NEWS:Businessman sues army major for torture during emergency

The Daily Janakontha, Date: April 14, 2009

NEWS:Businessman sues army major for torture during emergency

The Daily Karatoa, Date: April 14, 2009

NEWS:Businessman sues army major for torture during emergency

Amader Shomoy, Date: April 14, 2009

NEWS: Businessman sues joint forces men over 'torture'

Businessman sues joint forces men over 'torture' 

The Independent, Date: April 14, 2009

 A businessman, who said he was tortured by the joint forces during the caretaker government's rule, filed a case yesterday against Major Sarwar and two others. Md Shamsuddin Ahmed filed the case with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court at around 10:30am. According to case details, on July 26, 2007 Maj Sarwar along with six to seven other members of the joint forces in plainclothes went to Shamsuddin's Naya Paltan office and beat him up. He said they took him to a joint force's makeshift camp at Paltan Community Centre and further tortured him there. Shamsuddin was first admitted to Rajarbagh Police Line Hospital. As his condition worsened he was later taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. The case was not filed that time due to the state of emergency, Shamsuddin said. Human-rights organisation Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights's lawyer Shahnur Islam Saikot assisted the plaintiff in filing the case.

NEWS: Businessman sues joint forces men over 'torture'

Businessman sues joint forces men over 'torture'

bdnews24.com: Mon, Apr 13th, 2009 1:10 pm BdST

Dhaka, Apr 13 (bdnews24.com) – A businessman, who said he was tortured by the joint forces during the caretaker government's rule, filed a case Monday against Major Sarwar and two others.

Md Shamsuddin Ahmed filed the case with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court at around 10:30am.

According to case details, on July 26, 2007 Maj Sarwar along with six to seven other members of the joint forces in plainclothes went to Shamsuddin's Naya Paltan office and beat him.

NEWS:Businessman sues army major for torture during emergency

Businessman sues army major for torture during emergency

New Age; Date: April 15, 2009

Staff Correspondent A manpower trader on Monday sued major Sarwar, an army officer, his cousin Saiful Islam and the latter’s associate Abdus Samad, on charge of torturing him during the emergency regime. The businessman, Shamsuddin Ahmed, filed the case with Dhaka chief metropolitan magistrate’s court. Shamsuddin in his complaint stated that a team of joint forces in plainclothes and led by major Sarwar, along with Saiful and Samad, had raided his Naya Paltan office on July 26, 2007 and beaten him up mercilessly. They took him to a makeshift camp of the joint forces at the Paltan Community Centre and tortured him again there. ‘As I fainted because of the torture, I was first admitted to the Rajarbagh Police Line Hospital and shifted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital when my condition deteriorated,’ Shamsuddin told the magistrate. The joint forces later handed Shamsuddin over to the Paltan Police to show him arrested in a fraud case filed with the police station by Saiful on July 26, 2007. Shamsuddin was released on bail on August 6, 2007. On February 2, 2008, Shamsuddin was acquitted by metropolitan magistrate Golam Rabbani of the fraud charges after investigation officer Ikramul Haque, sub-inspector of the Paltan police station, had submitted the final report in the case, Shamsuddin said. Explaining the delay in filing the case, Shamsuddin told the court, ‘I could not file the case against the army officer when a state of emergency was in force fearing more torture.’

Human Rights lawyer Shahnur Islam Saikot, on behalf of the Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights (BIHR), appeared for Shamsuddin.

CASE STUDY:Police Brutality on Mr. Abu Abbas Bhuiyan

Adv. Shahanur Islam Saikot* 

Introduction: Abu Abbas Bhuiyan, student of Dhaka university and also Secretary of Mass Education affairs in Central Committe of Bangladesh student league was victimized in torture by the police official directing by the ruling party (then state minister for home affairs) due to his activities as a central leader of Bangladesh Student League as well as implicated false and fabricate cases. Discharging from the allegation that was bring up against him as well as got cure, he was filed case against the policeme /Perpetrators in Chief Metropalitan Magistrate Court, Dhaka that No. P- 1185 of 2008 on 05 March 2008 under section of 323/324/325/326/306506/109/34 of the Penal Code with the assistance of Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights (BIHR). 

