Human Rights Report 2011 HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2011 Odhikar Report on Bangladesh January 07, 2012 Page | 1 Human Rights Report 2011 Table of Contents INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 6 CHAPTER I: CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS ............................................................................................. 11 Freedom of thought and speech: Media .......................................................................................... 11 Freedom of Assembly ....................................................................................................................... 16 Right to Information ......................................................................................................................... 19 Human rights defenders at risk ........................................................................................................ 19 Ethnic & Religious Discriminations ................................................................................................... 20 Ethnic Minorities .......................................................................................................................... 20 Religious Minorities .....................................................................................................................23 Fair Trial ............................................................................................................................................ 25 ‘Politically motivated’ cases ......................................................................................................... 25 President’s clemency for persons accused of murder ................................................................. 26 Protecting ‘party’ criminals .......................................................................................................... 27 Autopsy Discrepancies .................................................................................................................29 BDR Mutiny Trial Verdict ............................................................................................................. 30 Anti‐Terrorism Act, 2009 .................................................................................................................. 32 Local Government and Elections – The Gateway to Democracy ...................................................... 34 Parliamentary By‐elections ............................................................................................................... 35 Municipality Elections ....................................................................................................................... 36 Rajshahi‐Rangpur Division ............................................................................................................ 37 Khulna‐Barisal Division ................................................................................................................. 37 Dhaka Division .............................................................................................................................. 38 Chittagong‐Sylhet Division ........................................................................................................... 38 Union Parishad Elections .................................................................................................................. 40 Page | 2 Human Rights Report 2011 Narayanganj City Corporation Election ............................................................................................ 41 Appointment of Local Government Administrator .......................................................................... 43 Zila Parishad ................................................................................................................................. 44 Dhaka City Corporation (DCC): ..................................................................................................... 44 CHAPTER II: VIOLENCE BY POLITICAL PARTIES .................................................................... 46 Political Violence .............................................................................................................................. 46 Hartal (General Strike) ...................................................................................................................... 51 Section 144 of the Code Criminal Procedure ................................................................................... 56 CHAPTER III: RIGHT TO LIFE ................................................................................................................... 58 Extra judicial killings ......................................................................................................................... 58 Crossfire/encounter/gun fight: ......................................................................................................... 62 Death due to Torture ........................................................................................................................ 65 Shooting ............................................................................................................................................ 67 Identities of the deceased ................................................................................................................ 67 Custodial death ................................................................................................................................. 68 Custodial death of Supreme Court Advocate Momtaz Uddin Ahmed ............................................. 70 Public Lynching ................................................................................................................................. 70 Death penalty ................................................................................................................................... 73 Enforced Disappearances ................................................................................................................. 75 CHAPTER IV: TORTURE & OTHER CRUEL, INHUMAN AND DEGRADING TREATMENT .......................... 79 Torture .............................................................................................................................................. 79 RAB shooting of Limon Hossain ........................................................................................................ 84 RAB harasses father for filing a case ................................................................................................ 86 Prison Conditions .............................................................................................................................. 87 CHAPTER V: BANGLADESH –INDIA RELATIONS .................................................................................... 90 State of affairs between Bangladesh‐India ...................................................................................... 90 Page | 3 Human Rights Report 2011 Bangladesh‐India joint land survey .................................................................................................. 95 Tin Bigha Corridor ............................................................................................................................. 96 Tipaimukh Dam ................................................................................................................................. 96 Bangladesh‐India collaboration of repression .................................................................................. 98 CHAPTER VI: LIVELIHOOD RIGHTS ....................................................................................................... 100 Workers’ Rights .............................................................................................................................. 100 Safety of ready‐made garment factories ........................................................................................ 102 Ready‐made garments factory workers ......................................................................................... 102 Cases filed against the Trade Union Leaders .................................................................................. 104 CHAPTER VII: MIGRANT WORKER’S RIGHTS ....................................................................................... 105 Patterns and Trends ....................................................................................................................... 105 Remittances .................................................................................................................................... 105 Libyan Issue .................................................................................................................................... 105 Redress of Complaints .................................................................................................................... 106 Beheading of Workers in Saudi Arabia ........................................................................................... 107 CHAPTER VIII: VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ....................................................................................... 109 Domestic Violence .......................................................................................................................... 109 Sexual harassment and stalking ....................................................................................................