BANGLADESH INSTITUTE OF HUMAN RIGHTS URGENT APPEAL PROGRAMME
URGENT APPEAL CASE: BIHR-UA-HRD-06-11
DATE: July 21, 2011
ISSUE: Threats to journalist & human rights defender, rights to press freedom, personal integrity.
=========================================
URGENT APPEAL
BANGLADESH: Death threats against senior journalist & human rights defender Mohd Jahangir Alam in Bangladesh
==========================================
Dear Friends,
Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights is deeply concerned about the recent incident of threats against Mohd Jahangir Alam, Correspondent and Chief of Crime Department of United News of Bangladesh (UNB), a leading news agency of the country and also the Executive Member of Crime Reporters` Association of Bangladesh (CRAB) through the phone call by unidentified caller. Though, Mr. Alam filed a general diary with the Gulshan Police Station, so far we received information that no prompt action has been taken by the concerned police authority identifying the caller to bring the perpetrators before the book.
Journalist & human rights defenders are frequently subjected to threats and harassment from directly in state authority and also indirectly engaged by the third party like terrorist in Bangladesh. The incident must be investigated and appropriate sanctions be meted to the police authority in question. BIHR urges for the immediate intervention to ensure the protection of journalist & human rights defenders in their daily work in Bangladesh.
BIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:
Name of the Victim :Mohd Jahangir Alam Correspondent and Chief of Crime Department of United News of Bangladesh (UNB),a leading news agency of the country and also the Executive Member of Crime Reporters` Association of Bangladesh (CRAB).
During the time of his duties, he wrote many report on crime relating to drug, arms business, corruption, and Islamic militancy involving with the state authorities.
Name of the alleged Perpetrators: Unidentified caller introduced himself as accomplice of top listed terrorist Subrata Bayeen.
Alleged mobile number : 01752-518009
Date & time of Incident : July 13, 2011, around at 12:20 PM
Number of the GD : Gulshan Police station No. 1073, dated 13/07/2011
CASE SUMMERY:
On July 13, 2011 around at 12:20 pm, senior journalist Mohd Jahangir Alam received death threat over cell phone from an unknown caller who introduced himself as an accomplice of Subrata Bayeen, an absconding top terrorist. According to received information from the reliable source an unknown caller claiming himself as an associate of listed terrorist Subrata Bayeen phoned him from a mobile phone operator bearing No 01752-518009 when he was staying in capital`s Gulshan area for professional purpose at 12:20pm. The caller scolded him and also threatened to kill him, saying “wherever you remain in the country I will shoot you to death”. A general diary being No 1073 dated 13/07/2011 was lodged with Gulshan police station. The phone call deeply disturbed and frightened Mr. Alam.
BACK GRAUND HISTORY:
Mr. Alam is working as a Correspondent and Chief of Crime Department of United News of Bangladesh (UNB), a leading news agency of the country and also Executive Member of Crime Reporters` Association of Bangladesh (CRAB).
During his duty, a series of reports wrote by him on terrorism and illegal drug trade as well as involving the concerned authority with such crime that were published in different national daily newspapers recently might have enraged the terrorists and drug peddlers. You will be reached some of his report visiting the following url:
http://www.newstoday.com.bd/index.php?option=details&news_id=26925&date=2011-05-08, http://www.thebangladeshtoday.com/ba...k%20page%20-01
http://www.newstoday.com.bd/index.php?option=details&news_id=27846&date=2011-05-18, http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?date=2011-05-18&news_id=136072
BIHR FINDINGS:
This is not any isolated instance of such kind of threats on journalist or human rights defenders in Bangladesh. It is a very common phenomenon for the professionals like journalist of Bangladesh facing threats, attacked, harassment, ill treatment, death threats from the terrorist, 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.
RECOMENDATIONS:
i) Take all necessary measures to guarantee, in all circumstances, the physical and psychological integrity of Mohammed Jahangir Alam;
ii) Order a prompt, effective, thorough, independent and impartial investigation into the above-mentioned incident of 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;
iii) Put an end to all acts of harassment against Mr. Alam as well as against all journalist & human rights defenders in Bangladesh;
iv) Accomply 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”;
v) 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 of the victim Mohd Jahangir Alam and his family. We trust that you will take immediate action regarding this serious matter and look forward to your favorable response.
