BANGLADESH: Police and parliamentarians protect offenders endangering the life of a journalist in Narayanganj

Dear friends, 

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that the police and parliamentarians protect the criminals that attempted to murder Mr. Billal Hossain Robin, a journalist based in Narayanganj district. The police primarily refused to register a complaint and then deliberately delayed the process of registering the complaint after the attack on the journalist. The police also helped the attackers to file a fabricated criminal case against Robin and three of his colleagues, who are also journalists by profession. The journalists are under death threats from the alleged perpetrators. The authorities of Bangladesh have not yet initiated a credible investigation into this matter. 

CASE NARRATIVE: (Based on interviews with the victim, witnesses, and examination of relevant documents) 

Mr. Billal Hossain Robin, aged 37, has been a journalist by profession since 1994. He currently works as a Staff Reporter of the Daily Manabzamin, a Bangla tabloid newspaper based in Dhaka. He has also been a member of the Narayanganj Press Club and the Narayanganj Union of Journalist. 

On 12 February 2011, Mr. Billal Hossain Robin left the Narayanganj Press Club after finishing his work at around 8:30 pm. A fellow journalist named Mr. Hossain Chisti Shiplu, a correspondent of the Daily Jugantor from the Siddhirganj area of the district, wanted to have a discussion with Robin, which Robin had learned from the former’s call in the latter’s cell phone Both journalists wanted meet each other near the Siddhirganj bridge. 

Within a short while a group of around 15 people led by one Nazrul Islam (40) son of Chan Mia Bepari, a resident of Mizimizi Pashchimpara village of Siddhirganj police station, came to Robin. As soon as they arrived at the scene they started to assault him. Nazrul held the collar of the T-shirt of Robin and, along with his fellows, had started beating him with slaps, fists and kicks. 

Nazrul shouted at Robin by saying that “why are you publishing news against me? By doing that what the hell you can do to me?” While Nazrul was beating him from the front the others were beating from his back simultaneously. One of the perpetrators snatched a gold chain from Robin’s neck. 

Nazrul pointed a gun on the head of Robin and arrogantly shouted, “I will kill you now. Let’s see who comes to save you”. As Robin started shouting for help and asking someone to save his life, people from the surrounding areas came forward to rescue him. Then, Nazrul and the others fled from the scene. 

The pedestrians saved him and helped him to arrange a Rickshaw for him, in the mean time Robin called his wife, who came to help. Robin called the Crime Prevention Company-1 (CPC) of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)-11. However, its commanding officer Squadron Leader Mohammad Arman Ullah was found to be unavailable on his cell phone. Then, he called Lieutenant commander Mahabul Alam, commanding officer of RAB-11 at Naraynganj and informed him about the attack on him. After that the operation officer of RAB 11 CPC-1 Mohammed Ramjan called him and checked his whereabouts and a team of the RAB-11 arrived at the scene. The RAB officials tried to learn from Robin regarding the location of the attackers, who already fled from the scene. Then the RAB officials suggested that he go to the police station. 

Meanwhile, Robin informed the other journalists about the attack and several of them came to his aid. 

At around 11:15 pm Robin accompanied by a few other journalists, including Tanveer Hossain, Narayanganj correspondent of The Daily Jaijaidin, Muzibul Haque Polash, Narayanganj correspondent of the Daily Amader Shomoy, went to the Siddhirganj police station. 

At the police station they found the office room of the Officer-in-Charge (OC) (Admin) Mr. S M Badrul Alam, who was reportedly on leave on that day, closed. 

Then Robin and other talked to the second officer of the police station Sub Inspector Nazmul Huda and explained him every thing in details about the attack and asked the second officer to register a complaint. SI Nazmul said that he was not entitled to accept the complaint. He argued that the OC (Admin), who should decide about such matters, was on leave and suggested to go to the OC (Investigation) Mr. Asharf. Robin then called the OC (Investigation) Asharf on his cell phone. He asked Robin to wait as he was on his way to the police station. After waiting some 15 minutes, Robin saw the OC talking to someone on mobile phone. Robin described the story of attack on him and told the OC that he wanted to file a complaint regarding the incident of attack. 

