Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) received information regarding a death of a 25-year-old man Quamrul Islam Majnu after allegedly being brutally assaulted by the members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in plainclothes on 19 May 2007. The victim was allegedly beaten with bamboo sticks by the RAB officers when he was guarding his lychee orchard in Chhoto Bongram Purbopara at around midnight, and his family and neighbours witnessed the incident. We were further informed that the victims brother received threats from the RAB officers to withdraw his police complaint lodged against the RAB officers who assaulted the victim to death. The suspected RAB officers are now under police custody.
CASE DETAILS:
According to the information we have received from a reliable source, at around 11:00pm on 18 May 2007, a 25 year-old orchard farmer Mr. Quamrul Islam Majnu was guarding the lychee orchard in Chhoto Bongram Purbopara, Bangladesh, with rickshaw pullers named Toufique and Rajib. A witness of the incident told our reliable source that about six members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB-5) including Jaharul Islam and Ali Hossain who were in plain clothes approached the victims orchard when the victim was guarding there. These members of the RAB-5 then allegedly started to beat the victim with baton and iron pipe mercilessly and one of them kicked the victims chest with his boots and injured the victims severely. The RAB members also assaulted the two rickshaw pullers who were guarding the orchard with Quamrul.
Despite the repeated pleas of the victims family asking to stop beating the victim the RAB members did not stop beating Quamrul and started to hit his family members including the 50 year-old mother and a brother. He then allegedly died at the place where he had been beaten by the RAB officers. Soon after the incident, when the villagers started to gather at the site of the assault, the RAB members threatened to shoot the villagers.
While the RAB members were threatening the villagers, two buses, one black and one white bus came near the site with more than seven RAB members. According to the witnesses, the RAB officers dragged the body of Quamrul 60 to 70 yards from the site into one of the micro buses. The rickshaw pullers Toufique and Rajib were also taken into the micro bus with the body of Quamrul.
Quamrul was admitted to the Rajshahi Medical College Hospital at around 1:20am on the following day, however his death was declared by a doctor at the hospital shortly afterwards.
Later on May 19, a brother of the victim Piarul Islam Manjur lodged a case with the Boalia Police Station alleging that about six members of the RAB-5 including Zahrul Islam, Baser Ali and Ali Hossain who all are from Chapainawabganj village killed Quamrul on May 18. The police then registered a murder case against the RAB members involved in the assault of the victim under sections 323, 302, 201, 34 of the Penal Code. It has been reported that the investigation into this case has been started subsequently.
Later on the same day, the three perpetrators, Zahrul Islam, Baser Ali and Ali Hossain were arrested by the police and produced before the magistrate court. The three of them were then sent to jail by the decision of the Chief of the Metropolitan Magistrate Court on the same day.
Meanwhile, the brother of the victim, Piarul Islam, was told by the RAB officers that Quamrul died accidentally when the RAB was searching for a kidnapper called Kuddus Ali Mondol, and he should therefore come to an agreement when Pianul refused to make a compromise, he was threatened by the RAB officers, who said he would “face dire consequences.”
On May 23, police submitted the autopsy report of the murder of Quamrul to the Rajshahi metropolitan court. The three doctors who examined the autopsy reported that the existence of several scars on the victims body including on his stomach were found and the death was caused due to a haemorrhage result in from his injuries, which are homicidal in nature. It has been reported that the autopsy report corroborated the investigation reported which was prepared by the first class magistrate Jonendranath Sarkar on May 20, which also noted innumerable torture marks on the victims body.
The deputy commissioner of the Rajshahi Metropolitan Police, Mahbubur Rahman, said in his statement that these reports proved that it was a murder and they will find the perpetrators to bring them before justice. It has been reported that the five-member committee that was set up for the investigation of this case by the members of the magistrate and intelligence director of the RAB headquarters will submit the new report on 26 May 2007.
However, the victims family had allegedly expressed their doubts towards the official investigation since none of family members of the victim or other witnesses were interviewed.
The RAB officials explained the incident as an operation for tracking down a group of kidnappers and the victim was fatally injured during clashes between the RAB officers and the kidnappers along with the villagers who took the side of the kidnappers. The RAB officials allegedly reported that the RAB officers rescued an officer Basirul Islam, who was allegedly kidnapped from the lychee orchard, the site of the incident.
The Commanding officer of the RAB Rajshahi, Colonel Shamsuzzaman Khan publicly stated that a probe body has been interrogating four RAB officers from Rajshahi Railway Colony Camp at RAB-5 headquarters in connection with the death of Quamrul. However, the name of the four RAB officers was not disclosed.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write letters to the authorities listed below and urge them to start an immediate and impartial investigation into this case. Please also urge them to give necessary assistance for the victims family to seek legal remedies.
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SAMPLE LETTER
Dear __________,
BANGLADESH: Alleged brutal killing of a man by the RAB officers in Rajshahi
Name of victim: Quamrul Islam Majnu, 25 year-old
Address of victim: Chhoto Bongram, Thana, Boyalia, Rajshahi district, Bangladesh
Alleged perpetrators: About six officers of the Rapid Action Battalion 5 of Rajshahi district, including Jaharul Islam and Ali Hossain
Date of the incident: At around 11:00pm on 18 May 2007
I am writing to express my deep concern about the alleged killing of a 25-year-old man by the members of the RAB-5 on 18 May 2007. According to the information we have received from a reliable source, at around 11:00pm on 18 May 2007, a 25 year-old orchard farmer Mr. Quamrul Islam Majnu was guarding the lychee orchard in Chhoto Bongram Purbopara, Bangladesh, with rickshaw pullers named Toufique and Rajib. A witness of the incident stated that about six members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB-5) including Jaharul Islam and Ali Hossain who were in plainclothes approached the victims orchard when the victim was guarding it. These members of the RAB-5 then allegedly started to beat the victim with baton and GI pipe mercilessly and one of them kicked the victims chest with his boots and injured the victims severely. The RAB members also assaulted the two rickshaw pullers who were guarding the orchard with Quamrul.
