Untraceable
Sadiqur Rahman investigates into the growing incidents of enforced disappearances in the country and how despite repeated allegations against some of the law enforcement agencies, the government remains silent
It was 8:30 in the morning on September 29. Shameem Akhter just prepared his
son Tazbir Khan Dipto for school. Dipto's grandmother will drop him to school. After getting Dipto ready, Shameem called a rickshaw for the two. When Dipto's grandmother, Zohra Khatun returned from school, Shameem was not home. It has been nearly a month since AKM Shameem Akhter, a former leader of Bangladesh Chhatra Union, went missing from his 12/4 Purana Paltan residence. Still there is no knowledge about his whereabouts.
At Savar, unidentified persons barged into Dhaka district Awami League leader, Haji Nur's house on October 20. They locked up Nur's daughter-in-law, Maksuda Begum and four other rooms of tenants from outside. On hearing their cries, neighbours rushed to the place and opened the rooms. When Maksuda looked for his father-in-law, Nur was not there.
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Upon returning from school on September 29, when Zohra Khatun did not see his son, she became concerned. Shameem's mobile phone was home, surfacing all the more reasons to worry. She informed Shameem's wife Jharna Khanom, who was at work at the time. Jharna, a human rights defender at Ain O Salish Kendra, rushed home after hearing the news. While looking out for Shameem, she learned from locals that some plainclothes armed personnel dragged Shameem towards a vehicle and drove him away.
Babul Hossain, a grocery vendor and an eyewitness of the incident tells Xtra, a group of about seven to eight people picked Shameem up in his fatua and loincloth at about 9:00 in the morning. 'The abductors put a red tape on his mouth and forced him into a microbus,' says Babul.
Shameem's family members suspect, plainclothes members of law enforcement agencies are behind his abduction.
Shameem returned home about a year ago after living in Malaysia for three years. Jharna tells Xtra that Shameem was implicated with criminal charges that were politically motivated. The cases were lodged when Shameem was not in the country. 'For whatever allegation it is, Shameem has to be produced before the court if he is arrested and we have the right to know about him.'
Family members of Haji Nur suspect the same has happened with him. The Awami League leader's son-in-law Jahangir Alam claimed that the locals identified two vehicles of the Rapid Action Battalion among six cars parked outside the house while picking up Haji Nur.
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In less than two years, at least 35 incidents of enforced disappearances were reported. Three of them were later found dead. The recurrences of these disappearances put public safety at stake as human rights groups fear, this maybe the new form of extrajudicial killing in the dark. Most of the persons abducted are either politician, businessmen or suspects with criminal charges.
The abduction of a Dhaka City Corporation ward councilor and a leader of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Chowdhury Alam (66) was one of the much talked about incidents last year. Alam's relatives and colleagues repeatedly told the media that law enforcers were behind his abduction.
On June 25, last year, Alam was abducted from in front of the Metro Garden on 75, Indira Road in the city. Alam's chauffer at the time, Ashim Chandra Bhowmick witnessed some seven to eight armed personnel taking him away on a microbus. They identified themselves as members of the law enforcement agencies to Bhowmick.
There were attempts to abduct Alam even before, says Abu Syed Chowdhury Himu. 'Following our complaints, the police arrested one Billal Hossain,' he says adding, 'Billal was later rescued by members of the intelligence agency he worked for.'
Following a petition filed at the High Court on 19 July, 2010, the court ordered the chiefs of Police and RAB to immediately investigate the matter and take effective steps. Sixteen months after his disappearance, there has been no headway in finding Alam.
Torture, enforced disappearance and extrajudicial killing by country's law enforcers are contrary to a democratic country. 'These trends are exercised by military dominated states,' says Adilur Rahman Khan, secretary of Odhikar. He continues, 'In spite of a democratic ruling in Bangladesh, law enforcement agencies have been repeatedly accused of such unlawful exercises.'
The human rights defender believes that the frequency of enforced disappearances in the country and no recoveries thereafter indicate the state's indulgence into such practices.
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According to media reports, Rafiqul Islam of Shahjahanpur of the city was allegedly picked up by the RAB on February 15 this year. Whereabouts of Tarek Uddin, a businessman of Sutrapur, could not be known since April 8, after he was allegedly picked up by RAB.
According to Odhikar, RAB has been suspected in at least nine of the 17 people abducted this year. The law enforcement agencies including RAB, however, deny their involvement in any of the disappearances.
Towfiq Ahmed, a Stamford University student was reportedly taken away by RAB personnel from in front of the Dhaka Central Jail gate on May 13. Towfiq's father Khabir Uddin later filed a case accusing two officials of RAB and two officials of central jail with the chief metropolitan court.
Delwar Hossain (30), a trader of scrap materials, was allegedly picked up by plainclothes men at around 9:30pm on June 23 from Gachbaria market of Mostofapur boat terminal of Madaripur. Eyewitnesses identified the men as RAB officials.
On August 3, 2011 Tapon Das, a businessman of old Dhaka, was allegedly picked up by the DB police from KB Road at Gandaria.
Shumi Das, wife of Tapon Das says, 'Tapon and his friend Gobinda Das were returning home when plainclothes men stopped them.' 'At around 8:00pm, a white microbus stopped them and asked for Tapon. When Tapon responded, the police picked both Tapon and Gobinda, blindfolded them, and drove off to the office of Detective Branch at Mintu Road,' Shumi learned from Gobina, who was later released. During the drive, the police questioned about Gobinda and his connection with Tapon. Convinced, the men released Gobinda before entering the DB office.
