Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD)
Monthly Human Rights Report
Bangladesh, July 2010
GHRD is very concerned about the high number of attacks against religious minorities this month in Bangladesh, especially against Hindus. During July GHRD has investigated three cases involving attacks and assaults against Hindu victims. In addition to this local newspapers have also reported about several similar incidents. This month report also contains information about CHT. According to news reports several NGOs in the region are under the surveillance of the government. Additionally, the Chittagong Hills Tracts Commission recently sent out a memorandum to the Prime Minister regarding their concern about the attacks taking place in February of this year. Other updates from this month include a verdict made by the High Court that will declare extrajudicial punishments, such as fatwa, illegal. Additionally, following the High Court’s verdict in 2005 regarding the scrapping of the fifth amendment of the Bangladeshi constitution, the government are now preparing a draft to amend the Bangladeshi constitution in order to restore a constitutional spirit of "secularism" and "democracy”.
Fact Finding Investigations and Legal Assistance
Abducted Hindu girl recovered and back with her family with the legal assistance of GHRD
25th of July, Narayangank District
In December last year, 2009 GHRD received information about the abduction of a 16 year old Hindu girl. Seven months later the girl has now been recovered on the 25th of July 2010. According to the girl during this time she has been sexually assaulted by the persons responsible for her kidnapping. On the 25th the girl was brought back together with her parents trough the legal assistance of GHRD Dhaka.
Rape victim imprisoned in the name of ‘safe custody’ for a week
19th of May, Kurigram and Rangpur
On the 19th of May a 24 year old woman was kidnapped at the southern side of the Tista Bridge. The alleged perpetrator and the woman were acquaintances and just one week before the man had made a marriage proposal to the victim. The suspect is allegedly a member of the Jubo League which is the youth wing of Awami League. The victim was repeatedly raped and kept at different places of Kurigram and Rangpur.
The jail where the victim was forced to stay under ‘safe custody’
On May 22nd she was admitted to the Upazila Health Complex Kaunia, after she became seriously ill due to the abuse against her, and stayed there until May 28th. On the same day as she was released from the hospital, the victim was once again taken away and raped by the suspect. The woman was set free by the suspect on the 29th of May and later on the 31st of May filed an FIR against the alleged perpetrator at the Kaunia Police Station. Later she was sent to the Senior Judicial Magistrate Court in Rangpur where an order was issued to send the woman to ‘safe custody’ on the same day. She was taken to the Rangpur Central Jail were she was forced to stay from the 1st of June until the 8th of June. While the woman was kept in ‘safe custody’ she was denied any form of psychological counselling. The alleged perpetrator together with the Jubo League leader of the local Upazila Unit were arrested on the 26th of May. No date for court hearing has been set yet.
Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) on behalf of GHRD investigated the case between the 23rd and the 26th of June by visiting the place where the woman had been kept, talked to the woman and her family, the police at the Kaunia police station and the Superintendent of the Central Jail.
Physical and sexual assault of Dalit women
18th of June, Jessore District
On the 18th of June 2010, a dispute arose between Muslim members of the community and the Dalits, regarding the proposed participation of Muslim men in a Dalit ceremony, exclusively for Dalit women and girls at a Dalit temple. On the evening of this dispute, a group of approximately 10-15 men armed with various weapons gathered outside the Dalit houses. They proceeded to damage the houses and property of the Dalits, including the desecration of sacred items. Several women were physically attacked, requiring hospital treatment, including one whose clothes were torn with the alleged intention of a sexual assault. A number of other Dalits, including children, were also injured in the attacks. All were treated at the Monirampur Health Complex. An FIR was filed on the 18th of May but the suspects were granted bail, and proceeded to threaten the Dalit community.
GHRD Dhaka investigated the case on the 21st of June 2010 by visiting the scene and speaking with the witnesses and victims. GHRD also spoke to the local police who said that the alleged perpetrators could not be arrested due to the court granting bail. Currently no action has been undertaken to bring the alleged perpetrators to prosecution, nor have any protective measures been put in place.
Police inaction in rape case of a Hindu minority woman
21st of June, Dhaka District
On the 21st of June a 26 year old Hindu minority woman was raped. The woman had previously been harassed by the alleged perpetrator, an influential man living in the same village as her. The suspect broke in to the house of the minority woman while her husband was away around 9 p.m. and raped her. After the assault the woman filed an FIR at the Rupgonnj police station on the 22nd of June. She was later taken to the Dhaka Medical College for examination. However, the alleged perpetrator has not been arrested yet and the victim and her husband have been forced to leave their home since they have been threatened by the suspect and other influential persons in the village to withdraw their case. Accordingly, the police have not taken any actions to find and arrest the alleged perpetrator.
GHRD Dhaka investigated the case on the 6th of July by visiting the resident of the victim and the suspect. The suspect was not there but GHRD spoke with his wife who said that her husband was not guilty of the charges. GHRD also talked to local witnesses, the victim and her husband and the local police who said that the alleged perpetrator is not residing within their jurisdiction.
Police negligence in rape and abduction case of a Hindu minority girl allegedly perpetrated by an BNP
4th of March, Lalmonirhat District
On the 4th of March a 19 year old Hindu girl was raped by a professor of her college, who is also a BNP member. The has in the past sexually harassed the girl but she has refused to engage in any sexual activities with the man even though she was threatened that if she did not do as he wished he would destroy her future studies. However, on the 4th of March the girl was asked by a friend of the professor to join him for some sweets at his medicine store, where instead she was taken to a nearby house where the professor was waiting. She was offered some snacks but soon became dizzy and weak. The professor then gagged her mouth and raped her. After the rape the alleged perpetrator told the girl that he would throw acid on her if she did not sign a paper they gave her. Furthermore, he said that if she told anyone about the rape he would kill her. Fearing for her life the girl did not tell anyone about the rape, but when the friend of the professor told the girl on the 23rd of May that the documents she was forced to sign were going to be used in order to produce a manufactured certificate assuring that the girl had converted from Hinduism to Islam she told her parents about the rape. After hearing about the assault, the parents of the girl made a written complaint to the principal of the girl’s college which resulted in the suspension of the professor. Allegedly this led the professor, together with 10-12 other suspects, to attack the house of the girl on the 24th of May. The suspects broke into the house of the girl around 10 a.m. armed and said that since the girl had failed to keep quiet about the rape she would now be gang raped and killed. She was dragged out of her house in front of her mother and some other locals. When they attempted to stop the suspects, they themselves were attacked. The suspects forced the girl onto a motorcycle but she managed to escape by throwing herself from the bike not far from her house. On the 25th of June the girl filed an FIR at the Lalmonirhat Police station against the professor and the friend of the professor for rape and aiding and abetting rape. The father of the victim also filed an FIR at the police station against the suspects attack on their home on the 24th of June and for physical assault, attempted kidnapping and attempted murder, although this charge was not pursued.
Both cases are now pending in two separate courts. In regards to the rape case neither the professor nor his friend have been arrested. According to the local people, the police have remained passive since the alleged perpetrator is bribing them. Additionally, the police also failed to bring the girl before the Women and Children Repression Tribunal at Lalmonirhat in order to get her statements which they are obliged to do according to section 22 of the Women and Children Repression Act 2003 (Amended). Furthermore, the girl was not subject to a medical examination, which the police are obliged to arrange. A memorandum requesting the arrest of the suspects in the rape case has been submitted by the locals to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. There was also a human chain arranged on the 2nd of July where protesters demanded the immediate arrest of the accused professor.
GHRD investigated the case on the 20th of July by talking to the victim, who is now hiding at an undisclosed location due to fear of attacks by the suspects, her family and local witnesses. They also tried to reach the suspected professor but were not able to. However, they did speak to his wife who claimed that her husband is innocent and that the girl had tried to start a romantic relationship with him. According to the principal of the girl’s college, the professor has had his membership withdrawn from BNP.
Religiously motivated attack against a Hindu minority family.
6th of July, Dhaka district
On the 6th of July, as the only Hindu family living in their apartment building, the family were attacked by some of the Muslim residents in the same building. According to the family these residents have in the past pressured them for money and they also demanded that the family would stop with their religious rituals. Despite this the family has continued to practice their religion. The last time the extortionist demanded money from the family, they refused to pay, which aggravated them and led to the assault on the 6th.
The residents, together with some other people, broke into the house of the family armed with bricks and iron rods and threatened them they could no longer practice their religion in the building. The father of the family was attacked and suffered injuries on his neck. The mother was also assaulted and when she tried to protect their deities and religious images in the home these were destroyed. A golden chain was also stolen from the mother of the family. The police were informed at the same night of the assault but when the family tried to file an FIR against the suspects the police refused to do so. However, on the 7th of July after the intervention of GHRD the family managed to file an FIR at the Ramna Model police station.
GHRD investigated the matter on the 7th of July by visiting the house of the family, taking statements from witnesses who confirmed the incident. GHRD also tried to reach the alleged perpetrators but without success. On the 25th of July GHRD was informed that the perpetrators had been granted bail by the Metropolitan Magistrate and the suspects are now threatening the family.
GHRD Dhaka conducts fact finding investigations and provides legal assistance to minority victims of human rights violations in Bangladesh. In addition GHRD Dhaka, collaborates with Parittran (Dalit Rights), Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights, Bangladesh Rehabilitation Centre for Trauma Victims and Bangladesh Minority Watch.
very helpful artical, thnx
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