Reff: UA /BIHR/FF/Dianjpur/19/10/10-36 October 19, 2010
To
Mrs. Sheikh Hasina
Prime Minister
Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh
Office of the Prime Minister
Tejgaon, Dhaka
BANGLADESH
Subject: Seeking justice through proper investigation regarding the incident of rape, traditional arbitration and extra judicial punishments of the indigenous child
Dear Sir,
Greetings from Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights (BIHR)
The Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights (BIHR), established on the realization of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) has been dedicated to protect and promote human rights in Bangladesh from its inauguration.
The news headed “Attack on Indigenous People in Naogaon :'Land grabbers' still issuing threats: Two cases filed, none yet to be arrested” was published the daily Star on 30 September 2010. The news came to knowledge at the concern authority of Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) and a fact-finding mission has been conducted by a team of Bangladesh BIHR & GHRD comprising Md. Ehsanul Haque, Coordinator, TFT, Naogaon and Adv. Shahanur Islam Saikot, Executive Director, BIHR from 9th to 11th October, 2010.
On the 2nd and 3rd September 2010,GHRD together with Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) investigated the case of a 15-year old Christian minority girl who suffered multiple violations including rape, beatings, threats as well as extra judicial punishments in a village arbitration. Ostracised by her own community, she was lured away by two men to the capital where she was locked up, beaten and raped for almost a a week.
There are 534 cases of death reference under trial in High Court of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh. These cases are waiting for final judgment after verdict of death sentence given by lower court due to lengthiness of judicial procedure. Though the many cases are prepared for hearing of death reference, due to various hidden causes it is not been possible to make hearing due to resulting jam of cases before the higher court which create unbearable suffering to the people. In spite of being speedy trial of sensitive cases in lower court, it becomes held up in higher court for judgment. The need would be to make speedy trial of these cases, with the increased bench of death confirmation in High Court.