Dear Friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that an 18-years old ethnic college student named Mr. Romel Chakma had been tortured to death by officers of the Bangladesh Army at Naniarchar in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The Commander of Naniarchar Zone of 7 East Bengal Regiment of the Bangladesh Army Lt. Col. Md. Bahalul Alam, Major Tanvir and their subordinate soldiers are allegedly responsible for torturing Romel in the Naniarchar Zonal Army Camp on 5 April 2017, the day when he was picked up. Romel succumbed to his injuries on 19 April at the Chittagong Medical College Hospital. The army seized Romel’s body from his relatives on the evening of 20 April and on 21 April burned the body with petrol at Naniarchar under military surveillance. No complaint has yet been registered against the perpetrators as the security forces and the law-enforcement agencies enjoy blatant impunity in Bangladesh.
CASE NARRATIVE:
Mr. Romel Chakma, an 18 year old resident of Nanarchar, who was a student of Higher Secondary School at Naniarchar Degree College, in Rangamati Hill District of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, had been tortured to death by officers of the Bangladesh Army.
According to information received at the Asian Human Rights Commission, Romel Chakma, as an examinee of the nationwide Higher Secondary Examination (HSC), was appearing for his exams. On 5 April, he left home for the Naniarchar Bazar to buy groceries for his family, as he did not have any exam on that day. At around 10:00 AM, on his way toward the Naniarchar Upazilla Office, a group of soldiers of the adjacent Army Camp of the 7 East Bengal Regiment of Rangamati Hill District led by Major Tanvir picked Romel up. The soldiers took him to the Army Camp where he was brutally tortured and became unconscious. In the evening, the soldiers arranged to hand Romel over to the Naniarchar Police, who declined to receive him after observing his critical condition.
Later, the soldiers sent Romel to the local Upazilla Health Complex hospital, which declined to treat him also observing his serious condition. As a result, the army soldiers sent him to the Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) where he was admitted. The police cordoned him off and prevented Romel’s relatives from seeing him and monitoring the process of his treatment, under military surveillance.
Romel’s father, Mr. Kanti Chakma, submitted an application to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on 6 April 2017 seeking immediate intervention for the torture of his son and appropriate punishment for the perpetrators. However, the NHRC had not made any attempt to help the victim since his torture by soldiers of the Bangladesh Army.
On 19 April, Romel succumbed to his injuries at the CMCH.
On 20 April, the police handed Romel’s body over to his relatives for the funeral. On the way, at Burighat Bazar boat pier, the army soldiers seized the body away from the relatives. Local journalists claim that the body was first kept in the house of a counselor overnight and on the morning of 21 April moved to a second house. The soldiers allegedly poured petrol on the body and burned it while the area was under military surveillance.
According to local journalists, Lt. Col. Md. Bahalul Alam, Zone Commander of the Bangladesh Army at Naniarchar Zone, and his colleague Major Tanvir led the torture on Romel Chakma. No complaint has been registered against the perpetrators.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) has been heavily militarized since the early 1970’s. The Bangladesh Army has evicted numerous ethnic people from their lands to establish military facilities in the region while the insurgency was going on-until 1997. Despite the CHT Peach Accord signed with insurgent groups, the military establishments are still in place receiving constant allegations of gross violation of human rights by local inhabitants.
The perpetrators, in fact, have been the personnel of the security forces. Law-enforcement agencies in Bangladesh enjoy blatant impunity for the crimes they commit including torture, murder and extra-judicial executions.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to the Bangladeshi authorities requesting them to form a judicial commission with full mandate to probe this case. They need to investigate the abduction of Romel Chakma and his torturing to death. Kindly insist that the Bangladesh Army identify the perpetrators who should face criminal prosecution.
The AHRC has already submitted a communication to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions calling for their intervention in this matter.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ……………….,
BANGLADESH: Ethnic youth tortured to death by Army Officers who burned the body and enjoy impunity
Name of victim:
1. Mr. Romel Chakma (18 years of age), a student of Higher Secondary at Naniarchar Degree College, resident of Purbo Hatimara village under Nanarchar Police Station, in Rangamati Hill District of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh
Alleged perpetrators:
1. Major Tanvir, 7 East Bengal Regiment, Bangladesh Army, Naniarchar Zone, Rangamati Hill District
2. Lt. Col. Md. Bahalul Alam, Zone Commander of Bangladesh Army, Naniarchar Zone, Rangamati Hill District
3. A group of soldiers, 7 East Bengal Regiment, Bangladesh Army, Naniarchar Zone, Rangamati Hill District
Date of incident: 5 April to 19 April 2017
Place of incident: Naniarchar Bazar, Rangamati Hill District of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh
I am writing to express my serious concern regarding the torturing to death of Mr. Romel Chakma, an 18 year old resident of Nanarchar, who is student of Higher Secondary at Naniarchar Degree College, in Rangamati Hill District of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, by officers of the Bangladesh Army.
