URGENT APPEAL: to guarantee the safety of Mr. ISLAM by Agir Ensemble pour les Droits de l’Homme, France

 Lyon (France) August 11, 2011

Agir Ensemble pour les Droits de l’Homme (Working Together for Human Rights) has been informed by reliable sources about the ongoing death threats against Mr. Shahanur ISLAM, human rights defender Advocate, who protects minorities in the country. Over the past few years, Mr. ISLAM has been exposed to threats and assault as a result of his work. Human rights defenders are frequently subjected to harassment from authorities in Bangladesh. On January 2011, Adv. ISLAM was attacked during a fact finding mission in Thakurgaon district. He and his two fact-finding officers were physically attacked, threatened and had all their belongings looted. One of the perpetrators
of the January attacks has recently got out of jail custody and is said to be responsible for the death threats Adv. ISLAM is now experiencing.

Ref: BGD/ S.I. / 11.08.11/ VL                          Lyon (France) August 11, 2011

Ms. Sheikh Hasina
Prime Minister
Office of the Prime Minister
Gona Bhaban, Old Sangsad
Bhaban, Tejgaon, Dhaka
Bangladesh

Ms. Prime Minister,

Agir Ensemble pour les Droits de l’Homme (Working Together for Human Rights) has been informed by reliable sources about the ongoing death threats against Mr. Shahanur ISLAM, human rights defender Advocate, who protects minorities in the country. Over the past few years, Mr. ISLAM has been exposed to threats and assault as a result of his work. Human rights defenders are frequently subjected to harassment from authorities in Bangladesh.

On January 2011, Adv. ISLAM was attacked during a fact finding mission in Thakurgaon district. He and his two fact-finding officers were physically attacked, threatened and had all their belongings looted. One of the perpetrators of the January attacks has recently got out of jail custody and is said to be responsible for the death threats Adv. ISLAM is now experiencing.

On July 24, 2011, Advocate Shahanur ISLAM received a phone call from one of the co-accused in a criminal case, threatening death if he did not withdraw his police complaint. The caller was referring to an incident in January 2011. According to Adv. ISLAM, the caller introduced himself as Hamidur Islam of Gorea, one of the co-accused in the January case. Mr Hamidur stated: “You have put me in jail for five months and now I am out of jail on bail. Now I want to see what can you do?” He also said, “You have no idea about our power. So, you had showed your braveness to file case against us after being tortured and losing everything”. He again said, “if you want to be alive, you will withdraw the case by one week, otherwise we know how to compel you to withdraw the case.” He further stated: “One time we left you after a little bit of torture and snatched everything, but if we reach you again, no body will find your dead body”.

Mr Hamidur Islam was recently released from jail custody on bail, after spending five months in jail for his part in the attacks against Adv. ISLAM and his team. Adv. ISLAM has identified Mr Hamidur Islam as his attacker in a police line up in March 2011.

Adv. ISLAM lodged a general diary (GD), notifying the police of these threats, being number 1734, dated 25/07/2011 at Mohammadpur Police Station under Dhaka Metropalitan Police.

Agir Ensemble pour les Droits de l’Homme is very concern about the continuous death threats against
Shahanur ISLAM and exhorts the authorities of Bangladesh to take prompt action to guarantee the security and safety of human rights defender Adv. ISLAM. We urge you to:

1. Take all necessary measures to guarantee the safety of Mr. ISLAM;

2. Order a prompt and independent investigation into these threats and the January attacks, bringing
those responsible to justice;

3. Ensure the respect and protection of the work of human rights defenders throughout the country in
accordance with national laws and international standards;

4. Ensure that the human rights activities of Mr. Islam and other human rights defenders/organizations
may proceed unhindered;

5. Comply with the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the UN GeneralAssembly on December 9 1998, in particular Article 1 and Article 12.2;

Yours sincerely,

André Barthélemy
Chairman

Copies to:

1. Mr. Md. Mozammel Haque, Chief Justice; 
2. Barrister Shafique Ahmed, Ministry of Law, Justice & Parliamentary Affairs; 
3. Ms.Sahara Khatun MP, Ministry of Home Affairs; 
4. Mr. Mahbubey Alam, Attorney General of Bangladesh; 
5. Prof. Mizanur Rahman, National Human Rights Commission; 
6. Mr. Hassan Mahmud Khandker, Inspector General of Police (IGP); 
7. Embassy of Bangladesh in France;
8. Embassy of France in Bangladesh; 
9. Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of Bangladesh