Unfortunately, the government has failed miserably to protect human rights for all its citizens. A well documented report by Odhikar reveals that the Human rights situation in 2011 deteriorated very seriously compared with previous years (www.odhikar.org).
The areas of general concern:
In recent years, the rights issues in Bangladesh have been discussed covering the following areas:
Suppression of political opposition, curtailing media freedom, attacks on journalists,
Restricting dissent and criticism of government policies by threats and physical attacks,
Unlawful detention and torture in remand,
Using police and security services as party tools,
Politicization of judiciary, restricting the scope for justice,
Increasing political, administrative and economic corruption,
Patronizing criminality and violence by ‘party cadres’,
Mass withdrawal of criminal cases out of ‘political consideration,
Presidential clemency to party cadres convicted for murder,
Violence against women, garment and domestic workers,
Attacks on religious minorities and inter-ethnic violence,
BSF atrocities along the border,
India's water aggression, etc.
All these issues together with the very sensitive issue of the BDR massacre trial have been highlighted, in varying degrees, in different media, both nationally and internationally. Unfortunately, none of the stories have enhanced the good image of Bangladesh and her rulers in the international stage.
International rights organisations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Asian Human Rights Commission, etc., have expressed grave concerns at the rights situation in Bangladesh, but the government has not taken any concrete actions. Utterances by different ministers and government leaders tend to give the impression that ‘everything is fine; they forget that it is not their words but actions that are under public and media scrutiny, both at home and abroad, and that the much sought after democracy, rule of law and a truly civilized society would remain only pipe dream if remedial measures are not taken to improve the overall rights situation in the country.
Goom or Enforced disappearance
In a short essay, it is not possible to a full picture of all the aspects of Human Rights Abuses in present Bangladesh. (All details can be found in the Odhikar Reports, www.odhikar.org). I shall, therefore, very briefly deal with the most recent concern of GOOM or Enforced disappearance, which was once associated with ˜death squads or ˜vigilante groups operating in some South and Latin American countries during 1970s.
Political and social violence has been more or less a curse for Bangladesh from the beginning. The government and their party followers have resorted to all types of legal and illegal means to marginalize, intimidate, harass, defeat and, on some occasions, even to kill, some of their respective opponents or enemies, which led to cycles of violent confrontations and political and social instability. This evil culture has continued over the years, with ups and downs, but truly it never ended. When the regime in power (whether civil or military) became unpopular and lost public support, they resorted more to ‘hard line tactics for suppression of all opposition and perpetuating their misrule. Even all the ˜elected governments showed this tendency in the past.
The Elias Issue and the dubious government role
But, apart from the old culture, the country is now faced with a new threat of extreme concern – that of GOOM or ˜enforced disappearance. The culture of ‘GOOM’ has been going on for a while, with little notice from national and international media, but this has now become the greatest concern after the ‘forced disappearance’ of Mr. Elias Ali, an ex-MP and a powerful leader of BNP. Elias Ali along with his driver was picked up at midnight about 3 weeks ago by some unidentified persons. Nobody knows about the identity of the miscreants, but it is widely believed that they are members of the security agencies or of a pro-government vigilante group. So far, there is no concrete news on the whereabouts of Elias Ali and his driver; we do not know if they are dead or still alive. Mrs. Elias Ali met with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for help, but so far the promise to help find Mr. Ali has remained unfulfilled.
The government has not only failed in their duty to find Mr. Ali but several AL leaders have made some very rude remarks about the personal character of Elias Ali, even suggesting that the BNP leader Khaleda Zia might be responsible for the disappearance! Obviously, BNP and its allies, already ˜under seige by the government (thousands of their party leaders and workers being charged with allegations of corruption, extortion, terrorism, etc.) and fighting for their political and organizational survival, reacted very strongly and decided to challenge the government both inside the courts and on the streets.
The Elias issue has thrown the country into a new phase of controversy and uncertainty. Even the US Foreign Secretary Hillary Clinton expressed deep concern during her visit to Dhaka last week and asked for proper investigations into the disappearance of Elias Ali and the trade union leader Aminul Islam. Ironically, this caused anger within the ruling circles, some of them even accused Secretary Clinton of unwantedâ interference.
Alarming rise in the Goom incidents
The disappearance of Elias Ali is politically the most explosive event, but this is not the first or the last incident of this type of crime. Enforced disappearance started from the beginning of the current government and has only increased during the last 3 years.
The rights group Ain-O-Salish Kendra says that at least 22 people have disappeared during the first four months of this year. According to Odhikar, 30 persons were victims of enforced disappearance in 2011, 18 in 2010 and 2 in 2009; this shows an alarming increase in such incidents. In comparison, extra-judicial killings by law enforcing agencies fell from 127 in 2010 to 84 in 2011. This suggests that “a shift is taking place by which citizens are placed outside legal protection and legal trials by terminating them. The State might have adopted the GOOMâ tactic because of the national and international outcry against extra-judicial killings.�
The daily New Nation ran a horror story yesterday (09 May, 2012). It says that Police have recovered 100 bodies from different parts of the capital city and 60 bodies from different Thanas of Dhaka district during the last four months. The skeletons, bodies or parts of bodies were recovered either from the rivers Turag and Buriganga or from canals and open-fields. Most of the victims could not be identified. “The actual number of unidentified bodies would be much higher as all of them could not be traced after they went missing. Many of the bodies might have been dumped into rivers which were carries away by strong current.� Nobody knows if all or some of the dead bodies belong to the victims of enforced disappearance (at the hands of state organs) or they were victims of ordinary ‘disappearance’ (perpetrated by non-state actors such as underworld criminals or terrorists).
Who are the culprits?
The government denies that any of the state agencies is involved in ˜enforced disappearance or any other type of extra-judicial killings. But it does not explain the disappearance of the driver of the car carrying 7 million taka in cash allegedly bound for the Minister Shuranjit Sengupta' residence about a month ago. The minister' APS and other passengers of the car came out of hiding a few days after the incident, but the driver still remains disappeared. One or two witnesses of the sensational Saudi diplomat murder case are also without trace. Involvement of the state is clearly suggested.
The government may deny it, but there is widespread public perception that some rogue elements within the government and/or within the security establishment or even some foreign special forces are involved in this type of crimes. Their aim is not yet totally clear, but in the absence of transparent governance and in an atmosphere of all pervading lust for absolute power on the part of some people, conspiracy theories thrive. People cannot differentiate the truth from falsehood or propaganda. Even the topmost political leaders become suspect in the public eye due to their short-sightedness or stupidity. This causes political process to fail and creates a destabilising situation that invariably invites undesirable outside actors to usurp political power.
Crusader 100?
One very dangerous story found its way in some print and internet media recently. In short, it says that about 100 AL activists were secretly trained in 2009 by Indian R&AW in different techniques of covert operations. Code named “Crusader 100� this group maintains safe houses or operation bases in secret locations in Dhaka and carry out abductions, torture and killings of targets selected from the opposition groups. (http://www.free-press-release.com/news-raw-trained-crusader-100-in-action-in-bangladesh-1335098104.html)
It is difficult to prove the truth or falsehood of such story, but in the prevailing circumstances of unending distrust and suspicion, and from the past records of ˜joint efforts by the Indian Intelligence Agencies and some elements with AL camps, operations of such death squads or vigilante group cannot be totally discounted. It is not improbable that the enemies of Bangladesh would try to discredit all political forces and lead the country to a failed state status, so that a direct foreign intervention could be justified at a future time.
The current government has lost much of its popular support due not only its failure to solve the ever increasing economic and social crises, but also to what is seen as the policies of appeasement and subservience towards New Delhi. It is assumed that it lets the Indian security forces and intelligence agencies enter Bangladesh territory ‘in discreet manner to hunt for anti-Indian elements within the country and gradually eliminate them. This is also consistent with the ruling elites dictatorial actions and with their not-so-hidden agenda for establishing one-party dynastic rule.
The Goom culture must stop
The use of GOOM culture as a weapon against selected targets is a dangerous development and must be discouraged and condemned by all people with a minimum degree of sanity. This is something different from and more dangerous than the usual violent confrontation with political opposition, and unlawful detention, custodial torture, and extra-judicial killings by the state law enforcing agencies. The killings of alleged criminals and terrorists, mostly by stage managed incidents of cross-fires or encounters by Police and RAB, have led to these forces being termed as ‘death squads.
We do not know exactly who is playing the new game of GOOM in Bangladesh and what it wants to achieve by playing this dangerous game. It is an urgent duty of all patriotic citizens of the country, irrespective of party or political affiliations, to remain vigilant on this latest danger and to put pressure on both the government and opposition parties to unmask and punish the criminals. The barbarian crimes of enforced disappearance in Bangladesh must be stopped.
------------------
* The essay is based on the keynote paper presented at London Seminar on Human Rights in Bangladesh� organized by Bangladesh Centre for Social Development, UK, on 10 May 2012.
** Dr. K. M. A. Malik is a retired professor of Dhaka University and lecturer, Cardiff University. He may be contacted via e-mail: kmamalik@aol.com
http://www.bangladesh-web.com/view.php?hidRecord=381929
3 bodies found floating in pond, Buriganga
Three decomposed bodies were recovered by police separately from a pond at Kadamtali and nearby rivers on Saturday.At Kadamtali, the beheaded body of a man was found floating in a pond in the morning. One leg of the body was severed and found floating in the same pond, the police said.
On information, the police went to the spot on Sarai Road and recovered the body at around 11:30am, said Al-Mamun, a sub-inspector of Kadamtali police station. A sack was also found in the pond, he said.Police suspected that unknown assailants had wrapped the body in the sack and dumped it into the pond after the murder.
The police later on the day recovered the body of an unidentified man from Buriganga river near the Simpson Ghat at about 11:00am while an hour later another body was found floating near Dhaleswari Ghat. All three bodies were sent to the Mitford Hospital morgue.The police said that they were investigating the matter.
http://www.newagebd.com/detail.php?date=2012-05-13&nid=10131On Thu, May 10, 2012 at 2:04 PM, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:100 unidentified bodies found in 4 months
Their deaths are enveloped in mystery, police sources said. Besides, police recovered 60 bodies from different thanas of Dhaka district during the same periods which were later identified. In most cases, Police counted their number from their severed hands, legs,skulls, skeletons and heads. Their skeletons, bodies or parts of bodies were recovered either from the rivers Turag and Buriganga or from canals and open fields
The actual number of unidentified bodies would be much higher as all of them could not be traced after they went missing. Many of the bodies might have been dumped into rivers which were carries away by strong current. Some of them might have been buried in holes after killing.
http://thenewnationbd.com/newsdetails.aspx?newsid=38858
On Mon, May 7, 2012 at 11:50 AM, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:
http://dailynayadiganta.com/details/45187
http://sonarbangladesh.com/blog/post/108349
On Sun, May 6, 2012 at 2:05 PM, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:
http://amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2012/05/06/143736
http://sonarbangladesh.com/blog/post/108214
On Thu, May 3, 2012 at 12:35 PM, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:Rights groups blame law enforcers- Forced disappearances show alarming trend
According to Odhikar, a Dhaka-based human rights organisation, at least 1,600 people have been victims of extrajudicial killings since 2004.http://amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2012/05/03/143319
Another human rights watchdog has said, 30 people were reportedly victims of forced disappearance in 2011 amongthem 14 were allegedly picked up by Rapid Action Battalion, 11 by DetectiveBranch police, two by police and three by member of different law enforcingagencies. Two people became victim of forced disappearance in 2009 and 18 in2010.
A significant number of the 30 people who became victims of forced disappearances in 2012, were politicalleaders. Such disappearances, whichhave emerged as a growing trend, is assuming an alarming nature compared withsuch incidents at any time in the past, rights watchdog Ain o Salish Kendra said. Fifty-one people were victims'forced disappearance' or 'secret killings in 2011, the rights group said. 'We have received reports that a number of leaders of the Bangladesh NationalistParty, BNP-backed student organisation Chhatra Dal and even of the ruling AwamiLeague were reported missing,' Noor Khan, director (investigation) of therights group, said.
Both Odhikar and Ain o Salish Kendra said that in most cases, the families of the disappeared persons or the people killed and their witnesses alleged that the law enforcing agencies were involved in the incidents.
On Wed, May 2, 2012 at 11:26 AM, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:
Bangladesh's Vanishing Justice
The disappearance of an opposition leader is part of a worrying trend
Wednesday, May 2, 2012Several small bombs went off in Dhaka Sunday, heightening an already tense standoff between the Bangladeshi government and protestors. The conflict began when the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) called a strike last month in response to the disappearance of its organizing secretary Ilyas Ali on April 17. Mr. Ali's car was found near his house at midnight—doors open, lights blinking. Neither he nor his driver has been seen since.
The BNP is now on its fourth strike since the disappearance, a two-day nationwide shutdown that ended Monday. At least six innocent people have been killed during the strikes so far. These are clearly unsettling law and order, if Mr. Ali's disappearance didn't make a mockery of it already.
