Uwazi

Bangladesh�s military intelligence agency, the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), has established a sophisticated operation which secretly hacks the Facebook pages and profiles of opposition groups, political dissidents, student activists and journalists in apparent contravention of the country�s cybersecurity law.

Whistleblowers, who work as civilian contractors for the DGFI, provided Netra News with testimony and documentary evidence on how two special units within the agency � the Signal Intelligence Bureau (SIB) and the Public Relations Monitoring Cell (PRMC) � are engaged in hacking and other cybercrimes. Both these units rely on civilian contractors for �offensive cyber action� and are overseen by ranking military officers.

�We hack Facebook and [engage in other cybercrimes]. [DGFI handlers] set the target, we take action,� one of the whistleblowers told a Netra News editor. �Tough jobs are assigned to a team with access to sophisticated technology.�

The whistleblowers� claims are backed by recent comments from the Bangladeshi telecom and ICT minister himself, who boasted during a live interview with a TV reporter that hackers working for the government are monitoring and hacking political dissidents� Facebook profiles.

�This girl will be in trouble�

The DGFI�s involvement in hacking and other cyber crimes has long been suspected but detailed evidence of this activity came to Netra News recently when the student organisation Swatantra Jote invited Tasneem Khalil, the editor-in-chief of Netra News, to join its leader Auroni Semonti Khan in a discussion focusing on the Covid-19 epidemic and censorship in Bangladesh.

The discussion was slated to be broadcast live from the organisation�s official Facebook page on May 13th. A few hours before the Facebook Live, Khalil was alerted by an insider about a plan by the military intelligence agency�s Public Relations Monitoring Cell (PRMC) to disrupt the discussion.

�This girl will be in trouble,� the insider wrote to Khalil, and attached a screenshot of a Facebook post in which Semonti Khan was publicising her planned discussion with the journalist. The insider also told the editor-in-chief of Netra News that the DGFI considers him a �persona non grata� and anyone in Bangladesh who wants to host a Facebook Live with him will be subjected to coercive measures (major steps taken by the agency in escalating situations).

As part of the PRMC plan, online trolls were instructed by their handlers to swarm to Swatantra Jote�s official Facebook page and �take it down� with fake abuse reports. In an audio clip provided to Netra News by one of the whistleblowers, an individual can be heard saying, �Everyone must file abuse reports [to Facebook] under whatever categories � fake, violence � there are, apply everything.�

Following such mass-reporting by PRMC trolls, Facebook imposed restrictions on Swatantra Jote�s page. As administrators of the page were informed through a service notice, �Limits have been placed on [the page]. Stories from your page are not being shown in news feed.�

The trolls also flooded the page with abusive comments from hundreds of bot accounts (fake social media accounts used for automated comments and messaging).

The whistleblowers told Netra News that this is routine work for the PRMC�s online troll army. Civilian contractors, who maintain thousands of fake pages and accounts on Facebook, receive daily instructions on spreadsheets containing URLs of specific posts, pages and profiles to target. Most of these targets are critical journalists, political dissidents, and opposition figures.

�There is clear [division of labour] between teams,� one of the whistleblowers, who works as a PRMC troll, told Netra News. �This team does copyright, this team does violence, this team does comments, this team does accounts disabling.�

However, sophisticated hacking of a high-value target�s Facebook account or page is outside the remit of the PRMC and its troll army. Such tasks are handled by a special team of hackers who work for the Signal Intelligence Bureau (SIB) as civilian contractors. These hackers operate out of the DGFI headquarters inside the Dhaka Cantonment.

Netra News was provided with evidence indicating that the SIB was behind the hacking of the writer Pinaki Bhattacharya�s Facebook account in September 2018 (while he was in Bangladesh) and the hijacking of Swatantra Jote�s Facebook page in May 2020.

�Get all the Bhattacharyas�

The writer Pinaki Bhattacharya, according to the whistleblowers, has long been considered a high-value target by the DGFI, for his caustic criticism of the Awami League government. He is one of the select individuals whose Facebook profile is closely monitored by the PRMC on a �24/7 365 days� basis. The agency has also tried to muzzle his Facebook account by employing all the tools at its disposal including putting him under physical surveillance for months and asking him to appear at its headquarters for questioning. Bhattacharya left Bangladesh for exile in France in 2019.

Netra News was given a clip in which an individual boasts about the kind of access their team at the SIB has: �Take Pinaki Bhattacharya. Sirs [DGFI officers] tried everything, RAB tried. They even contacted Facebook citing a national security ground, but Facebook said there is no national security ground. [Facebook] would not give any personal information. [�] Then they [DGFI officers] said if needed get all the Bhattacharyas from the national ID card database [�] If we need [personal details of a target], we can [tap into that kind of source of] information.�

SIB hackers were finally able to hack Bhattacharya�s Facebook account in September 2018 by intercepting a two-factor verification code sent to his phone number. The whistleblowers told Netra News that only the �elite team� at the SIB has access to sophisticated technology which enables the hackers to intercept SMS messages containing verification codes for services like Facebook and WhatsApp. One of the whistleblowers said �it is very likely but not sure� that the SIB has direct access to the interception infrastructure at the National Telecommunication Monitoring Center (NTMC).

Coercive measure

According to details provided by the whistleblowers, and research by an independent forensic investigator who helped Netra News investigate the case, Swatantra Jote�s Facebook page was hijacked on May 13th after SIB hackers were able to hack into one of its administrator�s personal accounts by intercepting their two-factor verification SMS. This coercive measure was taken because the PRMC troll army could not deter the organisation from hosting the planned Facebook Live discussion between Auroni Semoti Khan and Tasneem Khalil.

One of the whistleblowers told a Netra News editor that SIB hackers maintain a �collection of hacked accounts� that they use for high-value hacking operations. These Facebook accounts belong to �regular people� who use easy-to-guess passwords. Once hacked, names on these accounts are often changed to well-known opposition figures, though the whistleblowers could not explain the exact reason for the name changes. One of the benefits of using such a hacked account, instead of registering a new account, is that these �regular people� accounts already have a large friends� list and a history � which also beats Facebook�s automated system of weeding out fake accounts.

Based on some technical details provided by a member of Swatantra Jote, an independent forensic investigator reconstructed the hacking and hijacking of the organisation�s page. According to this reconstruction, the hackers first took control of the personal account of one of the administrators of the Facebook page. They then relegated all the other administrators and editors of the page to the role of �advertiser� and added a new administrator and a new editor to the page. At least one of these two accounts � which is now named after a controversial BNP activist � belonged to a regular Facebook user who lost his account a few weeks back.

With the help of the forensic investigator, Netra News was able to track down this Facebook user in Comilla. The user, who is a businessman, told a Netra News reporter that his Facebook account was suddenly taken over by someone in early or mid April. As he could not access his account anymore, he registered a new account and moved on. He also does not know anything about Swatantra Jote, the organisation or its leaders.

On May 14th, Swatantra Jote held an online press conference and issued a press release condemning the �cyber attack� it was subjected to. A general diary (GD) has also been filed with the Boalkhali Police Station in Chittagong by a leader of the organisation in connection to this hacking incident.

After Swatantra Jote lost control of its page, Auroni Semonti Khan hosted the Facebook Live with Tasneem Khalil from her own Facebook profile in the evening of May 13th.

�Our boys and girls�

The government�s involvement in hacking is confirmed in a recent TV interview given by the Bangladeshi telecom and ICT minister, Mustafa Jabbar. The interview, broadcast live by Somoy News on April 3rd 2020, centered on actions taken by the Bangladeshi government against journalists and political dissidents (described as �conspirators� and �rumour mongers�) who criticise the government on Facebook.

�[Facebook] gives excuses in the name of so-called freedom of expression and other [rights], for which we face some inconveniences. However, we can also say that while Facebook acts as the authority, our boys and girls can identify who is doing what and take action against them without [any help from] this authority � we have been able to hack or terminate their [Facebook] IDs. It is a matter of pleasure,� the minister told a Somoy News reporter. �The people can rest assured that our team that is working, including the law enforcement agency, is extremely cautious, efficient, and technologically resourceful.�

During the interview, Somoy News showed screenshots of the Facebook profiles of two dissidents in exile and a journalist: Pinaki Bhattacharya (writer, in exile in France), Meer Zahan (former DGFI officer, in exile in France), and the Swedish-Bangladeshi journalist Tasneem Khalil (editor-in-chief of Netra News).

Pinaki Bhattacharya told Netra News that his Facebook account has been hacked thrice: on September 13th 2018, March 30th 2020, and April 2nd 2020 (the day before the interview was broadcast). Meer Zahan said his Facebook account has not been hacked in recent times. There is no indication that Tasneem Khalil�s verified Facebook profile was compromised in any way in recent years.

�Hacking related offence and punishment�

While Bangladesh�s telecom and ICT minister himself boasts about state-sponsored hacking during a live TV interview and the military intelligence agency targets dissidents, journalists and student groups for cyber attacks, hacking remains a punishable offence according to the country�s controversial cybersecurity law: the Digital Security Act of 2018.

Article 34 of the act, which is often touted by its proponents as an �anti-hacking law�, reads: �if a person commits hacking then it will be considered an offence and for this he will be sentenced to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 14 (fourteen) years or with fine not exceeding Taka 1 (one) crore or with both.�

The act also sets out specific punishments for other cyber crimes including �collecting, using identity information without permission�; �identity fraud or being in disguise�; �publishing, sending offensive, false or fear inducing data-information etc.�

According to a Bangladeshi jurist consulted by Netra News, the law does not make any exception nor does it indemnify government officials, military officers and civilian contractors who engage in hacking and other cyber crimes.

�I did not talk to any such reporter�

When Netra News contacted Mustafa Jabbar for his comment, he initially agreed to talk to Tasneem Khalil, the editor-in-chief of Netra News. In a recorded telephone conversation, Khalil asked him about the Somoy News interview and the claims about state-sponsored hackers hacking people�s Facebook accounts. Jabbar, the minister, immediately denied making any such statements.

Mustafa Jabbar: What? People working for the government are hacking IDs?

Tasneem Khalil: Yes, let me read the exact quote to you. You were telling the reporter Shuvo Khan�

Mustafa Jabbar: I did not talk to any such reporter.

Tasneem Khalil: Did you not talk to a Somoy News reporter? At your home, [broadcast] live?

Mustafa Jabbar: Did not talk.

Tasneem Khalil: I see. We actually have a video clip of the interview they broadcasted, where you are saying, �our boys and girls can identify who is doing what and take action against them without any help from this authority, we have been able to hack or terminate their IDs.� This�

Mustafa Jabbar: These things [inaudible] Somoy News interviews will be available with Somoy News. I do not wish to talk to you.

After a brief cross-talk, Mustafa Jabbar disconnected the call.

Response by Facebook

Netra News asked Facebook for its comment and received this response from a spokesperson: �We are committed to safeguarding the integrity of our services and take action on any attempt to gain unauthorized access to user accounts. We are working to secure [the Swatantra Jote page], and we encourage people to strengthen their security by turning on app-based two-factor authentication and alerts for unrecognized logins.�

�Not in my knowledge�

Netra News tried but could not reach the DGFI officers � both brigadier generals � in charge of the SIB and the PRMC. A DGFI staffer who received a call to its headquarters said �it was not in [his] knowledge� who could we talk to for an official comment about this story.

Auroni Semonti Khan of Swatantra Jote declined to comment.

On 13 May 2020, student organisation 'Swatantra Jote' was victim of online attack led by the military ahead of a social media event focussed on COVID-19 outbreak in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Rapid Action Battalion arrested cartoonist Ahmed Kabir Kishore, writer Mushtaq Ahmed, and two others -- Didarul Islam Bhuiyan, an activist of a platform called 'Rashtrachinta', and Minhaz Mannan Emon, a businessman -- under the Digital Security Act, allegedly for making anti-government posts on Facebook, from the capital yesterday.

A team of Rab-3 handed Kishore and Mushtaq over to Ramna Police Station, Monirul Islam, officer-in-charge of the police station told The Daily Star this morning. Rab-3 also confirmed the matter.

Jamshedul Islam, investigation officer of the case, said the four were arrested from the capital's Kakrail and Lalmatia areas on charge of posting anti-government content on Facebook.

