While there has been a fall in incidents of extra-judicial killings, the number of 'enforced disappearances' allegedly at the hands of law enforcers saw an alarming rise last year, the rights group Odhikar said yesterday.
Revealing its Human Rights Report 2011, the organisation termed the country's overall human rights situation in 2011 "disappointing", noting that violence on women and journalists had also registered a rise.
Odhikar said 30 persons became victims of enforced disappearances last year while the number was 18 in 2010 and two in 2009.
Only those whose disappearances were linked to members of state-run agencies have been counted. Of the 30 incidents, the Rab was reportedly behind the disappearance of 14 individuals, the police behind 13, including 11 through its Detective Branch, and others were responsible for three others who disappeared.
Releasing the report at Jatiya Press Club yesterday, Odhikar Secretary Adilur Rahman Khan said, "The state might have adopted this tactic [enforced disappearances] due to national and international outcry against extra-judicial killings."
The report also said 46 persons were reportedly tortured by different law enforcement agencies. Of them, 17 died.
The annual document was prepared on the basis of newspaper reports and information from Odhikar activists working across the country.
Another rights organisation, Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), in its recent report put the figure of mysterious disappearances and secret killings at 51 during the same period. Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission expressed its concern over the rise of such incidents.
According to the Odhikar report, a total 84 persons fell victim to extra-judicial killings in 2011. The figures were 127 in 2010 and 154 in 2009.
Noted politicians, lawyers and journalists also spoke at the function chaired by Odhikar President CR Abrar. The speakers suggested that the government set up a tribunal to deal with incidents of disappearances, secret killings, deaths in custody and 'crossfire'.
Disappearance is an old issue in Bangladesh, and it has started again, Abrar said, adding that such incidents in 1973-74 were also protested.
CEO of Boishakhi TV Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul said the report might have flaws, but the government has to defend it with data, "not by batons".
The report said 206 journalists came under attack in 2011. The number was 178 in 2010 and 145 in 2009.
Odhikar said India's Border Security Force killed 31 Bangladeshi nationals last year when the killing of 15-year-old Felani was a much-talked-about incident. The number was 74 in 2010 and 98 in 2009.
The report also said the number of deaths due to mob beating decreased in 2011, but now it has taken a "dramatic turn". One Shamsuddin Milon, 16, was killed after police handed him over to the public at Tekerhat Mor in Noakhali from the police van, observed the report.
A total of 161 people were killed in mob beating last year. The figures were 174 in 2010 and 127 in 2009.
According to the report, the number of dowry-related violence shot up to 516 in 2011 from 378 in 2010.
Moreover, as many as 711 women and children were violated last year when 88 of them -- 54 women and 34 girl children -- were killed after rape.
The report said 672 women became victims of sexual harassment during the same period. Of them, six were killed, 59 injured, 91 assaulted, 12 abducted, 15 became victims of attempted rape and 29 committed suicide.
It said a total of 135 people were killed in political violence last year while 220 in 2010.
In addition, many incidents of violence, arson and loot took place in the Chittagong Hill Tracts in 2011 when 40 people were killed, 17 were abducted and 18 women violated.
Odhikar also said the government made the Anti-Terrorism Act 2009 more repressive and strict last year and expressed its concern that it might be used as a weapon against political rivals, demonstrators, journalists and human rights activists.
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=217466
From: Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com>
Subject: [KHABOR] Re: Goom, Khoon....
To:
Date: Wednesday, December 28, 2011, 5:41 AM
http://www.jjdin.com/?view=details&type=single&pub_no=315&cat_id=1&menu_id=1&news_type_id=1&index=0
http://amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2011/12/28/124321
On Sun, Dec 25, 2011 at 10:46 AM, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:
Read more:
http://www.bd-pratidin.com/?view=details&type=gold&data=Emirates&pub_no=596&cat_id=1&menu_id=1&news_type_id=1&index=2
On Sat, Dec 24, 2011 at 2:15 PM, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:
Weekly BUDHBAR report:
http://budhbar.com/?p=7139
On Sat, Dec 17, 2011 at 3:21 PM, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:
Rights federation concerned over 'enforced disappearances'
The Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) expressed concern over the recent rise of "enforced disappearances" in Bangladesh.