The ruling Awami League denies any role in the disappearance and says that law enforcement agencies are trying to locate him. The BNP is loath to believe them, given widespread suspicions that certain agencies of the state have been involved in such disappearances in the past. The two parties and their leaders have been rivals for decades, but that's not the only reason for this animosity. Common Bangladeshis are also disturbed by Mr. Ali's disappearance, since it's not an isolated case—only the most prominent of more than 100 similar ones in the past few years.
Like many developing countries, Bangladesh has had its share of political assassinations, extrajudicial killings and disappearances. But mostly these occurred in the 1970s, when the country was new and facing serious instability. Since the military stepped down in 1991 and allowed democracy to take some root, political strife has mainly taken the form of legal harassment and police brutality by the incumbent and national strikes and street violence by the opposition. These positions alternated between the Awami League and the BNP.
But during the BNP's last tenure (2001-2006), the party broke the pattern and began to persecute the opposition more viciously than either party had before. The unprecedented torture of opponents and minorities violated the minimum protocols of rights and decency upon which democracies depend. The BNP reintroduced extrajudicial killings under an anticrime drive ironically named "Operation Clean Heart." Those believed to be criminals, but hard to convict within a weak legal system, were captured and said to be have died of "heart attacks" while in custody.
The operation proved popular with the general public, which was fed up with crime and with watching criminals dodge the legal net. Encouraged, the BNP created a new elite paramilitary force called the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). This has since emerged as the country's most effective crime-fighting force, continuing after the Awami League reclaimed power in 2009, though not without accusations of human rights abuses. Many alleged criminals in their custody are said to have died in "crossfire" while attempting to escape.
The public initially condoned such expedient dispensation of "justice," but grew increasingly troubled by the body count. Because of sustained criticism at home and abroad, the incidences of crossfire subsided over the past two years.
However, it is widely believed that law enforcement has replaced crossfire with the new phenomenon of disappearances. Ain O Shalish Kendra, a leading rights group, puts the number of abducted at 100, of which 76 remain missing and the rest are dead. Another rights group, Odhikar, claims that of the 30 people picked up in 2011, 11 were taken by RAB, and the rest by other agencies of law enforcement.
That's an even more damaging trend to law and order. In crossfire, at least one comes to know what happened to a person and also who might be responsible. In the case of bodiless disappearances, the perpetrators are cloaked from all accountability.
And the alleged disappearances by law enforcement have actually created more opportunities for criminals. In some instances, it is suspected that criminal groups have snatched people by pretending to be law enforcement. Debates are now raging as to whether Mr. Ali was abducted by a government agency or a private gang, with no definite clue in either direction.
Both parties are more focused on the political contest surrounding this latest disappearance, ignoring the more fundamental issue of basic rights and security in the country. The Awami League's supporters, defending the party against the opposition, now point out that political assassinations occurred when the BNP was previously in power. There was a brazen grenade attack on Awami leader Sheikh Hasina Wajed in 2004, which killed and injured a number of party members. The BNP can also be criticized now for rallying only for its own leader, rather than for all the disappeared.
No matter what happened in the past, or the faults of the opposition, the government cannot avoid the responsibility of ensuring basic public security. Even if it is telling the truth about Mr. Ali, it is still responsible for a situation in which 100 people have simply gone missing. The onus of finding them or at least finding out what happened to them, and ensuring that this trend does not continue, remains on the government.
While the BNP is at fault for introducing extrajudicial killings, the Awami League is responsible for allowing such practices to continue and seemingly expand. Bangladeshi politicians are too often willing to accept any politically expedient measure—even if patently unethical or unlawful—when in power. They forget that every innovation in misrule may come back to haunt them in due course. If Bangladesh is to remain a democratic country, then extrajudicial killings and disappearances must cease immediately.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303916904577375631414377796.html
On Mon, Apr 30, 2012 at 2:26 PM, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:
Dr M A Hasan (dhasan471@gmail.com) 's article
http://www.amadershomoy2.com/content/2012/04/27/news0436.htm
On Fri, Apr 27, 2012 at 8:04 PM, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:Bangladesh: Alarming Rise in Disappearances
Government Needs to Account for Missing Opposition Figures :Human Rights Watch
The Bangladesh government should immeediately order an independent and impartial investigation into the growing number of cases where opposition members and political activists have vanished without trace, Human Rights Watch said today. The most recent episode, on April 17, 2012, involved Elias Ali, secretary of the Sylhet Division of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
Ali's case is part of an alarming rise in such incidents, including those of opposition members and political activists. Human Rights Watch recently expressed concern over the April 4 abduction and subsequent death of Aminul Islam, a prominent labor rights activist. Ain-O-Sailash Kendra, a leading human rights group in Bangladesh, has documented the disappearance of least 22 people in 2012 alone. According to Odhikar, another Dhaka-based human rights group, more than 50 people have disappeared since 2010.
