The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information from the family of Mr. Dipal Barua, a human rights activist that he has been missing since yesterday morning, May 24, 2011. He was last seen near his house at around 10:30 in the morning. His family has looked around all the places where he normally visits but is unable to locate him. Due to the arrest and disappearances that are taking place in Bangladesh these days the family is concerned as to whether he has been abducted and is being subjected to ill-treatment. They are seeking the help of everyone to find him. (photo: Mr. Dipal Barua (right) is seen receiving certificate from a lawyer of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh after completion of human rights training)
Mr. Dipal Barua is well known to the Asian Human Rights Commission as he has attended a human rights training course in Bangladesh organised by the Asian Human Rights Commission in December 2009. He is a keen and conscientious human rights activist and very devoted Buddhist who is totally against any kind of use of violence. His human rights activities are related to expressions of concern for those who are faced with human rights violations and who are facing human rights abuses.
Recently, Dipal Barua was very much involved in providing assistance to Mr. FMA Razzak and his brother, who were brutally attacked on the 29th of April. (For details about this attack, kindly see: http://www.humanrights.asia/campaigns/attack-on-fma-razzak).
Mr. Dipal was very concerned about the condition of Mr. Razzak, who was well known to him and he visited Razzak in hospital. He met two member of the AHRC during their visit to investigate into the attack on Razzak from May 17 to 21.
He is 24 years of age and engaged in the study of Buddhism conducted by a monastery in Dhaka. He is a healthy young man, who is not known to have any serious illness.
The Asian Human Rights Commission requests the government of Bangladesh, the Inspector General of Police, the Rapid Action Battalion and the National Human Rights Commission of Bangladesh to immediately inquire into this incident, locate him and return him to his loved ones.