Later today, Rapid Action Battalion handed over Didarul Islam Bhuiyan and Minhaz Mannan Emon to Ramna Police Station in the evening, Jamshedul Alam, also a sub-inspector of the station, confirmed to The Daily Star.

"RAB handed over Didarul and Minhaz to police before Iftar this evening," he said.

A total 11 persons were accused in the case filed under the Digital Security Act.

Besides the four arrested, the seven others made accused in the case are: journalists Tasnim Khalil and Shahed Alam, Saer Zulkarnain, Ashiq Imran, Phillipp Schuhmacher, Shapan Wahid, and Asif Mohiuddin.

According to the case statement, a Facebook page named "I am Bangladeshi" is "trying to circulate propaganda and create confusion".

They were disseminating various misinformation, including rumours, through social media, Rab said, mentioning that the page is "creating confusion, instability and chaos among people".

According to Rab, Saer Zulkarnain, Kishore, Ashiq Imran, Phillipp Schuhmacher, Shapan Wahid and Mushtaq are the five admins who have been running the page.

Kishore was picked up from Kakrail area, while Mushtaq was picked up from his Lalmatia home yesterday, the police officer said adding that they will be produced before court today.

Kishore, a political cartoonist, posted several cartoons and posters on his Facebook account "Ami Kishore", criticising the government over the coronavirus situation. Mushtaq shared some of Kishore's cartoons on his Facebook profile.

Lipa Akhter, Mushtaq's wife, told The Daily Star, "Around five large vehicles with Rab personnel showed up at our residence in Lalmatia in the early hours of Monday, around 1:44 am. They said that they are from Rab-3. They took away Mushtaq around 3:00am and since then we had no idea where he was, or where he was being taken.

"Around 3:30am last night, two days after he was picked up, I received a call from Ramna Police Station saying that my husband is with them and that I was to come over to the police station and give him food," she added.

Mushtaq, who writes under the pen name "Michel Kumir Thakur", was critical of the "poor management in tackling the Covid-19 situation and the government" on social media.

A crocodile farmer and businessman, Mushtaq wrote a book titled "Kumir Chasher Diary" which was published in November 2018 and was working on another book.

Earlier, Didarul Bhuiyan was supposedly picked up from his house in Dhaka's North Badda yesterday evening.

A family source said some people came in two black microbuses before iftar. They were in plainclothes, but introduced themselves as Rab-3 members and said Didarul was being taken for interrogation.

Didarul is an IT specialist and owner of "ABAC Technologies", an outsourcing IT firm, located on the fifth floor of the same building. He wrote some critical posts on the state's decision to deal with coronavirus, controversy over masks and the distribution of funds and relief.

Contacted last night, Lt Col Md Sarwar-Bin-Quasem, director (Legal and Media) of Rab, told The Daily Star that an operation was underway and they would inform media after its completion.

He, however, did not disclose details.

At a press conference held live from Rashtrochinta office premises this morning, the organisation's member and a lawyer at the Supreme Court, Hasnat Qaiyyum, said, "We are requesting that Didarul be handed over to the police if there is any allegation against him. If there are no allegations, he should be released."

Didarul's family was present at the press conference.

On 5 May 2020, Didarul Bhuiyan, NGO worker, was taken into custody from home by the police without warrant, for criticising the Government handling of COVID-19 outbreak in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

A Bangladeshi journalist reported missing in March as cases were being filed against him under the Digital Security Act is now in jail after officials said they found him near the border with India.

Border guards on Sunday arrested Shafiqul Islam Kajol, 51, as he walked into Bangladesh from India with no passport. Police brought him to a court in southwestern Jessore district, on the West Bengal border, and he was sent to jail, according to multiple accounts.

Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, who oversees both police and the border guards, said Monday that he was flummoxed by the case.

�Actually, I do not know where he had been for 54 days. But he was arrested from the Benapole border while coming to Bangladesh from India. We have to investigate,� Khan told BenarNews.

�I spoke with my father. I do not know where he had been for 54 days. Now, our main target is to get him out of jail,� Kajol�s son, Monorom Polok, told BenarNews.

According to his lawyer, Kajol was initially granted bail on a charge of illegal entry, but was then rearrested under Section 54 of the Bangladeshi criminal code, which allows detention of a person based on �reasonable suspicion.�

�The court granted him bail for the intrusion case. Later, police told the court they had again arrested Kajol ... as he faced three cases under the Digital Security Act in Dhaka,� lawyer Debashish Das told BenarNews.

�The judge asked police to submit an updated report on existing cases against Shafiqul by May 19, and then he will rule about it,� Das said.

Missing since early March

Kajol, a photojournalist and editor of the fortnightly magazine Pokkhokal, had been missing since March 10, a day after a lawmaker with the ruling Awami League lawmaker Saifuzzaman Shikhor filed a criminal defamation suit against him and 31 others.

Awami League activists filed two more cases against Kajol on March 10 and 11. One of them accused Kajol of committing extortion by �obtaining information illegally� and publishing �false, intimidating and defamatory� material on Facebook and Messenger, according to Amnesty International.

The Digital Security Act, which went into effect in September 2018, includes harsh prison sentences for online defamation, insulting a person�s religion and other offenses. Critics have complained that it impedes free speech.

The Committee to Protect Journalists, a press freedom advocacy group, on Sunday urged police to release Kajol and drop all charges against him.

�Bangladesh police must immediately put an end to the long ordeal of journalist Shafiqul Islam Kajol, missing for 53 days, and release him from custody,� said Steven Butler, CPJ�s Asia program coordinator.

�Kajol is a victim, not a criminal. It�s an abuse of authority to subject Kajol to detention and interrogation.�

Kajol resurfaced on World Press Freedom Day, Amnesty International noted in a separate statement. It said that while many governments were justified in combatting misinformation about COVID-19, some were using the moment �as a pretext to crack down on critical voices.�

In Bangladesh, �at least 20 journalists have been recently intimidated, assaulted or harassed by members of the ruling party, and in some cases detained and accused of criminal offenses by the police for reporting pilferage, corruption and lack of accountability in the relief distribution meant for the poor during the lockdown,� it said, citing the Forum for Freedom of Expression, Bangladesh.

Amnesty noted that BenarNews itself had been blocked since it reported on an internal U.N. memo leaked in late March estimating that Bangladesh could see as many as two million deaths as a result of the pandemic without interventions.

On 3 May 2020, Shafiqul Islam Kajol, missing media worker, was arrested and charged under the repressive Digital Act by the police as soon as he showed up after nearly two months in Jessore district, Bangladesh.

A correspondent of a private television channel came under attack and two of his colleagues were intimidated when they were collecting information about misappropriation of rice intended for distribution among the poor at Raipura in Narsingdi on Thursday evening.

After being severely beaten up, journalist AH Bhuiyan Sajal, district correspondent of SA Television, was taken to Narsingdi District Hospital and he was undergoing treatment there until Friday evening.

He had severe wounds in his head, said Asian TV reporter in Dhaka Abdul Baten, who was accompanying Sajal during the incident at about 7:30pm.

Baten went there also to look into the allegations concerning misappropriation of public rice, meant for the poor people, against Amirganj union parishad chairman Nasir Uddin Khan.

Raipur police station officer-in-charge Mohsin Kadir said that although the injured journalist did not file any case, the police had started drives to catch the union council chairman.

Abdul Baten, who witnessed the scene but escaped the attack, said that they were working on an allegation that the chairman was swindling public rice instead of distributing among the poor people during the severe food crisis triggered by public holiday declared by the government to contain virus outbreak.

�After interviewing many poor people, we phoned the chairman for his comment and asked us to go to his office,� he said.

�A soon as we reached there, his men started beating my colleague. As I wanted to stop them, they took away our camera, mobiles and money. They threatened us with dire consequences,� said Baten.

�We apologised to them for our investigation and managed to save our camera and left the place with Sajal,� he added.

Nasir Uddin Khan was called many times on Friday on his official number for his reported involvement in assaulting journalists, but he did not respond.

On 23 April 2020, AH Bhuiyan Sajal, media worker, was beaten up, two more intimidated by local government representatives while covering misappropriation of rice for distribution during COVID-19 lockdown in Narsingdi, Bangladesh.

A case was filed against two editors and two reporters under Digital Security Act for allegedly publishing news on misappropriation of government rice.

The accused were editor-in-Chief of bdnews24.com Toufique Imrose Khalidi, Jagonews24.com acting editor Mohiuddin Sarker and two local correspondents-- Shawon Amin and Rahim Shuvo, Baliadangi Upazila unit Sechhasebak League president Mominul Islam Bashani lodged the case with Baliadangi Police Station on Saturday night.

Habibul Haque Prodhan, officer-in-charge of the police station, confirmed the matter.

According to the case, local administration seized 68 sacks of rice meant for sale to the poor at Tk 10 per kilogram in Palashbari union parishad.

Upazila Food Controller Nikhil Chandra Barman filed a case with the police station in this connection on April 9.

Mominul in the case stated that accused Shawon Amin and Rahim Shuvo uploaded two posts on Facebook mentioning him as �rice thief�.

�Later, two reports were also published in bdnews24.com and Jagonews24.com involving me and my brother Aminul Islam Amin, chairman of Palashbari UP which tarnished his and the party�s reputation,� he added. Baliadangi Police Station OC Habibul Haque said the case was filed under Digital Security Act and they will investigate the matter.

On 18 April 2020, Toufique Imrose Khalidi, Mohiuddin Sarker, Shawon Amin and Rahim Shuvo, media editors, reporters were accused by a local politician under draconian law for covering irregularities on COVI-19-related relief distribution in Baliadangi Upazila, Bangladesh.

A journalist has been physically assaulted allegedly by a union parishad chairman and his associates for publishing a Facebook Live video depicting irregularity in relief distribution in Habiganj.

The incident took place yesterday at Aushkandi area under Nabiganj upazila in the district, Upazila Nirbahi Officer Biswajit Kumar confirmed to The Daily Star.

Shah Sultan Ahmed, a correspondent of daily Dainik Pratidiner Sangbad and former president of Nabiganj Journalists' Forum, reported irregularities during relief distribution by Aushkandi UP Chairman Muhibur Rahman in a Facebook Live video on Monday, reports our Sylhet correspondent quoting Mujibur Rahman, a local journalist who was present there.

Muhibur and his men swooped on Sultan yesterday afternoon when he went to report the relief distribution work for the day and beat him up with a cricket bat, leaving him severely injured. Seven other journalists also sustained injuries while trying to save him, Mujibur, who was among them, said, adding that Sultan was admitted to the Upazila Health Complex for treatment.

"After the video was posted two days ago, the chairman complained me that he was being defamed by the journalist in the video and I asked him to wait until I look into the matter. But before I talked with both parties, the chairman and his men attacked the journalist when he went to the bazaar for reporting purposes," UNO Biswajit Kumar said.

"Following the incident, the relief distribution work was halted for today (Wednesday) and will resume tomorrow, he said.

"This is a heinous crime committed by the chairman and his men, who attacked the journalist. Even if the journalist had defamed him, the matter could have been settled in a lawful manner.

"Relief packages for 100 families included 10 kg of rice in each packet, which were given to the chairman for distribution. We also added some potatoes and lentils in 40 packets and asked the chairman to give them to the extremely poor families. This difference of packets created confusion and the journalist reported the anomaly," the UNO said.

"No case has been filed in this connection yet. We will look into the matter once a complaint is lodged in this regard," said Azizur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Nabiganj Police Station.

UP Chairman Muhibur Rahman could not be reached when this correspondent tried to contact him over the phone. Someone else answered the phone and said to call again later.

Motiur Rahman Munna, general secretary of Nabiganj Journalists' Forum, said, "We strongly protest such a heinous attack on a journalist and demand justice."

On Tuesday, one person was arrested in Bhola for physically assaulting a journalist after he reported about irregularities in relief distribution.

On 1 April 2020, Shah Sultan Ahmed, media worker, was severely injured, while seven other media workers were beaten by local government representatives for reporting irregularities in relief distributionin Habiganj, Bangladesh.

At least 15 journalists were beaten, threatened, denied access to polling stations, or had equipment broken or taken while covering the mayoral and ward councilor vote, according to reports. Separately, over 30 complaints of election irregularities, including voters being denied entry to polling stations or people standing outside centers with firearms, were reported to the Election Commission on February 1, according to the Daily Star.

The Dhaka police did not immediately respond to CPJ’s email requesting comment on the attacks on the press.