URGENT APPEAL: Doodsbedreigingen aan dhr. Shahanur Islam Saikot

1 april 2009

Doodsbedreigingen aan dhr. Shahanur Islam Saikot

Urgente Acties ACAT NETHERLANDS

Action of Christians for the Abolition of Torture and Capital Punishment.

Mr. Sheikh Hasina

Prime Minister

Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh

Office of the Prime Minister

Tejgaon

DHAKA

BANGLADESH

… - 04 – 09. Dear Prime Minister,

As a member of ACAT Netherlands I am very concerned about threats received by Mr. Shahanur Islam Saikot, Secretary General and Executive Director of the Bangladesh Centre for Human Rights and Development (BCHRD), Programme Manager of Legal and Human Rights Affairs at the Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) and Bangladesh Rehabilitation Centre for Trauma Victims (BRCT), as well as a member of the Bangladesh Bar Council and Bar Association in Dhaka District.

I urgently ask you:

URGENT APPEAL: Seeking Information under Section 6 of the Right to Information Act.

Court Fee Stamp Rs. 10/- To 30 March 2009 The Public Information Officer High Court at Calcutta Kolkata Attn. The Registrar, Calcutta High Court Ref.:-Seeking Information under Section 6 of the Right to Information Act. Respectable Sir, We have gathered information that number prisoners including foreign nationals booked under the Foreigners Act have been perishing in different jails/ correctional homes in West Bengal for years. We came to know that many of them either had been acquitted by the concerned trial court or spent their period of conviction but still they are under detention. Those persons are under detention in custody illegally as Jan Khalas and there is no bona fide approach from any corner towards the release and/or repatriation of those persons till date. A detention becomes unlawful where there is no law to justify it but also where procedure prescribed by law which authorizes the detention has not been followed.

URGENT APPEAL - THE OBSERVATORY:for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders

THE OBSERVATORY: for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders

URGENT APPEAL - THE OBSERVATORY BGD 001 / 0309 / OBS 051 

Death threats Bangladesh March 23, 2009 

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the World Organization against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Bangladesh. 

Description of the situation: The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources, including ODHIKAR, of threats received by Mr. Shahanur Islam Saikot, Secretary General and Executive Director of the Bangladesh Centre for Human Rights and Development (BCHRD), Programme Manager of Legal and Human Rights Affairs at the Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) and Bangladesh Rehabilitation Centre for Trauma Victims (BRCT), as well as a member of the Bangladesh Bar Council and Bar Association in Dhaka District.

URGENT APPEAL: Immediately Ensure the Security of Human Rights Defender; Investigate Cases of Intimidations and Bring the Culprits before the justice.

BANGLADESH INSTITUTE OF HUMAN RIGHTS: URGENT APPEAL PROGRAMME 

URGENT APPEAL CASE: BIHR-IUA-02-03-2009 

DATE: March 22, 2009 ====================================== 

BANGLADESH: Immediately Ensure the Security of Human Rights Defender; Investigate Cases of Intimidations and Bring the Culprits before the justice. ======================================= 

Dear Friends, Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights has been received a fact-finding report conducted by the high level fact-finding team of BIHR regarding to a prominent human rights defender and lawyer in Bangladesh once again received his life threats. He filed General Diary (G.D.) to the concerned police station but no appropriate action has been taken yet even no investigation has been conducted. BIHR urges your immediate intervention to immediately ensure his security as well as investigate this alleged incident credibly and bring the alleged culprits before the justice in accordance with the law. 

