Press Freedom in Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, most of the torture carried out by law enforcement agencies is when they have the accused person in 'remand' for 'interrogation'.
Mahmudur Rahman, Acting Editor of Bengali Daily Amar Desh was sent for four days remand on June 20, 2010. Inspector Manzur Murshed of the Detective Branch of Police who is investigating a sedation case lodged at the Airport Police Station against Mahmudur Rahman, went to the Dhaka Central Jail at about 4.00 pm and received him from the Jail authority for interrogation and took him to the Detective Branch office located at Mintoo Road in Dhaka.
Today, June 23, 2010 at about 6.35 in the morning, Mahmudur Rahman has been taken to an unknown location for 'interrogation' from the custody of the investigating officer of the Detective Branch of Police Inspector Monzur Murshed. Journalists of the Bengali Daily 'Amar Desh', which has been shut down by the government informed Odhikar that they believe he has been taken to the office of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) for interrogation at the Dhaka Cantonment.
Earlier on June 16, 2010, Mahmudur Rahman was brought before the Court of Magistrate Ismail Hossain after the completion of four days remand at the Detective Branch office in another case under the Anti Terrorism Act 2009.
The Magistrate sent him to jail for treatment and ordered the jailor to arrange his medical check up and accordingly he was undergoing treatment at the jail hospital under a medical board. The Magistrate further ordered that he may be taken to remand if he is physically fit.
On June 20, 2010, the jail authority gave a fitness certificate for Mahmudur Rahman for interrogating him at remand. Though it has been reported that when he was going towards the van he could not walk properly and looked pale.
Earlier Mahmudur Rahman was tortured in custody and when he was produced in the Court on June 12, 2010 he appealed to the Court for the safety of his life and gave an account of the inhuman and degrading treatment he went through during remand. As he was unable to stand in court the Magistrate arranged for him to be seated at the dock.
The lawyers representing Mahmudur Rahman held a press conference at the National Press Club today (23 June 2010) at 1.30 PM, to express their concern regarding the physical and mental torture and ill treatment of their client and to demand his release.
At the press conference, Advocate Sanaullah Mian, President of the Dhaka District Bar Association and Advocate Masud Ahmed Talukder, both representing Mahmudur Rahman, while expressing concern about the life and safety of their client, mentioned that he had been taken to an unknown destination this morning in a 2-vehicle contingent, where the vehicles had no license plates. They also stated that when they contacted the Detective Branch office regarding the whereabouts of Mahmudur Rahman, Detective Branch officers informed them that he was not in their custody.
Police arrested Mahmudur Rahman from his newspaper office in the early morning of June 2, 2010 after the government cancelled the declaration of the newspaper Amar Desh on June 1, 2010 afternoon.
Altogether 34 cases (28 of which are defamation cases) have been filed up to now against Mahmudur Rahman.
ASM Nasiruddin Elan
Director, Odhikar
E-mail: odhikar@citech-bd.com
odhikar.bd@gmail.com
odhikar@sparkbd.net
Website: www.odhikar.org
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