Most of the national daily newspapers of Bangladesh, including the Daily Star and the Prothom Alo, published reports on 28 February 2008 stating that three personnel of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) were closed from their current postings in the RAB-3 on February 27 following an incident of beating of a staff of the Dhaka University inside the campus area.
Quoting the witnesses of the beating and the officials of the RAB, the news reports reveal that an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mr. A T M Faruque Ahmed, his bodyguard Mr. Ismail Uddin, a Constable of the RAB, and driver Mr. Rafiqul Islam, who is also a soldier of the force driving a taxicab in the Dhaka University (DU) campus in plain clothes. While passing through the street near the SM Hall of the DU his car hit a staff of the dormitory, Mr. Akkas Ali, who was riding a bicycle in the opposite direction at around 4pm on Wednesday. The driver, who had to brake hard to avoid Akkas, rebuked the DU employee, prompting an altercation between them. At one stage, the bodyguard and the ASP came out of the car and beat Akkas indiscriminately resulting in injuries. He was rushed to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment.
Later, coming back to the office, Akkas told the story to his colleagues and leaders of the employees union. The students and employees of the hall took to the street and demanded punishment of the RAB members by midnight. Upon receiving the information, police Sergeant Mr. Akther Hossain of the Nilkhet Police Box rushed to the scene, and was assaulted at the hands of the angry demonstrators; the people confined the police officer in the residential hall for few hours. The Deputy Commissioner (DC) of the Ramna Zone of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), Mr. Atiqur Rahman, rescued his colleague by assuring the mob that the authorities will take action following an investigation. Quoting RAB Director (Legal and Media) Commander SMAK Azad reports that the three persons have been closed to the headquarters; the persons will be produced before the forces Director General for queries on 29 February, if found guilty, punitive action would be taken against them.
This incident shows that torture by the in the country. The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that, in Bangladesh, there is culture of withdrawing the personnel having been accused of committing unlawful activities like torture, ill-treatment and corruption as members of the law-enforcing agents. The authorities of the law-enforcement agencies, including the police and the Rapid Action Battalion declare that the alleged perpetrators are closed to a certain barrack as a result of their alleged offences committed while on duty or in beyond the official duty to divert the wrath of the mob. The authorities, sometimes, also assure the community that there will be investigations conducted and, following the investigation report, which will supplement necessary actions against the alleged personnel, if found guilty.
In reality, closing is deemed as an eye-wash strategy of the law-enforcing authorities. The errant persons, because of malpractices and affinity with their likeminded superiors, manage to get comfortable postings for them followed by a farcical investigation against conducted by their colleagues, who are also manageable by practice. Ultimately, the action close establishes its meaning- withdrawing the person from the previous place for transferring to a new place by closing and diverting the public eye.
The whole process ends with impunity and rewarding the alleged perpetrators, instead of punishing them. This has been established as a culture in the country, which also closes the doors of getting any kind of lawful remedy for the alleged victims of the crimes of the law-enforcers. It benefits the alleged perpetrators and few of the corrupted officials of the concerned departments individually, but contributes nothing to the nation.
The Bangladeshi authorities do not seem care about the immense loss they suffer everyday as a result of the current culture of impunity. It creates deep frustration and loss of faith among the people towards the law-enforcement system as well as the rule of law institutions. As a result of the huge loss of trust, people hate and, are afraid of the law-enforcing agents; they avoid going to the police stations and courts to seek justice. Instead, there are instances of killing people in mass beatings concerning hijacking or similar crimes on the streets, as the public takes the law in their own hand as far as they do not trust the existing law-enforcing and judicial system in the country.
The Asian Human Rights Commission urges the Bangladeshi authorities to inquire into the incident of assault against the three persons, and all other complaints made against the Rapid Action Battalion. Only thorough reforms in the policing system and strict enforceability of the rules of accountability of all state agencies, including the paramilitary forces like the Rapid Action Battalion, can ensure rule of law in the country.
