1 Bangladesh

Bangladesh – Researched and compiled by the Refugee Documentation Centre of Ireland on 7 November 2014

Are there any recent reports on the treatment of members of the Bangladesh Ehataro Shibir in Bangladesh?

No references to a political party called Ehataro Shibir in Bangladesh were found among sources available to the Research and Information Unit.

The nearest match to a group of this name is Islami Chhatra Shibir, which is described in an undated document published by the South Asia Terrorism Portal as follows:

“The Islami Chhatra Shibir is the student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, which came into existence in 1941.” (South Asia Terrorism Portal (undated) Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS))

In a paragraph headed “Objective” this document states:

“According to the outfit, its objectives are to struggle for changing the existing system of education on the basis of Islamic values, to inspire students to acquire Islamic knowledge and to prepare them to take part in the struggle for establishing Islamic way of life. A significant aim of the outfit is to establish an Afghanistan-Taliban type Islamist regime in Bangladesh. Consequently, the outfit is opposed to forces of modernization, secularism and democracy.” (ibid)

Please see attached South Asia Terrorism Portal document for a list of incidents during 2014 which allegedly involved Islami Chhatra Shibir.

An article from the English-language Bangladeshi newspaper Daily Star states:

“A Dhaka court yesterday framed charges against 154 leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir in a case filed in connection with torching, vandalising vehicles and attacking police personnel in the capital last year. Metropolitan Magistrate Tareq Mainul Islam Bhuiyan of Speedy Trial Court-6 also fixed October 12 to start the trial in the case. However, 62 of the accused including, Shibir president Delwar Hossain Sayeedi and Jamaat Assistant General Secretary Dr Shafiqul Islam Masud, pleaded innocence. Currently, Delwar and Masud are in police custody while the 60 others are on bail.” (Daily Star (27 August 2014) 154 Jamaat, Shibir men face trial)

See also Daily Star article which states:

“At least 15 Chittagong University teachers were injured when activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir attacked two university buses with guns and crude bombs at Chharahpul of Hathazari upazila yesterday.” (The Daily Star (11 September 2014) CU teachers' buses attacked: 15 hurt)

This article also states:

“Police arrested five Shibir activists -- Md Akteruzzaman, 22, Sabbir Hawladar, 22, Md Yusuf, 23, Imran Ali, 25 and Md Tauhid, 23 -- in Chhararkul and Fatehabad areas of Hathazari. All of them are students of the university. Officer-in-Charge Md Ismail of Hathazari Police Station said two of them were arrested at the spot and the rest from the nearby student messes. Md Shahidullah, additional superintendent of police, Chittagong north, claimed that two of the arrestees had admitted to taking part in the attack.” (ibid)

See also report on this incident from the English-language Bangladeshi The New Nation which states:

“At least 15 persons, including 11 teachers - four of them females -- of Chittagong University were injured when activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir hurled crude bombs at two varsity buses in Chittagong on Wednesday. The Shibir men also pelted stones and vandalised the buses after the bomb attack. They were allegedly trying to foil the scheduled meeting of the syndicate by creating disturbance. Police arrested 25 Shibir activists on charge of attacking the teachers' buses after conducting massive raid in the area. Witnesses said the incident took place in Chhararpool area of Fateyabad under Hathazari upazila. The protesters of Islami Chhatra Shibir, who have been observing indefinite strikes on the campus under the banner of general students, hurled crude bombs and vandalised the buses carrying the teachers from Chittagong city to the university. The injured were admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital [CMCH] while condition of two teachers was stared to be critical.” (The New Nation (11 September 2014) Bomb attack on CU teachers' buses)

An article from the English-language Bangladeshi newspaper The Financial Express states:

“Police arrested a dozen Jamaat-Shibir men in Gazipur for arson attack on railways and blasting bombs during the 1st phase of nationwide 2-day shutdown on Thursday. Police and witnesses said, the activists of Jamaat-e- Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir set fire on a pile of cotton on railway tracks near Joydebpur Rail Station in Gazipur Sadar Upazila around 7:30am. A section of the railway tracks were damaged due to the arson attack.” (The Financial Express (18 September 2014) Arson attack on railways in Gazipur, blasts at police station)

