Torture by Police, Forced Disappearance & Other Ill Treatment In the early years of the 21st Century, 2000 to
2025 gvnet.com/torture/Bangladesh.htm
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CAUTION: The following links
have been culled from the web to illuminate the situation in Bangladesh. Some of these links may lead to websites
that present allegations that are unsubstantiated or even false. No
attempt has been made to validate their authenticity or to verify their content. HOW TO USE THIS WEBPAGE Students If you are looking
for material to use in a term-paper, you are advised to scan the postings on this
page and others to see which aspects of Torture by Authorities are of
particular interest to you. You might
be interested in exploring the moral justification for inflicting pain or
inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment in order to obtain critical
information that may save countless lives, or to elicit a confession for a
criminal act, or to punish someone to teach him a lesson outside of the
courtroom. Perhaps your paper might
focus on some of the methods of torture, like fear, extreme temperatures,
starvation, thirst, sleep deprivation, suffocation, or immersion in freezing
water. On the other hand, you might
choose to write about the people acting in an official capacity who
perpetrate such cruelty. There is a
lot to the subject of Torture by Authorities.
Scan other countries as well as this one. Draw comparisons between activity in
adjacent countries and/or regions.
Meanwhile, check out some of the Term-Paper
resources that are available on-line. ***
ARCHIVES *** Bangladesh: Heed UN
Recommendations on Torture Human Rights Watch,
Geneva, 29 July 2019 www.hrw.org/news/2019/07/29/bangladesh-heed-un-recommendations-torture [accessed 31 July
2019] Human Rights Watch
has documented widespread torture by Bangladesh security forces including
beating detainees with iron rods, belts, and sticks; subjecting detainees to
electric shocks, waterboarding, hanging detainees from ceilings and beating
them; and deliberately shooting detainees, typically in the lower leg,
described as “kneecapping.” Authorities routinely claim that these victims
were shot in self-defense, in “crossfire,” or during violent protests. Sexual abuse,
torture cost lives of 271 children in 2018: MJF United News of
Bangladesh, Dhaka, 29 April 2019 www.newagebd.net/article/71103/sexual-abuse-torture-cost-lives-of-271-children-in-2018-mjf [accessed 12 May
2019] A total of 271
children died after rape, sexual harassment and physical torture while 1,006 fell victims to such incid-ents
across the country in 2018. As per the survey,
129 children were abused and tortured by their teachers. Among them, 70
children were physically tortured, 33 fell victims to sexual harassment and
17 were raped by teachers. Besides, seven incidents of ‘attempt to rape by
teachers’ were reported while one was abducted and another ‘committed
suicide’. The report also
revealed that some 433 children fell victims to
sexual harassment across the country. Of them, 356 were raped while 22 died
after rape and one died after facing sexual harassment. Besides, 53 incidents
of ‘attempt to rape’ were reported, it said. Children between
the age of seven and 12 were found victims of rape and attempt to rape while
children between the age of 13 and 18 faced sexual harassment, said the
study. 2020 Country
Reports on Human Rights Practices: Bangladesh U.S. Dept of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and
Labor, 30 March 2021 www.state.gov/reports/2020-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/bangladesh/
[accessed 5 July
2021] TORTURE AND OTHER
CRUEL, INHUMAN, OR DEGRADING TREATMENT OR PUNISHMENT According to
multiple organizations, including the UN Committee against Torture (CAT),
security forces reportedly used torture to gather information from alleged
militants and members of political opposition parties. Security forces
reportedly used threats, beatings, kneecappings, electric shock, rape, and
other sexual abuse. Numerous organizations also claimed security forces were
involved in widespread and routine commission of torture–occasionally
resulting in death–for the purpose of soliciting payment of bribes or
obtaining confessions. According to these organizations, impunity for
government actors committing torture was extensive. Politicization of crimes
was a factor in impunity for custodial torture. PRISON AND DETENTION
CENTER CONDITIONS Prison conditions
were harsh and at times life threatening due to severe overcrowding,
inadequate facilities, and a lack of proper sanitation. There were no private
detention facilities. Physical
Conditions: According to the Assistant Inspector General of Prisons, in March
more than 89,000 prisoners occupied a system designed to hold 41,244 inmates.
