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BANGLADESH COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION (COI) REPORT COI Service Date 30 September 2012 BANGLADESH 30 SEPTEMBER 2012 Contents Go to End Please note: Information which has been updated since the last edition of this document is indicated by the use of yellow highlighting. A version of the report without highlighting is available from the UK Border Agency website at http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/policyandlaw/guidance/coi/ Preface REPORTS ON BANGLADESH PUBLISHED OR FIRST ACCESSED BETWEEN 31 AUGUST AND 30 SEPTEMBER 2012 Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY ..................................................................................................................... 1.01 Public holidays ..................................................................................................... 1.06 Maps of Bangladesh............................................................................................... 1.07 Other maps of Bangladesh .................................................................................. 1.07 2. ECONOMY ......................................................................................................................... 2.01 3. HISTORY ........................................................................................................................... 3.01 Pre-independence: 1947- 1971 .............................................................................. 3.01 Post-independence: 1972 - April 2010 ............................................................... 3.02 Government of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, 1972-75 .............................................. 3.02 Government of Ziaur Rahman, 1975-81 .............................................................. 3.03 Government of Hussain Mohammed Ershad, 1982-90 ....................................... 3.04 Government of Khaleda Zia, 1991-96 .................................................................. 3.05 Government of Sheikh Hasina, 1996-2001 .......................................................... 3.06 Government of Khaleda Zia, 2001-2006 .............................................................. 3.07 Caretaker Government and state of emergency, October 2006 -January 2009 . 3.10 Restoring democracy in Bangladesh ................................................................... 3.12 General Election of 29 December 2008 ............................................................... 3.12 Political parties which contested the general election ......................................... 3.13 Results of the general election ............................................................................. 3.15 Reaction to the results ......................................................................................... 3.16 International observer reports .............................................................................. 3.18 Post-election violence .......................................................................................... 3.21 Sheikh Hasina 2009 to May 2010 ....................................................................... 3.22 Local elections ...................................................................................................... 3.24 Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) mutiny .......................................................................... 3.28 War crimes committed in 1971 .............................................................................. 3.35 Trial of murderers of ‘Bangabandhu’ Sheikh Mujibur Rahman ......................... 3.36 War crimes tribunal ................................................................................................ 3.40 Natural catastrophes .............................................................................................. 3.42 4. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS: JANUARY 2011 TO AUGUST 2012 ............................................... 4.01 5. CONSTITUTION ................................................................................................................... 5.01 6. POLITICAL SYSTEM ............................................................................................................ 6.01 Caretaker Government ........................................................................................... 6.05 Local government ................................................................................................... 6.09 Supervision of elections ........................................................................................ 6.11 ii The main text of this COI Report contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 31 August 2012. 30 SEPTEMBER 2012 BANGLADESH Human Rights 7. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 7.01 8. SECURITY FORCES ............................................................................................................. 8.01 Police and paramilitary forces .............................................................................. 8.02 Police Reform Programme ................................................................................... 8.05 Armed forces .......................................................................................................... 8.09 Other government forces ...................................................................................... 8.11 Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) .............................................. 8.11 Human rights violations by the security forces .................................................. 8.12 Arbitrary arrest and detention .............................................................................. 8.12 Torture .................................................................................................................. 8.16 Odhikar Torture Prevention Project ................................................................. 8.20 Extra-judicial killings ............................................................................................. 8.21 Corruption in the law enforcement agencies ....................................................... 8.26 Avenues of complaint ............................................................................................ 8.27 Accountability and impunity .................................................................................. 8.32 9. MILITARY SERVICE ............................................................................................................. 9.01 10. ABUSES BY NON-GOVERNMENT ARMED FORCES ................................................................ 10.01 11. JUDICIARY ....................................................................................................................... 11.01 Organisation ........................................................................................................... 11.04 The Truth Commission ......................................................................................... 11.12 Informal systems of justice: Village Courts and Shalish ...................................... 11.13 Independence ......................................................................................................... 11.14 Fair trial .................................................................................................................... 11.18 Corruption in the Judiciary ................................................................................... 11.22 12. ARREST AND DETENTION – LEGAL RIGHTS ......................................................................... 12.01 Preventive detention and its legislative framework ........................................... 12.01 The Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC): Section 54 .......................................... 12.02 The Special Powers Act (SPA) ............................................................................ 12.03 Pre-trial detention ................................................................................................... 12.07 Bail ........................................................................................................................... 12.08 13. PRISON CONDITIONS ........................................................................................................ 13.01 14. DEATH PENALTY .............................................................................................................. 14.01 15. POLITICAL AFFILIATION .................................................................................................... 15.01 Freedom of political expression ........................................................................... 15.01 Freedom of association and assembly ................................................................ 15.05 Opposition groups and political activists ............................................................ 15.07 Political violence ................................................................................................... 15.07 Charges against, and restrictions on, the main party leaders ............................. 15.09 Student political groups and violence ................................................................. 15.11 16. FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MEDIA ..................................................................................... 16.01 Journalists .............................................................................................................. 16.07 17. HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS,