Zia is the pioneer of forced disappearance in Bangladesh: Sheikh Parash

Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash, the Chairman of Bangladesh Awami Jubo League, has said Ziaur Rahman is the pioneer of enforced disappearance in Bangladesh.

Referring to the abduction of one of his relatives, Parash said: "The BNP-Jamaat alliance nowadays becomes vocal against forced disappearance. But, I have witnessed that the then BNP chief Ziaur Rahman and his accomplices had started such practices in the country."

"Cornel Shahriar picked one of our relatives, Bachchu mama, during killer Zia's regime and he never returned to his family members," he added.

He came up with the remarks while attending a programme marking the National Mourning Day and 47th martyrdom anniversary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on Wednesday. 

Referring to the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family members, Tapash further said: "The politics of forced disappearance and murder started just after the assassination of Bangabandhu in 1975.  They (BNP men) had introduced it and now they became vocal against it just to play political tricks. They often go into hiding and again come out publicly as part of their plan so that they can blame the government."

Addressing the leaders of BNP-Jamaat alliance, he said: "Before speaking ill about the government, you should recall the incidents of enforced disappearance of Awami League leaders and activists in between 2001-06."

"Sheikh Hasina-led government never practiced the politics of forced disappearance and murders. We don’t need to do that as we do politics for the welfare of the people. We believe in people’s rights and we are doing politics to establish people’s rights in the country," he added. 

He stated that Awami League and Jubo League always work for the welfare of the people and the development of the country. "However, a vested quarter is always active and they always use these political tricks in order to hinder country’s development. This is their basic."

"They did it in 1975 when the father of the nation  was trying to change the fate of the war-affected people of country. They hatched the same conspiracies in 1996, when Sheikh Hasina took the power. They play the same blame game again and again," he added saying that such conspiracies are being hatched against the Awami League since the independence of the country.