Freedom House
Country Report 2020 Edition freedomhouse.org/country/bangladesh/freedom-world/2020 [accessed 14 May
2020] F3. IS THERE PROTECTION FROM THE ILLEGITIMATE
USE OF PHYSICAL FORCE AND FREEDOM FROM WAR AND INSURGENCIES? A range of human
rights abuses by law enforcement agencies—including enforced disappearances,
custodial deaths, arbitrary arrests, and torture—have continued unabated. A
2017 Human Rights Watch (HRW) report documented the use of detention and
enforced disappearance against members of the political opposition, despite
the government’s promise to address the issue. In 2018, the government
initiated a “war on drugs,” during which thousands were arrested and over 100
people were killed. Odhikar reported a total
of 391 extrajudicial killings perpetrated by law enforcement agencies in
2019. A report from the International Federation for Human Rights released in
April 2019 found that 507 people had been subject to enforced disappearance
between 2009 and 2018. Prison conditions are extremely poor; severe
overcrowding is common, and juveniles are often incarcerated with adults. UP
member, nephew’s legs amputated after torture in police custody Kamol Zoha Khan,
Prothom Alo, Dhaka, 24 November 2018 en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/news/186979/UP-member-nephew%E2%80%99s-legs-amputated-after-torture [accessed 25
November 2018] A union council
member and his nephew had to have their legs amputated after suffering
torture in police custody "I've lost my left
leg. Police, first, broke the leg and later shot there. Still I feel pain in
the remaining part of the leg," said Faruk on Saturday. Faruk and Ashraful
told Prothom Alo that they were tortured brutally in police custody. "I do politics
of ruling Awami League. I gave my identity of a union parishad (UP) member to
the policemen but they picked me up in their vehicle," Faruk told
Prothom Alo at the NITOR. "Both of us,
Ashraful and I, were first taken to the Chanchra police outpost. We were then
blindfolded and taken to an unknown place. Some four to five people started
beating us after that. At one stage, they broke my leg with the help of two
iron rods and they also shot in my left leg," he described. Faruk also said
that when he regained his consciousness he came to know that he and Ashraful
were arrested on charges of obstructing police from discharging their duties
and sabotage. Both the victims
were taken to Jessore Sadar Hospital first and shifted to the NITOR on 12
November. OC
among 8 sued in Madaripur for ‘torture’ UNB News, Madaripur,
11 March 2018 www.unb.com.bd/bangladesh-news/OC-among-8-sued-in-Madaripur-for-torture/65176 [accessed 25 March
2018] According to the
case statement, two years back, some local influential people allegedly
gouged out the eyes of Nuru’s son Kabir Mridha over rivalry and a case was
filed against them with over the incident. However, the
accused put pressure on the complainant to withdraw the case and reach an
understanding with them, it said, adding that as they did not agree with it,
the accused with the help of police picked nine people, including Nuru and
his two sons Kabir and Khabr Mridha, up and tortured them. Custodial
Torture, Death: Cops want bail provision for the accused Daily Star, 9
January 2018 www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/custodial-torture-death-cops-want-bail-provision-the-accused-1517044 [accessed 9 January
2018] Police yesterday
urged Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to take measures for amending the Torture
and Custodial Death (Prevention) Act so that accused policemen can get bail. They also want
inclusion of a provision in the law for taking action against anyone who files
false cases or gives false deposition against law enforcers over any
custodial torture and death. Human
Rights Watch World Report 2015 - Events of 2014 Human Rights Watch,
29 January 2015 www.hrw.org/world-report/2015/...
or
www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/wr2015_web.pdf [accessed 18 March
2015] BANGLADESH ACCOUNTABILITY FOR
SECURITY FORCES
- Authorities arrested several members of the notorious Rapid Action Battalion
(RAB) following intense public outrage over the abduction and apparent
contract killings of seven men in Narayangunj in April. Although the
government claims that almost 2,000 RAB members have been punished for
various misdemeanors since the group’s inception, there was not a single
prosecution for extrajudicial executions, torture, or arbitrary arrests
before the Narayanganj incident. Independent organizations estimate that the
RAB has been responsible for approximately 800 unlawful killings over the
past 10 years. Allegations of violations by members of the police and other
law enforcement agencies, including the Border Guard Bangladesh, were not
independently investigated or prosecuted. Torture under
police custody : Court asks IGP to suspend two police officers Dhaka Tribune, Chandpur, 29 Aug 2013 www.dhakatribune.com/crime/2013/aug/29/torture-under-police-custody-court-asks-igp-suspend-two-police-officers [accessed 29 Aug 2013] [accessed 28 December 2017] The accused police
officers were serving at Kochua police station then. Lalu alleged that his enemies’ prompting,
the police officers socially and politically humiliated Lalu. The duo placed a gun upon Lalu’s hand and
lodged a false case against him, described his statement. “During police
remand, they lit high-powered electric bulb before my eyes that severely
damaged my eye-sight. Needles were also shoved under my fingernails,” added
his complaint paper. Lalu was also
put in a crossfire but survived luckily, the paper mentioned. Youth dies after
‘torture’ in police station Ashif Islam Shaon, Dhaka Tribune, 23 May 2013 dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2013/may/23/youth-dies-after-%E2%80%98torture%E2%80%99-police-station [accessed 24 May 2013] archive.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2013/may/23/youth-dies-after-%E2%80%98torture%E2%80%99-police-station [accessed 19 July 2017] In the court, Reza
gave confessional statement in the murder case. After recording the statement
under Section 164, the court ordered his treatment. He was admitted to
Victoria Hospital in Narayanganj around 8pm. But the hospital
authorities transferred him to the DMCH that night where he died around 8am
yesterday. “We got a scope to
talk to him early in the morning [yesterday] at the DMCH. He told us that the
inspector, cuffing his hands, beat him up mercilessly for four days. Under
unbearable physical torture, he decided to give the confessional statement,”
Iqbal said. Human Rights
Overview Human Rights Watch [accessed 21 January
2013] Bangladesh’s
government took no significant steps to investigate and prosecute torture in
custody and extrajudicial killings during 2011. Although the number of
killings by the paramilitary force, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), dropped
following domestic and international criticism, enforced disappearances
increased. Activists and journalists were harassed or tortured. AMNESTY
INTERNATIONAL From an old article -- URL not available Article was
published sometime prior to 2015 TORTURE AND OTHER
ILL-TREATMENT
- At least three people died in police custody, allegedly after being
tortured. The government announced that criminal charges would be brought
against any police personnel found responsible for these deaths. However, no
one was charged or prosecuted by the end of the year. The government did not
commit to bringing to justice police, RAB or other security personnel who
allegedly tortured thousands of individuals in their custody throughout the
year. Newspaper editor
Mahmudur Rahman told Amnesty International after his release in March that he
was beaten severely on his back over the course of a night at a police
station inside the army cantonment. He was detained in mid-2010 after
publishing articles exposing alleged government corruption. The beating was so
severe that he lost consciousness for several hours. He said he saw no point
in complaining as he knew the authorities would not bother to act. Search … AMNESTY
INTERNATIONAL For current
articles:: Search Amnesty
International Website www.amnesty.org/en/search/?q=bangladesh+torture&ref=&year=&lang=en&adv=1&sort=relevance [accessed 25 December
2018] ***
EARLIER EDITIONS OF SOME OF THE ABOVE *** Human Rights
