A REQUEST TO THE POLITICAL REGIME IN BANGLADESH

Sub:  Death of Jahangir Alam and Zakaria subsequent to brutal torture in police custody – book

    the culprits before law – ensure adequate compensation to the survivors of the victims.

JANANEETHI is deeply concerned and overwhelmingly worried over the murder of two healthy men, Mr.Jahangir Alam and Zakaria, owing to the third degree method torture by the police on May 4, 2007 and March 28, 2007 respectively; further the cruel and inhuman torture and criminal assaults on Mr.Helal Uddin and Mr.Abul Hossan in police custody. We strongly appeal to you and urge you to take immediate and stringent action against the perpetrators through impartial and impeccable inquiry, and to award adequate and exemplary compensation to the victims/their survivors and further to recover the same amount from the salary of the erred police officers.

We have reliable information that Mr. Jahangir Alam, a local leader of the Jubo League in Teknaf, the youth wing of the Bangladesh Awami League, was arrested by the Navy in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazaar, on 3 May 2007. He was reportedly punched, kicked and beaten by four or five people, dressed as civilians, who then dragged him into a Jeep. He was brought to the hospital for the first time on 3 May at 7:45 pm, before being transferred to the Teknaf Police Station. On 4 May 2007, Mr. Alam was brought back to the hospital for a second time, after his condition had worsened, where he died almost immediately.

We also understand from the given information that there were marks, probably due to burns by electric shock or pouring hot water, found on Mr. Jahangir Alam’s body above the wrists and heels and in the arms as well as bruises and injuries in the palms and soles, below and on the knees, on the thighs, neck, arms and waist, due to kicks.

Further, on March 28, 2007, around 1.00 am, Mr. Zakaria, the son of late Ibrahim Shikder, was arrested at his residence in the village Bibirkhil, Pohorchanda, by members of the Chokoria Police Station, led by Sub-Inspector Abul Kalam, on the basis of a case lodged against him at the Lama Police Station of Bandarban District. At that time, Mr. Zakaria was out on bail in another case against him over a land dispute. According to his wife, Mrs. Mashuka Begum, they would have showed the policemen the bail order, to no avail. Mr. Helal Uddin, 36 years old, and Mr. Abul Hosson, 30 years old, were also arrested, while out of bail in the same case as Mr. Zakaria.

When Mrs. Mashuka Begum went to the Chokoria Police Station at around 7 am the same day, her husband requested her to organise his release, for which she went to the police, who took 550 taka from her while assuring that her husband would be released after Sub-Inspector Kalam woke up. Instead, her husband was taken to court around noon, along with Messrs. Helal Uddin and Abul Hosson. The court, when checking their bail order, ordered that the three men be released. However, they were brought back to the police station around 7.00 pm.

At around 8.30 pm, two policemen brought Mr. Zakaria out of the police station and put him on a rickshaw. One policeman was supporting his neck and the other was holding his legs. The two policemen then asked his wife to take him to a doctor, claiming he was sick. Mr. Zakaria was declared dead at his arrival at the Chokoria Upazila Health Complex.

Mr.Helal Uddin and Mr.Abul Hosson were also terribly beaten up and brutally tortured in police custody and they were witnesses to the killing of Zakaria while he was in the police station.

Bangladesh has ratified CAT and is also a State party to ICCPR. For these reasons the Government of Bangladesh has a bounden duty to immediately order an impartial investigation by an independent body and to book the culprits, declare them personally liable for the costs and consequences thereof and further to award the victims/survivors of victims adequate compensation.  This amount has to be recovered from the salary of those responsible for the loss of lives and physical as well as mental health of the victims and their dependants.

In the circumstances, the members of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of JANANEETHI strongly urge you and your good office to initiate forthwith legal proceedings against criminals in uniform and to ensure human rights and civil liberties of every citizen in the country are protected par-at-excellence.

For JANANEETHI Family,

George Pulikuthiyil

Executive Director,

Jananeethi Institute, P.B.No 8,

Mannuthy Post, Thrissur 680651, Kerala, India.

Tel: +91-487-2373479; Fax: +91-487-2373281

Email: gpneethi@sancharnet.in; geopuli@gmail.com

Website: www.jananeethi.org