The National Committee for Observing the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances has announced a march toward the National Parliament. The programme will begin from Banglamotor in the capital at 3pm on Sunday, August 30, and participants will later submit a memorandum to the Speaker of Parliament.

The announcement followed a preparatory meeting held on Thursday afternoon at an auditorium in Purana Paltan. Speakers alleged that Bangladesh had been a “state of disappearances” for the past 17 years, saying people lacked safety at home and outside. They alleged that state forces took people from their homes, detained victims in Aynaghar, subjected them to inhumane torture, and that many people were killed after being disappeared.

The speakers said the fall of the “fascist Awami League” on August 5, 2024 had raised hopes for building a new Bangladesh. They argued that preventing a return to fascism requires ending enforced disappearances, ensuring public safety and enacting strict laws. Brigadier General Hasinur Rahman Bir Protik urged people across party lines to join the march.