HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2014 ON BANGLADESH In countries like Bangladesh, where democratic transformation remains unaccomplished, the human rights movement is directly constitutive of democracy. Constituting the state on the principles of human rights, particularly to respect, defend and protect the values of life and related spiritual and material embodiments, are what determine the future trajectory of the people in an increasingly competitive global economic world and the system of states. Odhikar defends the dignity, freedom and rights of the people as human beings as well as citizens; consistent with declarations, covenants, protocols and principles of human rights. Odhikar unconditionally stands for the victim and acts to bring offenders to justice. We investigate (through fact-finding missions), expose and analyse human rights violations and hold abusers accountable. Odhikar considers dignity, rights and duties as historically achieved global consciousness without essentialising human rights as abstract international laws. Educating and organising oppressed people to stand against inequality, injustice and discrimination is a necessary condition for peace and stability for all, both individually and collectively Odhikar considers the human rights movement in Bangladesh as constitutive of democracy and integral to the just struggle of the people of Bangladesh to have a democratic constitution; and a state corresponding to it. 2 | ANNUAL HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2014 CONTENTS Contents...........................................................................................................................................3 INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................7 CHAPTER I: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.....................................................................................10 Civil and Political Rights............................................................................11 Election...................................................................................................11 Political Violence.....................................................................................12 Media......................................................................................................12 Extrajudicial Killings and Enforced Disappearance.................................13 Border Killings.........................................................................................14 Public Lynching.......................................................................................14 Workers Rights........................................................................................14 Situation of Minority Communities..........................................................15 Violence Against Women........................................................................16 CHAPTER II: INCREASED RISKS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS............................17 Suppressing Human Rights Defenders: Case of Odhikar...........................17 The NGO Affairs Bureau: used as a tool of harassment..........................18 Anti-Corruption Commission: bias investigations....................................19 Human rights defenders harassed by DB police.....................................20 Adilur Rahman Khan, Secretary of Odhikar interrogated........................21 Attempt to kidnap Mohammad Nur Khan of ASK....................................21 The Cabinet approves the draft Foreign Donations (Voluntary Activities) Regulation Act, 2014...............................................................................22 Man arrested for speaking at Odhikar’s meeting....................................22 CHAPTER III: CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS.....................................................................24 Freedom of thought, speech and expression............................................24 Violations to freedom of expression and media......................................24 Amar Desh Acting Editor and his treatment in Jail..................................25 Police attempt New Age office search: intimidation to objective journalism...............................................................................................26 ICT sentences David Bergman for Contempt of Court............................27 Attacks on journalists..............................................................................27 3 | ANNUAL HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2014 The attitude of the government towards freedom of association, assembly and expression........................................................................................29 Freedom of Assembly................................................................................29 Body of Dr. Piash Karim barred from Shahid Minar.................................32 Freedom of Association.............................................................................33 Attack on folk singer for singing in public meeting.................................33 Repressive Policy, Laws and Sedition Cases..............................................33 Communication technology under surveillance......................................33 The Cabinet approves the National Broadcasting Policy 2014................33 Arrests under the Special Powers Act 1974............................................34 Information and Communication Technology Act 2006 (Amended in 2009, 2013)............................................................................................36 Sedition cases...........................................................................................38 Rights of Minority Communities................................................................39 Rights of the ethnic minority communities.............................................39 Table: Violence against ethnic minority communities (January – December 2014)............................................................................................................... 42 Violence against religious minority communities....................................43 Table: Violence against religious minority communities (January - December 2014)............................................................................................................... 44 Table: Harm to the property of religious minority citizens 2014......................45 Violence against the Dalit community....................................................48 Attack on ‘Bihari Camp at Mirpur: 10 persons died due to fire and gunshots.................................................................................................48 Fair trial.....................................................................................................50 International Crimes Tribunal (ICT).........................................................50 CHAPTER IV: VIOLENCE BY POLITICAL PARTIES..............................................................52 Violence related to the Caretaker Government Issue................................52 The Upazilla Parishad Elections 2014........................................................59 The first phase of elections.....................................................................59 The second phase of elections................................................................59 The third phase of elections....................................................................60 4 | ANNUAL HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2014 The fourth phase of elections.................................................................61 The fifth phase of elections.....................................................................61 The sixth phase of elections...................................................................62 By-election in Narayanganj-5 constituency............................................62 CHAPTER V: ALLEGATIONS OF ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCE.......................................64 Some incidents:......................................................................................66 CHAPTER VI: EXTRAJUDICIAL KILLINGS...........................................................................70 Types of deaths.........................................................................................72 Crossfire/encounter/gun fight:................................................................72 Death due to torture:..............................................................................72 Shot and killed:.......................................................................................72 Beaten to death:.....................................................................................72 Identities of the deceased:.....................................................................72 Some incidents of extrajudicial killings:..................................................73 Public Lynching.......................................................................................76 CHAPTER VII: TORTURE AND OTHER CRUEL, INHUMAN OR DEGRADING TREATMENT OR PUNISHMENT..............................................................................................78 Torture and inhuman or degrading treatment...........................................78 Preventing acts of torture.......................................................................79 Torture in custody...................................................................................80 Lack of accountability of law enforcement agencies.................................83 Many people became