According to the information received at the Asian Human Rights Commission, Romel Chakma, as an examinee of the nationwide Higher Secondary Examination (HSC), was appearing for his exams. On 5 April, he left home for the Naniarchar Bazar to buy groceries for his family, as he did not have any exam on that day. At around 10:00 AM, on his way toward the Naniarchar Upazilla Office, a group of soldiers of the adjacent Army Camp of the 7 East Bengal Regiment of Rangamati Hill District led by Major Tanvir picked Romel up. The soldiers took him to the Army Camp where he was brutally tortured and became unconscious. In the evening, the soldiers arranged to hand Romel over to the Naniarchar Police, who declined to receive him after observing his critical condition.
Later, the soldiers sent Romel to the local Upazilla Health Complex hospital, which declined to treat him after observing his serious condition. As a result, the army soldiers sent him to the Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) where he was admitted. The police cordoned him off and prevented Romel’s relatives from seeing him and monitoring the progress of his treatment at the hospital, under military surveillance.
Romel’s father, Mr. Kanti Chakma, submitted an application to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on 6 April 2017 seeking immediate intervention for the torture of his son and appropriate punishment for the perpetrators. However, the NHRC has not made any attempt to help the victim since his torture by the soldiers of the Bangladesh Army.
I am aware that on 19 April Romel succumbed to his injuries at the CMCH.
I have learned that on 20 April, the police handed Romel’s body over to his relatives for the funeral. On the way, at Burighat Bazar boat pier, the army soldiers seized the body away from the relatives. Local journalists claim that the body was first kept in the house of a counselor overnight and on the morning of 21 April moved to another house. The soldiers allegedly poured petrol on the body and burned it while the area was under military surveillance.
According to the information I have received, Lt. Col. Md. Bahalul Alam, Zone Commander of the Bangladesh Army at Naniarchar Zone, and his colleague Major Tanvir led the torture on Romel Chakma. No complaint has been registered against the perpetrators.
I am aware that the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) is heavily militarized since the early 1970s. The Bangladesh Army had evicted numerous ethnic people from their lands to establish the military facilities in the region while the insurgency was going on until 1997. Despite the CHT Peach Accord signed with insurgent groups, the military establishments are still in place receiving constant allegations of gross violation of human rights from the local inhabitants.
The perpetrators, in fact, have been personnel of the security forces. Law-enforcement agencies in Bangladesh enjoy blatant impunity for the crimes they commit, including torture, murder and extra-judicial executions. I want to ask why the security forces and the law-enforcement agencies enjoy perpetual impunity.
I request the international experts on human rights, to utilize the Special Procedures of the United Nations Human Rights Council, to urgently intervene in this matter so that:
1. Perpetrators in the security forces are held responsible for their crimes and prosecuted;
2. As a State Party to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Bangladesh should be answerable for custodial torture and deaths due to torture, which is a ‘crime’ under domestic law;
3. The Bangladesh Government be obliged to form a probe committee with full mandate to investigate all the incidents of torture. This would include the death of Romel Chakma, with the enactment of the Torture and Custodial Death (Prohibition) Act – 2013, and immediately bring the perpetrators of the law-enforcement agencies and security forces to book.
Yours Sincerely,
……………….
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Mr. Md. Abdul Hamid
President of People’s Republic of Bangladesh
President’s Office
Bangabhaban, Dhaka
BANGLADESH
Tel: +880 2 9568041-50
Fax: +88-02-9585502 Secretary
Email: president@bangabhaban.gov.bd
2. Mr. Surendra Kumar Sinha
Chief Justice of Bangladesh
Supreme Court of Bangladesh
Dhaka 1000
BANGLADESH
Fax: +880 2 956 5058, +880 2 7161344
Tel: +880 2 956 2792
E-mail: chief@bdcom.com or supremec@bdcom.com
3. Chairperson
National Human Rights Commission
BTMC Bhaban 8th Floor
7-9 Kazi Nazrul Islam Ave, Kawran Bazar
Dhaka-1215, BANGLADESH
Tel: +880 2 55013713
Fax: +880 2 55013725
E-mail: nhrc.bd@gmail.com
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
