URGENT APPEAL:Urge to Investigate Cases of Intimidations to Human Rights Defendersin Bangladesh

Mr. Nur Mohammad Inspector General of Police Bangladesh Police Police Headquarters' Fulbaria, Dhaka-1000 BANGLADESH 3 March 2009 Dear Mr. Nur Mohammad,

Urge to Investigate Cases of Intimidations to Human Rights Defenders 

 The Asian Center for the Progress of Peoples (ACPP), a regional human rights organization based in Hong Kong, is informed by an organization in Bangladesh that Adv. Shahanur Islam Saikot received death threats on 28 February 2009 and 1 March 2009. We are writing to express our concern over this case and urge the police to conduct full and effective investigation. The victim of intimidation, Adv. Shahanur, is the Program Maanger of Legal and Human Rights Affairs at Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights (BIHR). He is also affiliated with Bangladesh Centre for Human Rights and Development, Bangladesh Rehabilitation Centre for Trauma Victims, and Member of Bangladesh Bar Council and Dhaka Bar Association. When he was working at the BIHR office at 11:28 a.m. on 28 February 2009, he received a call from a person named himself as Pintu, the cell phone no. was displayed as 01553666871. That person threatened him that 妬f he did not kill Adv. Shahaunur, he would not the son of his father. Five minutes after the first intimidating call, another call from cell phone no. 01711706366 reached the victim again. The called also claimed himself as Pintu and threatened that he would go to Adv. Shahanur’s office and shot him to dead. He also warned him to take mental preparation about his death. On 1 March, Adv. Shahanur received call from cell phone no. 01924624825 that threatened to go to his office and kill him. Likewise, several death threats were received by Adv. Shahanur on 29 August 2008. Adv. Shahanur is a human rights defender and has been active in documenting and investigating cases of human rights violations. He also widely disseminates those cases through urgent appeals nationally and internationally. ACPP worries that the death threats that the victim received may relate to his endeavor in exposing the human rights violations in Bangladesh. ACPP sincerely urges the police to take immediate measures to ensure the personal security of the victims as well as other human rights activists. Particularly, in order to deter further harassment to Adv. Shahanur, the police should probe the owner(s) of the cell phone nos. mentioned above and conduct effective investigation over the case. The perpetrator(s) must be punished in accordance to law. In addition, the police should offer protection to the victim to ensure his personal security before the case is resolved. Thank you for your attention and we look forward to your favorable response to this issue. 

 Yours faithfully, Irene Koo Human Rights Section 

The Asian Center for the Progress of Peoples (ACPP)

1/F, 52 Princess Margaret Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong Tel :(852) 27145123; Fax: (852)27120152;

Email: hotline@acpp.org; www.acpp.org

Cc.: Consul General, Consulate General of the People's Republic of Bangladesh in Hong Kong