Home / News / Urgent Appeals / BANGLADESH: Alleged public extrajudicial killing of a student league activist by the Rapid Action Battalion on the pretext of crossfire

BANGLADESH: Alleged public extrajudicial killing of a student league activist by the Rapid Action Battalion on the pretext of crossfire

December 20, 2006

URGENT ACTION URGENT ACTION URGENT ACTION URGENT ACTION URGENT ACTION

ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - URGENT APPEALS PROGRAMME

20 December 2006
-----------------------------------
UA-407-2006: BANGLADESH: Alleged public extrajudicial killing of a student league activist by the Rapid Action Battalion on the pretext of crossfire

BANGLADESH: Extrajudicial killing; violation of the right to life; brutality of security forces; impunity
------------------------------------------------------

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed about the killing of a student league activist in Rajishahi district by a Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) team at a public bazaar in front of more than 100 witnesses on 1 December 2006. The victim, Ahsan Haqbib Babu, was the president of the Gonkoiro Union Unit of the Bangladesh Student League.  The incident occurred at a tea house when an RAB team arrived that evening, removing the victim from the shop and publicly shooting him. The RAB has claimed self-defence in name of cross-fire against terrorists as the official explanation for the extrajudicial killing. The case has not been investigated and the alleged perpetrators remain at large. 

CASE DETAILS:

According to the information we have received, at around 7:00 pm on 1 December 2006, Ahsan Haqbib Babu was chatting in a grocery store over tea with the store’s owner in the Taherpur bazaar, Rajshahi district. An RAB team suddenly arrived at the shop and asked the victim's name. When Ahsan Haqbib Babu asked for their identification after identifying himself, the armed men told him that they were members of the RAB. The RAB then took him into custody without explaining any reason for his arrest.

Many people in the bazaar witnessed the RAB forces take Ahsan Haqbib Babu away from the grocery store to the west side of the shop at around 7:30 pm. Shortly after there was the sound of shooting and several people reportedly witnessed the RAB forces kill the victim via brush-fire. After Ahsan was killed, the RAB allegedly stole his mobile phone, gold chain and his ring. 

Ahsan Haqbib Babu was a third year student at Rajshahi College and was studying Islamic History and Culture. He has been actively involved in the activities of the student union and he was the president of the Bangladesh Student League Gonkoiro Union Unit. The young man was also an honourable member of the Student League’s Rajshahi District Unit. 

The following day on December 2, there was a demonstration organized by local people demanding justice for the killing of Ahsan Haqbib Babu held in front of local police station, the United Nations office and hospital.

While no proper investigation into this case has yet to be conducted, RAB officials claim that the victim was killed by the team in self-defence during the encounter. The RAB personnel involved in the victim's killing further claimed that they went to the bazaar to stop suspected attacks by terrorists based on the information they had received from an unidentified source. However, they did not provide any detailed information or evidence about their claim.

The victim's father Mr. Afser Ali Mullah suspects that his son was killed by RAB personnel because of his involvement with the student union and his family's connection with the Bangladesh Awami League, a former political party. He said that his son had come home from college on November 28 to spend time with the family.  The victim’s father now wishes nothing more than seeking justice in his son's death.

The AHRC condemns such a brutal killing on the pretext of "crossfire". The AHRC calls for the Bangladesh government to ensure that the alleged perpetrators are immediately arrested and tried in court. Impunity over such atrocious acts should not be tolerated, particularly for those who are state officers such as the RAB. The Bangladesh government should also immediately conduct a thorough inquiry into all the allegations of so-called "crossfire" killings committed by the RAB including this case.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: 

In fact, Ahsan Haqbib Babu's killing is yet another incident of so-called "crossfire killing", which is widespread in Bangladesh. The AHRC has reported several cases of civilians being killed by the RAB forces. In those cases, we pointed out that the RAB personnel have escaped from being challenged by law despite the murders of hundreds of innocent civilians in the name of terrorism and so called “crossfire” in the last two years. Please refer to some of the most recent cases reported by the AHRC regarding the brutality of the RAB forces are:

UA-404-2006: BANGLADESH: Three persons including twin brothers arbitrarily arrested and tortured by Rapid Action Battalion and the Keraniganj police in Dhaka
UA-343-2006: BANGLADESH: Alleged extrajudicial killings of two more persons in the pretext of "crossfire" by the Rapid Action Battalion
UA-268-2006: BANGLADESH: Two persons killed in "crossfire" at Jessore while in the custody of the Rapid Action Battalion
UA-257-2006: BANGLADESH: Alleged brutal torture and fabrication of charges towards a man after being arbitrarily arrested by the Rapid Action Battalion in Jessore

If you would like to learn more about the atrocities of the RAB and other law enforcement officials in Bangladesh, including extra-judicial killings on the pretext of crossfire, please also refer to a Special report: Lawless law-enforcement and the parody of judiciary in Bangladesh (Article 2, vol. 5, no. 4, August 2006) published by the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC),  a sister organization of the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC). 

