URGENT APPEAL: (Update) Ensure the immediate release and proper treatment of the General Secretary of Bangladesh Awami League

BANGLADESH INSTITUTE OF HUAMAN RIGHTS URGENT APPEAL PROGRAMME 

URGENT APPEAL CASE: (Update) BIHR UA-2007-06-03 

DATE: June 03, 2007 

ISSUE: Arbitrary arrest and detention; abuse of preventive detention under the state of emergency ================================== 

URGENT APPEAL BANGLADESH: Ensure the immediate release and proper treatment of the General Secretary of Bangladesh Awami League. 

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Dear Friends, 

Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) has received updated information of alleged arbitrary arrest and detention under the Special Power Act (SPA), 1974 from Bangladesh. We were informed that Mr. Abdul Jalil, General Secretary of the Bangladesh Awami League party as well as the Former Minister of Trade Affairs, was arbitrarily arrested on 28 May 2007. The victim is currently being detained in preventive detention under section 3(1) of SPA. The BIHR is deeply concerned that political activist is being subjected to arbitrary arrest and detention by the caretaker government after the state of emergency was declared in January 2007.

BIOGRAPHY: 

Name of the Victim : Mr.Abdul Jalil, Organizer of Independent War and Former Trade Minister of Bangladesh 

Address : House #17(Chameli Concord); Road # 55; Gulshan-2, Dhaka, +88-02-8854504, +88-02-8854494 Political Position General Secretary, Bangladesh Awami League 

Date of Arrest : 28 May 2007 Time of Arrest : Around 3:45pm 

Place from Arrest : Head Office, Mercantile Bank LTD, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka. 

FACT: 

The army-led joint forces in a sudden move took Awami League (AL) General Secretary Abdul Jalil, into custody on 28 May.2007. It could not be ascertained immediately where the Awami League General secretary was taken and on what charges he had been taken into the custody of joint forces. Jalil was picked up from his Mercantile Bank office in Motijheel around 3:45pm while he was presiding over an internal meeting of the bank. Thereafter Abdul Jalil was remanded in custody on 29 May ’07, night by a Dhaka court for interrogation about alleged corruption. He was remanded for four days at a crowded court showing arrested under section 16(2) of the Emergency Power Rules. Motijheel police produced AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil before the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Shafique Anwar at 8:15pm with a prayer for seven-day remand on 29 May ‘07. Investigation officer (IO) of the case and Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Motijheel Police Station Nasirul Alam mentioned in the forwarding report that Jalil accumulated a huge amount of wealth and money through corruption being the party general secretary. He had also been delivering provocative statements over the last few days to destabilize the country's political situation. So, he needs to be interrogated in remand. The defense lawyers argued for cancellation of the remand prayer. After hearing both the sides, the court granted a four-day remand for Jalil. 

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: 

After the arrest Abdul Jalil was taken in to remand on 29 May ’07. Abdul Jalil is a sick person. He had to do two times by pass in his heart within last one and half year period. He has other health complications too, such as diabetic, blood pressure etc. Despite of his sickness Abdul Jalil is being indiscriminately tortured in the remand and is compelled to give false statements to discredit Awami League and its leader Sheikh Hasina. 

SUGESTED ACTION: 

Please write to the relevant local authorities and express your deep concern about this case. Please urge the immediate release of the two victims. Please also urge the caretaker government to immediately remove the state of emergency and release the detainees arbitrary arrested during the period of the state of the emergency. PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTER TO:

1. Prof. Iajuddin AhmedPresident People's Republic of BangladeshBangabhaban, Dhaka BANGLADESH, Tel: +880 2 9568041, 7161501/A, 8311202/ 7161503/AFax: +880 2 9566242 or 9566593 

2. Dr. Fakhruddin AhmedChief Adviser Government of the People's Republic of BangladeshOffice of the Chief AdvisorTejgaon, Dhaka BANGLADESH, Tel: +880 2 8828160-79, 9888677Fax: +880 2 8113244 or 3243 or 1015 or 1490 

3. Mr. Sayed J. R. Modassir HossainChief JusticeThe Supreme Court of BangladeshSupreme Court BuildingRamna, Dhaka-1000BANGLADESH, Tel: +880 2 9562792Fax: +880 2 9565058 

4. Mr. Fida M KamalAttorney General of BangladeshOffice of the Attorney GeneralSupreme Court BuildingRamna, Dhaka-1000BANGLADESH, Tel: +880 2 9562868Fax: +880 2 9561568 

5. Barrister Moinul HossainAdviser Ministry of Law, Justice & Parliamentary AffairsBangladesh SecretariatDhaka-1000BANGLADESH, Tel: +88-02-7160627 (O) Fax: +88-02-7168557 (O) 

6. Mr. Nur MohammadInspector General of Police (IGP)Bangladesh PolicePolice Headquarters'Fulbaria, Dhaka-1000BANGLADESHTel: +880 2 9562054 or 7176451 or 7176677 Fax: +880 2 9563362 or 9563363 

Thank you. 

Shahanur Islam 

Advocate 

Urgent Appeals Programme
Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) 

27, Bijoy Nagar, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh

E-mail:saikotbihr@gmail.com; bihr.d@gmail.com 

www.bihrbd.blogspot.com, www.brct.org