“Journalists provide an essential function in reporting on and documenting whether elections are free and fair, and they must be able to do their jobs safely,” said Aliya Iftikhar, CPJ’s senior Asia researcher. “Bangladeshi authorities must immediately investigate and bring to account all the perpetrators of violence against journalists who were covering the Dhaka elections.”

Mahabub Momtaji, a staff reporter at the Bangla newspaper Bangladesh Pratidin, and Nurul Amin, a reporter for the newspaper The Business Standard, had their phones taken and material deleted at a polling station by people whom the Daily Star described as supporters of Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student arm of the Awami League. The newspaper reported that Shahidul Islam Khan Riyad, vice president of the Dhaka South Chhatra League, held the journalists for over an hour and a half at the polling center on February 1. The journalists filed a report with the police and Riyad was suspended for breaching organizational discipline, according to news reports. The reports of the incident did not specify why the journalists were held.

The Bangladesh Chhatra League did not immediately respond to CPJ’s request for comment sent via email. CPJ was unable to locate contact information for Riyad.

On 1 February 2020, Mahabub Momtaji and Nurul Amin, journalists, were temporarily locked in a room by supporters of Awami League party while covering alleged irregularities in the city elections in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Mostafizur Rahman Sumon, a crime reporter of online news portal Agami News, was attacked while taking photos of a gathering of Awami League activists at Zafrabad in Mohammadpur this morning.

Followers of AL-backed councillor candidate Md Hossain Khokon hit him in the head with a sharp weapon and snatched away his phone, according to witnesses and fellow journalists.

Sumon was first taken to the Sikder Medical College Hospital and was later transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

He got six stitches on his head and was barely speaking, according to Inspector Bachchu Mia, in-charge of DMCH Police Outpost.

While visiting Banani Bidya Niketon School and College in the afternoon, Inspector General of Police Mohammad Javed Patwary called upon his officials to take necessary actions regarding the incident without delay.

Talking to reporters at the hospital, Sumon said he was attacked when he was taking photos of a procession brought out by AL followers of ward no-34 on Sadeque Khan Road in Mohammadpur’s Rayerbazar around 11:00am.

Members of the procession, who were mostly 18 to 20 years old, were carrying firearms, he said. “They pushed me on the road and beat me up as if I was a dog,” he added.

“I want to work independently. We are working for the sake of the country. We want assurance that we can do our job without resistance,” he said.

A correspondent of Press Bangla Agency (PBA) was also beaten up while covering city corporation elections at Nikunja Jan-e-Alam School around 10:30am, Ibrahim Sarker, a special correspondent of the agency, said.

PBA Special Correspondent Zisad Ikbal was attacked by Awami League activists when he entered the centre following information on irregularities, Ibrahim told The Daily Star.

The photojournalist was taken to Kurmitola Hospital in Dhaka with critical injuries, he said.

On 1 February 2020,Mostafizur Rahman Sumon and Zihad Iqbal, journalists, were beaten up and injured by Awami League party supporters while covering irregularities occurred during the city elections in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) has expressed deep concern over Rajuk’s mobile court drive yesterday that fined and ordered the rights organisation to leave its Lalmatia office in two months.

The mobile court led by Rajuk Executive Magistrate Jasmin Akhter conducted the drive at the building that houses the ASK office around noon. At one point, she went to the office and asked why the rights body was running its office in a residential area, said ASK in a statement.

ASK authorities presented all the documents of renting the office and stated that they maintained all the agreements as tenant, and that it is not a commercial organisation.

Besides, there are many business entities, schools and other social welfare-related organisations in the area, they pointed out.

Despite that, the magistrate fined ASK Tk 2 lakh and ordered them to leave the building in two months. The magistrate did not give ASK a copy of the order, despite a written request, the statement added.

“Such drive against a rights body is a matter of serious concern and worries ASK,” said Sheepa Hafiza, its executive director. She said ASK was established in 1986 and has been working tirelessly to uphold the rights of people.

“We apprehend that such drives of Rajuk will shrink the activities of rights bodies such as us,” she said.

On 14 November 2019, the human rights NGO ASK was fined and ordered to vacate its office within 2 months by the Rajuk’s mobile court in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The bruises on his body speak of the cruelty Abrar Fahad suffered. His hands, legs and back -- injury marks were everywhere.

The second-year Buet student died after he was brutally beaten allegedly by some Chhatra League leaders at a university dormitory sometime between 7:00pm Sunday and 2:30am yesterday.

The incident triggered a firestorm of protests on campuses across the country. Many took to the social media to demand justice for Abrar.

Law enforcers suspect the 22-year-old student of the university’s electrical and electronic engineering department was attacked because of one of his recent Facebook posts, which seemed critical of some recent deals with India.

They said 10 members of Buet BCL were arrested in connection with the murder.

The arrestees include the chapter’s General Secretary Mehedi Hasan Rasel and Joint Secretary Muhtasim Fuad, who is also the vice president of the university’s BCL Sher-e-Bangla Hall unit.

“They have been taken into police custody,” Chawkbazar police station Officer-in-Charge Md Sohrab Hossain told The Daily Star.

Last night, Abrar’s father Barkat Ullah filed a murder case against 19, including the arrestees, with the police station.

Talking to this newspaper, police and one of Abrar’s roommates said Abrar returned to his room at Sher-e-Bangla Hall from his home in Kushtia around 5:30pm on Sunday.

He was studying when some BCL activists of the dormitory suddenly asked him to come out after 7:00pm.

“I was also studying and I thought they were calling Abrar for something very casual. I did not suspect anything bad,” Abrar’s roommate Shaikat said.

Wishing not to be named, another student of the hall, said the BCL leaders in question instructed some third-year students of the dormitory to take Abrar to room number 2011, where he was assaulted.

Talking to reporters, Buet BCL leaders said Abrar was called for “questioning” over his alleged involvement with Shibir, student front of the Jamaat-e-Islami.

Abrar’s family members said he had nothing to do with Jamaat or Shibir.

Ashikul Islam Bitu, assistant secretary of Buet BCL, said, “Abrar was called in to room number 2011 [on the first floor].”

He said Abrar was quizzed by Mujtaba Rafid, deputy office secretary of Buet BCL; Ifty Mosharraf Shakal, social welfare secretary; and Amit Shaha, deputy law secretary, of the same unit.

Later, some fourth-year students were asked to go to the room. Buet BCL Sports Secretary Meftahul Islam Zion, Information and Research Secretary Anik Sharkar also went there, he said.

“At one stage, I left the room. Maybe, they beat him up after that. Later around 3:00am, I heard that Abrar was dead,” said Bitu.

Students found Abrar’s body on the staircase between the ground floor and the first floor around 2:30am yesterday. They called the hall provost and the resident doctor who declared him dead. The authorities then informed the matter to police, said Kamal Hossain, DMP additional deputy commissioner of Lalbagh division.

According to DB sources, Buet BCL’s Publication Affairs Secretary Ishtiaque Munna, a student of the mechanical engineering department, was the first to notice the Facebook post of Abrar.

In the post, uploaded at 5:32pm on October 5, Abrar apparently criticised some recent agreements with India on the use of Mongla Port, water sharing and gas export.

Munna told six other BCL leaders of batches 16 and 17 to take Abrar to room number 2011. Two of them, from batch 17, followed the order, the sources said.

As Abrar stepped inside the room, BCL leaders took away his mobile phone. They checked his Facebook, messenger and started interrogating him.

They slapped him and then started beating him mercilessly, said DB officials, quoting the arrestees.

Abrar eventually passed out.

Then they took him to a nearby room (room number 2005) which belonged to Munna. After Abrar’s condition worsened, they left him in the staircase, the sources said.

Some students of the hall said Mujtaba Rafid, Ifty Mosharraf Shakal and Amit Shaha live in room number 2011.

Amit, Rafid, Ifty and some third-year students were present at the room when Abrar was beaten, they said.

A Buet physician, Dr Mashuk Elahi, told reporters, “Some students of the hall called me over my phone around 3:00am. Abrar was dead by the time I found his body at the staircase.”

As the news spread, hundreds of Buet students took position in front of the provost office, demanding immediate arrest and punishment of the killers.

They alleged a video clip of a CCTV installed at the hall was missing and demanded that the footage be shown to everyone.

Later in the evening, the footage went viral. It shows three youths, believed to be Buet students, carrying Abrar on a corridor and taking him towards the staircase.

A youth is seen walking next to them while six others are behind.

It is not clear whether Abrar was dead or alive at that time.

Meanwhile, Buet authorities have formed a probe committee, comprising several teachers, to investigate the murder.

In a press release, the authorities said a general diary was filed with Chawk Bazar Police Station in connection with the murder.

Last night, Chhatra League expelled 11 leaders and activists of the Buet unit on charges of their involvement in an “unfortunate” incident.

Most of the accused were arrested.

Following autopsy, Sohel Mahmud, head of forensic medicine department at Dhaka Medical College, said, “We saw injury marks all over Abrar’s body.”

“Heavy bruises were found on his hand, legs and back,” he said, adding that it seemed the victim was beaten with objects like sticks or cricket stumps.

The student died of internal bleeding and excessive pain, he said.

Abrar’s relatives and fellow students thronged the DMC morgue.

Talking to reporters there, Abrar’s aunt Shahara Banu sobbed, “Parents sacrifice a lot to raise a child and get him or her admitted to an institution like Buet. A life cannot be lost this way. I am lost for words.

“The only thing I want now is the highest punishment to the killers.”

Abrar’s father Barkat Ullah entered the Buet campus in tears around 4:45pm. He went to the provost’s room and stayed there for more than an hour. He also went to the room where his son was tortured.

“I want justice,” he said and broke down in tears.

As the news of Abrar’s death spread, protests spread fast on campuses of Buet, Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University, Jagannath University and Rajshahi University.

They said they will continue protest today and will announce further demands and ultimatums.

On Dhaka University campus, students led by Ducsu Vice President Nurul Haque Nur held banners and chanted slogans on the foot of Raju Sculpture demanding justice for Abrar.

At Rajshahi University, students staged an hour-long demonstration in front of the university’s main gate, blocking Dhaka-Rajshahi highway from 1:30pm.

At Jahangirnagar University, students formed a human chain and staged demonstration protesting the killing.

Throughout the day, Buet students demonstrated for footage of the CCTVs installed at the Sher-e-Bangla Hall.

To calm them down, police officials and hall authorities said that the footage would be shown soon.

In the evening, police, however, refused to show the footage to protesters citing the ongoing investigation. This angered the protesters who tried to confine some DMP officials.

Additional policemen were called in but they could not enter the campus. The police officials finally managed to leave after the full footage was handed over to the students.

Later in the day, the protesters brought out a procession slamming the university authorities for their role.

At that time, they voiced several demands which included expulsion of the killers, their highest punishment and steps for protecting people with “different opinions”. They also demanded that killers be tried at the speedy trial tribunal.

Abrar’s first namaz-e-janaza was held at Buet Central Mosque around 10:00pm. Later, an ambulance carrying the body left for Kushtia for burial.

On 6 October 2019, Abrar Fahad, university student, was beaten to death for online criticising the Government by a group of persons supporting the ruling party in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

On 20 August 2014, human rights defenders Ms Moshrefa Mishu and Ms Jesmin Jui were temporarily detained. Ms Moshrefa Mishu is the President of the Garments Sromik Oikko, also known as the Garment Workers Unity Forum (GWUF). Ms Jesmin Jui is an organiser of the GWUF. Police detained the two human rights defender at around 3:30pm on 20 August 2014 as they were travelling to attend a rally organised by workers near Hossain Market at Badda, Dhaka. Hossain Market houses three garment factories that form part of the Tuba Group. On 18 August 2014, the authorities placed a notice outside the offices of five Tuba Group factories whose workers were on hunger strike between 28 July 2014 and 7 August 2014. The strikers had been demanding three months of unpaid wages and festival bonuses. The notices stated that the five factories would remain closed due to ongoing unrest regarding payment of the workers' wages. Moshrefa Mishu and Jesmin Jui were on their way to attend a rally on 20 August 2014, which was organised to demand the reopening of the Tuba Group factories, when they were arrested and held in Badda police station for three hours. At around 6.30pm, Moshrefa Mishu and Jesmin Jui were taken to the Office of the Detective Branch (DB) on Mintoo Road in Dhaka and were released at around 7:30 pm.

