grave allegation and only allow filing a GD on the condition of not naming the security agency involved? As regards the alleged plainclothesmen telling the family not to take any action, it was clearly a threat born of malicious intentions. The fact that the man hasn't been returned or shown arrested even after ten days proves the point.

We urge the higher authorities to look into this manner and take urgent steps to return the victim to his family. The government should also investigate the allegations raised and see if there was any foul play behind the incident. At a time when the whole world is watching us following the US sanctions on Rab, the government must ensure all law enforcers operate within the law and respect individual rights and dignity.