Advocate Mustafizur Rahman Talukdar Dipu, the former Senior Deputy General Secretary of the Dhaka Lawyers Association, and Advocate Kazi Akram Hossain were unjustly arrested on the night of October 16, 2024, by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Civil Police on false charges of murder. This act clearly threatens their professional integrity and constitutes a violation of their human rights.
Advocate Mustafizur Rahman was arrested due to his role in representing Dr. Abdur Razzak, a Presidium Member of the Bangladesh Awami League and former Minister of Food of Bangladesh. Similarly, Advocate Akram Hossain was arrested for representing Colln Faruk Khan, a Presidium Member of the Bangladesh Awami League and former Minister of Trade of Bangladesh, in their legal defense.
Advocate Mustafizur Rahman was taken from his home in Dhanmondi by the RAB and handed over to the Dhanmondi police station. Despite not being named in the First Information Report (FIR), he was listed as a suspected accused in Dhanmondi Police Station Case No. 11(09)24, under Section 302 and other penal sections. He was subsequently presented before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court in Dhaka on October 17, where he was remanded to jail custody.
Advocate Akram Hossain was similarly arrested from his home in Dhaka and shown as a suspected accused in Palan Police Station Case No. 19(10)24, under Section 302 and other charges, despite his name not appearing in the FIR. He was also produced before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court and remanded to jail custody.
JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) urges the Bangladesh government to ensure a safe and free environment for lawyers to perform their professional duties without fear of reprisal, following the Constitution of Bangladesh, the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, and the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers.
JMBF will immediately initiate formal communication with the Special Procedures of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, particularly with the Special Rapporteurs on the independence of judges and lawyers, as well as the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, regarding this matter.
JMBF stands in solidarity with all victims of arbitrary arrests for performing their professional duties and will continue to closely monitor the situation while urging global solidarity in condemning these actions.
Thank you.
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