On 20 August 2014, human rights defenders Ms Moshrefa Mishu and Ms Jesmin Jui were temporarily detained as they were traveling to attend a rally. Ms Moshrefa Mishu is the President of the Garments Sromik Oikko, also known as the Garment Workers Unity Forum (GWUF) and Ms Jesmin Jui is an organiser for the same group. They were released later in the day.

The Bangladesh government wants to quash human rights activism. The cabinet has approved the "Foreign Donations (Voluntary Activities) Regulations Bill, 2014", which will likely become law soon. The Bill empowers bureaucrats to decide the fate of NGOs and voluntary activities. All individuals or collectives, from NGO's to volunteer groups, receiving foreign funds for implementing projects will be under constant surveillance under this law. The law will usher even more arbitrary executive actions in Bangladesh. The Bill, in its current form, empowers bureaucrats to grant registration to NGO's on the basis of 'satisfaction' and suspend, cancel, or disband registration for alleged 'irregularities' in any project implemented by the NGO. There is no scope for challenging the government's decision before any court. On the other hand, the government will be able appoint administrators to sue persons linked to targeted entities. The Secretary to the Office of the Prime Minister will decide the 'appeal' of an aggrieved entity within 30 days. The decision of the Secretary will be final. Section 19 takes the cake. "For the fulfilling the purpose of this law, the government, by Gazette Notification, can promulgate rules: provided that unless the rules are made, the government, when necessary, by general or special orders, in compliance with this law, can take any action and can execute any order under this law", reads the section. It leaves no doubt about the NGO purge that awaits Bangladesh. To achieve its ends, the Bill seeks to attribute all related power to the Director General (DG) of the NGO Affairs Bureau (NGOAB), a wing under the Office of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. The entire set of executive administrative officers - from the Upazilla Nirbahi Officer (UNO), the chief executive officer at the sub-district level, to the regional Divisional Commissioner, will be given the authority to inspect, monitor, and evaluate the activities of NGOs. These executive officers will be empowered to visit NGO offices from time to time and conduct monthly coordination meetings for evaluating activities. Big Brother is set to enter NGOAB, which has so far been ruled by corruption and politicisation, being as it is a part of the state apparatus. The Prime Minister's schizophrenic desires, 'save this one' and 'off with that head', will be honoured by bureaucrats under this law. As it is, the government and the judiciary, which is just another tool in the hands of the government, have been constantly harassing local and international human rights defenders, organisations, and professionals. Now bureaucrats will join the party. The patterns of recent harassment indicate that this law will be both used and abused against human rights organisations. Those reluctant to compromise with the regime will be crushed. Those with allegiance to the regime will be further trained to hit the right tune when more gross rights violations occur. The little knowledge creation in Bangladesh will be restricted further, as the Bill seeks to ban foreign funding even for autonomous bodies, such as universities. The Bill has elicited a curious response in Bangladesh. Certain 'elite' members of civil society in Bangladesh are aggrieved about the inclusion of individuals under the control of the NGOAB in the Bill, as this will, apparently, hurt their lucrative consultancies. However, the repression the law will unleash across the nation appears to be beyond comprehension.

A bill granting bureaucrats broad powers to refuse registration to or shut down an NGO based not only on audits but on project evaluation is likely to become law, having been approved by the Cabinet in Bangladesh. Under the guise of ensuring transparency, the Foreign Grants Regulation Act 2014 will grant the government the authority to significantly meddle in the affairs of NGOs because of its broad phrasing, which leaves a very large amount of room open for interpretation. The bill would also restrict access to foreign funding by individuals. It has been criticised by civil society as unnecessary, and an excuse for the government to exert control over the activities of NGOs.

Daily Star Report: Md Nur Khan, a director of rights body Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), narrowly escaped an abduction attempt while emerging from his Lalmatia office in the capital this afternoon. The latest development has created more panic among the people already reeling from a wave of abductions. Talking to The Daily Star, he said some six to seven youths aged between 28 and 30 began following him as soon as he got out of his office around 5:10pm. Nur Khan added that the youths in a white microbus prevented his rickshaw just yards away of his office. He said he somehow managed to return to his office as the youths were getting out of the vehicle to drag him into it. "A group had been following me since the last month," Noor said, adding some people even went to his office to get information about his movements. The rights activist said he filed a general diary with Mohammadpur Police Station on April 20 in this regard. A sense of insecurity has been prevailing in the country since the abduction and killing of seven people including Narayanganj city panel mayor Nazrul Islam and senior lawyer Chandan Sarker late last month. ______________________________ FORUM-ASIA Urgent Alert Dear Ms. Sekaggya, Mr. Kiai and Mr. La Rue, We urgently want to inform you about the abduction attempt of Human Rights Defender, Mr. Nur Khan in Bangladesh. Nur Khan is the Director (investigation) of Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), the leading Human Rights organization in Bangladesh (www.askbd.org). On 15 May at around 5.10pm Noor Khan left ASK office (7/17, Block B, Lalmatia, Dhaka 1207). He got a rikshawa(manually paddled three wheeler) with another colleague and were just about few yards away from the office when a white micro bus obstructed his rickshawa. Being suspicious, Nur Khan quickly got down from the rickshawa and ran back to ASK office. His colleague noticed 5/6 people aged around 30 inside the micro bus. Mr. Nur Khan is a prominent Human Rights Defender. Along with his organization, he was always very vocal against the Human Rights violations by the Law enforcement agencies. Recent time he observed someone always following him in a motorbike and even coming to the office inquiring about his movement. On sensing insecurity earlier on 20 April Nur Khan filed a General Diary with Mohammadpur Police Station (No 1557 of 20/04/2014, attached). After today's incident, he has filed another GD (No 1250 of 15/05/2014, attached) The incident has already been reported in the online edition local media (The Daily Star Bangladesh We request your urgent intervention into the case. We will keep you posted with latest developments. Thanks in advance for your urgent intervention.

On 15 May 2014, Mohammad Nur Khan, the director of investigation with Ain O Salish Kendra, was the victim of an attempted abduction near his Dhaka office. Mr. Khan has recently been the target of explicit and implicit threats due to his work campaigning against enforced disappearances. He has regularly been followed by unidentified persons by motorbike, and has been receiving threatening phone calls. Also people came to his office to enquire about his movements. Mr. Khan has now filed two police reports related to these threats.

In January Mohammad Shamsuddin, the person who drives the car belonging to Saira Rahman Khan, the wife of Adilur Rahman Khan, was called up by a man who said he was a police of the Detective Branch. He knew Shamsuddin's name and told him that he must give information regarding Adilur Rahman Khan to the DB police whenever they asked for it. Shamsuddin said he did not work for Adilur Rahman Khan, but for his wife; and thus did not know where "sir' went, so he was unable to provide information. The caller became angry and began threatening Shamsuddin with dire consequences if he did not cooperate. On 5 March, at approximately 7:45 in the evening, Shamsuddin was picked up from near his home and taken to Banani Police Station, where he was put in handcuffs and beaten on his knees, arms and back with a heavy wooden ruler by the police, who demanded Tk. 10,000 from him. His family paid Tk. 5000. We came to learn of his arrest from his brother-in-law at 8:00 the next morning, after family members had gone to the Banani Police Station to see him. When they got there, he was already in a police van waiting to be taken before the Magistrate. He had been charged under the Drugs Act, allegedly for possession of ganja. Odhikar arranged for a lawyer to represent him and informed his family. Advocate Shamsuzzaman asked for bail, opposing the 5-day remand that the police sought. The Magistrate sent Shamsuddin to Dhaka Central Jail without granting bail or remand. On Thursday, 13 March, he was freed on bail. On 13 March, Adilur Rahman Khan was taking his mother for a check up to Square Hospital located in the central part of Dhaka City. When the family driver, Milon (who is in charge of Adilur Rahman Khan's father's car) parked the car and sat in a nearby furniture shop, two men approached him and called him by his name. They said they were from the Detective Branch of Police and one showed him an ID card. They had followed the car since it left the house. They told Milon that he had to give them information about Adil's daily schedule and where he went every day. Milon replied that he could not do so as he worked for Adil's father and other family members only. The men then casually asked about Shamsuddin and whether he was "out yet'. Milon feigned ignorance and told them that he only knew that Shamsuddin was on leave. The men then told him that they knew that Adilur Rahman Khan was helping Shamsuddin get and had arranged for his lawyer. They also made Milon give them his cell number and told his they would be in touch. On 13 March an Audit Officer from the NGO Affairs Bureau paid a visit to Odhikar to carry out further investigation into Odhikar's projects. He told Odhikar in confidence that he was told to spend as much time as possible in the Odhikar office to dig out problems; since his earlier reports did not satisfy his superiors. He came to the Odhikar office at 11:00 am and left at 6:00 pm. He said he would return again. It must be noted here that fifty percent of the funds for Odhikar's EU-funded and EKN-funded projects have not been cleared by the NGO Affairs Bureau. The Organization will not be able to pay its current staff after March 2014. Six staff have already left Odhikar due to financial and security reasons. Funds Frozen Since the NGO Affairs Bureau (under the Prime Minister's Office) has barred Odhikar from receiving funds, Odhikar staff did not receive their salaries in April 2014. They have been given a basic amount of payment from Odhikar's reserve funds. The situation will be the same in May. Staff Intimidated Mohammad Ziauddin, is the head teacher of the Rizia Nasrin Asiya Motalleb High School in Chittagong. He has been a human rights defender associated with Odhikar since 2008. Along with other documents, he submitted a certificate he received from an Odhikar- Minority Rights Group training on "Minority Friendly Inclusive Education' to the School Management Committee of his School (SMC). On receiving this, the SMC asked him to stay away from Odhikar. He no longer feels secure to work with Odhikar. Syeda Rakha Pervin has also been a human rights defender associated with Odhikar from 2008. On 11 August 2013, she organised a human chain in Chittagong demanding the release of Adilur Rahman Khan. After this event, police visited her home and her workplace to inquire about her and to tell her to cut off all association with Odhikar. Since then, she in unable to participate in Odhikar's local level activities.

Since Odhikar's publication detailing deaths due to police brutality on 6 May 2013, Odhikar staff and members of Adilur Rahman Khan's family have faced constant harassment. Drivers for Adilur's family have been arbitrarily detained, beaten and threatened; two staff members have faced intimidation and have been forced to discontinue their work with Odhikar; and Odhikar has seen its funds frozen, leaving its employees without pay.

On 9 January 2013, the Prime Minister announced the tranfer of all non-government all primary schools, both registered and non-registered to Governmental control and funding. However, secondary schools were not included in such process which provoked discontent from teachers and employees from these schools who decided to hold a series of protests. On 10 January 2013, a group of teachers was dispersed by police forces which used teargas and pepper spray, whose chemical composition was reportedly particularly toxic. Protestors were conducting a peaceful hunger strike, by sitting in front of the National Press Club and later gathering at the Central Shaheed Minar premises. According to sources, at least 20 teachers were injured in the course of the dispersal, of whom 10 had to be taken to the Dhaka Medical Hospital. It is alleged that Mr. Maulana Sekander Ali, a teacher who participated in the assembly and protested in a peaceful manner, died in Patuakhali five days after the police's intervention. It is reported that a journalist working for the TV channel Somoy was also injured in the course of the police operation. On 12 January 2013, another group of hunger strikers reportedly gathered at the Central Shaheed Minar premises. Police forces allegedly dispersed them. Subsequently, it is further reported that they formed a human chain on a nearby road at Dhaka University, but they were dispersed again. Both dispersions were allegedly executed using batons and pepper spray. On 13 January 2013, some protesters were allegedly dispersed while peacefully assembling before the National Human Rights Commission's office premises. Police forces reportedly used a water cannon and pepper spray. On 15 January 2013, a group of demonstrators went to Manik Mia Avenue to start a hunger strike. Sources state that the police set up barricades in order to block them at a corner of the avenue. After being dispersed, a group of teachers went to Sobhanbagh to stage a sit-in before the building Prince Plaza. It is alleged that police officers dispersed them by using tear shells and water cannons. On 18 January 2013, the teachers reportedly decided to postpone their demonstrations for three months after assurances were given that the Minister of Education would meet them. On 21 January 2013, the High Court Division of the Supreme Court issued a ruling giving the Government a deadline of three weeks to explain why the police could use pepper spray on demonstrators. The ruling was issued following a writ petition, filed by a Supreme Court lawyer.

