BANGLADESH:
Disappearance will never stop unless impunity is ended
Enforced disappearance has become a matter of everyday life, as torture is inevitable in the hands of the law enforcement agencies. Both disappearance and torture are the by-products of the 'rule of coerciveness' in absence of the 'rule of law' in Bangladesh. It is matter of grave concern that the incidents of disappearance are increasing, alarmingly and unabatedly. The families of the disappeared persons continue screaming while the law-enforcing agencies and their political masters of the incumbent regime continue to deny the involvement of the State-agents in such heinous crimes.One of the latest incidents of disappearance has taken place two days ago. Mr. M Ilias Ali, a former Member of Parliament and Organising Secretary of the main opposition political party – Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and the driver of his car named Mr. Ansar, have been found missing since both of them left the former's residence by a private car at around 9:30pm on 17 April 2012. The Gulshan police of Dhaka city reportedly claimed that the police found Illias' car in a park with his mobile phone in it with all the doors of the car opened in an abandoned condition. Since then the whereabouts of Ilias has not been known.
The chairperson of the BNP and the Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament Mrs. Khaleda Zia has directly blamed the government by saying "a government agency and Rapid Action Battalion have picked up Ilias from his car". Mrs. Khaleda Zia, former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, has been quoted by the Daily Star and almost all the national dailies yesterday, 19 April, that "some people witnessed law enforcement agency personnel picking up Ilias while they left no information of whereabouts for Ilias' family members". The opposition leader has announced several political programmes including nationwide general strike on Sunday in protest of this latest disappearance and other issues.
Ms. Sahara Khatun, Minister for Home Affairs in Bangladesh, accompanied by high-ranking police officers, visited the house of Illias on 18 April to tell the family that the law-enforcing agents have not abducted Ilias. It should be noted that the Home Minister and her colleagues have been repeatedly denying the involvement of the State agents even though the incidences of enforced disappearance have been happening endlessly. Almost in all cases the eyewitnesses of the abductions, followed by disappearances of the victims, have pointed their fingers against the State agencies, especially the RAB, Detective Branch (DB) of Police.
A High Court Division Bench of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh has ordered the Gulshan police to find Ilias and keep updating the Bench every 48 hours. This order was passed yesterday after the disappeared political leader's wife Mrs. Tahsina Rushdi Luna had filed a writ with the Court. It should be recalled that, at least, two families – that of Mr. Salim Mian, a fruit seller in Gazipur district and Mr. Chowdhury Alam, a Dhaka City Corporation Commissioner - filed similar complaints with the High Court after both persons were disappeared, about two years ago in separate incidents. Both families and eyewitnesses alleged that the RAB kidnapped the victims and since then their whereabouts remains untraced even after the intervention by the High Court Division.
There is no reason to believe that the latest incident of disappearance of Ilias Ali and Ansar is an isolated one. Enforced disappearances have taken place during all the successive regimes since the inception of the country despite the variation in frequencies. Most of the allegations of abductions and disappearances have been brought against the agencies of the State while the nation had most of its current law-enforcement agencies throughout these periods except the RAB, which was created in 2004 and since its creation has often been referred to as a "death squad" maintained by the State itself. The undeniable truth is that none of the cases of enforced disappearances or State-sponsored extrajudicial killings have ever been credibly investigated, let alone led to any prosecution and trial of the perpetrators. Given this reality it is evident that impunity is deeply entrenched within the system and the judicial institutions have been incapable of administering justice. Since the inception of the country people's right to life and right to liberty have only been denied. Bangladeshi people suffer an epidemic of practices of tortures and disappearances.
The law-enforcement agencies and security forces enjoy blatant impunity for creating extreme form of fear in the society through coercive actions. State agencies torture detainees instructed by the government, bribed by the enemies of the victims, or inspired by colonial habits rooted in the institutions. The judicial institutions are poorly structured in terms of their intellectual and moral capacities. These are manifested in the recruitment process of the judges and the judgements they deliver and their attitudes toward the justice-seekers. The nexus between the government and the bureaucracy has made a vicious power structure in their favour. While party in power woos the bureaucracy by delegating endless powers, the bureaucracy stands in the way of institutional reforms necessary for transparency and proper democracy having a functional rule of law system.
The most precarious point is that both the government and the opposition come up with an outcry only when the victim has a political identity or certain social status. Countless cases of tortures and custodial deaths inflicted on the poor people remain unnoticed, although these are the people who provide government the power, money and legitimacy.
The institutional system, particularly the policing, judiciary, politics and bureaucracy deliberately keep themselves alienated from the original aspiration of the people, who have been struggling for democracy in its true institutionalised functional form having a justice-based fair system. None of the political parties have ever come to the people with any convincing manifesto that could be capable of establishing fundamental human rights and justice to the people let alone acting for the implementation of such reformative plan. It is undeniable that the current impunity-based institutional system has no capacity to serve the people, who suffer endlessly, in Bangladesh. The question remains before the people of Bangladesh that can they stop enforced disappearance keeping the culture of impunity to the agencies that are fed by their tax-money.
http://www.humanrights.asia/news/ahrc-news/AHRC-STM-094-2012
http://www.prothom-alo.com/detail/date/2012-04-20/news/251618
http://amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2012/04/21/141790
http://amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2012/04/21/141679
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=230798
http://jugantor.us/enews/issue/2012/04/21/news0876.htm
http://amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2012/04/21/141767
http://www.weeklyblitz.net/2276/bangladesh-ruling-party-and-war-against-the-people
On Tue, Jan 17, 2012 at 1:23 PM, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:
http://www.jjdin.com/?view=details&type=single&pub_no=11&cat_id=1&menu_id=13&news_type_id=1&index=1
On Sun, Jan 8, 2012 at 10:19 AM, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote: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
http://amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2012/01/08/125926
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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