Hotline Newsletter (Bi-monthly Newsletter) 177th Issue Feb.-Mar. 2012 Editorial RAB needs Human Rights Training Bangladesh has been going through a trauma of extra- The six so-called muggers killed in Narsingdi by Rab judicial killings by the elite force members of RAB since raised serious questions. Challenging Rab’s version, the 2004. It was started during the BNP-Jamaat four-party victims’ relatives maintained that none of the victims were alliance. The purpose of this newly formed elite force muggers. Whatever the truth, the very method of Rab’s was to eradicate the country from all terrors and muggers. killing is simply unacceptable because it is against the Up to now this elite force has killed over two thousand norms of civilized law and harks back to the days when people, of whom most are claimed to be innocent by their the law of the jungle prevailed. Even if they were real relatives. During that time the present party in power, muggers, why would they be killed at all? As per the the, Awami League was in the opposition and they were constitution and the UN Declaration of Human Rights very much against such extra-judicial killings. Awami everyone has the right to life. Under what legal authority League was also against the corruption of BNP-Jamaat are suspected ‘criminals’ or ‘muggers’, on a tip-off from and their mismanagement of power and money. an unidentified businessman, such such a murderous Today corruption has become a way of life for the assault be perpetrated in broad daylight by law enforcers? citizens of Bangladesh, irrespective of their socio- In the meantime, the law enforcers failed to find out the economic background. Corruption is like a plague in whereabouts of the businessman who tipped-off Rab about Bangladesh since independence. It is ranked as one of the alleged muggers. Rab authority could only name the the most corrupt countries in the world by Transparency businessman as Maruf Hossain who informed Rab of the International for several years in a row. mugging of Tk 40,000 from him in Shalikha area. But this Due to extra-judicial killings and the increase of Maruf could not be traced or contacted over the cellphone corruption in mostly every sector and for continued which was found switched off. violation of human rights, the US State Department and Law provides that no one can be termed a criminal, let the Commission on Religious Freedom has kept alone shot at and killed, until and unless their guilt is proven Bangladesh on its strict watch list. It is really brutal to in a court of law. From Rab’s version it is evident that the see RAB killing people without any justification, only on muggers were fleeing in a microbus with the snatched suspicion. RAB claims the victims are “criminal” but the money when Rab gave them the chase. As law enforcers, relatives claim that they are not even listed at their local did they shoot to puncture the tyres? Rab did not take thanas for any crime. Police denies having any complaints any such action, rather they fired and killed six people against the victims at their thanas. claiming that they did so in self defence. Six alleged ‘muggers’ were killed and three others injured The relatives of Narsingdi victims said that none were in a gunfight between Rapid Action Battalion and the gang muggers, two were students who just finished their SSC fleeing after mugging a businessman in Narsingdi on 2 exams from local high schools. Police said there was no April. On the same day another ‘criminal’ had been killed complaint against them. The injured victims said they were in Mirpur, Dhaka City in a “shootout” between RAB and put in a trap and were attacked. Rab men say, ‘There is his accomplices. Lt. Col Abu Hena Md. Mustafa, no chance of justifying who is a student or what profession Narsingdi district commanding officer of RAB-11, said they hold. The police in Narsingdi Model Sadar thana the muggers were fleeing in a microbus after snatching said there is no complaint against two victims. Four victims Tk 40.000 from a businessman at Bridge No. 5 on have complaints against them but are very trifling, such Narsingdi-Madanganj road. He however did not disclose as quarrel over disputed lands and one had an arms case. the identity of the businessman at first on “safety Dr. Mizanur Rahman, Chairman of the National Human grounds”.He said the businessman called the RAB office Rights Commission, expressed his desire to prove the from his cellphone to inform the incident. Chased, the deaths of the six men. He said, any extra-judicial killing is snatchers opened fire on the Rab men to make an escape, unacceptable in a democratic and civil society and is a prompting the force to fire back. But Abu Hena said, at threat to justice and the rule of law. He asked the question: one stage of the gunfight, the microbus of the muggers in “Why are they all shot dead? Is there something wrong stopped and four of them tried to run away with the with their training?” The home minister accepts the money, shooting at the Rab men. When the gun fight was version of Rab, stating that they have the right to defend over around 4 p.m. four of the muggers were found dead themselves when attacked by the criminals. This ruling on the ground and two, including the driver, were dead party when in opposition in the near past, declared that inside the microbus, said the Rab official. they would not use the law enforcing agencies for party In the other incident in Mirpur, the victim was identified interests. as Md. Momin alias Lengra Monim (32) from The civil society, human rights organisations at home Brahmanbaria. The OC of Kafrul said that Momin had and abroad have condemned such extra-judicial killing eight cases filed against him for crimes, including extortion for years. But the government is silent about it. We hope and murder (but no journalists are ever shown such a that the government will at least appoint impartial persons list0. In this incident the same old story is made up by the to investigate these two incidents, especially the injured Rab men. In this case the exception is that the Rab men ones, to make justice apparent to the familie as well as took Momin to DMCH, where he was declared dead. to the civil society. Hotline - 2 Vested property return process therefore speed or try to get ahead up with iron rods for protesting Land Secretary Md Muklesur of others. Also, many people try to stalking of college girls. Rahman at a workshop on walk across busy roads instead of “Implementation of the Vested using foot-bridges, even nearby ones. Police sued for death Property Return Act” on Feb. 2 said Illegal occupation of sidewalks, too, Nine policemen and three doctors that the misdeeds of assistant forces people to walk in the roads at were sued in a Rajshahi District court commissioners (LAND) throughout risk. on Feb. 7. The charge is killing a the country have ruined the reputation Jamaat activist on Jan. 30 in street of the Department. The issue has Fake doctor for 25 years violence. His wife filed the complaint. been neglected over the years and has Mosharraf Hossain (52) is said to The doctors are charged with giving become a “national responsibility.” He have a master’s degree in philosophy. a false autopsy report. Some 250 directed the officials concerned to He succeeded his father in the police were also accused in the case submit an accurate list of vested practice of medicine, neither of them and the BNP city president was property this month. [The Bill was with a medical degree. He has named the chief witness. passed last year but millions of acres practiced as a specialist for more of minority land have been illegally than 25 years and did surgery for Two students killed at CU snatched since 1974, mainly by piles, fistula and anal-fissure Two Chittagong University students members of the party in power, and complexities. His main chamber is were killed on Feb. 8 and about 40 therefore there is little hope that much near the Dhaka Medical College injured in a pitched battles on campus of the vested property will ever be Hospital and there are two other between armed groups of Shibir and restored to its original owners.] chambers in Dhaka and Chittagong. the Chhatra League activists. Shibir On an average, he earned as much claimed both victims as theirs but Stocks still falling as Tk 10,000 per day. He was Chhatra League claimed one. One A steady fall in share prices brought arrested and sent to jail on Feb. 1. dead, a student of English, Masud bin the index below 4,000 points for the Habib, was general secretary of first time in 27 months on Feb. 1. The Plan for coal-fired power Suhrawardy Hall. Shibir called a half- day’s loss was more than 6 per cent. Government has prepared a mega- day hartal on Feb. 9 in Chittagong. A meeting between the SEC and plan to set up within a few years The university was shut down until investors the previous day failed to about 10 coal-based power plants Feb. 16. satisfy the hopes of those who with a capacity of about 7,000 expected the market to become megawatts. The plants would run on 2 killed in tea garden battle stabilized.