From 10-18 January 2013, a series of peaceful demonstrations by employees of non-governmental schools were violently broken up by police. Over 20 were injured by police and one protestor allegedly died due to his injuries. Police used batons, pepper spray, tear gas and water cannon in suppressing the protests. On 18 January, the Supreme Court ruled that the government must provide an explanation regarding the use of violence to break up the protests.

Alleged attack on, and stabbing of, a prominent blogger in Dhaka. According to the information received, on 14 January 2013, Mr. Asif Mohiuddin was attacked by three unidentified men as he was leaving his office in Uttara district. He was stabbed several times in the neck and back and was in critical condition at the time of sending the communication. Mr. Mohiuddin is a prominent blogger, whose Bengali language blog ?Almighty only in name, but impotent in reality? is reportedly one of the most visited websites in Bangladesh. In his blog, Mr. Mohiuddin, who is an atheist, frequently criticized religion, and also provided commentaries on free speech and other human rights issues.

On 14 January 2013, Mr. Asif Mohiuddin, a prominent blogger famous for his advocacy for religious freedom, was stabbed several times as he was leaving his office in Uttara district. He was in critical condition when discovered.

On 11 December 2012, police allegedly beat and subsequently detained two photographers, Mr. Amran Hossain and Mr. Sourav Laskar, working for the Daily Star and New Age newspapers respectively. The two were briefly arrested, their equipment confiscated and allegedly beaten by policemen. Both were released later the same day. The two photographers were reportedly covering clashes between the police and supporters of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, taking photos of burning tires. The police, lead by Mamun Sirajul Haque, allegedly accused them of setting the fire and proceeded to beat them, despite the two 2 photographers showing their press identification cards. The two journalists were subsequently taken to a police station in the town of Shimrail, and allegedly beaten again. Later on, both journalists were taken to another police station in Siddhirganj, where their mobile phones and cameras were confiscated according to reports. Mr. Laskar's camera was allegedly smashed on the floor by the police. The two journalists were reportedly released in the afternoon on the same day and Mr. Mamun Sirajul Haque was suspended in connection with the incident.

On 11 December 2012, Bangladeshi police allegedly beat and subsequently detained two photographers, Mr. Amran Hossain and Mr. Sourav Laskar, working for the Daily Star and New Age newspapers respectively. The two were briefly arrested, their equipment confiscated and allegedly beaten by policemen. Both were released later the same day.

The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (Forum-Asia), a Bangkok-based regional human rights group with 47 member organisations from 16 countries across Asia, urged the government of Bangladesh to rescind the proposed amendment to the Information and Communication Technology Act 2006 (ICT Act). The proposed ICT Act is "riddled with legal irregularities and poses a serious threat to the exercise of the right to freedom of opinion and expression in the country," according to a FORUM-ASIA press release received in Dhaka on Thursday. It said a cabinet meeting on 19 August 2013 has hastily cleared the amendments to the ICT Act by citing the need for the provisions to be urgently implemented in the form of an ordinance. Under the present ICT Act, offences are non-cognizable and bailable. The amendment, however, aims to classify some offences as cognizable and non-bailable, thereby allowing law enforcement officials to arrest without obtaining a warrant. The amendment also sets a minimum punishment of seven years imprisonment for all such offences without taking into consideration the nature and gravity of the violation. Maximum punishment under the ICT Act has also been increased from ten years to fourteen years imprisonment. "Despite the parliament session being scheduled shortly in September 2013, the government of Bangladesh, having approved this ordinance, disregarded constitutional norms," the media release said. "The government has thus stripped the people's representatives of their legitimate right to discuss and debate the proposed provisions of the amendment. Reports suggest that the ordinance is likely to receive the assent of the President soon, after which it will come into effect." It said the proposed amendment by way of an ordinance to the ICT Act comes at a time when the government of Bangladesh has become increasingly intolerant towards voices of dissent and criticism. "The ordinance is certainly a further blow to the environment for the Bangladeshi people to exercise their fundamental freedom of opinion and expression. Measures such as this being put in place ahead of national elections in late 2013 can only be viewed as a serious attack on democracy," deplored Evelyn Balais-Serrano, Executive Director of FORUM-ASIA. She said the recent arrest of a prominent human rights defender Adilur Rahman Khan, secretary of a local human rights organisation Odhikar, on August 10 for the alleged offences under the ICT Act has resulted in a sense of shock among the local and international human rights community.

On 19 August 2013 the Bangladesh government proposed a number of amendments toughening the Information and Communication Technology Act. The changes proposed would classify some offences as cognizable and non-bailable, thereby allowing law enforcement officials to execute arrests without obtaining a warrant. A minimum sentence of 7 years for certain crimes has been proposed, and the maximum sentence is set to increase from 10 to 14 years. UPDATE 06/10/2013 - The amendment to the ICT Act was passed. Section 57 of the ICT Act 2013 states that publishing or transmitting in a website in electronic form of any defamatory or false information is considered to be a cognizable and non-bailable offence. UPDATE 29/10/2013: A Joint Allegation Letter (JAL) addressed to Bangladesh was issued on this matter by the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; and the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders. On 31 October 2013 Bangladesh acknowledged the communication.

On 4 September 2013, Mr. Nasiruddin Elan was charged under Section 57 of the ICT Act and Sections 505 (c) and 505A of the Penal Code, in relation to a fact-finding report issued by Odhikar on the killing of 61 people during an operation carried out on May 5-6, 2013 by security forces against Hefazat-e Islam activists in Dhaka. On September 11 2013, the Cyber Crimes Tribunal issued an arrest warrant against Mr. Elan. On 6 November 2013, Mr. Elan and his lawyers appeared before the Dhaka Cyber Crimes Tribunal and appealed for bail. At 12:20 in the afternoon Judge Shamsul Alam rejected the plea for bail and ordered that Mr. Elan be arrested and taken to Dhaka Central Jail. UPDATE 13/11/13: A Joint Urgent Appeal (JUA) on Mr. Elan's case was addressed to Bangladesh by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention; the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; and the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders. On 14 November 2013, Bangladesh acknowledged receipt of the communication, but provided no clarification on the matter.

On 6 November 2013, Mr. Elan has been arrested under Section 57 of the ICT Act and Sections 505 (c) and 505A of the Penal Code. A warrant for Mr. Elan was originally issued on 11 September 2013 in connection to a report by the NGO Odhikar on police killings on 5-6 May 2013. UPDATE 13/11/13: A Joint Urgent Appeal (JUA) on Mr. Elan's case was addressed to Bangladesh by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention; the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; and the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders. On 14 November 2013, Bangladesh acknowledged receipt of the communication, but provided no clarification on the matter.

Bangladesh's giant garment industry, which supplies a number of brands including H&M, Walmart, Gap, and others, is notorious for its low wages. But for countless workers who rely on those jobs to survive-even with the low wages-it has been a lifeline. Now some 5,000 workers or possibly more have lost their jobs, following massive protests in the country to demand higher pay, in what workers' advocates frame as retaliation for the protests, but industry representatives call a response to acts such as looting and vandalism. Among the factories that have fired workers, according to one workers' rights group, are some that supply well-known foreign brands. In January, as many as 50,000 garment workers in the capital Dhaka staged strikes and took to the streets in massive demonstrations over the low wages they receive. Many were dissatisfied following the government's move in November to raise their monthly minimum wage to 8,000 takas ($96), up from the previous 5,300 takas ($63). Some groups had demanded much more, including trade unions and workers' rights organizations that campaigned for a minimum of $193 per month, and others were unhappy about a discrepancy in the increase between junior and senior workers. Police used rubber bullets, tear gas, and water cannons to disperse the crowds. After one violent clash, one person was left dead and 50 others injured. After the protests, one senior police official told Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity that 4,899 workers were dismissed from their jobs. Kalpona Akter of the Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity told the Associated Press that they knew of at least 5,000 workers who had been fired, but the true figure could be up to 7,000. "The government is undertaking measures to intimidate workers and squelch any attempt of workers to organize," Ben Vanpeperstraete of the Clean Clothes Campaign, an alliance of trade unions and non-governmental organizations that advocates for workers in the garment industry, told Al Jazeera. According to a spokesperson for the group, factories supplying foreign brands were among those that had fired workers. It named as an example Metro Knitting and Dyeing Mills-a supplier to brands such as Next and H&M-which confirmed terminating 287 workers. The Daily Star reported that workers were given 45 days of wages and dismissed on the condition that cases filed against them over the protests would be dropped. In a statement, H&M said it considers "freedom of association to be a non-negotiable human right. It is a key component of our Sustainability Commitment and a fundamental requirement for all our business partners." The company added that is "deeply concerned by the recent events in the Bangaldeshi textile industry." Next said it is aware of the situation and its "directly employed audit staff on the ground in Bangladesh are currently investigating this matter." It added that it is a member of the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), which works to ensure fair supply chains and has a code of labor practices, and that the group is also aware of the claims. We have reached out to Metro Knitting and Dyeing Mills and the ETI for comment and will update this post with any reply. Representatives of the garment industry have framed the matter differently. "Some of the workers were involved in vandalism, looting, and other crimes," Siddiqur Rahman, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, told the AP. "They will damage our factories, they will destroy very expensive equipment, they will smash our vehicles and beat our officials. Should not we report it to police? If you are the owner what would you do?" Union leaders and other workers' advocates have argued that the government has an incentive to keep wages low in the industry, which accounts for about 83.5% of Bangladesh's exports and has made Bangladesh the second-largest garment exporter in the world behind China. Its main competitive advantage has long been how cheap a source of labor it is. But they also say workers want these jobs, as they're vital to many of the 4 million people employed in the industry. They just want better pay for doing them.

On 31 January 2019 some 5,000 workers or possibly more have lost their jobs, following massive protests in the country to demand higher pay

According to the information received, on November 11, 2018, the Daily Janakantha published an article by the newspaper's reporter Bibhash Baroi titled "The controversial organisation Odhikar is again involved in murky activities"[2]. In the article, Odhikar was accused of involvement in "various nefarious activities critical of the forthcoming elections[scheduled for December 30, 2018], the State and the government", "anti-State conspiracies", and "constantly spreading false propaganda against Bangladesh." The author of the article alleged that intelligence agencies recommended that the activities of Odhikar be shut down due to its "violating a circular issued by the Prime Minister's Office with regard to the NGO Bureau[NGOAB]" and its "taking cash money from donor agencies after funds were closed due to cessation of projects". In addition, the author himself recommended that "the registration of[Odhikar] be cancelled and all its activities stopped". The article also accused Odhikar of having published distorted and false information through a fact-finding report on the killing of civilians by security forces in May 2013, which had already led to the arbitrary arrest on trumped-up charges of Mr. Adilur Rahman Khan, Secretary of Odhikar, in August 2013 (see background information).

On 11 November 2018, Odhikar, a Bangladesh based non-governmental organisation working on human rights was wrongfully accused by pro-government Daily Janakantha newspaper as being " involved in murky activities"

(Bangkok/Kathmandu, 20 September 2018) - The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM ASIA) strongly denounces the passage of the controversial Digital Security Bill yesterday by the Bangladesh Parliament. Several sections of this Bill fall short of international human rights standards and pose serious threats to the freedom of expression and the press. The new law carries up to 14 years of imprisonment for recording government officials or conducts that amount to spreading "negative propaganda.' Furthermore, section 43 allows police to search and arrest anyone without a court warrant, which violates the core principle of the criminal justice system. The Bangladesh Parliament passed the Bill despite protests and resistance from local journalists and civil society, who have urged for amendments of sections that muzzle free speech and dissent critical of the Government. The law enables the creation of a new agency that can use electronic media to monitor if the media contents "carry out propaganda,' "hurt religious sentiments' or "create enmity and disturb law and order.' Such contents constitute violations, and could lead to severe punishments including life imprisonment. Ranked 146 in the 2018 Global Press Freedom Index, the right to free speech and press freedom in Bangladesh has been deteriorating with the increasing violence and death threats against journalists and media. The culture of impunity has further aggravated the situation. In 2017, at least 25 journalists and several hundred bloggers and Facebook users were prosecuted under the Information and Communication Technology Act, which penalises defamatory and blasphemous contents.[1] According to Odhikar, a FORUM-ASIA member organisation in Bangladesh, 128 people have been arrested since 2014 under section 57 of the same Act. Suppressing people's constitutional right to free speech and threatening journalists reporting on issues such as corruption and government irregularities, the Bill will further legitimise the suppression of dissent and media freedom, which FORUM-ASIA strongly condemns. FORUM-ASIA strongly urges the Parliament of Bangladesh to drop the Digital Security Bill and create a conducive environment for media freedom and freedom of expression in general.

On 19 September 2018, the Bangladeshi parliement passed the Digital Security Bill. Several sections of this Bill fall short of international human rights standards and pose serious threats to the freedom of expression and the press.

A Bangladeshi university lecturer has been suspended and detained for making allegedly derogatory remarks on Facebook about the prime minister, his lawyer said on Wednesday. A ruling-party activist filed a case against Maidul Islam under Bangladesh's notorious internet laws, which critics say are aimed at stifling dissent. The assistant sociology professor at Chittagong University posted the comments last month during massive protests over road safety that enraged Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government. "He was sent to jail on Monday after he surrendered at a court in Chittagong," his lawyer Vulon Lal Bhowmik told AFP in the southeastern port city. On Tuesday he was suspended by the state-run university, the lawyer and an official of the school said. The arrest triggered protests by leftist groups who said they would organise a demonstration on Saturday. It came weeks after a top Bangladesh photographer and activist, Shahidul Alam, was arrested and denied bail over charges he made false and provocative comments during the protests in August. Alam had told Al Jazeera that the protests were the result of pent-up anger at corruption and an "unelected government... clinging on by brute force" that had looted banks and gagged the media. He is also being investigated for allegedly violating Bangladesh's internet laws, enacted in 2006 and sharpened in 2013 in the country of 165 million people. Alam - whose work has appeared widely in Western media and who founded the renowned Pathshala South Asian Media Institute - faces a maximum 14 years in jail if convicted, along with others detained during the protests. Bangladesh's parliament has since ratified a new digital security law, stipulating harsher punishment, despite widespread criticism by journalists and rights groups. Human Rights Watch on Tuesday said the law strikes a blow to freedom of speech, retaining the most problematic parts of the internet law and adding more provisions criminalising peaceful speech. In April, Bangladesh's most prestigious university suspended a professor for writing a column critical of Hasina's father and Bangladesh's first post-independence president, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Morshed Hasan Khan was "suspended until further notice" from Dhaka University after he allegedly defamed Rahman, in an article published in a Bengali daily. Teachers have been punished in the past for stances critical of the former president. In August last year 13 high-school teachers were detained and remanded in custody ahead of a trial after being accused of sedition for remarks about him.

On 26 September 2018, a Bangladeshi university lecturer has been suspended and detained for making allegedly derogatory remarks on Facebook about the prime minister.

Polytechnic student Sifat and his elder brother Saifullah bin Mansur were picked up by detectives, along with some others, and taken to the Detective Branch (DB) office on Mintoo road on Wednesday. A day later, Sifat, along with some others, were released. But Saifullah and 11 others have neither been released nor produced before a court in the last five days. Alleging illegal confinement of students by DB of police, the families of the 12 detained students yesterday held a press conference in the city's Crime Reporters' Association and demanded that the students be freed or produced before the court immediately. As per the law, any detained person needs to be produced before a court within 24 hours of their detention. The 12 "detained students" are -- Saifullah, Al Amin, Jahirul Islam Hasib, Mujahidul Islam, Jahangir Alam, Gazi M Borhan Uddin, Tarek Aziz, Mahfuz, Raihanul Abedin, Iftekhar Alam, Tarek Aziz and Mehedi Hasan Rajib. "Police officials sometimes give assurances[that they are in custody] but sometimes they deny picking them up. We came to know from those who were released that our children are being tortured and are confined to the DB office...We are in fear about the fate of our children," said Mansur Rahman, father of Saifullah. "Sifat was tortured less than others and yet his narration of agony was horrifying," he said, quoting Sifat. More than two dozen students were picked up from different messes during raids at different points in Mohakhali and Tejgaon on Wednesday. The DB officials allegedly quizzed them about the quota movement and student protests for road safety, several family members told reporters at the briefing, quoting those released. Contacted, some police officials kept mum on the issue while DB Additional Commissioner Abdul Baten could not be reached for comments as he did not receive any calls to his phone. Meanwhile, Mansur claimed that his son Saifullah lived in Modhupur in Tangail with his family but started staying in Sifat's mess in Mohakhali after Eid to attend the training sessions of a pharmaceutical company he had recently joined. "Saifullah was in Tangail during both movements and he was in no way involved." "We are deeply concerned as we do not know what is going on...whether our sons have been killed or they are still alive," said another guardian. Enamul Haque, a guardian, told reporters in the briefing that his son Jahirul was staying in a mess at Tejkunipara and was taking coaching lessons for Dhaka University admission tests. "He was picked up on Wednesday. I went to the DB office several times. Sometimes they said they had him in custody and sometimes they denied it. We are in fear and uncertainty." He added that he had not been able to meet his son since he was picked up. Rashed Alam, brother of another detainee, Iftekhar, arrived in the city from Noakhali after being informed of his brother's detention by Iftekhar's neighbours. He still does not know for sure how or where his brother is. "Produce him before the court if he has committed a crime or release him otherwise," he appealed. Rafiqul Islam, father of Raihanul, could not hold back his tears when others were demanding a safe return of their sons. "Please ask them to release him as I toiled a lot for my son," requested Rafiqul, a driver by profession. The family members requested human rights organisations to be vocal against the confinement of their dear ones. Nur Khan Liton, a human rights activist, said, "Law enforcers are dodging the law to produce detainees before a court within 24 hours showing various excuses. This is against the law and action must be taken against those who practice it." He added that this practice has increased among some members of the law enforcers and unless it was stopped immediately, the public would lose faith in them. Around 150 persons, mostly students were arrested by police centring recent quota and student movement. Most of them were released on bail before Eid.

On 5 September 2018, 12 students suspected to have involvement in the quota reform movement was illegally confined and allegedly subject to torture by state police.

Police in Bangladesh's capital fired tear gas and rubber bullets Monday to disperse hundreds of demonstrating students, while a prominent human rights group demanded the release of an activist arrested for criticizing the government during more than a week of protests. Shahidul Alam, a well-known photographer and activist, was arrested Sunday by plain-clothed police after giving a television interview in which he said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had no credibility and was using "brute force" to cling to power. A court in Dhaka ordered him to be confined for seven days for questioning on charges of spreading false information and propaganda against the government. Amnesty International called for Alam's immediate release, with Deputy South Asia Director Omar Waraich saying in a statement that the arrest "marks a dangerous escalation of a crackdown by the government." The traffic chaos of the past week began easing on Monday, as immense demonstrations gave way to sporadic protests, though hundreds of students clashed with police in Dhaka's Bashundhara area where some private universities are located. Police fired rubber bullets and protesters said at least 40 people, mostly students, were injured. Elsewhere, police used tear gas against protesters at Dhaka's East West University and students marched through the Dhaka University campus chanting anti-government slogans and demanding justice. The protests, set off by the deaths of two students killed by speeding buses, grew last week to tens of thousands of people, becoming a major embarrassment to Hasina's government, which faces a general election later this year. On Monday, Bangladesh's Cabinet endorsed a draft law that would increase the maximum punishment for an accident leading to death to five years in jail, up from the current three years. Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam said the bill will be submitted to Parliament soon for passage. The student protesters have demanded tougher punishment for offenses involving road accidents. On Sunday, pro-government youth groups attacked protesters and at least five journalists, including an Associated Press photographer. Hasina's party is blaming the main opposition party, led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, and its main ally Jamaat-e-Islami, saying they are manipulating student anger to foment trouble. Authorities have warned of tougher measures if the protests are used to create chaos. UPDATE: On 16 August 2018, it was estimated that the toll of students detained has now reached 97.

On 6 August 2018, many protesters were injured as police fired tear gas and rubber bullets Monday to disperse them.

August 5, 2018--A group of men who said they were from the detective branch of Dhaka police today took Shahidul Alam, a photographer, commentator, and the founder of the Bangladeshi multimedia organization Drik and Pathshala Media Institute, from his home, hours after he posted a video to Facebook about protests in the city, according to news reports. At least five journalists were attacked at the student protests, including a photographer for The Associated Press who was briefly hospitalized, according to the AP. "Bangladesh authorities must immediately release Shahidul Alam without charge," said CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Steven Butler in Washington, D.C. "Authorities should also ensure that Alam and all journalists covering unrest in Dhaka are able to work without fear of attack or arrest." Security guards at Alam's apartment building were cited in reports as saying that a group of at least 40 people, who said they were from the detective branch, forcibly pushed the photographer, screaming, into a car. The group allegedly broke the building's CCTV cameras and disconnected its intercom system, before taking him away, according to the same report. A few hours before, Alam posted a video on the protests to Facebook and was interviewed by Al-Jazeera. Local news reports differed in their accounts of the arrest. The United News of Bangladesh reported that police said Alam was detained for questioning over his Facebook post. The Daily Star cited a deputy commissioner who said police were investigating reports of his detention. CPJ's calls to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner's phone and detective branch went unanswered and an email to the metropolitan commissioner did not receive an immediate response. CPJ's call to the additional commissioner was disconnected after the person who answered said he could not confirm the arrest. CPJ's call to the Dhanmondi police station went unanswered. CPJ has documented multiple attacks on journalists in recent weeks in Bangladesh.

On 5 August 2018, Shahidul Alam, a photographer, commentator, and the founder of the Bangladeshi multimedia organization Drik and Pathshala Media Institute, was detained after he posted a video to Facebook about protests in the city.

Amar Desh acting Editor Mahmudur Rahman was hurt in an attack launched allegedly by Bangladesh Chhatra League men in Kushtia today. The onslaught came shortly after Rahman got bail in a case filed over demeaning Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. As our local correspondent reports, around 100 activists of the ruling party men positioned themselves outside the courtroom, led by Chhatra League's district President Tushar Ahmed. Mahmudur Rahman, who was granted bail by Kushtia Senior Judicial Magistrate MM Morshed, was first locked up inside the courtroom and then attacked after he emerged after 3:30pm. Brick chips were hurled targeting his car. Mahmudur Rahman was hit on the head by a brick chip. Last reported, he took shelter at the chamber of a local Awami League leader. While positioning themselves, BCL leader Tushar Ahmed told reporters: "We are waiting for him, and when he will come out of the courtroom. We want to know how he dares to make derogatory comments about Bangabandhu and Sheikh Hasina." This correspondent tried to talk to the high officials of police in the district but nobody agreed to make any comment on the issue. On December 10, 2017, BCL leader Tushar filed the defamation lawsuit with the Kushtia court over "demeaning comments" made by Mahmudur Rahman in a programme back on December 1, 2017, according to case statements. Mahmudur Rahman was sued in several districts over his remark.

On July 22 2018, Amar Desh, acting Editor Mahmudur Rahman, was hurt in an attack launched allegedly by Bangladesh Chhatra League men in Kushtia.

Quota reform campaigner of Rajshahi University Toriqul Islam was apparently forced out of hospital with his injuries. Toriqul's sister Fatima Khatun said she told the physicians at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital that her brother was not fit enough to leave the hospital. But the doctors did not pay heed, she alleged. "What offence has my brother committed? Can't he get treatment at the government hospital?" Fatema asked. Toriqul, a joint convenor of the quota reform platform Sadharon Chhatra Odhikar Songrokkhon Parishad unit at Rajshahi University (RU), was admitted to hospital with serious injuries on Tuesday after an attack by activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL). Toriqul was asked to leave the hospital on Thursday afternoon though he was still groaning in pain. He was then taken to a private hospital in the city's Lakkhipur area. On anonymity, a physician at the medical college hospital said one of his legs was broken and he might need an operation. The city's Matihar police station officer-in-charge (OC), Shahadat Hossain said there are no allegations against Toriqul. When asked then why he was kept under the police guard, the OC said he was given police protection for security reasons. The police then allowed the reporter to speak with Toriqul. "I dream to sit for BCS examination after finishing my graduation. I wish I were a BCS cadre. But, my father's woes...," Toriqul voice choked up and tears prevented him from speaking further. Toriqul, son of a farmer, has a brother and a sister. "I requested them not to beat me, but they didn't pay heed. One of them beat me with a stick and I lost last all strength. I couldn't say anything," Toriqul described the horrific moment of the attack. When asked why Toriqul was released from the hospital despite complaints from his relations, assistant professor of orthopaedics department Subrata Kumar Pramanik said the necessary treatment he needs has been given. If the "positioning' is okay, the bandage will be enough to heal him. Patients with such injuries are usually released at this stage, he added. Identities of the attackers A video footage shot during the attack shows Abdullah Al Mamun, an activist of Bangladesh Chhatra League unit at the university, beat Toriqul with a hammer. Mamun is a student of the sociology department of the university. A certain Latiful Kabir alias Manik was also seen brandishing a machete during the attack. Latiful is a student of history department of the university. Mehedi Hossan alias Mishu, organising secretary of the BCL and student of sociology department of the university, was seen brandishing a large stick in the video footage. When asked, Mehedi confessed his involvement in the attack. History department's 4th year student Ramijul Islam alias Rimu was also seen kicking Toriqul's head. Ramijul is a vice president of BCL. Ramijul also confessed his involvement in the attack. Also, BCL's organising secretary and law department's 4th year student Hassan Laban, BCL's RU unit vice president and applied mathematics student Ahmed Sajib and BCL's Bangabandhu Hall unit vice president Mizanur Rahman Sinha were also among the attckers. "A lot of Shibir (student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami) men entered the campus in the name of quota movement. Chhatra League was trying to check any possible instability on the campus," said BCL's RU unit general secretary. Asked about the attack on Toriqul, he said the incident took place while fighting them back. Protest RU teacher at the economics department Farid Khan said those who did this must face exemplary punishment. He called on the students to walk barefoot to the Shaheed Zoha memorial on the campus protesting at the attack. Meanwhile, in press conference, 14 teachers of the mass communication and journalism department have demanded punishment for the attackers.

On 5 July 2018, Toriqul, a joint convenor of the quota reform platform Sadharon Chhatra Odhikar Songrokkhon Parishad unit at Rajshahi University (RU), was denied access to medical services to treat his injuries.

Faruk Hossain, a Dhaka University student who is one of leaders of the ongoing demonstration demanding quota reforms, has been missing since Monday. His brother has complained about his disappearance, but the police said they did not know anything about 'someone named Faruk'. Faruk Hossain, joint convenor of Sadharon Chhatra Odhikar Songrokhon Parishad, was allegedly picked up by the ruling party-backed student activists from Central Shaheed Minar area in the capital on Monday morning. Following Faruk's disappearance, his brother Md Ariful Islam searched for him at the Shahbag, Ramna, New Market police stations on Tuesday, but he was not found anywhere. On Monday, activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League attacked a human chain of quota reform activists led by Faruk on the Central Shaheed Minar premises. A member of the ruling party student wing later picked up Faruk and handed over him to the Shahbag police station. Faruk's brother Ariful told Prothom Alo that a certain Al Amin, a member of Bangladesh Chhatra League, confessed to him that he took Faruk to Shahbag police station. The BCL activist Al Amin also told Prothom Alo that he took Faruk to Shahbag police station by motorbike on Monday. When contacted over phone and SMS, Shahbag police station officer-in-charge Abu Hasan did not respond. At one stage, the Shahbag police station on-duty officer Ramzan Hossain answered the phone and told Prothom Alo that there was no one named Faruk at the police station. No case was filed against Faruk with the police station either, he added.

On 2 July 2018, Faruk Hossain, a Dhaka University student who is one of leaders of the ongoing demonstration demanding quota reforms, was reported to be missing.

Tarek Rahman, a leader of the ongoing demonstration demanding quota reforms in public services, has been missing since Saturday, his family said. Tarek, himself a jobseeker who had Master's degree from Comilla University, went to a Fakirapool shop on Saturday evening for printing some banners and papers for the quota reform demonstration and since then he could not be traced anywhere, said Tarek's family quoting his friends. Another leader of the quota reform movement, and a Dhaka University student, Faruk Hassan, disappeared on 2 July but he was later found in police custody. Shown arrested on 3 July, he is now in jail on completion of two-day police remand and he was denied bail on Sunday. Tarek's sister Tanjila Yasmin told Prothom Alo, "He was threatened in many ways since he joined the quota reform demonstration. We last talked to him over phone on Saturday at 3:00pm." "In the evening, we came to know from Tarek's friends that he went missing. His phone is found switched off," she added. Tarek is a joint convener of Bangladesh General Students' Rights Protection Council, a platform which is leading the demonstration. He is also preparing himself for the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examinations, staying in Dhaka after completing his Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Comilla University. His mother Shahana Begum went to Shahbagh police station around 12:30am on Sunday to file a general diary (GD) over Tarek's disappearance. The police received Tarek's details and told her to wait for one day. Contacted, the Shahbagh police station officer-in-charge (OC) told Prothom Alo that he knew nothing about it.

Since14 July 2018, Tarek Rahman, a leader of the ongoing demonstration demanding quota reforms in public services, was been reported missing.

Unidentified assailants have gunned down a publisher and writer in Munshiganj's Sirajdikhan Upazila. Four attackers on two motorcycles fled after shooting at Shahzahan Bachchu of Bishaka Prokashoni, known as a free-thinking writer, at his ancestral village Kakaldi on Monday afternoon, police said. The 65-year-old former general secretary of the Communist Party of Bangladesh or CPB's Munshiganj district unit, died on the spot, Munshiganj Additional Superintendent of Police Asaduzzaman told bdnews24.com. The body was sent to Munshiganj General Hospital for post-mortem examination. Bachchu's daughter Durba Zahan said in a Facebook post that his father was shot twice. One of her friends commented on the post that some unidentified person called Durba on her mobile phone and informed her about the death. When Durba dialled her father's number, police received the call and confirmed it. Mazharul Islam, a former president of publishers' association Bangladesh Gyan O Srijonsheel Prokashok Samiti, said Banglabazar-based Bishakha Prokashoni published books of well-known poets like Nirmalendu Goon and Mahadev Saha. "Bachchu was a polite person," he recalled. Current President Farid Ahmed said Bishakha was not a member of the association. Deaths of secular writers, bloggers, online activists and a publisher in attacks by suspected Islamist militants shook Bangladesh for months after the murder of Avijit Roy near the Amar Ekushey Book Fair in Dhaka on Feb 26, 2015. Avijit's publisher Faisal Arefin Dipan, who ran Jagriti Prokashoni, was also hacked to death on Oct 31 the same year. Ahmedur Rashid Tutul of publisher Shuddhaswar was attacked and injured the same day. Militant groups claimed credit for most of these attacks and the law enforcers arrested many radical Islamists in connection with the attacks. It was not immediately clear who were behind the murder of Bachchu.

On 11 June 2018, Shahzahan Bachchu, a former president of publishers' association Bangladesh Gyan O Srijonsheel Prokashok Samit and well known free-thinking writer, was killed.

Bangladeshi police detained and later released a leader of a secular movement that was preparing to protest stepped-up anti-narcotics operations, officials said Wednesday, while the prime minister vowed to sustain the crackdown that has killed at least 130 people. The brief detention of activist Imran Sarkar took place the same day U.N. human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein condemned what he described as "extrajudicial killings" in Bangladesh since the government launched a "zero tolerance" campaign against illegal drugs three weeks ago. Sarkar, a spokesman for the grassroots movement known as Gonojagoron Moncho (Mass Awakening Platform), was "invited" for questioning at the Shahbag intersection in Dhaka after defying warnings not to organize a rally without a permit, Lt. Col. Mohammed Emranul Hasan, a commander of the Bangladeshi police's Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) wing, told BenarNews. "There are more cases against him," Hasan said, explaining that officials had warned Sarkar on Sunday not to pursue his well-publicized plan to hold rallies in the capital without prior permission from police. Witnesses said members of RAB took Sarkar to a police vehicle, as members of his group tried to form a human chain to protest the bloody anti-drug campaign. Hours later, Hasan told reporters that Sarkar had been released after undergoing interrogation. In 2013, Sarkar, former son-in-law of Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, led mass protests at the Shahbag intersection calling for the execution of alleged war criminals from the 1971 Bangladeshi war of independence from Pakistan and a ban on religion-based parties in Bangladesh. "A total disregard for the rule of law': UN official Since mid-May, at least 130 drug suspects have reportedly been shot dead and about 13,000 arrested by security forces across Bangladesh, according to a statement issued in Geneva by the U.N. human rights chief. "I am gravely concerned that such a large number of people have been killed, and that the Government reaction has been to assure the public that none of these individuals were "innocent' but that mistakes can occur in an anti-narcotics drive," Zeid said. "Such statements are dangerous and indicative of a total disregard for the rule of law," he said. Every person has the right to life, he emphasized. "People do not lose their human rights because they use or sell drugs," Zeid said. "The presumption of innocence and the right to due process must be at the forefront of any efforts to tackle crimes." However, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in a speech at her official residence Wednesday, vowed to carry on with pursuing a drug-free Bangladesh. "The drives against militancy, terrorism and drugs will go on. We want to build a drug-militancy- and terrorism-free Bangladesh," the local Daily Star newspaper quoted Hasina as saying. "There'll be no room for injustice and unjust in the country." Hasina's government launched the anti-narcotics campaign to tackle the spread of yaba, a cheap stimulant in tablet form that contains methamphetamine and caffeine. Authorities estimate that about 300 million yaba pills were smuggled into Bangladesh from neighboring Myanmar last year. Bangladeshi rights activists and members of the political opposition have expressed fears that the violence could spiral into a campaign of mass killings similar to the Philippines, where rights groups say thousands of suspected drug users have been killed in alleged shootouts with police officers. Responding to Zeid's criticism, Bangladeshi Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told Reuters: "We are not killing anyone. Our forces are compelled to fire back when they are fired at. We'll continue this drive to stamp out drugs to save our young generation." In his statement, Zeid also expressed concern that poor Bangladeshis were being targeted in the anti-drug campaign. Rights groups in the Philippines had said that slum dwellers were also mostly the victims of Manila's anti-drug war. During its Universal Periodic Review before the U.N. Human Rights Council on May 14, Bangladesh vowed to investigate reports of extrajudicial executions, arbitrary arrests and other serious violations, Zeid said. "The developments since that date, with increasing reports of such human rights violations, are deeply worrying," Zeid said. The killings began the day after that review, the U.N. official noted.

On 15 June 2018, Imran Sarkar, a leader of a secular movement, was detained by police as he was preparing to protest stepped-up anti-narcotics operations in the country.