A report from the Bangladeshi private sector news agency United News of Bangladesh states:

“Four cases have been filed against some 550 leaders and activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir in connection with Thursday's clashes between police and them at Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (Ruet). Sub- inspector Masud Rana of Matihar Police Station filed two cases against 31 named and 250 unnamed Shibir men on Thursday night for attacking the law

enforcers and obstructing them from performing duties, said Alamgir Hossain, officer-in-charge of the police station. Rashjahi University unit Shibir president Ashraful Alam and Ruet unit president Hasan Ahmed were among the accused.” (United News of Bangladesh (19 September 2014) 550 Shibir men sued over Ruet clashes)

A news release from the official Bangladesh Government News agency (BSS) states:

“District police arrested 35 leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir from different areas under Satkania and Lohagara upazilas of the district on Thursday night. Separate teams of Satkania and Lohagara police in an overnight drive arrested 19 of them from Satkania upazila while the rest 16 were arrested from different areas of Lohagara upazila.” (Bangladesh Government News (BSS) (27 September 2014) 35 Jamaat-Shibir men held in Ctg)

An article from The New Nation states:

“The administration of Chittagong University has suspended five activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir, student wing of Jamat-e-Islami, on charge of their involvement in a bomb attack on the faculty-carried busses on September 10, which left 11 teachers, among others, injured.” (The New Nation (2 October 2014) 5 Shibirmen sued for attack on CU bus)

A BSS news release states:

“Police arrested 18 activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS) including two leaders from an abandoned house in Tantkura area under Gouripur upazila of the district this afternoon. The arrested leaders are Billal Hossain and Aminul Islam, president and secretary of Islami Chhatra Shibir Gouripur upazila unit, police said.” (Bangladesh Government News (BSS) (16 October 2014) 18 ICS activists arrested in Mymensingh)

A United News of Bangladesh report states:

“Police arrested 10 activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, from Rupatali area of the city on Friday noon. Sakhawat Hossain, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station, said they arrested the Shibir men while they were holding a clandestine meeting at a mess owned by Mizanur Rahman in the area.” (United News of Bangladesh (24 October 2014) 10 Shibir men held in Barisal)

An article from The New Nation states:

“Activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir locked into clashes with police across the country after the ICT verdict awarded Jamaat chief Motiur Rahamn Nizami death sentence for committing crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971.The clashes occurred in capital Dhaka, Rajshahi, Chittagong, Sylhet, Khulana, Rangpur, Barisal, Bogra, Pabna, Jhenaidah, Satkhira, Nilphamri, Joypurhat, Noakhali, Chuadanga, Habiganj, Sherpur, Mymensingh after the pronouncement of verdict on Wednesday noon. The activists of Jamaat and Shibir brought out violent processions and demanded Nizami's acquittal from all the charges.

The Jamaat-Shibir men hurled cocktail and threw brickbats at law enforcing agencies during their protest prompting the police and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel to charge batons, lob tear gas shells and fire rubber bullet to bring the situation under control. The actions of law enforcing agencies left over 130 Jamaat-Shibir members injured during the clashes. The law enforcing agencies also arrested over 1,000 Jamaat, Shibir, Chhatra Dal and BNP men on Tuesday night and Wednesday.” (The New Nation (30 October 2014) 1000 held, 130 injured)

A BSS News release states:

“Acting on secret information, a police team led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (Circle) Adibul Islam raided a hostel -Janata- and seized identity cards, report books, CD, receipt, `jihadi' books, banners and leaflets, Officer- in-Charge of Aditmari Police Station Kafil Uddin said. He said the law enforcers also arrested Shibir leaders and activists during the raid. The arrested Shibir activists were trying to create anarchy at the hostel, ASP Adibul said.” (Bangladesh Government News (BSS) (31 October 2014) Nine Shibir men held in Lalmonirhat with jihadi books)