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Letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Regarding the Harassment of Apparel Industry Demonstrators and Union Leaders

August 10, 2010

We are seeking your immediate intervention to stop the serious harassment of trade union leaders and other labor rights activists and workers in the ready-made garment (RMG) industry who have been pressing for the right of workers to organize in unions and seeking increases in Bangladesh's minimum wage regulations.

On July 29, 2010, after tripartite negotiations with government, workers, and employers, the government raised the daily minimum wage from 1662 taka to 3000 taka. However, the action angered workers who claimed the increase is less than the amount needed to meet the rising cost of living for urban-based workers and fell far short of the increase that the workers, trade unionists, and NGO activists were demanding. As has occurred numerous times in the history of Bangladesh's RMG industry, on July 30 and 31, worker anger and frustration boiled over into the streets, with roads being blocked, vandalism and attacks against factories and properties taking place, and use of force by police and security forces that resulted in scores of injuries among protesting workers. Human Rights Watch condemns instances of violence by the protesters as well as incidents where security forces may have used excessive force to quell the protests.

HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT: Bangladesh: Monthly Human Rights Report (July 2010) by GHRD

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”.

The State of Human Rights for the Month of July 2010

Ref: BIHR/HRR/07/08/2010                                                                Date: 02.08.10

The Law enforcing agencies is still continuing the extra judicial killing, torture and harassment, though the government has come to power promising to promote and protect human right in Bangladesh

(The State of Human Rights for the Month of July 2010)

The Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation registered with the Department of Social Welfare, Government of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh based on the United Nation Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) dedicated to promote and protect human rights in Bangladesh. BIHR publishes its state of Human Rights for the period of July 01 to July 31, 2010. The report was prepared by the research and documentation cell of BIHR on the basis of report published on 12 national news papers from July 02 to August 01, 2010, fact-finding mission and its direct sources. BIHR is resents and is deeply concerned over the continuing human rights violations in Bangladesh despite the promises to promote human rights, especially in regards to Extra-judicial Killing, torture, political violence, death due to negligence of doctor, rape, eve teasing and molestation, minority repression as well as violence against journalist and human rights defender. Adv. Shahanur Islam, the Secretary General of BIHR asks the Government to take prompt and effective measures ensuring and end to all kinds of violations as well as demands to investigate and bring the alleged perpetrations before the book, forming a special commission.

Order issued by the National Human Rights Commission allegation recieved from BIHR Regarding to death under police custody at B Baria

Committee formed by Home Ministry to investigate the incident of killing under custody of Shahbag Police Station

URGENT APPEAL: Bangladesh: Rape victim imprisoned in the name of ‘safe custody’ for a week [UA-BA-01.07.2010]

The Hague, The Netherlands URGENT APPEAL: Bangladesh: Rape victim imprisoned in the name of ‘safe custody’ for a week [UA-BA-01.07.2010] ISSUES: Kidnapping, rape, lack of appropriate health services, arbitrary detention. Dear Friends, Between the 23rd of June until the 26th of June 2010 Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights together with GHRD investigated the abduction and rape of a 24 year old woman. After the woman was recovered she was imprisoned at the Rangpur Central Jail for eight days, in the name of ‘safe custody’.

Innitiative taken by the office of the Civil Surgeon after reciving Urgent Appeal issued by BIHR

Action taken by the office of the Prime Minister after reciving Urgent Appeal issued by BIHR

URGENT APPEAL:Seeking justice through the proper investigation of the incident of abduction and rape by the Jubo League cadre.

UA No. BIHR/Rangpur/02/06/2010                                                                     June 30, 2010

To.

Mrs. Sheikh Hasina
Prime Minister
Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh
Office of the Prime Minister
Tejgaon, Dhaka
BANGLADESH
Fax: +880 2 811 3244 / 3243 / 1015 / 1490
Tel: +880 2 882 816 079 / 988 8677
E-mail: pm@pmo.gov.bd or ps1topm@pmo.gov.bd or psecy@pmo.gov.bd

Subject: Seeking justice through the proper investigation of the incident of abduction and rape by the Jubo League cadre.

STATEMENT: Published in the Daily Star on 24 June, 2010

NEWS: Shahanur Islam - Bangladesh

See Shahanur's application to the 2010 JusticeMakers Competition.

Growing up and working for human rights in Bangladesh, Shahanur noticed that people often become victims of their own ignorance and lack of resources vis-à-vis the criminal justice system.

Shahanur holds a Masters in Laws (LL.M) with a focus on human rights law, and has about ten years experience working in the fields of human rights, peace advocacy, criminal justice and good governance.  His experiences gave him technical and managerial skills covering a wide range of development areas, including designing and implementing projects related to human rights, criminal justice, peace and good governance; providing legal support and counseling to victims of violence (focusing on ethnic and religious minority women and children); initiating and carrying out projects to strengthen local government; networking with different NGO’s; facilitating trainings, seminars, and workshops on human rights issues as a trainer and moderator; and lobbying at both the national and international levels. Shahanur also has experience providing direct legal support to the Bangladesh Court for Criminal Justice, and is currently the Executive Director of the Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights (BIHR).

STATEMENT: Bangladesh: Security forces used excessive force during raid

1 July 2010

Bangladesh: Security forces used excessive force during raid

Bangladeshi security forces used excessive force during a raid on the house of a senior opposition politician on 27 June, Amnesty International said today.

The Bangladesh Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) carried out a violent attack on those gathered peacefully inside the house of Mirza Abbas, a leading Bangladesh National Party (BNP) politician and former mayor of Dhaka, according to testimony given to Amnesty International.

Victims of the raid described sustained and unprovoked beatings of activists and Mirza Abbas’ family members, denial of medical treatment after arrests, and the eliciting of signatures on blank forms as a condition of release, which Amnesty International suspects are for the purpose of falsifying confessions.