This 79-page report describes how Bangladesh’s Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), established in 2004 to stop spiraling crime, has made a practice of killing criminal suspects in detention. Torture methods used by the force include beatings, boring holes in suspects with electric drills, and the application of electric shock.
Source: Human Rights Watch
Categories: BHRC
This 39-page report graphically details Khalil’s 22-hour ordeal in May 2007 in Bangladesh’s clandestine detention and torture system – a setup well known to the government, ordinary Bangladeshis, Dhaka’s donors and diplomatic community.
Source: Human Rights Watch
Categories: BHRC
The tribal people of the Chittagong Hill Tracts have for over two decades been the targets of massacres, arbitrary detention, torture and extrajudicial executions. They must now be assured that their fundamental human rights will be respected. There is a strong need for the establishment of institutions and mechanisms that promote and protect the rights of the people, that ensure respect for people’s fundamental human rights by the police and local bodies, and that enable the people to invoke appropriate procedures to seek redress for human rights violations. To that end, it is imperative that the government undertakes a thorough review of the law enforcement mechanisms and judicial processes to remove any biases against the rights of the tribal people. At the same time, the National Human Rights Commission should as a matter of priority be established and receive adequate resources to monitor the human rights situation in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and recommend appropriate action.
A culture of violence in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, developed during years of armed confrontation, has allowed human rights violations to be committed in the majority of cases with impunity. The main perpetrators have been the law enforcement personnel and groups close to the army within the Bengalis settlers, while the armed opposition has also been responsible for instances of human rights abuse. Serious efforts are therefore needed to combat this legacy. To that end, it is imperative that past human rights violations are addressed without delay. Amnesty International recommends that the Government of Bangladesh and the Chittagong Hill Tracts authorities establish a special commission to conduct far reaching inquiries into all incidents of past human rights violations ensuring that they are all investigated fully, independently, impartially and competently. The aim should be to identify those who were involved in abusing human rights during the armed conflict – be they in the army, in the police forces or in the former armed opposition – so that they can be brought to justice.
The most complex and difficult phase in any situation is peace-building in the early years after a conflict has ended. This requires a coordinated approach in which local, national, regional and international aid, development, humanitarian and human rights bodies all invest in nurturing civil society and rebuilding the institutions that guarantee the rule of law. When such guarantors of human rights are strong, it is less likely that a region emerging from conflict will again descend into it. Such efforts need to include the development of a fair and impartial judicial system, the provision of human rights training for the law enforcement personnel, for the judiciary, and for the society at large.
In Amnesty International’s view, peace building in the Chittagong Hill Tracts requires lasting cooperation from all sections of the Bangladesh society, including government institutions, the ruling and the opposition parties, prominent personalities, parliamentarians, intellectuals, professionals and notables of local communities.
The signing of the accord without outside mediation was an important achievement for both the Bangladesh Government and the tribal representatives. However, an Amnesty International delegation visiting the Chittagong Hill Tracts in May 1999 to assess the human rights situation there found that some of its main provisions had not been fully implemented. These included the rehabilitation of all returned refugees, settlement of land confiscated from the tribal people, and withdrawal of non-permanent army camps from the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Now, over two years on, these promises still remain only partially fulfilled.
This report covers the current human rights situation in the Chittagong Hill Tracts in the aftermath of the peace accord. It provides appropriate background information as well as recommendations to ensure adherence to, and respect for, human rights principles. It is based on the finding of the afore-mentioned delegation and other information which the organization has gathered in the past year.
Source: http://asiapacific.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGASA130012000?open&of=ENG-BGD
Categories: BHRC
BBC report on the persecution of Buddhists in Chittagong.
Categories: BHRC
We all know of Barrister Rizwan Hussain from his over-whelming humanitarian aid work. He is a highly respected and admired figure in the Muslim community. His humble personality and open manner has made him a household favourite regardless of age or gender
Today, 18th April 2008, as I watched the news, I discovered to my horror, that he had been beaten and tortured in Dhaka Airport, Bangladesh, by the members of the military government. I was outraged and incensed.
His crime was to help an elderly lady with ticket problems and had walked into an area, which was out of bounds, to talk to staff.
He was beaten for over an hour by 5 soldiers; his left arm broken as was one of his legs – his whole body battered and his back severely bruised. Threat of further attacks were made until he signed a declaration claiming that he was illegally trafficking humans and that he falsely claimed to be a Barrister. When he pleaded with them for water, they threw it over the floor and told him to drink it from the ground.
Categories: BHRC
