BANGLADESH: Men and women take to streets demanding the arrest of eye-gouger Major Mustafizur and his aides

(Hong Kong, May 4, 2011) Hundreds of men, women and children at Paikgachha have taken to streets demanding arrest of eye-gouger Mustafizur Rahman Bokul, a major in the Bangladesh army, and his aides for gouging eyes of human rights defender FMA Razzak and his brother Bodiuzzaman Bodiar. They spontaneously participated in a procession in protest of deadly attack on FMA Razzak and his brother Bodiar by army major Bokul’s family. The procession carried banner titled: “People’s enraged demonstration in protest of mysterious role of administration on gouging two eyes and fracturing hands and legs of newspaper editor and human rights defender FMA Razzak and his brother Bodiar”. 


Photo Caption- People’s Spontaneous Protest against Major Bokul’s Brutality 

The procession demanded the arrest of the mastermind of the deadly attack major Mustafizur Rahman Bokul , his brother Mokhlesur Rahman Kazal (mostly known as Kazal Sarder) and all other perpetrators. The speakers demanded the removal of the police officers including the Officer-in-Charge (OC) Enamul Haque and other Sub Inspectors for assisting the perpetrators for the last two and half months to commit this latest heinous crime. 

One of the speakers and co-organisers of the people’s protest Mr. Mohammad Shahjahan Sharder, a Renowned Freedom Fighter, told the Asian Human Rights Commission that, “I fought against the barbaric Pakistani military and their collaborators as a Freedom Fighter in 1971. Now I am ready to fight the perpetrators like major Bokul and his aides for their mediaeval brutality on Razzak and his family.” He said, “The citizens of Paikgachha demand immediate arrest of all the criminals including the army major Bokul and Navy officer Shafik”. 

Meanwhile, the journalists of Khulna have repeatedly refused to allow the eye-gougers to hold a press conference in the press club of Khulna for the second time today. The local journalists of Khulna told the AHRC that the key culprits led by Mokhlesur Rahman Kazal, bother of major Bokul, went to the Khulna press club to hold a press conference. The journalist community straight refused to attend any press conference organised by the attackers. Following repeated requests from Kazal the journalist leaders strongly refused to listen and asked, “Why do you pretend to be so polite to speak before journalists after gouging eyes of our colleague?” 

The journalists criticised the role of the law-enforcing agencies that have not yet initiated any investigation into the deadly attacks on FMA Razzak. They demanded immediate arrest of the eye-gougers who are freely moving in front of law-enforcing agents.