Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from a reliable source regarding the death of a young man and of severe injuries caused to several others when they were brutally tortured by the army’s Joint Forces. Victim Md. Jamal Uddin died from a brutal beating a few hours after arrest on 22 June 2007 in Bottala, Mirpur-14. Jamal0 and his companions were arrested and falsely charged for a theft that supposedly took place at the house of an army sergeant.
CASE DETAILS: (According to the testimonies of victims and their relatives)
At around 2:30am to 3:00am on June 22, the victims: Md. Jamal Uddin, Rabiul Islam, Mona, Wahidul Islam Kajol and Shahalam, were arrested in Bottala in Mirpur-14 by members of the Joint Force. Jamal was working at his uncle’s teashop while the four others are helpers and drivers of motorized vehicles, who, at the time were sleeping in the same area, when they were arrested. They were arrested over false charges of theft and for breaking in at the house of Md. Sirajul Islam, an army sergeant. The arrest took place shortly after two other persons, Al Amin and Saddam Hossain, had been arrested for theft and pointed them as their accomplices.
The five victims were taken to the Mirpur Cantonment following their arrest where the arresting officers allegedly started brutally torturing them from the moment they arrived until around 1:00pm that same day. They were separately tied to a tree and repeatedly beaten. Some of them were taken to a dark room. Since June 22 was Friday, the perpetrators halted in torturing them for three hours to recite their prayers before they resumed once again.
Two victims, Jamal and Kajol, were among those who had suffered serious injuries due to brutal beatings in their group. They were the youngest among them. When the perpetrators noticed the severity of injuries the two had suffered, they turned them all over to the Kafrul Police station. Army sergeant Md. Sirajul Islam subsequently lodged a First Information Report (FIR) registered at 380511 in the same police station. It was Sirajul’s house whom the victims were supposed to have broken into. The police officers at the Kafrul police station then took Jamal and Kajol to the Dhaka Medical Collage Hospital for treatment while the others were remanded to jail.
After Jamal’s uncle (name withheld) heard of his arrest, he immediately went to Mirpur Cantonment where he and the other victims were taken and questioned by the arresting officers. He told an army officer on duty at the gate at the time that his nephew had been arrested and requested him whether he could take him back home. The army officer however treated him rudely and told him to leave. He could not do anything but to leave the place without taking Jamal with him. He had hoped though that the army officers would treat his nephew well and allow him to leave after questioning.
It was learned later that Jamal died due to brutal beatings inflicted on him while he was being questioned in the custody of the army officers. His corpse had torture marks over different part of his body particularly bruises on his chest. The findings of Dr. MA Kashem, the doctor who treated him at the hospital likewise revealed that he died of torture. The other victim, Kajol, also suffered serious injuries. He was first reported in critical condition when he was taken to the hospital but was able to recover from his injuries later.
The police officer investigating the case, Md. Alamgir Hossain, said the complaint against the victim was filed by Sergeant Sirajul Islam. He, however, said he was out of the police station when the victims were handed over to their police station. He was the one who took Jamal and Kajol to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital. He however refused to provide further details of the case nor to disclose circumstances on Jamal’s death because their investigation was still in progress when a fact finding team interviewed him.
According to testimonies of victim Sah Alam, while Jamal was watching the other victims being brutally beaten and tortured he had told him: “I will die if they hit me like this”. At the time Sah and Jamal were brutally beaten by the officers as well. Jamal touched the feet of the perpetrators and even called them father, pleading to them to stop beating him. Sah said the gravity of torture he had experienced was so severe that he never thought he would ever survive.
Another victim, Rabiul Islam, also said he fell sick due to brutal torture on him. He said Jamal and Kajol were the ones who suffered severely. He described Jamal as a good person and that their community grieved for his needless death. Every person who knew him cried when they heard the news of his death. He further added that due to torture, “I (he) could no longer work properly after being tortured in such away. My (his) hands and legs are still paining”. He also added that: “On the other hand there is a fear in my mind about the possibility of occurring the incident of torture with me by the members of the Joint Forces again”.
Also one victim, Md. Mona, recounted that the perpetrators brutally beat Jamal and forced him to confess to the theft and break in at Sirajul’s house. Mona said of the torture they had suffered: “none of us thought we would be able to live again. Though I am alive by the kindness of Allah, but the memory of such torture keeps coming back again and again”.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Jamal was described as a good boy having good moral character in their community. He had been working at the teashop owned by his uncle for three years. He earns money from there for a living. The shop usually opens 24 hours. His uncle takes charge of the teashop during daytime while he takes charge at nighttime. His uncle heard the news of his arrest from a security guard working close to his teashop. The security guard went to his house informing him about Jamal’s arrest. Jamal’s father later came to Dhaka to take his son’s corpse back to their village for burial. Those who knew Jamal as a good person were shocked by the news of his death.
