URGENT APPEAL:A Prominent human rights defender in Bangladesh once again received his life threat

BANGLADESH INSTITUTE OF HUMAN RIGHTS URGENT APPEAL PROGRAMME

URGENT APPEAL CASE: BIHR-HRD-02-09

DATE: March 19, 2009

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BANGLADESH: A Prominent human rights defender in Bangladesh once again received his life threat

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Dear Friends

Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) has received a fact finding report conducted by a fact-finding team of BIHR from March 18 to 19, 2009 regarding serious threats to Mr. Shahanur Islam, Programme Manager of Legal and Human Rights Affairs at the Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) and Bangladesh Rehabilitation Centre for Trauma Victims (BRCT) as well as  Member of Bangladesh Bar Council and Dhaka Bar Association by cell phone. According to the information received, there was no action taken by the police authorities.

BIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:

Name of the Victim : Adv. Shahanur Islam (28), Secretary General and Executive Director of Bangladesh Centre for human Rights and Development (BCHRD), Programme Manager of Legal and Human Rights Affairs at Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) and Bangladesh Rehabilitation Centre for Trauma Victims (BRCT), Member of Bangladesh Bar Council and District Bar Association in Dhaka.

During the time of his duties, he conducted many investigations and fact-finding missions on human rights violations as well as issued local and international urgent appeals requesting attention to concerned authorities. He filed many cases against the perpetrators as a lawyer and some of them have been punished.

Date & Time of the Incident :i) March 18, 2009, around at 11.15 a.m.

                                                ii) ) March 19, 2009, around at 11.53 a.m

Name of the Perpetrators            : Billu

General Diary Number            : Paltan Police Station G. D.  No-1409

Date of General Diary  : March 19, 2009

FACT DETAILS:

On March 18, 2009 around at 11.15 am, when Mr. Shahanur Islam was working at Bangladesh Institution Human Rights at 27, Bijoy Nagar, Dhaka-1000, he received a call from a person; the cell phone number was displayed as 01937690054. Mr. Islam asked the caller to identify himself. The caller did so only as Billu and starting to verbally abuse him. In response Mr. Islam inquired as to the reason of the call and the purpose of the vulgar language. Billu replied by threatening to kill Mr. Islam  

On March 19, 2009 Mr. Shahanur again received call from the same phone Number. Once again the caller identified himself as Billu and begun to verbally abuse him and threatened him to kill immediately. He also warned him to take mental preparation about his death.

The phone call deeply disturbed and frightened Mr. Islam who in response immediately filed a General Diary at the Paltan Police Station of DMP (Paltan Police Station G. D.  No-1409; Dated: 19.03.2009). In it he made a statement about the two threats he received over the phone.

                       

BACKGROUND:

Mr. Islam has had his life threatened on previous occasions. On February 28th, 2009 at 11.28 a.m., while Mr. Shahanur Islam Saikot was working at his desk at the Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights, (BIHR) he received a phone call. Mr. Islam asked the caller to identify himself. The caller did so only as Pintu and starting to verbally abuse him. In response Mr. Islam inquired as to the reason of the call and the purpose of the vulgar language. Pintu replied by threatening to murder Mr. Islam by way of a gun shot to the head. Mr. Islam received a second phone call at 11.32 a.m. Once again the caller identified himself at Pintu and begun to verbally abuse him. This time, the caller stated that not only does he intend to murder him, but that he intends to do so that same day. The phone conversation ended with Pintu advising Mr. Islam to mentally prepare for his impending death.

The phone call deeply disturbed and frightened Mr. Islam who in response immediately filed a General Diary at the Paltan Police Station of DMP (No-2281). In it he made a statement about the two threats he received over the phone.

On March 1st, 2009 at 9.52 a.m., Pintu called Mr. Islam again and restated his threat to murder, this time claiming he would do so immediately.

BIHR FINDINGS:

This is not any isolated instance of such threats on journalists or human rights defenders in Bangladesh. It is a very common phenomenon for the professionals like journalists and human rights defenders of Bangladesh facing death threats from the law-enforcing agencies and security forces. It is well-known that Bangladesh has cultivated one of the best cultures of impunity to alleged perpetrators of human rights abuses despite the nation’s presence in the UN Human Rights Council since May 2006. Instead of improving the country’s human rights records the government of Bangladesh has paved the ways to degrade the rights of the citizens through various means of violations.

RECOMENDATION:

• take all necessary measures to guarantee, in all circumstances, the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Shahanur Islam;

• order a prompt, effective, thorough, independent and impartial investigation into the above-mentioned death threats, the result of which must be made public, in order to identify all those responsible, bring them before a competent, independent and impartial tribunal and apply to them the penal sanctions provided by the law;

• put an end to all acts of harassment against Mr. Shahanur Islam as well as against all human rights defenders in Bangladesh;

• comply with the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9, 1998, in particular Article 1, which states that “everyone has the right, individually or collectively, to promote the protection and fulfilment of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels”, as well as Article 12.2, which provides that “the State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually or in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration”;

• guarantee the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and other international human rights instruments ratified by Bangladesh.

SUGESTED ACTION:

Please write letters to the relevant authorities to investigate this alleged incident of violence ensuring the physical security the victim Mr. Shahanur Islam and his family. We trust that you will take immediate action regarding this serious matter and look forward to your favorable response.

Thank You

 

Adv. Mohammed Alamgir

Vice President

Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights (BIHR)

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

Phone: +88 017 20308080; Fax: + 88 028352166; Skype: bihr.bd

Email: bihr.bd@gmail.com, www.bihrbd.blogspot.com