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. 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
psecy@pmo.gov.bd 1. 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
2. Mr. Md. Mozammel Haque
Chief Justice
Supreme Court of Bangladesh
Supreme Court Building, Ramna, Dhaka-1000
BANGLADESH
Fax: +880 2 956 5058 /+880 2 7161344,Tel: +880 2 956 2792
E-mail: chief@bdcom.com or supremec@bdcom.com
3. Barrister Shafique Ahmed
Minister
Ministry of Law, Justice & Parliamentary Affairs
Bangladesh Secretariat ,Dhaka-1000
BANGLADESH
Tel: +880 2 7160627 (O), Fax: +880 2 7168557 (O)
Email: info@minlaw.gov.bd
4. Ms. Sahara Khatun MP
Minister
Ministry of Home Affairs
Bangladesh Secretariat,Dhaka-1000
BANGLADESH
Tel: +880 2 7169069 (O),Fax: +880 2 7160405, 880 2 7164788 (O)
E-mail: minister@mha.gov.bd
5. Mr. Mahbubey Alam
Attorney General of Bangladesh
Office of the Attorney General
Supreme Court Annex Building, Ramna, Dhaka-1000
BANGLADESH
Fax: +880 2 956 1568 ,Tel: +880 2 956 2868
6. Prof. Mizanur Rahman
Chairman
National Human Rights Commission
10th Floor, Gulfeshan Plaza
8, Journalist Selina Parvin Road
Mogbazar, Dhaka
BANGLADESH
Tel: +88 02 8331492
Fax: +88 02 8333219
E-mail: nhrc.bd@gmail.com
Chairman
National Human Rights Commission
10th Floor, Gulfeshan Plaza
8, Journalist Selina Parvin Road
Mogbazar, Dhaka
BANGLADESH
Tel: +88 02 8331492
Fax: +88 02 8333219
E-mail: nhrc.bd@gmail.com
7. Mr. Hassan Mahmud Khandker
Inspector General of Police (IGP)
Bangladesh Police
Police Headquarters',Fulbaria, Dhaka-1000
BANGLADESH
Fax: +880 2 956 3362 / 956 3363
Tel: +880 2 956 2054 / +880 2 717 6451 / +880 2 717 6677
E-mail: ig@police.gov.bd
8. Mr. Asaduzzaman Mian
Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG)
Dhaka Range
Office of the DIG of Dhaka Range
Shegun Bagicha, Ramna, Dhaka-1000
BANGLADESH
Tel: +880 2 8353926 (O) ,Fax: +880 2 8315838/ 9345858 (O)
Mobile: +8801713 373316
E-mail: digdhaka@police.gov.bd
Inspector General of Police (IGP)
Bangladesh Police
Police Headquarters',Fulbaria, Dhaka-1000
BANGLADESH
Fax: +880 2 956 3362 / 956 3363
Tel: +880 2 956 2054 / +880 2 717 6451 / +880 2 717 6677
E-mail: ig@police.gov.bd
8. Mr. Asaduzzaman Mian
Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG)
Dhaka Range
Office of the DIG of Dhaka Range
Shegun Bagicha, Ramna, Dhaka-1000
BANGLADESH
Tel: +880 2 8353926 (O) ,Fax: +880 2 8315838/ 9345858 (O)
Mobile: +8801713 373316
E-mail: digdhaka@police.gov.bd
Thank You
Adv. Shahanur Islam (Saikot)
LL.B(Hon’s); LL.M(Law & Justice)
Secretery General/Executive Director
Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights (BIHR)
27, Bijoy Nagar, B-17, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh
Tele-Fax: + 88 028352166; Skype: saikot.bihr, bihr.bd
Cell: +88 017 20308080, +88 015 56447876
Email: saikotbihr@gmail.com, bihr.bd@gmail.com,
No comments:
Post a Comment