UPDATE (Bangladesh): A human rights defender is implicated with the alleged false charges

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is deeply concerned that Mr. Jahangir Alam Akashi, a journalist, as well as a human rights defender based on Rajshahi city, has been implicated with an alleged false extortion charge on 28 August 2007. The charge against Mr. Akashi is based on a complaint lodged by Mr. Loton, who is at variance with the victim who published information on his illegal activities. The AHRC has previously reported the serious threat on Mr. Akashi by the RAB official, after he broadcast the attempted extrajudicial killing of a terrorist suspect by RAB-5 personnel. The victim has also published a number of reports on the alleged torture and extrajudicial killings committed by RAB personnel. We were informed that Mr. Loton is working as a “source” for the Rapid Action Battaliion (RAB)-5. The AHRC is of view that such legal action against Mr. Akashi is based on the false complaint that was made with the intention to restrict his freedom of expression and human rights activities. The AHRC strongly urges that such action against Mr. Akashi should be immediately halted and the false charges against him should be removed without delay.

UPDATED INFORMATION: (based on the victim’s testimony)

Mr. Jahangir Alam Akash is the coordinator of the Task Force against Torture (TFT)-Rajshahi city as well as the regional coordinator of the Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) in the Rajshahi region. He is also a journalist by profession working as the bureau chief of a private news television channel CSB News and the Daily Sangbad, the Dhaka based national newspaper. Earlier in May and July, the AHRC has issued urgent appeals regarding the alleged serious threats and intimidation against him after broadcasting news on the attempted extra-judicial killing of an alleged terrorist by RAB personnel on a private television channel. To learn more details of the previous appeals, please see: UA-149-2007 and UP-101-2007.

According to the latest information received, on 28 August 2007, Mr. Akash was been implicated in an extortion charge lodged by Mr. Mahfuzul Alam Loton, the vice president of the Awami League of the Rajshahi City Unit, at the Boalia police station of the Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP) on 20 June 2007 (Reference: General Diary No. 1160). In his complaint, Mr. Loton alleges that Mr. Akash extorted Taka 20,000 (USD 300) from him in presence of his two friends through intimidation and threats of broadcasting news on CSB News channel.

To present the details of the Mr. Loton’s allegation against Mr. Akash, on 13 April 2007, Mr. Loton was talking with his two friends, one businessman Mr. Ziaul Haque Tuku and one Bangladesh Awami League leader Mr. Asaduzzaman Asad, while sitting in an open field near the “Safawang Chinese Restaurant” at Kadirganj area of the city. The restaurant is located in the same building where the CSB News channel’s office is in. Mr. Akash accompanying two unknown persons then approached him and claimed Taka 50,000 (USD 750) through intimidation. Mr. Loton then finally gave him Taka 20,000 (USD 300). Mr. Loton alleged that Mr. Akash claimed Taka 30,000 (USD 450) more in exchange for not publishing news against Mr. Loton regarding his corruption in “Delwar Hossain Waqf Estate; his father was the caretaker of this property. Mr. Loton also alleges that Mr. Akash however broadcast a report about his family property after this and on 6 June 2007, he requested Mr. Loton to pay the remaining Taka 30,000 at the same place.

However, Mr. Akash strongly insists that Mr. Loton’s complaint against him is completely false and Mr. Loton made such complaint against him because he had published a number of reports in the media detailing the misdeeds of Mr. Loton.

On 4 March 2000, Mr. Akash published a report in the Daily Sangbad regarding the alleged harassment of a family by Mr. Loton and his men due to a family feud. The family members were allegedly confined in the house, while receiving continuous threats from Mr. Loton’s men. The article revealed that the police have not taken any action against Mr. Loton and his men regarding this incident.

Mr. Akash also reports that due to this report, Mr. Loton’s men attempted to kill him on 6 March 2006, but killed another journalist Mr. Uttam Kumar Das by mistake. The killing took place in front of a commercial telefax shop in Rajshahi city from where Mr. Akash and other journalists used to send their news to their respective media. Mr. Akash then lodged a General Diary (GD) No. 310 with the Boalia police station on 7 March 2000 against Mr. Loton regarding this incident.

Mr. Akash also reports that Mr. Loton extorted Taka 30,000 (USD 450) from a businessman using his (Mr. Akash) name in 2003. Mr. Akash published a report regarding this incident in the Daily Sangbad on 19 January 2003.

Besides, Mr. Akash recently broadcasted another report on the alleged illegal and malpractices in “Delwar Hossain Waqf Estate” property of which Loton’s father late Mr. Abdus Samad was the caretaker for a long time. As a result, the government’s concerned department changed the caretaker of the said property.

Also, on 25 April 2007, Mr. Akash broadcasted a report in the CSB News regarding the alleged grabbing of the estates of the trusted boards. This report also covered the story of Mr. Loton’s father’s trusted properties.

Mr. Akash also suspects that the RAB might use Mr. Loton to harass him, as his news channel has been broadcasting on the alleged torture and extrajudicial killings committed by the RAB personnel. For example, on 16 May 2007, a report was aired in the CSB News on the RAB’s brutality on jail police Mr. Shahebul Islam in the Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, while on May 18, the CSB News aired another report on the death of Mr. Kamrul Islam Majnu Sheikh, who was allegedly tortured to death by the RAB personnel after being kidnapped.

It is alleged that Mr. Loton and his two friends Mr. Asad and Mr. Tuku have been working as the RAB’s source. As far as we confirmed with local sources, Mr. Loton goes for fishing along with Major Mr. Rashid of the RAB-5, who allegedly intimidated Mr. Akash on phone for broadcasting the news of the attempted extrajudicial killing of one terrorist suspect Mr. Benazir Ahammed at hos home on 2 May 2007. For details of this case, please see our urgent appeals: UP-101-2007, UA-149-2007.

It is common practice in Bangladesh that the law-enforcing agents use the criminals as their ‘source’ with purpose of “repressing criminal activities”. However, the law-enforcers frequently overlook the crimes committed by their ‘source’ and indirectly protect them. Besides, the law-enforcers often abuse their authority and use their sources to punish their personal opponents by fabricating the complaints against them or blackmailing or even killing those people.

Meanwhile, the AHRC was informed that the transmission of the CSB News has been reportedly cut from 6:35 pm on 6 September 2007 for seven days through the intervention by the Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC). The chairman, who is a retired major general of the army, was accompanied by a number of military officers at this time.

It is believed that the BTRC stopped the transmission of the CSB News due to its broadcasting of the recent brutality of the armed forces and the police during the protest in the Dhaka University area. It is alleged that the government has intentionally stopped the transmission the TV channel without any guaranteed possibility of resuming its programme after the said seven days.

SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please immediately write to the concerned authorities listed below demanding a fair and impartial judicial inquiry into this case. Please also urge them to conduct a proper inquiry into the constant threats and intimidations against Mr. Akash, including the legal action against him, and bring those responsible to justice as soon as possible.

To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER