Paris, France; April 24, 2024: JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) expressed deep concern regarding the deaths of two individuals, including a leader of Jubo Dal, allegedly due to brutal torture by police in Sunamganj and Thakurgaon on April 16 and 8, 2023, respectively.
Demanding exemplary punishment for the perpetrators of these alleged gross human rights violations, JMBF calls for the establishment of an inquiry committee led by a judicial magistrate to ensure integrity and transparency in the investigation process.
According to report published in different new media in Bangladesh, JMBF learned that On April 16, 2024, Tuesday evening, Ramiz Mia (50) from Burungamara village in North Sreepur Union of Tahirpur, Sunamganj, allegedly died in police custody during his arrest by members of the Tahirpur Police Station.
On April 17, his body was buried after a post-mortem examination at Sunamganj General Hospital. Ramiz Mia's family members allege that he died due to police beating and demand punishment for those involved. However, the police denied the allegations of beating and claimed that he ran away from the shop and they could not catch him again. After searching for some time, they left the place.
Ramiz Mi
Ramiz Mia died while being arrested in Burungamara village of North Sreepur Union of the Upazila last Tuesday evening. Two members of the local Tekerghat Police Investigation Center went to arrest him.
Ramiz Mia's son, Saiful Islam (22), told the media, "Everything happened in front of my eyes. My father died after being brutally beaten by the police. We want justice for this." Saiful Islam said that their house is next to the village road, with a tea shop in front of it. His father ran the shop, and he and his brother worked as laborers. When there was no work, they sat in the shop with their father. Saiful was with his father in the shop on Tuesday afternoon when the incident occurred.
Narrating the incident, Saiful Islam said that in the afternoon, two men arrived on a motorcycle and stopped in front of their shop. One of them entered the shop and asked for cigarettes. As Saiful took out a cigarette from the drawer, the man asked for his father's name. When Ramiz Mia stated his name, the man punched him in the chest. When Saiful tried to intervene, they identified themselves as the police and claimed to have an arrest warrant. When asked to see the warrant, they said it was at the outpost. Ramiz brought the case documents from inside the house to show them, but instead of letting him go, they held him tighter. Eventually, Ramiz struggled to escape and tried to leave through the back of the house.
At that point, a policeman hit him with a shield from a coconut tree in the shop. Ramiz managed to reach another house twenty feet away, but the policemen followed and continued to assault him. Saiful said, "I started crying to protect my father." Ramiz managed to free himself from the policemen's grasp but collapsed on the ground as he tried to move forward. Then blood started flowing from his nose and mouth. When villagers gathered, the policemen quickly left. Saiful tried to revive his father by pouring water on his head, but he died a few minutes later.
In another incident on April 8, 2024, Akram Hossain (40), the General Secretary of Upazila Jubo Dal, the youth wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in Haripur Upazila, allegedly died in police custody in Haripur, Thakurgaon, due to excessive police torture. Akram was admitted to Haripur Upazila Health Complex around 1:45 pm when his physical condition deteriorated in the police station. He passed away on April 8, Monday, around 2 pm.
The concerned officer of the health complex claims that he was brought to the health complex after his death. Akram Hossain, the son of Abdul Towab from Dehat Hat Pukur village in Haripur Upazila, was arrested on April 7, 2024, Sunday, around 9 pm, along with five others by the Haripur police station on accusations related to a drug case. However, the police denied the allegations of torture and claimed that he died due to a heart attack.
Advocate Shahanur Islam, Founder President of JMBF, asserts that the deaths of Ramiz Mia and Akram Hossain in police custody are not isolated incidents but symptomatic of systemic human rights violations within Bangladesh's law enforcement agencies and a lack of accountability in the criminal justice system.
He strongly condemns these incidents and urges impartial, thorough, and transparent investigations and trials to determine the circumstances surrounding the tragedies.
JMBF believes that despite constitutional provisions prohibiting torture, the continued use of torture by police during interrogation disregards fundamental human rights principles and results in the frequent deaths of Bangladeshi citizens in custody.
Highlighting the absence of independent investigations and accountability mechanisms, JMBF underscores the disregard for constitutional principles, the UDHR, and other laws in Bangladesh.
JMBF demands immediate legal action against the accused police officials under the Prohibition of Death in Custody and Torture Act 2013 and their prompt arrest.
Additionally, JMBF calls for the protection of the victims' families' physical and psychological well-being and urges financial compensation for Ramiz Mia and Akram Hossain's families.
Thank you.
Advocate Shahanur Islam
Founder President
JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF)
Email: saikotbihr@gmail.com,
Cell/WhatsUp/Signal: +33(0)7 839523 15
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