Reports » 2005 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices U.S. Dept of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, March 8, 2006 www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61705.htm [accessed 21 January 2013] 2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61705.htm [accessed 3 July 2019] TORTURE
AND OTHER CRUEL, INHUMAN, OR DEGRADING TREATMENT OR PUNISHMENT – While the law
prohibits torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading punishment, security
forces, the RAB, and police routinely employed physical and psychological
torture as well as cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment during arrests and
interrogations. Torture consisted of threats and beatings and the use of
electric shock. According to the Bangladesh Rehabilitation Center for Trauma
Victims, there were 2,297 victims of torture and 15 deaths due to torture by
security forces during the year (see sections 1.a., 1.d., and 2.a.). The
government rarely charged, convicted, or punished those responsible, and a
climate of impunity allowed such police abuses to continue. On July 15, three
off-duty RAB members assaulted Abu Bakar Sultan after Sultan asked the RAB
members to stop attacking a driver in Uttora, near
Dhaka. The RAB members blindfolded and handcuffed Sultan, took him to their
office in Uttora, tied him to a tree, and
repeatedly kicked, punched, and beat him with iron rods and hammers. After a
senior RAB official acquainted with Sultan's family intervened, the RAB
released Sultan and admitted him to a hospital with multiple fractures and
swellings. On July 24, newspapers reported that RAB authorities withdrew
three officers and sent them back to their home police departments. Police
excused 10 others from duty in relation to the case. Law enforcement
personnel accused of rape and torture generally were
not investigated. Freedom
House Country Report - Political Rights: 4 Civil Liberties: 4 Status: Partly Free 2009 Edition www.freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2009/bangladesh [accessed 21 January
2013] LONG URL
ç 2009 Country Reports begin on Page 21 [accessed 11 May
2020] Journalists
continue to be threatened and attacked with impunity by organized crime
groups, party activists, and Islamist groups, although the level of
harassment has declined and no journalists have been killed in Bangladesh for
the past two years. Official reprisals against reporters and editors have
worsened, with several cases of arbitrary arrest, prolonged detention, and
custodial torture being documented, including those of Tasneem
Khalil in 2007 and Noor Ahmed in 2008. Journalists have also reported an
increase in threatening telephone calls from intelligence agencies seeking to
prevent negative coverage, and many practice self-censorship when reporting
on sensitive topics. Under the EPR,
rights of assembly and association were suspended, although these
restrictions were eased gradually during 2008 and were fully lifted by year’s
end. Occasional demonstrations continued to take place, and protesters have
sometimes been killed or injured during clashes with police. Numerous
world-class nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) operate in Bangladesh and
meet basic needs in fields such as education, health care, and microcredit.
However, those perceived to have a political bias or to be overly critical of
the government, particularly on human rights issues, are subject to intense
official scrutiny and occasional harassment. Amnesty International has noted
that at least eight human rights defenders have been assassinated since 2000,
and that many have been injured or threatened by criminal gangs or party
factions. Others have faced arbitrary arrest and torture by the authorities. The judicial system
is prone to corruption and severely backlogged; pretrial detention is
lengthy, and many defendants lack counsel. The indigent have little access to
justice through the courts. Prison conditions are extremely poor, and severe
overcrowding is common, to the extent that prisoners have to sleep in shifts.
According to the New Delhi–based Asian Centre for Human Rights, hundreds of
juveniles are illegally held in prisons in contravention of the 1974 Children’sAct. Suspects are routinely subjected to
warrantless arrest and detention, demands for bribes, and physical abuse
(including torture) at the hands of law enforcement officials. Torture is
routinely used to extract confessions and intimidate political detainees. All
material used herein reproduced under the fair use exception of 17 USC § 107
for noncommercial, nonprofit, and educational use. PLEASE RESPECT COPYRIGHTS OF COMPONENT
ARTICLES. Cite this
webpage as: Patt, Prof. Martin, "Torture by Police, Forced Disappearance
& Other Ill Treatment in the early years of the 21st Century-
Bangladesh", http://gvnet.com/torture/ Bangladesh.htm, [accessed
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