The rise in disappearances, particularly of opposition members and activists, requires a credible and independent investigation, said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. The government has taken no serious steps to ensure such an investigation of these disappearances nor to prevent them in the first place.
Ali and his driver, Ansar Ali, have both vanished. The police found Ali's abandoned car and mobile phone in a parking lot near his house in Banani in central Dhaka at around midnight on April 17. There has been no sign of Ali or his driver since.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called on the police to investigate Ali's disappearance, but also said that she believed Ali and his driver were hiding at his party's orders to create a situation that would allow the opposition to blame the government.
Human Rights Watch has long documented abductions and killings by Bangladeshi security forces, especially the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). In its World Report 2012, Human Rights Watch noted that although the number of RAB killings had dropped following domestic and international criticism, there had been a sharp increase in enforced disappearances, with persons disappearing after last being seen in the custody of security agencies leading to concerns that security agencies have replaced one form of abuse with another. Bangladeshi authorities routinely refuse to confirm the detention or fate of those persons who disappear after being seen in their custody.
Under international law, an enforced disappearance is any form of deprivation of liberty by agents of the state or by persons or groups of persons acting with the authorization, support, or acquiescence of the state, followed by a refusal to acknowledge the deprivation of liberty or by concealment of the fate or whereabouts of the disappeared person.
Home Minister Sahara Khatun, speaking in January, dismissed Human Rights Watch's allegations of possible security force involvement in abuses and laid the entire blame for disappearances on criminal elements.
The government of Sheikh Hasina has made repeated promises to end abuses and ensure justice and accountability, Adams said. But in spite of these public pledges, the government consistently dismisses or ignores evidence of abuses by the security forces. This is why an independent investigation into all cases of disappearances is urgently required.
Human Rights Watch further expressed concern about apparent excessive use of force by the security forces against protesters throughout Bangladesh during a general strike called by the BNP to protest Ali's disappearance. Since April 21, two protesters, Monwar Miya and another who is yet to be identified, have been killed in clashes between protesters and security forces. Reportedly, thousands more protesters have been injured and about one thousand have been arrested. Human Rights Watch called on the government to ensure a full and effective investigation into the two deaths, and ensure security forces only use the minimum necessary force to deal with violent crimes, as set out in the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials.
While the police are allowed to stop protesters from committing acts of criminal violence, they must not use excessive force to quell the protests, Adams said.
For more Human Rights Watch reporting on Bangladesh, please visit:
http://www.hrw.org/asia/bangladesh
For more information, please contact:
In Los Angeles, Brad Adams (English): +44-7908-728333 (mobile); or adamsb@hrw.org
In The Hague, Tejshree Thapa (Nepali, English): +31-70-306-3817; or +31-6-533-664-63 (mobile); or thapat@hrw.org
In Mumbai, Meenakshi Ganguly, (Bengali, Hindi, English): +91-98-2003-6032 (mobile); or 6Scan has detected a possible fraud attempt from "mail.hrw.org" claiming to be gangulm@hrw.org
In New York, Jayshree Bajoria (Hindi, English): +1-646-753-0892 (mobile); or bajorij@hrw.org
http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/04/26/bangladesh-alarming-rise-disappearancesOn Wed, Apr 25, 2012 at 3:07 PM, bdmailer <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:
Bangladesh authorities must account for deaths amid spate of disappearances
Fatalities during protests about the disappearance of a key opposition figure seven days ago in Bangladesh must be thoroughly investigated by the authorities, Amnesty International said.
Ilias Ali, secretary of the Sylhet Division of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) disappeared together with his driver Ansar Ali on 17 April.
His is the latest in a spate of disappearances in which security forces, including the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), have been implicated, though they deny detaining those missing. During clashes over the disappearances between the BNP protesters and the police, two men were killed – both on 23 April.
