GLOBAL HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENCE-GHRD
Case number: BA-HRD-02.06.2009
Country: Bangladesh
Last name: Islam
First name: Shahanur
Type of Violation:
Submitted to: United Nations Special Procedures Division – Human Rights Defenders
Date of Submission to the UN: 16 May 2008
GHRD Contact: Jenny Lundström, Roger Lloret Blackburn
1. Identity of the victim:
Name: Shahanur Islam Saikot
Position: Secretary General and Executive Director of the Bangladesh Centre for Human Rights and Development, Coordinator of Centre for Human Rights Fact Finding & Research, Programme Officer of Legal and Human Rights Affairs at the Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights and Bangladesh Rehabilitation Centre for Trauma Victims, as well as a member of the Bangladesh Bar Council and Bar Association in Dhaka District.
Citizenship: Bangladeshi
Work address: Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights,
27 Bijoy Nagar
Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh
2. Date and place of event:
Date: 28 April at about 3 p.m.
Location: In front of court chief judicial magistrate court ground in Shariyatpur District.
3. Alleged perpetrator(s):
Mr. Anis, Member of the Rapid Action Battalion in Madaripur, and other unidentified group of around 7 members of the Rapid Action Battalion.
5. Case Summary
On the evening of the 24th of May of 2009, Mr. Shahanur Islam went to Shariyatpur district to file a case against 16 persons accused, including 7 members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)-08 of Madaripur Zone, on charge of murder by torturing during the state of emergency under section 302, 109, 34 and 506 of Penal Code with the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in Shariyapur district when some of the law-enforcing agencies men wearing civil dress were following him continuously.
On the 25th of May of 2009, at around at 11.00 a.m, when Mr. Islam was to submit the complaint to the Court when one of the accused, the Rapid Action Battalion member Mr. Anis clothed in civil dress, came before the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court and tried to pursue Mr. Islam to withdraw the complaint through intimidation and pressure. After completing the hearing the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Shariyatpur took the case as acknowledged and ordered the Officer in Charge of Palang Police station to file the allegation as First Information Report, being the first civil case brought against the Rapid Action Battalion.
At around at 1.30 p.m. of the same day when Mr. Islam came out from the court building, Mr. Anis, member of RAB tried to interfere in the way of Mr. Islam and again intimidated him. He repeatedly gave threats to Mr. Islam to withdraw the case unless he paid more for it, while stating that no-one can save him from facing an upcoming suffering if Mr. Islam tried to go ahead in regard to the case. After this Mr. Anis left.
Then again, at around 6.00 p.m. of the same day, Mr. Anis along with other 7 or 8 RAB members from RAB-8, Matheripur, wearing civil clothing, asked some of the local people about the whereabouts of Mr. Islam. They also went to the Reporters Unit Office of Shariyatpur District and looked for Mr. Islam while asking some of the journalists questions about Mr. Islam.
On May 26th of 2009, at around 11 a.m. the RAB team led by Mr. Anis entered the Court grounds and Reporters Unity Office looking for Mr. Islam and also asked the local people and journalists to inform about him with alleged pressures. Mr. Shahanur Islam fears that at any time the RAB men can arrest him and torture him. He also fears that they themselves or a third party can kidnap him. Continuous threats increase these fears, and concerns of impunity of his case and those that he represents arise while considering the insufficient protection and prosecution.
End of communication as of: 27 May 2009
Submitted to: United Nations Special Procedures Division – Human Rights Defenders
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