Another person who knew Jamal also said: “No one in this area could not tell that he has done any wrong. His world was limited to his shop and his home. Besides, a boy like him could not take part in any such kind of offense (theft). How could the Joint Forces kill him? I can’t understand why all these happened”. Another person likewise said of him: “He was a good boy. He was jolly all the time. I have never seen him misbehaving with others. I was with him for a long time so that I can’t understand why this happens to him”. One of his customers also said: “I know Jamal for long period. I never saw him misbehaving with others. All the people in Bottala feel sorrow of his death”.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write letters to concerned authorities to conduct an impartial investigation into this case. Those responsible for illegally arresting and falsely charging the victims must be identified and appropriately charged. The death of Jamal Uddin must be thoroughly investigated and those involved must be investigated to answer the allegations against them. Appropriate charges and sanctions must also be promptly filed and imposed upon them respectively.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear __________,
BANGLADESH: Young man died of brutal torture; four others seriously injured by army’s Joint Forces
Name of victim killed: Md. Jamal Uddin, a resident of Tin Shed colony, Mirpur-14, Mirpur. He was working at a tea shop
Name of other victims:
1. Robiul Islam (15), a resident of CMT-19, Kachukhet, Kafrul
2. Md. Mona (23), a resident of Kachukhet old market, Kafrul
3. Wahidul Islam Kajol (17), a resident of Mirpur-12, line 2 Pallabi
4. Md. Sahalam (25), a resident of 14b Tin Shed colony, Road No. 06, House No. 01, Mirpur
Kajol was working as helper while the three others were drivers
Alleged perpetrators: Several officers attached to the Joint Forces, Dhaka Cantonment; army sergeant Md. Sirajul Islam
Place of incident: In Bottala, Mirpur-14
Date of incident: Around 2:30am to 3:00am on 22 June 2007
I am shocked to learn about the death of a young man and serious injury of four others following their arrest by the officers of the army’s Joint Forces in Bottala, Mirpur-14 early dawn on 22 June 2007. They were taken into the army’s custody in Dhaka Cantonment soon after their arrest where the officers allegedly started brutally torturing and beating them simultaneously until around 1:00pm the same day. The victims were arrested allegedly over false charges of theft filed by an army sergeant, Md. Sirajul Islam. Sirajul accused them of allegedly breaking in into his house. The arrest took place shortly after two other persons, Al Amin and Saddam Hossain, who were arrested for theft pointed them as their accomplices.
At the time of their arrest, victim Jamal Uddian, who died later due to severity of his injuries, was working at the teashop of his uncle, while the other victims, who were working as helpers and drivers of motorized vehicles, were sleeping. I have learned that all of them were unaware of the nature of charges against them. It is only when they arrived at the police station they were allegedly falsely charged for theft by Sirajul. But prior to their turn over to the police station, they have already been brutally tortured and beaten by the army officers forcing them, particularly Jamal, to confess into theft and break in at Sirajul’s house.
When the army officers noticed the two of victims, Jamal and Kajol, had already been suffering from serious injuries while in their custody, it was only then where they took all the victims to the police stations. The two serious injured victims were subsequently taken to hospital for treatment while the others were remanded to jail. However, Jamal died later from fatal injuries.
I strongly reject this brutality and actions taken by the army officers on the victims. I urge you to commence an impartial inquiry into Jamal’s death. Those involved in arresting and torturing the victims must be also investigated and identified. They must be held to account for Jamal’s death and for brutality they have perpetrated towards the victims particularly of torturing and falsely charging them with the police. Appropriate charges must be filed against them and immediate sanctions must be imposed without further delay.
Furthermore, I also urge you to ensure that the complaint filed against the victims are withdrawn if there are no sufficient evidence against them. The family of the dead must be afforded with appropriate compensation and assistance; and that the other victims must be adequately treated for the severe injuries and trauma they continue to suffer. I urge you to use your authority to ensure that this are acted upon without further delay.
I trust that you will take prompt action in this case.
Yours sincerely,
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PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed
Chief Adviser
Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh
Office of the Chief Advisor Tejgaon
Dhaka
BANGLADESH
Tel: +880 2 8828160-79, 9888677
Fax: +880 2 8113244 or 3243 or 1015 or 1490
2. 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)
3. General Moeen U Ahmed
Chief of Army Staff
Bangladesh Army
Army Headquarters
Dhaka Cantonment
Dhaka
BANGLADESH
Tel: +880 2 9870011
Fax: +880 2 8754455
4. Barrister 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
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. Prof. Manfred Nowak
Special Rapporteur on the Question of Torture
c/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Fax: +41 22 9179016
7. Mr. Philip Alston
Special Rapporteur on Extra-judicial, Summary, or Arbitrary Executions
Room 3-016
OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTN: SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR EXTRAJUDICIAL KILLINGS)
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrchk.org)