Monawar Hossain was found dead in the Biswanath area of Sylhet with gun shot wounds, and a second man died in a Sylhet hospital of bullet wounds. According to witnesses, police had opened fire on demonstrators after being attacked with stones. "The Bangladesh authorities must establish an independent investigation to determine how these men died and who fired the bullets, and bring to justice those responsible for these deaths," said Abbas Faiz, Amnesty International's Bangladesh Researcher.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called on police to investigate the disappearance of Ilias Ali and his driver. Paradoxically she also stated the two men chose to go into hiding to "create an issue". "Why did the prime minister order an inquiry, but then claim she knows what has happened? Any inquiry will be credible only if it is independent and free from police and political involvement – otherwise it risks simply towing the police line," said Faiz. "There appears to be a pattern of enforced disappearances - a concerted effort to eliminate people deemed undesirable."
One trade unionist has been killed, and more than 20 people have disappeared this year. On 4 April, Aminul Islam, a trade union leader went missing. He was found dead a day later in Ghatail, north of Dhaka. His family saw evidence of torture on his body and suspect he was abducted by security forces. He had been previously subject to arrest and beaten by members of the National Security Intelligence for his trade union activities.
"Aminul Islam was an outspoken leader known for his ability to mobilise workers for better conditions, which made him a target," said Faiz.
Two other BNP members, Iftekhar Ahmed Dinar and Junaid Ahmed, went missing on 2 April. Iftekhar Ahmed's family say they were taken from their homes by plain clothes officers. Their whereabouts remain unknown. Al Mukaddas and Mohammad Waliullah, members of the student organisation Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir, went missing on 4 February. They have not been heard from since.
Amnesty International has spoken to family members of many of the victims, who say abductions are usually carried out by plain clothes security officers who are easily identified because they wear similar clothing, including heavy duty shoes unusual for the hot Bangladesh climate. They also have short hair.
Amnesty International has documented abductions and killings by Bangladesh security forces, especially the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), for years.
"These disappearances cannot be simply brushed off - it is the government's responsibility to bring the perpetrators to account, and ensure justice for the victims," said Faiz.
Amnesty International
Asia Pacific Regional Program - South Asia
1 Easton Street, London WC1X 0DW, UK
Tel: 0044 20 7413 5652http://newsfrombangladesh.net/view.php?hidRecord=380438
On Tue, Apr 24, 2012 at 11:40 AM, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:
Farhad Mazhar on Goom/ Khoon:
http://dailynayadiganta.com/details/42806
On Tue, Apr 24, 2012 at 11:27 AM, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:Political disappearances plague Bangladesh
By Nicolas Haque
Photo by AFPhttp://blogs.aljazeera.net/asia/2012/04/22/political-disappearances-plague-bangladeshHuman rights organisations say about 100 people, mostly political activists, have disappeared in the last year in Bangladesh. Among them is Ilyas Ali, a former parliament member from the region of Sylhet. He was seen as a rising figure among the ranks of the opposition. Ali's wife is convinced security forces abducted him because of his political activities.
While her fears are not groundless, it is also true that local politicians are often linked to organised crime. Many of those who have disappeared had a criminal past. Ali, for example, had spent time in prison on suspicion of murder.
Adilur Rahman, a Dhaka-based human-rights lawyer, believes that the disappearances reveal the shortcomings of the justice system.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rHA-0WarmM0#t=4s
There is a two-three year backlog of cases in court and criminals often go unpunished."Many local politicians believe they are above the law," Rahman says. "These disappearances are a form of quick justice."Security forces, though, deny any involvement in the disappearances. Recently, after a meeting with her intelligence chief, Sheikh Hasina Wajed, the Bangladesh prime minister, said that Ilyas was in hiding and this was a ploy to stir up trouble.
The opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), along with its 18 political allies, responded by announcing a countrywide general strike on Sunday.After a night of violence, during which angry opposition activists torched vehicles, schools, businesses and shops remained shut throughout on Sunday.
About 30,000 extra police officers were on duty and security forces cordoned off the BNP headquarters in the capital, Dhaka. Opposition activists who were to be seen on the streets said hundreds of their colleagues had been arrested. Striking a note of defiance, they have vowed to continue to protest until Ilyas Ali is found alive.
http://sonarbangladesh.com/blog/post/106031On Mon, Apr 23, 2012 at 1:24 PM, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:
Bangladesh police out in force as tension rises over missing politician
Ilias Ali of opposition party disappears, with fingers pointing at Sheikh Hasina's government and security forces
Saad Hammadi in Dhaka and Jason Burke in Delhi
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 22 April 2012
Police in Bangladesh used baton charges, live bullets and teargason Sunday in clashes with demonstrators protesting against the alleged abduction of a senior politician. The violence was the most acute for many months in the unstable state.
