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BANGLADESH: Opposition party political activist violently attacked by members of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party

March 14, 2006

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ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION – URGENT APPEALS PROGRAMME

Urgent Appeal

14 March 2006
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UA-088-2006: BANGLADESH: Opposition party political activist violently attacked by members of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party

BANGLADESH: Torture; political conflict; police inaction and misconduct
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Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the brutal attacks on opposition party activist, Mr. Zahirul Islam Litu, by members of the youth wing of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Mr Litu is a 35-year-old visually impaired fishery worker and Joba League worker. On 4 January 2006, Mr. Akteruzzaman Rikto and other armed members of the BNP allegedly threatened to kill Litu and proceeded to cut major veins in his legs and three of his fingers after demanding that Litu pay Taka 10,000 (USD $ 150) to enter his own fishery area in the Bagerhat district.  Witnesses allege that police were nearby during the incident but idly waited until the perpetrators had left the scene before intervening. Doctors claim that Litu will no longer be able to walk and continue his work at the fishery. A case was filed against the alleged perpetrators with the Bagerhat Sadar police on 11 January 2006. However, no one has been arrested in regards to this case and the victim has been threatened by the alleged perpetrators to withdraw the case.

Mr. Akteruzzaman Rikto and several other members of the Jatiatabadi Jubo Dall (the youth wing of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party) attacked Mr. Zahirul Islam Litu, Convener of Bamorta Union Council unit of the Awami Jubo League, the youth section of the opposition political party Bangladesh Awami League, while Litu was at work at his fishery project in Bagerhat district. They pushed Litu into a pond and although blind, Litu was able to survive by swimming to safety. Rikto and his associates decided to seek revenge after Litu's brother complained about this incident.

On 4 January 2006, Rikto and his group members returned to Litu's fishery area in front of Baitpur Badamtola School with arms and other weapons and demanded that Litu pay Taka 10,000 to enter his own workplace. After Litu refused to pay, Rikto's group lambasted Litu with death threats, surrounded him, and proceeded to violently attack him. They punched Litu's face, and dealt blows to his lands and legs with sharp weapons. Litu sustained major injuries to his legs and hands. The perpetrators left the scene believing Litu's motionless body to be dead.

We have received information that police, who were on duty and nearby during the incident, idly waited until the perpetrators had left the scene and did not come to Litu's aid or make any attempt to arrest the attackers. It is believed that because the perpetrators are members of the ruling BNP, they were spared arrest.

Witnesses brought Litu's body to the Bagerhat Sadar Hospital where doctors referred him to the orthopaedic hospital in Khulna for more appropriate treatment. Litu is currently being treated at the Khulna Pongu Hospital and physicians say that the veins in his leg had been severed in such a way that he will not be able to walk again. Moreover, with three of his fingers missing, he will not be able to continue his previous work and will need long-term treatment.

On 11 January 2006, Litu's younger brother Oaliur Rahman Lipu filed a case (number 21) with the Bagerhat Sadar police against the alleged perpetrators. The Bagerhat police have not yet arrested any person in regards to this case and the alleged perpetrators have intimidated the victim and his family to withdraw the charges. Police Sub Inspector Mr. Abdul Malek, Investigating Officer of this incident, reports that a Mizan Fakir has lodged a counter-case (number 22) against Litu in regards to the same incident. Fakir claims that Litu was part of a plot to kill his father and this attack on Litu was an attempt to prevent their plans.

Litu's family is currently fearful for their own lives and the police have been uncooperative with them. Although the police have claimed that they will not show favouritism to any of the parties involved, no action has been taken to arrest Litu's attackers. We are also aware that during the beginning of the BNP's rule, Litu's family was tortured. The Jubo League led a procession in Bagerhat to protest Litu's attack.

SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write letters to the concerned authorities listed below and urge them to launch an immediate and thorough investigation into this case and take action to arrest and prosecute the alleged perpetrators as soon as possible.  Please also urge them to launch an independent investigation into the conduct of the police officers involved in this case and instruct the officers to promptly aid all citizens, regardless of their political affiliations.


Suggested Letter:

Dear ________________,

BANGLADESH: An opposition party political activist brutally attacked by members of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party

Name of victim: Mr. Zahirul Islam Litu, son of the late Mr. Sultan Ahmed, Convener of Bamorta Union Councit unit of Awami Jubo League (youth section of the Bangladesh Awami League), aged 35, fishery worker, living in Baitpur village under Sadar upazilla, Bagerhat district
Names of the alleged perpetrators:
1. Aktaruzzaman Rikto, son of Mr. Munsur Ali Saha, member of Jatiatabadi Jubo Dal (youth section of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party), living in Baitpur village
2. Mizan Fakir, son of Deen Mohammad, living in Chitlee village
3. Towhidul Islam Rana, son of Abdur Razzaq, living in Baitpur village
4. Kalam Halder, son of Noor Mohammad, living in Baitpur village
5. Moni Shekh, son of Jalil Shekh, living in Baitpur village
6. Summon Shekh, son of Attap Shekh, living in Baitpur village
7. Bhuttu, son of Noyan Talukder, living in Khaddar village
8. Ziyam Shekh, son of the late Siraj Shekh, living in Khaddar village
9. Attap Howlader, son of the late Mafiz Howlader, Chitlee village
All of the villages are under Sadar upazilla in Bagerhat district.
Date of incident: 4 January 2006
Place of incident: Batipur Badamtola School under Sadar upazilla in Bagerhat district

I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding the brutal attack of Mr. Zahirul Islam Litu, a member of the Awami Jubo League, by members of the Jatiatabadi Judo Dal on 4 January 2006.

According to the information I have received, on 4 January 2006, Mr. Litu was brutally attacked by a Mr. Aktaruzzaman Rikto and other members of the Jatiatabadi Jubo Dal after they asked Mr. Litu to pay Taka 10,000 to enter his own fishery area in front of the Batipur Badamtola School in the Bagerhat district. The perpetrators left only after they believed Mr. Litu's motionless body to be dead.

Witnesses claim that police were nearby and on duty during the violent attack yet idly stood by while the incident occurred. Multiple witnesses can attest to this incident and pedestrians who witnessed the attack came to the aid of Mr. Litu and brought him to Bagerhat Sadar Hospital. Mr. Litu is now being treated at the Khulna Pongu Hospital.

The veins in Mr. Litu's legs were severed in such a way that doctors believe that he will never walk again. Moreover, three of his fingers were cut off in the attack and Mr. Litu, a visually impaired man, will not be able to continue his previous work at the fishery.

The Bagerhat police have yet to make any arrests even though Mr. Litu's brother, Oaliur Rahman Lipu, filed a case (number 21) with the Bagerhat Sadar police on 11 January 2006. The alleged perpetrators have intimidated the victim and his family to withdraw the charges and they now are fearful for their own lives. The police have been uncooperative in helping the family seek justice.

In light of the above, I urge you to order an immediate and thorough investigation into this incident and arrest and prosecute the perpetrators involved for this brutal attack. I also request you to take appropriate action to ensure that the police officers who witnessed the incident are held accountable for not coming to the aid of Mr Litu. Lastly, I urge you to instruct all police officers to promptly come to the aid all citizens, regardless of their political affiliations. I firmly believe that appropriate and immediate action by the police will ensure that such heinous attacks on opposition party members will be prevented in the future.

I await your intervention in this matter.

Yours sincerely,

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PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:

1. Mr. Md. Lutfozzaman Babor MP
State Minister
The Ministry of Home Affairs
Government of the Peoples’ Republic of Bangladesh
The Bangladesh Secretariat
Dhaka-1000
BANGLADESH
Tel: +88-02-7169069 (O) or 8359000 (R)
Fax: +88-02-7160405, +88-02-7164788

2. Mr. Abdul Quayum
Inspector General of Police (IGP)
Bangladesh Police
Police Headquarters’
Fulbaria, Dhaka-1000
BANGLADESH
Tel: +88-02-9562054 or 7176451 or 7176677 (O), +88-02-8362552 or 8362553 (R)
Fax: +88-02-9563362 or 9563363

3. Mr. Anwarul Karim
Joint Secretary (Police)
Ministry of Home Affairs
Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh
Bangladesh Secretariat
Dhaka-1000
BANGLADESH
Tel: +88-02-7164680 (O) or 8953012 (R)
Fax: +88-02-7171592

4. Mr. A J Mohammad Ali
Attorney General of Bangladesh
The Office of the Attorney General
Supreme Court Building
Ramna, Dhaka-1000
BANGLADESH
Tel: +88-02-9562868
Fax: +88-02-9561568

5. Mr. Sayed J. R. Modassir Hossain
Chief Justice
The Supreme Court of Bangladesh
Supreme Court Building
Ramna, Dhaka-1000
BANGLADESH
Tel: +88-02-9562792
Fax: +88-02-9565058

6. Mr. Dr. Baharul Alam BPM
Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG)
Rajshahi Range
Office of the DIG of Rajshahi Range
Rajshahi
BANGLADESH
Tel: +88-0721-772309 (O)
Fax: +88-0721-775444 (O)

7. Prof. Manfred Nowak
Special Rapporteur on the Question of Torture
Attn: Mr.Safir Syed
C/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9230
Fax: +41 22 9179016 (general)
E-mail: ssyed@ohchr.org

Thank you.

Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ahrchk@ahrchk.org)

Document Type :
Urgent Appeal Case
Document ID :
UA-088-2006
Countries :
Issues :
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Extended Introduction: Urgent Appeals, theory and practice

A need for dialogue

Many people across Asia are frustrated by the widespread lack of respect for human rights in their countries.  Some may be unhappy about the limitations on the freedom of expression or restrictions on privacy, while some are affected by police brutality and military killings.  Many others are frustrated with the absence of rights on labour issues, the environment, gender and the like. 

Yet the expression of this frustration tends to stay firmly in the private sphere.  People complain among friends and family and within their social circles, but often on a low profile basis. This kind of public discourse is not usually an effective measure of the situation in a country because it is so hard to monitor. 

Though the media may cover the issues in a broad manner they rarely broadcast the private fears and anxieties of the average person.  And along with censorship – a common blight in Asia – there is also often a conscious attempt in the media to reflect a positive or at least sober mood at home, where expressions of domestic malcontent are discouraged as unfashionably unpatriotic. Talking about issues like torture is rarely encouraged in the public realm.

There may also be unwritten, possibly unconscious social taboos that stop the public reflection of private grievances.  Where authoritarian control is tight, sophisticated strategies are put into play by equally sophisticated media practices to keep complaints out of the public space, sometimes very subtly.  In other places an inner consensus is influenced by the privileged section of a society, which can control social expression of those less fortunate.  Moral and ethical qualms can also be an obstacle.

In this way, causes for complaint go unaddressed, un-discussed and unresolved and oppression in its many forms, self perpetuates.  For any action to arise out of private frustration, people need ways to get these issues into the public sphere.

Changing society

In the past bridging this gap was a formidable task; it relied on channels of public expression that required money and were therefore controlled by investors.  Printing presses were expensive, which blocked the gate to expression to anyone without money.  Except in times of revolution the media in Asia has tended to serve the well-off and sideline or misrepresent the poor.

Still, thanks to the IT revolution it is now possible to communicate with large audiences at little cost.  In this situation there is a real avenue for taking issues from private to public, regardless of the class or caste of the individual.

Practical action

The AHRC Urgent Appeals system was created to give a voice to those affected by human rights violations, and by doing so, to create a network of support and open avenues for action.  If X’s freedom of expression is denied, if Y is tortured by someone in power or if Z finds his or her labour rights abused, the incident can be swiftly and effectively broadcast and dealt with. The resulting solidarity can lead to action, resolution and change. And as more people understand their rights and follow suit, as the human rights consciousness grows, change happens faster. The Internet has become one of the human rights community’s most powerful tools.   

At the core of the Urgent Appeals Program is the recording of human rights violations at a grass roots level with objectivity, sympathy and competence. Our information is firstly gathered on the ground, close to the victim of the violation, and is then broadcast by a team of advocates, who can apply decades of experience in the field and a working knowledge of the international human rights arena. The flow of information – due to domestic restrictions – often goes from the source and out to the international community via our program, which then builds a pressure for action that steadily makes its way back to the source through his or her own government.   However these cases in bulk create a narrative – and this is most important aspect of our program. As noted by Sri Lankan human rights lawyer and director of the Asian Human Rights Commission, Basil Fernando:

"The urgent appeal introduces narrative as the driving force for social change. This idea was well expressed in the film Amistad, regarding the issue of slavery. The old man in the film, former president and lawyer, states that to resolve this historical problem it is very essential to know the narrative of the people. It was on this basis that a court case is conducted later. The AHRC establishes the narrative of human rights violations through the urgent appeals. If the narrative is right, the organisation will be doing all right."

Patterns start to emerge as violations are documented across the continent, allowing us to take a more authoritative, systemic response, and to pinpoint the systems within each country that are breaking down. This way we are able to discover and explain why and how violations take place, and how they can most effectively be addressed. On this path, larger audiences have opened up to us and become involved: international NGOs and think tanks, national human rights commissions and United Nations bodies.  The program and its coordinators have become a well-used tool for the international media and for human rights education programs. All this helps pave the way for radical reforms to improve, protect and to promote human rights in the region.