I am informed that despite repeated pleas of the victims family to stop beating the victim the RAB members did not stop beating Quamrul and started to hit his family members including his 50-year-old mother and brother. He then allegedly died at the place where he had been beaten by the RAB officers. Soon after the incident, the villagers started to gather the site of brutal assault and the RAB members threatened the villagers to shoot. Then one black coloured and one white coloured micro bus came near the site with more than seven RAB members. According to the witnesses, the RAB officers dragged Quamruls body 60 to 70 yards into one of the micro buses. The rickshaw pullers Toufique and Rajib were also taken into the micro bus with the body of Quamrul.
Quamrul was admitted to the Rajshahi Medical College Hospital at around 1:20 am on the following day however his death was declared by doctor at the hospital shortly after he arrived at the hospital.
Later on May 19, a brother of the victim Piarul Islam Manjur lodged a case with the Boalia Police Station alleging that about six members of the RAB-5 including Zahrul Islam, Baser Ali and Ali Hossain who all are from Chapainawabganj village killed Quamrul on May 18. The police then registered a murder case against the RAB members involved in the assault of the victim under sections 323, 302, 201, 34 of the Penal Code. It has been reported that the investigation into this case has been started subsequently.
Later on the same day, the three perpetrators, Zahrul Islam, Baser Ali and Ali Hossain were arrested by the police and produced before the magistrate court. The three of them were then sent to jail by the decision of the Chief of the Metropolitan Magistrate Court on the same day.
Meanwhile, the brother of the victim, Piarul Islam, was told by the RAB officers that Quamrul died accidentally when the RAB was searching for a kidnapper called Kuddus Ali Mondol, and he should therefore come to an agreement when Pianul refused to make a compromise, he was threatened by the RAB officers, who said he would face dire consequences.
On May 23, police submitted the autopsy report of the murder of Quamrul to the Rajshahi metropolitan court. The three doctors who examined the autopsy reported that the existence of several scars on the victims body including on his stomach were found and the death was caused due to a haemorrhage result in from his injuries, which are homicidal in nature. It has been reported that the autopsy report corroborated the investigation reported which was prepared by the first class magistrate Jonendranath Sarkar on May 20, which also noted innumerable torture marks on the victims body.
The deputy commissioner of the Rajshahi Metropolitan Police, Mahbubur Rahman, said in his statement that these reports proved that it was a murder and they will find the perpetrators to bring them before justice. It has been reported that the five-member committee that was set up for the investigation of this case by the members of the magistrate and intelligence director of the RAB headquarters will submit the new report on 26 May 2007.
However, the victims family had allegedly expressed their doubts towards the official investigation since none of family members of the victim or other witnesses were interviewed.
I am further informed that the RAB officials explained the incident as an operation for tracking down a group of kidnappers and the victim was fatally injured during clashes between the RAB officers and the kidnappers along with the villagers who took the side of the kidnappers. The RAB officials allegedly reported that the RAB officers rescued an officer Basirul Islam, who was allegedly kidnapped from the lychee orchard, the site of the incident.
The Commanding officer of the RAB Rajshahi, Colonel Shamsuzzaman Khan publicly stated that a probe body has been interrogating four RAB officers from Rajshahi Railway Colony Camp at RAB-5 headquarters in connection with the death of Quamrul. However, the name of the four RAB officers was not disclosed.
I strongly condemn the RAB officers brutal violence that led to a civilian death, as well as the lack of a thorough investigation into the case. I believe that such irresponsible attitude of the RAB officials would not bring the country stability, on the contrary, it would further increase confusions among its citizens.
I therefore demand that a thorough and impartial investigation into this case be conducted immediately, and the alleged perpetrators should be brought to justice. I also urge that no impunity for the alleged perpetrators should be tolerated.
Lastly, I urge the government of Bangladesh to provide appropriate compensation and legal remedies to the victims family.
I look forward to your prompt responses into this important case.
Sincerely yours,
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PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTER TO:
1. Prof. Iajuddin Ahmed
President
People’s Republic of Bangladesh
Bangabhaban, Dhaka
BANGLADESH
Tel: +880 2 9568041, 7161501/A, 8311202/ 7161503/A
Fax: +880 2 9566242 or 9566593
2. Mr. Sayed J. R. Modassir Hossain
Chief Justice
The Supreme Court of Bangladesh
Supreme Court Building
Ramna, Dhaka-1000
BANGLADESH
Tel: +880 2 9562792
Fax: +880 2 9565058
3. Mr. Fida M Kamal
Attorney General of Bangladesh
Office of the Attorney General
Supreme Court Building
Ramna, Dhaka-1000
BANGLADESH
Tel: +880 2 9562868
Fax: +880 2 9561568
4. Barrister Moinul Hossain
Adviser
Ministry of Law, Justice & Parliamentary Affairs
Bangladesh Secretariat
Dhaka-1000
BANGLADESH
Tel: +88-02-7160627 (O)
Fax: +88-02-7168557 (O)
5. Mr. Nur Mohammad
Inspector General of Police (IGP)
Bangladesh Police
Police Headquarters’
Fulbaria, Dhaka-1000
BANGLADESH
Tel: +880 2 9562054 or 7176451 or 7176677
Fax: +880 2 9563362 or 9563363
6. Professor Manfred Nowak
Special Rapporteur on the Question of Torture
Attn: Mr. Safir Syed
C/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Fax: +41 22 9179016 ((ATTENTION: SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR TORTURE)
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ahrchk@ahrchk.org)