SUGGESTED ACTION:

Please send your letters to the relevant authorities listed below and urge them to take prompt action to investigate the killing of Ahsan Haqbib Babu and the actions of the Rapid Action Battalion.

Sample Letter:

Dear __________,

BANGLADESH: Alleged public extrajudicial killing of a student league activist by the Rapid Action Battalion on the pretext of crossfire

Name of victim: Mr. Ahsan Haqbib Babu, a third year student of the Islamic History and Culture department of Rajshahi College. He was also a president of Bangladesh Student League Gonkoiro Union Unit and an honourable member of student league Rajshahi District Unit.
Address of victim: A resident of Gopal Para village, Rajshahi district, Bangladesh
Alleged perpetrators:
1. L. Cornel Shamsuzzaman, commanding officer of the Rapid Action Battalion, Rajshai Unit (RAB-5)
2. D.A.D. Nurul Hauque, RAB personnel of Rajshai Unit (RAB-5)
3. Mejor Rashidul Hasan, RAB personnel of Rajshai Unit (RAB-5)
4. Mejor Mostofa Kamal, RAB personnel of Rajshai Unit (RAB-5)
5. Kalam, RAB personnel of Rajshai Unit (RAB-5)
6. Other unidentified RAB personnel of Rajshai Unit (RAB-5)
Date of incident: At around 7:30pm on 1 December 2006
Place of incidence: In front of Mahbub grocery shop in Taherpur bazaar on Taherpur-Durgapur road, Rajshahi district

I am utterly appalled to hear of yet another alleged killing committed by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on the pretext of "crossfire". Shockingly, this killing took place in public at a bazaar by RAB forces at Raishai district. 

According to the information I have received, at around 7:00 pm on 1 December 2006, Ahsan Haqbib Babu was chatting in a grocery store over tea with the store’s owner in the Taherpur bazaar, Rajshahi district. An RAB team suddenly arrived at the shop and asked the victim's name. When Ahsan Haqbib Babu asked for their identification after identifying himself, the armed men told him that they were members of the RAB. The RAB then took him into custody without explaining any reason for his arrest.

I was also informed that no proper investigation into this case has yet to be conducted, RAB officials claim that the victim was killed by the team in self-defence during the encounter. The RAB personnel involved in the victim's killing further claimed that they went to the bazaar to stop suspected attacks by terrorists based on the information they had received from an unidentified source. However, they did not provide any detailed information or evidence about their claim.

I was informed that the victim's father insists that his son was killed by the RAB forces because of his involvement in the student movement and the whole family's involvement into the Bangladesh Awami League, the biggest political party in Bangladesh for long time. The father further said that his son returned to home from the university to visit the family on November 28. Now he strongly calls for justice for his son's killing. 

I am very concerned by this alleged brutal extrajudicial killing of the victim. As far as I know the victim was unarmed and there is no valid explanation which justifies the RAB claim of "crossfire".

In fact, this killing is yet another incident involving so-called "crossfire killing", which is out of control and indisputably widespread throughout Bangladesh. I am well aware that the RAB personnel have escaped legal consequences for the alleged extrajudicial killings of hundreds of persons in the name of terrorism and so called "crossfire" over the past two years.

In light of the above, I strongly urge you to take action to arrest and try the alleged perpetrators of this case in court as soon as possible. Impartial and thorough investigation should be conducted immediately and the alleged perpetrators should be charged with murder. Impunity over such atrocious acts should not be tolerated, particularly for those who are state officers such as the RAB.

I therefore ask for your attention on this widely spread practice being committed by RAB forces throughout Bangladesh and urge your action to bring the perpetrators to justice without further delay. For this purpose, I request that the Government of Bangladesh immediately conduct a thorough inquiry into all the allegations of so-called "crossfire" killings committed by the RAB including this case.

I look forward to your immediate intervention in this matter.

 
Yours sincerely,


---------------

PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTER TO:

1. Prof. lajuddin Ahmed
President & Chief Advisor
Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh
Bangabhaban, Dhaka
BANGLADESH
Tel: +880 2 9568041, 7161501/A, 8311202/ 7161503/A
Fax: +880 2 9566242 or 9566593

2. 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

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

4. Mr. Khoda Bokhs Chowdhury
Inspector General of Police (IGP)
Bangladesh Police
Police Headquarters'
Fulbaria, Dhaka-1000
BANGLADESH
Tel: +88-02-9562054 or 7176451 or 7176677
Fax: +88-02-9563362 or 9563363

5. Mr. S M Mizanur Rahman
Director General (DG)
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)
RAB Headquarter
Uttara, Dhaka
BANGLADESH
Tel: +88-02- 8961105 (O)
Fax: +880 2 8962884 (O)

6. 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. Mr. Philip Alston
Special Rapporteur on Extra-judicial, Summary, or Arbitrary Executions
Attn: Lydie Ventre
Room 3-016, c/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9155
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (general)


Thank you.

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


Document Type :
Urgent Appeal Case
Document ID :
UA-407-2006
Countries :
Issues :
Document Actions
Share |
Subscribe to our Mailing List
Follow AHRC
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.