[RE: UP-013-2006: BANGLADESH: Three persons tortured by the Chapainawabganj police; UA-041-2006: BANGLADESH: Eight people killed and at least one hundred injured by police fire in Chapainawabganj district; UA-013-2006: BANGLADESH: Two people killed and thirty-five injured by police fire in Chapainawabganj district; UP-016-2006: BANGLADESH: Three detained and tortured leaders have been released from prison in Chapainawabganj]
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UP-020-2006: BANGLADESH: Transfer of the Executive Officer of Shibganj falls well short of appropriate punishment
BANGLADESH: Arbitrary arrest; Torture; Harassment; Deprivation of medical treatment; Rule of law
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Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that the Upazilla Nirbahi Officer [(UNO) Executive Administrative Officer] of Shibganj, Mr. Rafiqul Islam, who was allegedly involved in the recent incidents that took place in Shibganj of Chapainawabganj district, was ordered to be transferred by the government authority on 2 February 2006. (To see further details of those incidents please refer to UA-013-2006; UA-041-2006; UP-013-2006; and UP-013-2006).
Such action by the authorities however, is entirely inadequate and serves as no form of punishment whatsoever, if this person was to have committed some of the heinous crimes that were orchestrated during the conflict in Chapainawabganj district in recent weeks. Simply transferring Mr. Rafiqul to another station in no way properly addresses the situation and brings no sense of justice to the victims of those clashes. The authorities in Bangladesh cannot merely make this trivial gesture in an attempt to appear to be responding to calls for proper intervention in this case.
If justice is to be served in this case, then a full and impartial investigation must be conducted into all of the incidents that occurred in Chapainawabganj district and legal action must be taken against those found to have violated the law.
The AHRC is therefore calling upon you to write letters to the relevant authorities in Bangladesh, in particular the Prime Minister, who is also in charge of the Ministry of Establishment, urging them to take immediate steps to ensure that an investigation is conducted into recent events. If, during the course of that investigation, Mr Rafiqul and other members of the police force are found to have committed crimes during the clashes then full legal action must follow.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission
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SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please send letters immediately to the Prime Minister as the in charge of the Ministry of Establishment and the other persons listed below expressing your concern about this incident urging them to take prompt action to investigate the conduct of the police, the administrators and the politicians and to ensure that justice is attained for the victims.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ______________,
BANGLADESH: Transfer of the Executive Officer of Shibganj falls well short of appropriate punishment
I am writing to voice my dismay at the action taken by the authorities in Bangladesh to transfer the Upazilla Nirbahi Officer [(UNO) Executive Administrative Officer] of Shibganj, Mr. Rafiqul Islam, who was allegedly involved with the incidents that took place in Shibganj of Chapainawabganj district in Bangladesh in recent weeks.
Such action by the authorities is entirely inadequate and serves as no form of punishment whatsoever, if this person was to have committed some of the heinous crimes that were orchestrated during the conflict in Chapainawabganj district in recent weeks. Simply transferring Mr. Rafiqul to another station in no way properly addresses the situation and brings no sense of justice to the victims of those clashes. The authorities in Bangladesh cannot merely make this trivial gesture in an attempt to appear to be responding to calls for proper intervention in this case.
I am also aware that along with this inconsequential response, little has been done to properly identify other police persons who were allegedly involved in the clashes. Given that people were killed, tortured, arbitrarily arrested and detained, this lethargic response by the authorities in Bangladesh falls well short of what is required if justice is to be obtained for the victims of this case.
In light of this, I request that you ensure a fair and thorough investigation into the alleged conduct of the police and the administrative officials. If it is found that the alleged perpetrators committed crimes against the victims, then they must be made accountable for their actions and if found guilty of arbitrary arrest and detention, torture and extra-judicial killing, indicted under the prevailing domestic laws of Bangladesh. During the investigation of the police protection must be afforded to the victims.
I look forward to your urgent intervention in this matter.
Yours sincerely,
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PLEASE SEND LETTERS TO:
1. Mrs. Begum Khaleda Zia
Honourable Prime Minister &
Minister for Establishment
Prime Minister's Office
Old Parliament House,
Tejgaon, Dhaka
BANGLADESH
Tel: +880 2 8828160-79, 9888677
Fax: +880 2 8113244 or 3243 or 1015 or 1490
E-mail: pm@pmobd.org or psecretary@pmobd.org (to the Secretary)
2. Mr. Abdul Quayum
Inspector General of Police (IGP)
Bangladesh Police
Police Headquarters
Fulbaria, Dhaka-1000
BANGLADESH
Tel: +88-02-9562054 or 7176451 or 7176677 (O), +88-02-8362552 or 8362553 (R)
Fax: +88-02-9563362 or 9563363
3. Mr. Md. Lutfozzaman Babor MP
State Minister
The Ministry of Home Affairs
Government of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh
The Bangladesh Secretariat
Dhaka-1000
BANGLADESH
Tel: +88-02-7169069 (O) or 8359000 (R)
Fax: +88-02-7160405, +88-02-7164788
4. Mr. Anwarul Karim
Joint Secretary (Police)
Ministry of Home Affairs
Government of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh
Bangladesh Secretariat
Dhaka-1000
BANGLADESH
Tel: +88-02-7164680 (O) or 8953012 (R)
Fax: +88-02-7171592
5. Mr. A J Mohammad Ali
The Attorney General of Bangladesh
The Office of the Attorney General
Supreme Court Building
Ramna, Dhaka-1000
BANGLADESH
Tel: +88-02-9562868
Fax: +88-02-9561568
6. Mr. Sayed J. R. Modassir Hossain
The Chief Justice
The Supreme Court of Bangladesh
Supreme Court Building
Ramna, Dhaka-1000
BANGLADESH
Tel: +88-02-9562792
Fax: +88-02-9565058
7. Mr. Dr. Baharul Islam BPM
Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG)
Rajshahi Range
Office of the DIG of Rajshahi Range
Rajshahi
BANGLADESH
Tel: +88-0721-772309 (O)
Fax: +88-0721-775444 (O)
8. Mr. Philip Alston
Special Rapporteur on Extra-judicial, Summary, or Arbitrary Executions
Attn: Lydie Ventre
Room 3-016, c/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9155
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (general)
Email: lventre@ohchr.org
9. Prof. Manfred Nowak
Special Rapporteur on the Question of Torture
Attn: Mr.Sarir Syed
C/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9230
Fax: +41 22 9179016 (general)
E-mail: ssyed@ohchr.org
10. Ms Leila Zerrougui
Chairperson
Working Group on Arbitrary Detention
c/o Miguel de la Lama
OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTENTION: Working Group on Arbitrary Detention)
Email: mdelalama@ohchr.org
Thank you.
Urgent Appeal Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission
