Bangladesh: Monthly Human Rights Report (August 2010) by GHRD
Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD)
Monthly Human Rights Report
Bangladesh, August 2010
Introduction
This month GHRD investigated human rights violations concerning police negligence, murder, looting and land grabbing, bribery and two religiously motivated attacks against minorities. Land grabbers attacked a 300-year old Hindu temple in Sutrapur, evicting 11 Hindu families. GHRD also investigated an attack against an Ahmediyya community in the Tangail District, alleged to have been agitated by the local Islamic extremist group Imam Parishad. The attacks received a lot of attention both by media and local human rights groups. On a positive note, the Office of the Prime Minister demanded the Home Ministry to ensure that a full investigation will be carried out into one of the kidnapping cases investigated by GHRD/BIHR in June. GHRD and BIHR welcome the initiative and will continue to monitor the implementation.
Breaking News!
The Office of the Prime minister demands investigation into kidnapping of Hindu girl
After the BIHR/GHRD fact-finding and submission of an urgent appeal regarding the police inaction into the kidnapping of a 14 year old girl, the office of the Prime Minister instructed the Secretary of Home Minister to take necessary actions to ensure the proper investigations into the kidnapping of the Hindu girl. The girl was abducted on the 16th of March at Sirajgonj district. Although there was a FIR filed by the victim’s father, she was not rescued till 1st April. Finally - due to continuous demonstration by the local people, journalist and human right activists - the police compelled to rescue the victim as well as arrest the perpetrators.
Fact Finding Investigations and Legal Assistance
Religiously motivated attack against Hindu temple. In total 31 families victimized by landgrabbers. 11 August, Dhaka
Between 19-21 August BIHR with the help of GHRD investigated an attack against a 300-year old Hindu temple at the Sutrapur District. On 11th August numerous perpetrators attacked the temple, destroyed several parts of it and desecrated Hindu deities. Valuables belonging to the temple such as sacred images were also looted. A man belonging to the community was severely beaten when he tried to stop the perpetrators. Eleven families were forcefully evicted and another twenty families were threatened to leave their homes immediately.
During the incident, the victims asked the local police station to intervene, yet, no actions were taken by the police. Instead, according to the statement of an eyewitness, the police assisted the perpetrators by asking the victims to leave their home.
One of the men belonging to the community, has lodged a FIR (at) the Sutrapur police station on 17th August, but on 20th August he sent GHRD an appeal containing his statement that he was forced by a local policeman to sign this false FIR, as it gave the perpetrators the right to occupy the temple and it did not mention the demolishing of the temple.According to his statement, after the perpetrators got bail from court on the 19th of August, they threatened the victims again and even - according to the victim - bomb was exploded on the 20th of August.
On the 20th August 2010 he decided to file a supplementary FIR in order to correct his previous allegations and to supplement the previous FIR. No perpetrators have been arrested as a result of the investigation, moreover, they keep conducting their illegal activities – according to victim’s statement – mostly with the knowledge of police. GHRD investigated the incident locally, spoke with the authorities and issued urgent appeal.
Police negligence in an attack against Ahmediyya community 7th August, 2010 Tangail district
On the 13th of August GHRD investigated an attack against an Ahmediyya community in the Tangail District. The community was attacked twice on the 7th and 8th of August 2010. The attack is alleged to have been agitated by the local Islamic extremist group Imam Parishad. Several families have been left without food or shelter. As the police have failed to offer their protection and assistance, they now fear to return to their community. So far the police have made no arrests. GHRD investigated the incident locally,spoke with the authorities and issued urgent appeals and a separate submission to the UN Independent Expert on Minority Issues.
Police negligence and attempt bribery in murder case of a Hindu minority man 7th August, 2010 Jessore District
On the 7th of August GHRD investigated the murder of a 45 year old Hindu man, who was killed after he – despite of being warned to do so – did not withdraw the case he filed against the alleged perpetrators responsible for the abduction of his wife and children on the 3rd of May 2008. The man was kidnapped and killed on the 9th of August 2009, and his decapitated body was found outside the Jessore District. His wife was threatened not to report the case, however she was once again kidnapped by the same suspects and forcefully converted to Islam and pressured to marry the main suspect.
The local village police filed an FIR at the Moheshpur police station asking the local chairman to trace the perpetrators. The mother of the victim has tried to bring the suspect to justice and filed a petition at the Judicial Magistrate Court of Jessore. However, the sub inspector of the police station of Kotwali (who allegedly received bribes from the suspects) provided false evidence during a court hearing on the 17th of April 2010 – later he admitted that his report was not correct - which led to the dismissal of the case and the impunity of the perpetrators.
An attempt was also made by this Inspector to bribe the GHRD team during their investigation so as not to disclose his misconduct. Despite this, he is still working at the police station and is involved in the investigation.On the 9th of July 2010 three suspects were arrested and all of them confessed to the abduction and murder of the Hindu man. The main suspect was also arrested and is now in jail custody.
GHRD investigated the case on the 7th of August 2010 by visiting the house of the victim, talking to the victim’s mother and local witnesses.The victim’s children live with his mother who had once again been threatened to withdraw her case. However, the police have failed to take any action.
The brutal murder of a 14 year old Hindu minority girl 4th August, 2010 Magura District
On the 6th of August GHRD investigated the horrific alleged attempted gang rape and murder of a fourteen year old Hindu girl. Three suspects have been arrested and two of them have admitted to attempted gang rape and murder. However, there are some uncertainties regarding the filing of the case as the father of the girl claims that the girl was raped prior to the murder. The case is now under investigation by the police. The 14 year old Hindu girl was on her way home from school on the 4th of August 2010 when three men attacked her and abducted her bringing her to a jute field belonging to Jiltendra Nath Karmakar. It is reported that the three men then tried to gang rape her but when they realised that the girl recognised them they strangled her. The dead body of the girl was later found by locals and the police was contacted. It is still unclear what actually happened to the girl. Two of the three accused have admitted to attempted gang rape and murder, however according to the father of the victim the girl was raped.
Photo: GHRD investigator on the crime scene.
The police are right now awaiting a medical report. GHRD investigated the case on the 6th of August by visiting the scene of the murder, talking to the victim’s family and locals as well as the authorities.
In the month of August, Odhikar reported violations against the freedom of the media and reported cases concerning extrajudicial killings. What is more concerning though is the high number of violations against women.
According to their information, in August 2010, 42 women were raped (22 adults and 20 underaged), of whom seven were killed after being raped and seven of whom were gang raped. It has also been reported that 49 women and three children were subjected to dowry related violence, of whom 32 women and two children were killed due to dowry related issues and 11 were victims of inhuman treatment. In the month of August 2010, 15 people were victims of acid violence of whom eight were women, three were men, and four were underaged. Odhikar has also reported numerous incidents of human rights violation against journalist and human rights defender. According to Odhikar’s information, during the month of August there have also been several incidents of human rights violations at the border areas by the Indian Border Security Forces (BSF), in total 14 people were victimized.
According to the month report BIHR published in July, 91 people belonging to ethnic and religious minority groups were injured, three were abducted, six were murdered, and 20 people were compelled to leave their residing village.
38 different incidents of human rights violation took place including attacks, looting, vandalism, abduction, land grabbing, attempts to land grabbing, attempts to abduction, rubbery, treats and murder.
According to BIHR’s information, during the reporting period a total 53 women were raped. Among them three were killed by perpetrators after rape and one committed suicide after rape. Six women and girls were victimized in gang rape and one was killed after gang rape. Besides these incidents, eleven women and children were victimized in attempted rapes.
GHRD Dhaka conducts fact finding investigations and provides legal assistance to minority victims of human rights violations in Bangladesh. In addition GHRD Dhaka, collaborates with Parittran (Dalit Rights), Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights, Bangladesh Rehabilitation Centre for Trauma Victims and Bangladesh Minority Watch.
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