In Dhaka, the capital, dozens of small devices were reported to have exploded and 20 arrests were made. In the north-eastern city of Sylhet, 12 people were reported to have been injured and more than 50 detained in running battles. On Sunday night a tense calm had been established, although tens of thousands of security personnel remained deployed across the country in anticipation of further clashes on Monday.
The crisis was sparked by the disappearance last Tuesday of Ilias Ali, a key organiser with the Bangladesh Nationalist party (BNP). Ali was the latest in a series of political activists who have apparently been abducted, raising fears of a concerted campaign of intimidation aimed at opposition politicians. At least 22 people have gone missing so far this year, the local human rights organisation Ain o Salish Kendra said. In 2011, the number was 51. Estimates of the exact number vary though all indicate a rising overall total.
Many local and international campaigners have blamed security forces, accusing the paramilitary Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and local police of eliminating opposition figures to benefit the administration of Sheikh Hasina, the prime minister.
Spokesmen from the Rab have denied the charge, saying that many of those found dead or who have disappeared were involved in crime and killed by associates or rivals. The director of the Rab's legal wing, Commander Mohammed Sohail, said an operation had been launched to recover Ali and a search was continuing.
Speaking in Dhaka last week, Hasina suggested Ali might have been "hiding somewhere" on the orders of his party. Ministers described his disappearance as "sad" and "unexpected".Police officials contacted by the Guardian refused to comment on the case.
Ali's wife, Tahsina Rushdir, said her husband, a veteran activist who had risen through the ranks of the BNP, had been campaigning for the party in Sylhet before he disappeared. "He told me that the government was making a list of people who were being critical about them. He wouldn't be picked up this way unless he had posed a threat to the government," she said. "The waiting is very difficult."
More than 30 people were injured in clashes between opposition activists and the police on the streets of Dhaka last week following the news that Ali was missing. Tensions in the south Asian state, home to 160 million people, have been building for months. Runaway inflation, rising inequality and recent corruption charges against some ministers have all combined to undermine the popularity of the government, in power since winning a landslide victory in 2008.
Politics in Bangladesh, which won independence from Pakistan after a bloody conflict in 1971, has been marked for decades by the personal rivalry of Sheikh Hasina, head of the Bangladesh Awami League, and Khaleda Zia, leader of the BNP. This has not however prevented economic growth rates that are among south Asia's highest and some significant improvements in areas such as education. But governance and the rule of law remain weak. Adilur Rahman Khan, secretary of Bangladeshi human rights group Odhikar, said the disappearances were "a result of the impunity granted to the law enforcement [agencies] for the last 41 years".
Dr Iftekhar Uz-Zaman, executive director of the Bangladesh chapter of Berlin-based Transparency International, blamed "growing partisan political influence" that was eroding "the capacity of the state to promote rule of law, justice, equality and basic human rights of the people".
Among the recent missing are three student leaders from the BNP. The body of a trade union organiser, apparently tortured, was found after he disappeared on 4 April. Two opposition activists, both members of an Islamic student organisation, disappeared in February.
Shafiq Ahmed, minister for law, justice and parliamentary affairs, said that a full investigation was under way to locate all those who have disappeared, and that allegations that the government could be responsible in any way for abductions were motivated by "an interest to gain public attention".
The minister also rejected criticism of the government's economic record. "The economy [in Bangladesh] is better than many countries in the face of global economic depression," he said.
The Rab has received training from British police, the Guardian revealed in 2010. Details of the programme appeared in a number of cables released by WikiLeaks. The Rab is believed to be responsible for up to 1,000 extrajudicial killings since being formed eight years ago.
In its 2012 annual report Human Rights Watch said ministers have denied that such incidents occur, even when the government's own investigations found evidence of wrongdoing.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/apr/22/bangladesh-police-tension-missing-politician
Disappearances go unanswered: Law enforcers seen to be law-breakers
22 people so far disappeared this year, raising concern as people suspect law enforcers' involvement, said Ain O Salish Kendra.No-one was found -- dead or alive. 51 people went missing last year while the number was 30 in the year before. Of them, 21 were found dead either by law enforcers or other people. In 2009, only two people went missing.
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