POBNEWS24, Desk Report, Feb 5, 2022 : Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has said that many of the people named by the UN body as missing have been buried in the Mediterranean.
The issue of human rights violations is not the real reason. Bangladesh is in a geographically important position. Therefore, many countries want to bring the issue of disappearance to the fore and apply pressure to achieve their interests, he said.
The foreign minister made the remarks after a discussion at a hotel in the capital on Saturday morning.
He was speaking to reporters after addressing the inaugural function of the conference titled ‘Branding Bangladesh’ organized by the Center for Non-Resident Bangladeshis.
Like other countries, the issue of Bangladesh’s disappearance is expected to be discussed at a meeting of the UN Working Group on Disappearances this month.
Asked about this, the foreign minister said, “Some UN agencies gave us a list, not the UN.” It was later found that many people had been buried in the Mediterranean Sea.
They (UN Committee) have prepared the report with a Bangladeshi organization. They have no research of their own. “There are so many people (missing) in your country,” they said. Then gave the names of some people. After giving the names, it was seen that our people do not know anyone on that list except a couple. You know their names. ‘
The foreign minister said police had visited their families twice to get information about the missing persons.
The police thought they would not be there during the day, so they left at night. They then complained that they were being harassed.
Police want to know when, where, why their family members went, whether they know anything. Because, many came back again. After doing this for a day or two, they complained.
Referring to discussions with the police about the disappearance allegations, the foreign minister said, “We have spoken to the police, asking them (family members of the missing persons) to have a discussion, there will be journalists.” They will then say when and where their family members were taken or returned. ‘
The foreign minister cited a recent incident as an example, citing reports of “some accidents”. AK Abdul Momen said, “As we have known for a long time, Mr. Harish (BNP leader Harish Chowdhury) went missing.
Enforced Disappearance. Now let’s see, no, he was in the country and he died in the country. His daughter says. We once saw a leader he was not in the country, then the Indians caught him in a hotel in India. We don’t know exactly how many of those disappearances are true. ‘
Noting that the government does not want a single person to go missing or be killed in the country, the foreign minister said, “There is no such thing as enforced disappearance in our country. We don’t want to take anyone away by force. We want everyone to be judged by the law. ”
Abdul Momen said, “Since we are in a very good political-strategic position. The big countries around us and our seas are much more concerned about free movement.
That’s why we all have eye pain now. But the real purpose is not human rights, not disappearances and murders. The real purpose is to get some benefits from these pressures. ”Asked if these are propaganda, he said,“ Surely these are propaganda.