Then Mr. Asharf and SI Nazmul Huda sat together to discuss among them. Later, SI Nazmul told Robin the police will record the complaint, if Robin wishes to file. Robin requested for helping him in writing the complaint as he was feeling pain in his hand as a result of the assault and had never had an experience of writing a formal complaint with the police before. But OC Ashraf and the on duty police officers refused to help him. At last with the help a journalist colleague Robin was able to write a complaint. 

While Robin’s complaint drafting was in progress around 7 people from the same group of attackers came to the police station. They shouted at Robin and tried to attack him and the other journalists at the police station in presence of the duty police officers. Robin told the police officers that he could identify the attackers as the people who attacked him earllier. Then OC Asharf and SI Nazmul Huda openly said, “Let them (attackers) come and do whatever they want to do”. Robin became frustrated and debated with the police officers for the patronization of the attackers. 

Then, Robin called the commanding officer of RAB-11, Squadron Leader Arman and informed him about the attacker’s presence outside the police station. A team of the RAB came there and when the attackers saw the RAB car coming towards the police station, they fled from the place. OC Ashraf and Second Officer Nazmul Huda read Robin’s complaint and asked why Robin had mentioned that the attacker Nazrul showed him the arms and threatened him? The police officers argued that if such information remains in the complaint then the police have to recover the illegal arms. Due to Robin’s firm stand for what he had written about the factual information and subsequent death threats from Nazrul the police officers told him that they will see the matter during the investigation. 

The police officers refused to provide a copy of the complaint, which Robin made, or a number of the formal FIR (First Information Report). Instead, they said that they will investigate the matter first and then will register the complaint. Robin said to the police, “I am the victim of the alleged crime and I am now present before you and see my torn t-shirt also”. The OC Asharf said that the OC (Admin) S M Badrul Alam will see the matter relating to the recording of the complaint once he returns from leave. 

The journalists colleagues and Robin suspected the attitude of the police and insisted them to register the complaint arguing that, if the police do not register the case, then why did they asked Robin to write the complaint at that moment. However, the OC and the second officer called someone two times going out of the office room and when they returned to the room told Robin that they (police) were unable to take the case. They said, “We are instructed from the higher authority not to take your case”. Robin asked, “Who is the higher authority; give me the number I will talk to the person”. Then the police officers replied that they could not share the cell number of the higher authority. 

Meanwhile, Robin called other journalists and explained the conditions what was going inside the police station. The OC Ashraf also called his superior officers. Robin wanted to get his complaint back from the police, who refused to return the complaint to him despite several requests while the complaint was not recorded with the police. During the ongoing hard debates one of Robin’s colleagues took the complaint from the table of the second officer, who tried to forcefully take the paper. Ultimately, the paper was torn into two pieces. The fellow journalists along with Robin took a picture of that incident. 

At the same time, OC Ashraf came inside the room and claimed that he was resting in his room, following a question from Robin, who already received information from another journalist that Ashraf was making a deal of bribery with the alleged perpetrators over phone for not taking the case against them. The journalist, who heard the conversation of Ashraf standing outside of the room, also asserted that. Then only Ashraf agreed to record Robin’s complaint. Robin wrote the complaint again with the help of his friends in order to file with the police. 

At 2:30AM on 13 February the police registered the complaint as FIR no. 19, under Sections 143, 323, 307, 379, 506 of the Penal Code putting the previous date. When Robin came out of the police station taking a copy of the case it was already 3 O’ clock early in the morning. 

On the following day, 14 February, Robin came to know that the same police assisted the attackers to file a case against him along with three other journalists accusing a total of eight persons. The case number is 20, as the immediate next compliant since Ronbin’s one was registered with the Siddhirganj police. The police showed that the complaint was registered at 10:15AM on 13 February under Sections 143, 323, 324, 307, 379, 506 of the Penal Code. The complainant Mohammad Tazul Islam was one of the people who attacked journalist Robin. 

