UPDATE (Bangladesh): Judicial Probe Commission has yet to submit its report regarding police brutality 

[UP-095-2006: BANGLADESH: Government names District Judge to conduct a judicial probe into the police brutality on journalists; RE: UP-089-2006: BANGLADESH: Government names the head of the judicial probe commission into the police brutality on journalists; UA-128-2006: BANGLADESH: Journalists beaten by the police at the Chittagong stadium]
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BANGLADESH: Torture; intimidation; threat; deprivation of professional duty; collapse of rule of law
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Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the case of police brutality on journalists at the Chittagong stadium on 16 April 2006. We have now learned that the established Judicial Probe Commission has yet to submit its report despite having declared that it would do so by May 17. We have also learned that a separate report, submitted to the government, has recommended paying compensation of Taka 1,436,397 (around USD 21,000) to twenty journalists, who were wounded and had their cameras damaged. Furthermore, a departmental inquiry has accused three police officers for the brutality on the journalists. However, despite this the government has not taken any action.

On April 24, the Government of Bangladesh announced that the District and Session Judge of the Comilla district, Mr. Shawkat Hossain, would be responsible for undertaking a judicial probe into the Chittagong stadium incident, and that he would submit a report within 15 days (from the start of his mission) detailing his findings.

The probe commission started its investigation on May 7 and continued until May 17. The commission itself declared that it would submit its report by May 17. However, the commission has not yet submitted its investigation report despite one month having now passed. Furthermore, the journalists’ leaders allege that the judicial probe commission recorded statements from a number of fake ‘eye-witnesses’ who are believed to be police sources and relatives of the policemen and the alleged perpetrators.

Meanwhile, a seven-member committee headed by the Joint Secretary of the Information Ministry, Mr. Mir Mosharraf Hossain, submitted its report to the Minister of the same ministry. The report recommended paying Taka 1,436,397 (approximately USD 21,000) as compensation to twenty journalists, who were injured by the police brutality and suffered damage to their cameras. The government arranged medical treatment for two journalists, namely Mr. Anurup Roy Titu, who was sent to Bamrungrad Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand and Mr. Shamsul Haque Tengku, who received treatment from the Apollo Hospital in Dhaka.

The departmental inquiry conducted by the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Mr. Aminul Islam, submitted his report to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) on May 3. The report accused three persons, namely Deputy Commissioner Mr. Akbor Ali Khan, Assistant Commissioner Mr. Enamul Kabir and Sergeant Mr. Anwar Hossain as responsible for the brutality on the journalists.  However, the IGP opined that he would prefer the judicial probe commission’s report to take action regarding the case. At the same time, the journalist community warned that if the judicial probe report is found to be distorted, for example based on ‘fake eye-witnesses’ statements, then they will take further action.

SUGGESTED ACTION:

Please write to the relevant authorities listed below voicing your concerns over the current state of this case. Please urge the government to ensure that the judicial probe commission’s report is submitted without further delay. Please also ask that the recommended compensation be paid at once. Please also insist the government to hold the alleged perpetrators accountable for the crimes they committed.

 

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