FACT FINDING REPORT: A Prominent Human Rights Defender in Bangladesh Once Again Received His Life Threat

Date: March 19, 2009

Fact Finding Case: BIHR-HRD-02-09

Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) has received a fact finding report conducted by a fact-finding team of BIHR from March 18 to 19, 2009 regarding serious threats to Mr. Shahanur Islam Saikot Mr. Shahanur Islam Saikot, Programme Manager of Legal and Human Rights Affairs at the Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) and Bangladesh Rehabilitation Centre for Trauma Victims (BRCT) as well as Member of Bangladesh Bar Council and Dhaka Bar Association by cell phone. According to the information received, there was no action taken by the police authorities.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY:JOINT STATEMENT

Men and Women Must Unite to End Violence Against Women!

Global Human Rights Defence, (GHRD) The Hague-Dhaka, Jabala Action, Calcutta, and Bangladesh Institute for Human Rights (BIHR), and Bangladesh Rehabilitation Centre for Trauma Victims, four NGOs involved in the promotion of women’s rights in India and Bangladesh, have joined forces to raise awareness about the plight of women in South Asia on International Women’s Day 2009. Activities include a radio programme on Bhutanese refugee women’s issues in Nepal, joint press conferences in Dhaka, a ‘human chain’ for mass awareness, and student debates in Dhaka.

JOINT STATEMENT:Men and Women Must Unite to End Violence Against Women!

JOINT STATEMENT by Global Human Rights Defence, (GHRD) Jabala Action (Calcutta) Bangladesh Institute for Human Rights (BIHR), and Bangladesh Rehabilitation Centre for Trauma Victims (BRCT)

The Hague, Calcutta, Dhaka, 8 March 2009

Men and Women Must Unite to End Violence Against Women!

Global Human Rights Defence, (GHRD) The Hague-Dhaka, Jabala Action, Calcutta, a new partner organisation of GHRD, and Bangladesh Institute for Human Rights (BIHR), Bangladesh Rehabilitation Centre for Trauma Victims (BRCT) four NGOs involved in the promotion of women’s rights in India and Bangladesh, have joined forces to raise awareness about the plight of women in South Asia on International Women’s Day 2009.

URGENT APPEAL:Ensure the protection of human rights defender: Shahanur Islam Saikot in Bangladesh

The Hague, March 4 2009

URGENT APPEAL

BANGLADESH: Ensure the protection of human rights defender: Shahanur Islam Saikot.[UA-BA-2009-04.03]

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ISSUES: Threats to human rights defenders; fabrication of charges; impunity

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Dear Friends,

Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD) has received a report conducted by a fact-finding team of Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) regarding serious threats to Shahanur Islam, a human rights defender and lawyer. According to the information received, there was no action taken by the police authorities.

Considering this is not an isolated event, but rather the safety of human rightsdefenders is of major concern in Bangladesh , GHRD strongly urges the newly electedgovernment to use its powers to ensure the protection of human rights defenders andjournalists, to respect the rule of law, end impunity and the arbitrary arrests,torture and killings that constituted the repressive policy of the military caretakergovernment under two years of emergency rule.

URGENT APPEAL: Urge to Ensure the Security and Investigate Cases of Intimidations to Human Rights Defenders.

BANGLADESH INSTITUTE OF HUMAN RIGHTS: URGENT APPEAL PROGRAMME 

URGENT APPEAL CASE: BIHR-IUA-01-03-2009 

DATE: March 04, 2009 ====================================== 

BANGLADESH: Urge to Ensure the Security and Investigate Cases of Intimidations to Human Rights Defenders.

Dear Friends, Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights has been received a fact-finding report conducted by a high level fact-finding team of BIHR regarding to a prominent human rights defender and lawyer in Bangladesh is still under threats his life. He filed more general diary to the concerned police station but no appropriate action has been taken as well as no investigation has been conducted. BIHR urges your immediate intervention to ensure his security to save his life as well as investigate this alleged incident credibly and punishment of the alleged perpetrators in accordance with the law. . 

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.