On 15 February the Officer in Charge (Admin) S M Badrul Alam came back from vacation and called Robin over the cell phone and urged him not to organize any protest against the police or others as the world cup cricket was going on in the country. He promised that he will see his case in person and will complete the investigative report within one month. However, after more than three months since Robin’s case was registered, the police have not yet submitted the investigation report. 

On the same day the Law and Order Committee of Narayanganj district had its monthly meeting where all senior officials of the police and civil administration and civil society representatives were present. In the meeting the journalists’ leaders demanded for the arrest of Nazrul and his associates, who attempted to murder Robin. The journalists specifically told the meeting that there are 21 criminal cases against Nazrul in different police stations in the country while the police do not arrest him for the charges. On this statement of the journalists a Member of Parliament (MP) Nazrul Islam Babu, who belong to the ruling political party – Bangladesh Awami League, straightly defended Nazrul (the gang leader) by saying that, “As the journalists have their right to stand beside the journalist, I also have the right and responsibility to stand beside a ‘political activist’ of the party. 

In an audiovisual interview with the Asian Human Rights Commission Mr. Billal Hossain Robin described the story in details. For further details, please Robin’s interview: video-1and video-2 here.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION: 

Mr. Billal Hossain Robin, being a professional journalist a vernacular daily national newspaper based in Dhaka, published several reports against various crimes committed by Nazrul Islam, who is reputed as a criminal having 21 criminal cases against him with different police stations including murder and illegal arms. Robin’s newspaper reports also contained various allegations of corruption and abuse of power against the police officers of the Siddhirganj police station of Narayanganj district. 

Nazrul is allegedly engaged with the ruling party Awami League politics of Bangladesh. Everyone who lives in the jurisdiction of the Siddhirganj police station knows that Nazrul is a wanted terrorist and involved with several crimes. But nobody dares to protest him out of fear that Nazrul will be a threat to their lives. 

Moreover, on15 February 2004 the Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 of Dhaka convicted Nazrul with the death penalty for a murder in the case number 10(3)2000 of the Dhanmondi police station of Dhaka. Robin published several news on this regards in his newspaper that went against the accused Nazrul Islam and the corrupt police officers of Siddhirganj police station as well. 

The police maintain a nexus with the wanted criminals and their political godfathers in Bangladesh. Robin became a prey of both — the criminals and the police — for exposing the nexus between the police and the criminals in his newspaper reports. 

The Asian Human Rights Commission has collected the following information regarding Robin’s newspaper reports: 

On 19 April 2009 Robin published a report on corruption of the then newly appointed Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mr. Mokhlesur Rahman, who started doing all the illegal jobs like in taking bribes from the people and the industrialists. The OC involved himself with illegal land-grabbing business and innumerous other crimes. The title of the news was “Four Corruptions of newly joined OC of Siddhirganj police station.” 

Another report titled “Four policemen arrested for hijacking money from a businessman” was published on 1 April 2010. Robin’s newspaper, the daily Manabzamin, on 24 November 2010 published a report whose headline was “Arresting business of Siddhirganj police”. The story exposed how Sub Inspector Abdul Awal of Siddhirganj police station used to do blackmailing the innocent people, and businessmen by arresting them first, then had extorted bribes from the victims and their relatives and in failure to paying bribes fabricated cases against them detainees paving the way to languish in jails for long time. There have been at least 50 such reports that Robin published in his newspaper in last three years. 

SUGGESTED ACTION: 
Please write to the authorities listed below insisting them to initiate a thorough and credible investigation by competent judicial officials followed by publication of the report and prosecution of the alleged police officers. The victim and the witnesses of the incident deserve adequate protection and compensation for the injuries and loss suffered due to torture. 

Please note that the Asian Human Rights Commission has written separate letter to the UN Special Reporters on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and on Freedom of Expression and Opinion seeking their urgent interventions regarding this case. 

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