On August 5, 2011, police recovered the bodies of Mizanur Rahman (25) and Jewel Rana (20), at the roadside of Narayanpur bypass lane in Gazipur. Another body identified as Rajib was recovered from the Dhaka-Mawa highway at Nimtala under Sirajdikhan Upazila in Munshiganj district the same day.
Rajib was a cousin of Jewel. The families of the three deceased men alleged that they were arrested by the Detective Branch (DB) of Police on July 31 from Sharat Gupto Road. Jewel's father Salam Sardar, still clueless about why his son was abducted and later killed, says to Xtra, 'Had there been any charges against my son, I would have been convinced but I have no clue why he was taken.'
On October 6 this year, two unidentified men picked up Dr Rashid Ahmed from a private medical college hospital in Sylhet. Four other Indian students were picked up by plain clothed men from the same spot. The students, who were later released the next day early in the morning, disclosed that law enforcers picked them up for interrogation about the Delhi High Court blast. Indian media reports mentioned the Indian National Investigation Agency picked the Kashmiri students up with tacit collaboration of the Bangladesh's Rapid Action Battalion for questioning the bomb blast.
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As incidents of enforced disappearance continue in the country almost rampantly, with no explanation from the government about their recurrences, Mizanur Rahman, chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) expressed concern about the situation. He said to the media that panic has gripped the people of the country at the news of enforced abduction committed by the RAB and police. 'This is a heinous violation of basic human rights,' says the human rights commission chief.
The country still bears the terrible memories of great sacrifices of the country's intelligentsia during the liberation war of 1971. Anti-national groups forcibly abducted teachers, journalists, students and many professionals who had been supporting the freedom fighters.
'Although some of the persons abducted have criminal charges and allegations against them, nonetheless, they all of have the right to be tried under the judicial procedures of the country,' says Shaheen Reza Noor, organiser Projonmo Ekattor, the eldest son of martyred journalist Sirajuddin Hossain.
Sirajuddin was forcefully abducted by Pakistani collaborators on December 10, 1971. Shaheen adds, 'Our national heroes freed this country from the Pakistani occupation forces so that every citizen of this nation can enjoy their freedom and right.'
However, successive governments have failed to ensure the freedom and have rather been involved in curtailing people's freedom. Instances of disappearance continued even after the independence of the country. Noted filmmaker and freedom fighter Zahir Raihan's disappearance on December 30, 1972, has remained a mystery with the apprehension that he might have been killed by Pakistani collaborators.
During those periods political opponents were often subjected to torture by law enforcers and political cadres and many political activists had been abducted. On March 23, 1980, Mahfuz Babu, a Bangladesh Chhatra League leader was abducted by unknown persons. His whereabouts has since been unknown.
Kalpana Chakma, former general secretary of Hill Women's Federation, disappeared on June 12, 1996. Her disappearance is another example in the history of the country's enforced disappearances. Kalpana, a vocal activist of Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity (PCJSS) was picked up by army personnel from near her residence at Lallyaghona village in Rangamati. Her whereabouts since then has not been known.
Another incident of missing businessman Jamal Uddin of Chittagong had created huge suspicion among the nation. Jamal Uddin was abducted on July 24 in 2003 while returning to his Chandgaon residence in the city from his business office at Chawk Bazar. His skeleton was later found from a remote village in Fatikchhari upazila after two years.
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In many of the incidents reported, when family members of the missing persons reported to the police, in some cases the police refused to register cases and instead received only general diaries. Members of the law enforcing agencies denied their involvement in all of the cases reported. General diary under the Bangladeshi legal measure is only a notification to the police of a possible crime which does not bind the police to investigate until they consider necessary. It holds lesser gravity than a police case.
Shumi Das, wife of disappeared Tapon Das, says to Xtra, immediately after her husband was abducted, she along with other family members went to the Shyampur Model Police Station to file a general dairy. The duty police officer refused to accept it. 'They eventually received our paper but technically made it look like Tapon was not abducted but was just missing,' recalls Shumi.
Jharna Khanom, wife of Shameem Akhter also tells Xtra that the police refused to file Jharna's general dairy three times. Police refused to register a case about Mizan's killing when his elder brother Monir Hossain went to the Gendaria Police. He was instead asked to file a general dairy only.
Abu Syed Chowdhury Himu recalls that after repeated attempts to file a case about his father's disappearance with the police, they considered the issue. Twenty-two days after his father disappeared, the High Court ordered the Police and RAB chiefs to immediately investigate the matter and take effective steps. The court also ordered for a report to be submitted on Mohammad Chowdhury Alam's abductors. Himu tells Xtra, that since those orders, there has been no follow-up to the case.
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Odhikar secretary, Adilur Rahman Khan says that it looks like the law enforcement agencies in the country have the state's full support to detain any person without being answerable for their atrocities and forceful detention. 'Such impunity is dangerous.'
'The law enforcement authorities cannot avoid the allegation against them,' says the NHRC chief adding that the onus is on the government to find the abductors.
Shaheen Reza Noor says, 'The government must take the situation seriously. Otherwise, he fears that the anti state elements can take its advantage.'
Hassan Mahmood Khandker, Inspector General of Police, refused to comment about the incidents of enforced disappearance. 'I have no clear information about the number of forced disappearance that Odhikar published,' he says.
Denying allegations brought against the law enforcement agencies, he says, 'Abduction or disappearances are not new in this country. Police have rescued many abducted and disappeared persons till date,' Hassan says. That enforced disappearances committed by law enforcers are not the same as disappearances committed by criminals is something the police chief clearly passed from explaining. By the frequency of enforced disappearances, human rights defenders fear that, this is the new face of extrajudicial killing.
http://www.newagebd.com/newspaper1/magazine/content.php?date=2011-10-28
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