AFAD urged the government to take immediate initiatives to search for and recover those who disappeared, take action against the perpetrators and cooperate with human rights organisations in this regard.
It also urged Bangladesh to abide by the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.
"The recent spate of enforced disappearances is alarming and only adds to the disrespect for human rights, the long practice of impunity and a weak criminal justice system prevalent in Bangladesh," says a press release from AFAD.
AFAD, a federation of human rights organisations working directly on the issue of involuntary disappearances in Asia, was founded on June 4, 1998 in Manila, Philippines.
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=214507
On Sat, Dec 17, 2011 at 11:25 AM, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:
Goom, Khoon....
http://www.amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2011/12/17/122521
http://www.amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2011/12/17/122665
http://www.bd-pratidin.com/?view=details&archiev=yes&arch_date=17-12-2011&type=gold&data=Islamic&pub_no=588&cat_id=1&menu_id=1&news_type_id=1&index=0
http://www.samakal.com.bd/details.php?news=13&view=archiev&y=2011&m=12&d=16&action=main&option=single&news_id=217558&pub_no=902
http://www.samakal.com.bd/details.php?news=13&view=archiev&y=2011&m=12&d=16&action=main&option=single&news_id=217557&pub_no=902
Extrajudicial killings all around
THE spate of extrajudicial killing still continues. This time, 11 men in Bhola became victim of such killing on Wednesday afternoon. According to a report front-paged in New Age on Thursday, five people, suspected as pirates, along with a fisherman, got killed during a 'gunfight' involving the police. Moreover, five more suspected pirates, who escaped the 'gunfight', were later beaten to death by the mob. Suffice it to say, the killings in question necessarily point to, regardless of the oft-repeated claims of the incumbents otherwise, unabated slide in law and order on the one hand and growing public distrust of law enforcement agencies on the other.The Awami League-Jatiya Party government assumed power in 2009 with the commitment, among others, that it would keep law and order under control and that it would stop all sorts of extrajudicial killing. Pertinently, it was highly critical of such kind of killing during the tenure of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led government in the past. Besides, it pledged on more occasions than one in the past three years or so before the leaders of different human rights organisations, national and international, that it will show zero tolerance towards such killing. Regrettably, however, it seems to have done little to make those words a reality. Worse still, it has consistently claimed that no extrajudicial killing has taken place during its tenure so far.Meanwhile, apparently to evade criticism about extrajudicial killing, the law enforcers, especially the Rapid Action Battalion, have allegedly changed their tactics of execution in recent months. The new tactic involves enforced disappearances of alleged criminals. According to Odhikar, a rights organisation, a total of 359 people were killed in what the top brass of the law enforcers called 'crossfire', 'shootout, 'encounter', etc in the past three years or so, while the number of victims of mob beating stood at 148 and enforced disappearances, 22, in the past 11 months.Either way, the incumbents need to realise that what suffers most due to all this is the rule of law, and that if it is allowed to continue, society may plunge into lawlessness, endangering even the hard-earned democracy of the country. It immediately needs to do something decisive about arresting the surge in crimes as well as putting an end to all kinds of extrajudicial killings.
http://www.prothom-alo.com/detail/date/2011-12-11/news/207867
http://amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2011/12/11/121708
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=213630
http://www.prothom-alo.com/detail/date/2011-12-11/news/207868
http://www.prothom-alo.com/detail/date/2011-12-11/news/207870
http://www.prothom-alo.com/detail/date/2011-12-11/news/207787
http://amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2011/12/14/122194
http://jugantor.us/enews/issue/2011/12/13/news0739.htm
http://jugantor.us/enews/issue/2011/12/14/news0885.htm
http://www.prothom-alo.com/detail/date/2011-12-14/news/208699
http://www.bd-pratidin.com/?view=details&type=gold&data=Islam&pub_no=585&cat_id=1&menu_id=1&news_type_id=1&index=0
http://amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2011/12/14/122192
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