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ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - URGENT APPEALS PROGRAM

25 July 2005
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UA-126-2005: BANGLADESH: Severe torture of a man by Rapid Action Battalion members in Dhaka

BANGLADESH: Torture; Impunity; Rule of law
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Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is deeply concerned by the severe torture of a man by members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) at Jasimuddin road, Uttara sector- 7, Dhaka and RAB–1 Office at Uttara, Dhaka, Bangladesh on 15 July 2005. The victim was taken into RAB custody because he protested against the assault of an elderly man by plain-clothed RAB members on the street and then defended himself from their attack.

In Bangladesh, there are gross human rights violations committed by RAB personnel. The AHRC recently reported the increasingly common practice of extra-judicial killings by law enforcement agencies, especially by RAB, in Bangladesh. Three hundred and seventy eight people have been killed by these agencies since June 2004, with 18 killed in a matter of only 13 days in recent weeks. (See further: UG-03-2005) Of these killings, it is alleged that approximately 80 persons have been killed by RAB members in 2005 so far.

Your urgent intervention is required in this matter. Please urge the Bangladesh authorities to conduct an impartial and thorough enquiry by an independent investigating agency so that the alleged perpetrators are brought to justice accordingly. Allowing local police or army branches to investigate these cases would prevent any form of impartiality in the investigations. Please also urge them to compensate the victim. The Government of Bangladesh must strictly discipline RAB to prevent further human rights abuses in the future.

Urgent Appeals Desk
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
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DETAILED INFORMATION:

Name of the victim: SK. Abubakkar sultan Bitan, Executive Director of Harness Level Industries Ltd
Alleged perpetrators: Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Ashraf and other members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)
Date of incident: 15 July 2005
Place of incident: Jasimuddin road, Uttara sector- 7, Dhaka and RAB–1 Office at Uttara, Dhaka, Bangladesh

SK. Abubakkar sultan Bitan, Executive Director of Harness Level Industries Ltd, was severely tortured by the members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) at Jasimuddin road, Uttara sector- 7, Dhaka and RAB–1 Office at Uttara, Dhaka, Bangladesh on 15 July 2005. At about 8:00pm on July 15, Bitan was caught in a traffic jam at Jasimuddin road on the way back home and he saw three men in plainclothes, who were identified as members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) later, beating up an elderly man on the street. When Bitan protested against the assault, another RAB member threw sand in his eyes and pushed him aside. After that, Bitan defended himself and pushed a man, who later identified himself as RBA's Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Ashraf.

ASP Ashraf then threatened Bitan saying, "Do you know who I am? How dare do you hit a RAB member? I will teach you a good lesson". He communicated with the mobile team of RAB and took Bitan to RAB–1 office at Uttara where he was beaten with iron rods. Bitan finally fell unconscious. Bitan said that he could escape death only after a high police official intervened and was released from RAB custody at 11:00pm. He was admitted to a local clinic first and later transferred to Central Hospital, Dhaka.

Bitan's sister Khadija Rahman filed a General Dairy (GD-complaint) at the Uttara Police Station about the incident on July 16. In the meantime, the RAB had earlier filed a GD against Bitan accusing him of assaulting ASP Ashraf.


SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write a letter, fax, or an email to the persons listed below and express your concern about this case.

Sample letter:

Dear _______________,

Re: BANGLADESH: Severe torture of a man by Rapid Action Battalion

Name of the victim: SK. Abubakkar sultan Bitan, Executive Director of Harness Level Industries Ltd
Alleged perpetrators: Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Ashraf and other members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)
Date of incident: 15 July 2005
Place of incident: Jasimuddin road, Uttara sector- 7, Dhaka and RAB–1 Office at Uttara, Dhaka, Bangladesh

I am writing to bring to your urgent attention the severe torture of SK. Abubakkar sultan Bitan, Executive Director of Harness Level Industries Ltd, by the members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), including ASP Ashraf, on 15 July 2005.
 
I am very concerned about how the level of human rights abuses by RAB has been increasing rapidly for the last a couple of years. I was informed that RAB members have allegedly killed approximately 80 persons in 2005 so far.

Therefore, I strongly urge you to instruct an independent agency rather than local police or army branches to investigate this case to ensure impartiality in the investigation. Immediate disciplinary/criminal action must be taken against those responsible immediately. Compensation should also be provided to the victim and all security measures be met whilst investigations are underway.

The Government of Bangladesh, as a state party of UN Convention against Torture, should take strong steps to effectively implement it on the domestic level with the necessary institutional changes. In particular, I urge you to put your effort on establishing a special and independent agency/institute designed solely for the purpose of investigating the human rights abuses by the law enforcement officers where the victims can lodge complaints directly.

I look for your urgent intervention.

Yours truly,


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SEND A LETTER TO:

1. Mrs. Khaleda Zia
Prime Minister 
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. Prof. Dr. Iajuddin Ahmed
President
The People's Republic of Bangladesh
Bangabhaban, Dhaka
BANGLADESH
Fax: +880 2 9566242

3. Mr. Barrister Moudud Ahmed
Ministry of Law, Justice & Parliamentary Affairs
Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh
Bangladesh Secretariat, Dhaka
BANGLADESH
Fax: +880 2 8618557
E-mail: minoflaw@bdonline.com 

4. Mohammed Abdul Aziz Sarkar, BPM, PPM
Director General
Office of the Director General
Rapid Action Battalion Forces
Cargo Admin Building, Kurmitola,
Dhaka-1229
BANGLADESH
Tel: +880 2 8961105
Fax: +880 2 8962884
E-mail: rabhqbd@yahoo.com, info@rabbd.com

5. Mr. Md. Lutfozzaman Babar
State Minister
Ministry of Home Affairs
Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh
Bangladesh Secretariat
BANGLADESH
Fax: +880 2 8619667 / 9552323

6. Prof. Manfred Nowak
Special Rapporteur on the Question of Torture
Attn: Mr. Safir Syed
C/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9230
Fax: +41 22 917 9016 (general)

7. Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury
Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations
821 United Nations Plaza, 8th Floor
New York, NY 10017
U.S.A.
Fax:  212-972-4038
Email:  Bangladesh@un.int


Thank you.

Urgent Appeals Program
Asian Human Rights Commission