General students of Islamic University (IU) on Wednesday formed a human chain demanding the trace and justice for two meritorious students of the university—Md. Walidullah of the Dawah and Islamic Studies department and Al Mokaddas of the Al Fiqh and Law department—who went missing from Savar area in Dhaka on February 4, 2012.

The human chain was held at 2:30pm on Wednesday (February 4) in front of the university’s main gate, with banners in hand.

Speaking on the occasion, general students said, “We want to remind the interim government that our brothers Walidullah and Mokaddas were brilliant faces of the university. They were also cultural activists. But sadly, cultural organisations take to the streets at the slightest provocation, yet in the case of our Walidullah and Mokaddas brothers, they remain silent with sealed lips. Through this human chain, we want to declare that our Walidullah and Mokaddas brothers have been forcibly disappeared. We demand justice for them and insist that no mother’s lap should ever be left empty again. To ensure that the culture of disappearance and murder never returns, those involved must be given exemplary punishment.”

On the occasion, Islamic University Chhatra Shibir secretary Rashedule Islam Rafi said, “From this human chain today, we want to say—give us back our brothers. Ensure proper justice for all those who have been disappeared. Bring those involved in these disappearances to trial and inform the public so that no one in Bangladesh has to face disappearance again. If we do not see justice for disappearances and murders, the culture of disappearance and murder may return to Bangladesh. To stop this culture, justice is essential. From here today, we want to tell the university administration—bring the then-proctors and those who were in authority at the university under proper legal process and interrogate them; it is possible to find the trace of our brothers this way. If you fail to provide information about our brothers, we will also stand against you. Finally, I want to say—our student Sajid Abdullah was martyred at the university. Ensure proper justice for Sajid Abdullah, our Mokaddas brother, and all others who have been victims of disappearance, murder and killing from this university. Take measures so that such incidents do not occur again in campuses across the country.”

The human chain was attended by students from various departments under the banner of general students.