Urgent Appeal Case : The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Amarasinghege Priyantha Samanthilake was severely tortured by police officer P.C 51752 Jayasiri who is attached to the Negambo Police Station. On 27 April 2013, at about 9.30 am, Samanthilake was returning home after taking his daughter to her tuition class. Police Constable (PC) Jayasiri and two other unknown people in civilian dress arrived on two motorbikes. Without any explanation they beat him brutally and damaged his motorbike before leaving. Samanthilake went to the Negambo Police Station and made a complaint under the number of CIB I 269/ 554. Following his complaint PC Jayasiri threatened him saying that Samanthilake had done something and warned him to be careful or he would face bigger problems. This case is yet another illustration of the exceptional collapse of the rule of law in the country. Read More...

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Statement : Bangladesh has been ruled alternately by two women for more than two decades. Both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition are women, and the posts have been held by women since the 1990s. The country's parliament has more than sixty female members and several of them are members of the cabinet. There are a considerable number of women serving in the civil service, judiciary, police, military and local government institutions today. The mere fact that there are a considerable number of woman employed in these institutions is used by the government to create a false impression that women are empowered in the country. Read More...

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