Bangladesh: Monthly Human Rights Report (August 2010) by GHRD

Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD)

Monthly Human Rights Report

Bangladesh, August 2010 

Introduction

This month GHRD investigated human rights violations concerning police negligence, murder, looting and land grabbing, bribery and two religiously motivated attacks against minorities. Land grabbers attacked a 300-year old Hindu temple in Sutrapur, evicting 11 Hindu families. GHRD also investigated an attack against an Ahmediyya community in the Tangail District, alleged to have been agitated by the local Islamic extremist group Imam Parishad. The attacks received a lot of attention both by media and local human rights groups. On a positive note, the Office of the Prime Minister demanded the Home Ministry to ensure that a full investigation will be carried out into one of the kidnapping cases investigated by GHRD/BIHR in June. GHRD and BIHR welcome the initiative and will continue to monitor the implementation. 

URGENT APPEAL:Bangladesh: Religiously motivated attack against a Hindu temple

The Hague, The Netherlands

URGENT APPEAL:Bangladesh: Religiously motivated attack against a Hindu temple.

                                                                                     

ISSUES:  Minority rights, physical assault, forced eviction, threats, religious destruction, police negligence, corruption.

Dear Friends,

Between the 19^th- 21^st of August 2010 GHRD Dhaka together with Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) investigated the attack against a Hindu temple at the Sutapur District. 11 families were forcefully evicted and another 20 families were threatened to leave their home immediately. One woman, Eva Ghosh was dragged by her hair.

General condition of the prisons in Bangladesh

SAIKOT SHAHANUR ISLAM

The prisoners of 56 prisons among 67 around the Bangladesh are deprived from health care and medical facility due to the absence of prison hospital. There is no availability of ambulance services. So, the severe patients of prisons are taken to the general hospital by the prison van for their treatment. The treatment activates have been closed due to lack of manpower and doctor of which 11 prisons using the hospital. There are 11 prisons using the hospital amongst 67 prisons around the country, but there are not enough doctors and manpower to provide service to the ill prisoners. The conditions of the sick prisoners are being deteriorated due to lack of clean water supply and proper sanitation. There are only 16 doctors for about one lac sick prisoner all over the country as well as no specialist amongst them. The treatment services for the sick prisoners are being hampered due to the lack prisons hospital availability in the 56 prisons. 

URGENT APPEAL: demands to rehabilitate them as well as make a credible investigation to bring the allege perpetrators before justice

BANGLADESH INSTITUTE OF HUMAN RIGHTS URGENT APPEAL PROGRAMME

URGENT APPEAL CASE: BIHR-IAU-30-08-10

DATE: August 30, 2010

Type of Violation: Right to shelter, religious activity, security, and personal integrity

Dear Friends

Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights has been received a fact finding investigation report conducted by it high level investigation team from August 19-21, 2010 regarding some influential people of old Dhaka attempted to grab the old Hindu buildings including the temple, evicted some of the residing members, destroyed the temple and residences, looted the valuable statue of temple and property of the residing people as well as severely beat the males and molested the females. The victim urged the concerned police station to protect them, initially the police authority did not come to protect them. Though the victims demand to rehabilitate them as well as make a credible investigation to bring the allege perpetrators before justice, yet no proper action has been taken by the concern authority.

Appeal to US Secretary of State

Your Excellency Hillary Clinton

US Secretary of State

Washington DC, United States 

Dear Madam Secretary,

The verdict announced by the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, rejecting the designation of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI) as a terrorist group by the former Secretary of State, is a tremendous transition in the path of ending a great injustice which is harming the Iranian people and the residents of Camp Ashraf who are affiliated with the PMOI. We are confident that you will implement the Court of Appeals’ ruling and by delisting the PMOI from the List of FTO, make a great contribution to democracy in Iran and peace and stability in the region. 

The PMOI designation is not only used in the path of violating the rights of the members and supporters of the PMOI as the democratic opposition of the Iranian regime. It has also been exploited to justify the execution of their members and supporters inside Iran, and during the past seven years, this label has been a tool to suppress the residents of Camp Ashraf in Iraq. 

The recent US Court of Appeals’ ruling has paved the road for you to correct the mistakes made. 

There is no need to say that justice should not be conditioned to political considerations, and the interests of nations and free governments rests in observing democracy and the law. We hope that by ridding the injustice done to the PMOI, you will put an end to our grave worries. 

Yours Sincerely,

Adv. Shahanur Islam Saikot 

LL.B (Hon's); LL.M (Law & Justice)

JusticeMakers Fellow 2010 

Secretary General/Executive Director

Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights (BIHR)

Flat # B-17, 27, Bijoy Nagar, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh 

Email: saikotbihr@gmail.com, bihr.bd@gmail.com 

Cell: + 88 017 20308080, Ph: +88 02 9349851 

Fax: + 88 028352166, www.bihr-bihr.blogspot.com