Around 1:30pm yesterday, three leaders of the quota reform movement were in a rickshaw heading towards the Dhaka Medical College Hospital. All of a sudden, a group of gun-toting men appeared there, identified themselves as detectives and allegedly dragged the trio into a white microbus. The three were made to wear helmets and at one point "blindfolded" after the vehicle left the place. The leaders -- Nurulhaq Nur, Muhammad Rashed Khan and Faruk Hasan -- are joint conveners of Bangladesh Shadharan Chhatra Odhikar Sangrakkhan Parishad, a platform of students who had been demonstrating for reforms in the country's quota system in civil service. Nurul is a master's student of Dhaka University English department while Rashed and Faruk are former students of the university's Banking and Insurance department and Institute of Disaster Management and Vulnerability Studies. All the fellow protesters were in the dark about their whereabouts until detectives admitted detaining and taking the three to the DB office on Minto Road for "questioning". They were released around 2:30pm. The way the three were picked up caused a furore among other protesters with many of them comparing the incident with enforced disappearance. Rights organisation Ain o Salish Kendra expressed deep concern over such an "attitude" of the law enforcing agencies. Although police said they took the three students for verification of some information and "showing them some video clips", the trio claimed that they were neither quizzed nor shown any videos. When the three were being picked up in Dhaka, police in Jhenidah interrogated Rashed's father Nabai Biswas, a mason, to know whether the family had any political affiliation, claimed Nabai. He said he was not linked with any political party or its affiliated bodies. Talking to reports in front of DU Central Library, the trio narrated how they were picked up. "As soon as we reached near the emergency gate of the DMCH, some people wielding revolvers and identifying themselves as detectives dragged us inside the microbus," Nurul said. They were made to wear helmets, he said, adding that the plainclothes men brought towels and "blindfolded" them after the vehicle reached Gulistan. "I thought I was about to die. I asked for forgiveness from the Almighty," Nurul said. "We were able to return possibly as many people saw us[being picked up] in front of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital. If that had not happened we doubt whether we could ever come back," he added. Asked, Nurul said none of them was assaulted. Last week, the country witnessed a widespread movement of students of public and private universities across the country, demanding reforms to the quota system. The protesters blocked key points in the capital and also roads and highways elsewhere for four days to press home their five-point demand, including reducing the quota privilege to 10 percent from 56, crippling the traffic system. The movement turned violent on April 8 night after police fired tear gas and rubber bullets, used water cannons and charged truncheons to disperse demonstrators who blocked the Shahbagh intersection for over five hours. Clashes continued throughout the night, leaving around 163 people injured. A group of unidentified youths vandalised the vice chancellor's residence on the campus. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in parliament announced that there would be no quota in government jobs and asked the students to end the demonstration. The students complied with that. On April 11, the DU authorities and police filed five cases with Shahbagh Police Station against a huge number of unidentified people. Four of the cases were filed over vandalism, arson and obstructing lawmen from performing their duties and the attack on the VC's residence. The other case was filed under the Information and Communication Technology Act for spreading rumours online during the movement. YESTERDAY'S INCIDENT Several leaders from the student platform's central committee were going to restaurants in Chankharpool for lunch. But before that, they wanted to visit their fellow demonstrators who were injured and being treated at the DMCH. "As soon as we reached near the emergency gate of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital, three to four motorbikes intercepted the rickshaw carrying the three students," said Bin Yamin, a student who was in another rickshaw nearby. "Two white microbuses with tinted glasses came and the three were dragged into one of the microbuses," he said, adding that he along with others present at the scene spread the news. At the briefing, Nurul said, "We saw hundreds of people in front of Dhaka Medical College Hospital. We screamed for help but none came to our rescue." Nurul claimed that as the blindfold was removed and he opened his eyes, he found himself and the other two in a room. Later, they found that they were at the DB office. "We were told that we would be quizzed. Some video clips would be shown. They also said there were possibilities of attacks on us. But we were neither shown any video clip nor interrogated," he said. The officials of the Detective Branch (DB) of Police released them around 2:30pm. "When the honourable prime minister announced that our demands would be met, we brought out a joyous procession, welcoming the decision. Yet, we are repeatedly being threatened that we will be disappeared and killed," he said. Contacted, Debdas Bhattacharya, additional commissioner of DB, said the three students were taken to the DB office to know whether they could give us any information or identify those who attacked the VC's residence. "They left the DB office after we got the information," he told The Daily Star. Replying to a query, Debdas said they did not get any significant information from them. Asked about the student's allegation that they were dragged into the vehicle and were not asked anything, Devdas said he was not aware of any such incident. This newspaper called DB (South) Deputy Commissioner Jamil Hasan several times over phone but he did not receive the calls. RASHED'S FATHER QUIZZED Rashed's father Nabai lives in a tin-shed house in Jhenidah Sadar's Muraridah village. The father of three told The Daily Star that he was asked to go to Jhenidah Police Station around 1:30pm. Asked, he claimed that he did not have any political link. His neighbour Mahmudul Hasan also said he did not see anyone from Nabai's family taking part in any political activities, reports our Jhenidah correspondent. Emdadul Haque Sheikh, officer-in-charge of the police station, said Nabai was taken there for questioning "following a newspaper report". In Dhaka, Rashed told the reporters, "They are trying to force my father into confessing that he belongs to Jamaat-Shibir and his son is a Shibir man." "My father is a day labour. He toiled a lot to send me to this university. He has not committed any crime," he said. "What is the fault of my father? Why police hurled abuses at him?" he said in tears. "And what is our fault?" he said, adding: "I want justice." Earlier in the morning, the Bangladesh Shadharan Chhatra Odhikar Sangrakkhan Parishad held a press conference, protesting a report by Daily Ittefaq. The report mentioned Rashed as an active Shibir activist. The parishad leaders claimed that they had no political affiliation and termed the report "baseless and politically motivated". Later the newspaper withdrew the report from its online version and apologised for publishing it. At the briefing, the student leaders also demanded that the authorities concerned withdraw the cases within the next two days. Otherwise, they threatened that they would wage a tougher movement. They demanded the arrest of the miscreants involved in the attack on the VC's residence and urged not to harass any student in the university dormitories.

On 16 April 2018, Nurulhaq Nur, Muhammad Rashed Khan and Faruk Hasan, leaders of and joint conveners of Bangladesh Shadharan Chhatra Odhikar Sangrakkhan Parishad, a platform of students who had been demonstrating for reforms in the country's quota system in civil service, were taken and detained.

Unidentified criminals attacked a house and abducted two leaders of United People's Democratic Front-backed Hill Women's Federation from Kudukchari in Rangamati on Sunday. The attackers abducted Hill Women's Federation central committee general secretary Monty Chakma and its Rangamati district unit general secretary Dayasona Chakma at gunpoint and also burnt down the house of Democratic Youth Forum leader Dharma Sing Chakma after firing gunshots at the house leaving Dharma injured. The UPDF in a press release said the attackers had come riding a vehicle of security forces and "during their operation, security patrol on Rangamati-Khagrachari road was intensified'. The abductors took Monty and Dayasona through the jungle beside Buddhist temple at Kudukchari, said UPDF publication and publicity affairs secretary Niran Chakma. UPDF leader Michael Chakma said the two women leaders were being targeted by security forces for long. "Monty Chakma was an eyewitness to many incidents that had taken place before and after the death of college student Romel Chakma in law enforcers' custody and Dayasona had visited the two Marma sisters at Rangamati hospital several times amid tight security when the sisters were admitted there after being sexually assaulted,' he said. UPDF-backed Hill Women's Federation, Parbatya Chattagram Nari Sangha and Ghilachari Nari Nirjatan Protirodh Committee protested at the attack and abduction by blocking Khagrachari-Rangamati road immediately after the incident. They also went out on demonstrations in Khagrachari, Chittagong and Dhaka protesting at the abduction. The blockade was, however, withdrawn when police and army personnel strengthened their patrol. Rangamati Kotwali police officer-in-charge Satyajit Barua claimed that one UPDF man was critically injured during a gunfight between two groups of UPDF over establishing supremacy in the hills. He said the UPDF had alleged that two of their women leaders were abducted. The police officer said they were investigating the matter though no case was lodged till Sunday night. The Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission in a statement expressed concerns at the abduction of two leaders. In a statement signed by its co-chairs, Sultana Kamal, Elsa Stamatopoulou and Myrna Cunningham Kain, the commission asked the local authorities to take appropriate measures to rescue the abducted leaders.

On 18 March 2018, unidentified criminals attacked a house and abducted two leaders of United People's Democratic Front-backed Hill Women's Federation from Kudukchari in Rangamati.

DHAKA: One of Bangladesh's top writers was attacked and injured in the northern city of Sylhet on Saturday, police said, the latest in a series of attacks on authors and bloggers. Police said Zafar Iqbal, a celebrated secular activist and bestselling science fiction writer, was rushed to a hospital in Sylhet after the attack. "He was hit on the back of his head and he was bleeding," a police constable posted at the hospital told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. Abdul Wahab, a spokesman for the Sylhet city police, confirmed the incident, saying police suspect he was attacked with a knife. "He was in a seminar when he was attacked. His gunman caught an attacker," he told AFP, referring to Iqbal's police guard. Bangladesh's government provides security for the country's top secular writers and activists. Police do not know how many people were involved in the attack nor whether they belonged to any Islamist extremist groups, he said. "He has been taken to the operating theatre," he said. Iqbal, who teaches at a state-run university in Sylhet, is a longstanding a champion of free speech and secularism in Bangladesh. He is also a top selling author and celebrity speaker who regularly appears at university campuses nationwide. Suspected Islamist extremists have carried out a series of attacks on secular and atheist writers and bloggers in the last four years, killing around a dozen of them including a top Bangladesh origin American atheist blogger. Police have blamed homegrown Islamist extremist group Ansarullah Bangla Team, also known as Ansar al Islam, which is linked with Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent for most of the attacks.

On March 3 2018, Zafar Iqbal, a celebrated secular activist and bestselling science fiction writer, was rushed to a hospital in Sylhet after being attacked.

FEB 18: Chakma Circle Chief Raja Devasish Roy's spouse Rani Yan Yan was assaulted on Thursday, 15 February 2018 around 7-8 pm while she was at the Rangamati General Hospital with two girls from her community, who were sexually violated on 22 January. The following account is based on her own narrative and that of a woman volunteer who was also assaulted along with her. Around 12 noon on 15 February, a large number of policemen in uniform and around 10 plains clothed men brought the victims' parents to the ward where the victims have been unlawfully confined since 24 January. The police produced an order from the High Court and asked the parents to take their daughters away. Both of the victims refused to leave with their parents. The police repeatedly told the parents to grab them and take them away ("dhore niye jaan'). At one point, being so incited by the police, the father slapped one of the victims and at another point, the mother slapped another one of the victims. Rani and her volunteers intervened. Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Siddiqui ordered the women police to drag the victims out of the ward. Rani and the volunteers intervened stating that the court order, although providing custody to the parents, did not provide for the use of force to take them away against their wishes, and therefore, that the victims would have to be arrested in order to be forcibly taken away from the hospital. When the victims requested to see their lawyers, who were refused entry to the hospital ward at that point of time by uniformed police and plains clothed men, this was at first refused. After the Rani and the volunteers intervened, the victims' lawyers were reluctantly allowed to enter the ward but were only allowed 10 minutes. The police repeatedly asked the Rani and the volunteers to leave the scene. They refused. Around 4pm, all the volunteers were ordered to leave the ward. One of the volunteers (a 21 year old young woman) refused to leave the side of the Rani and she stayed with her as the events unfolded. Around 6 pm, the police locked the door of the ward. The Rani and the sole woman volunteer could see through an upstairs window that uniformed soldiers of the army and plains clothed men were chasing away all the people who were present on the road in front of the hospital entrances on two sides. Around 7 pm, the lights of the corridors of both the 1st floor and 2nd floor and common public spaces were turned off. Around 7-30 pm, eight to ten women in civilian clothes, wearing scarves and/or mouth masks, and around six men in civilian clothes wearing mouth masks, and who were issuing orders to the group of women, entered the ward and attacked the Rani and the woman volunteer in the presence of the victims, their parents and their 10-year old brother. The masks of some of the men and women came off during the scuffle, but they did not seem to care to put them on again. They kicked and punched Rani Yan Yan and the other woman volunteer, who were both thrown to the ground and beaten further. The volunteer was not only beaten, but sexually molested by the men, while the women held her and dragged her down the stairs. Both were dragged out physically into the corridor and then downstairs. This group was then joined by another six men downstairs, in civilian clothes. After dragging the Rani and the woman volunteer downstairs, the group of attackers separated the two, and while they took the Rani to the rear corridor, they took the volunteer to the corridor leading to the front foyer. While the Rani was being beaten and dragged to the rear corridor leading to the rear entrance of the hospital, she heard the attackers saying: "If we are to finish this off, we cannot do it here, it has to be done outside the hospital," ("Shesh Korte Holei Ekhaane Kawra Jaabe Na, Korle Hashpataler Baaire Korte Hobei'). She was thrown out of the hospital with a punch on her left side of the head, probably to make her disoriented. She saw more plains clothed men outside. However, it was a well-lit premise and people gathered in front of different structures within the hospital premises could see her and the plains clothes men. The plains clothes men kept an eye on her. Rani took that chance of visibility, and ran to the nearest boundary wall and crossed over it. She ran for 10-15 minutes in the dark and found herself at the lakeside. She immersed herself in the water and stayed there for about half an hour. Later she made her way to a nearby house, and sought refuge and help. The family contacted her relatives, who came and transported her to a safer location. In the mean time, the woman volunteer was taken to the front entrance, where a silver-coloured van, along with jeeps (SUVs), was stationed. The attackers kept her on the floor, occasionally beating her, while others brought the victims and their parents from upstairs and put them into the van. During the chaos of putting the victims into the van, the volunteer seized the opportunity and ran upstairs; and hid herself in one of the wards' store rooms. From there she rang others, including Chakma Chief, Raja Devasish Roy, letting them know what had happened and that she didn't know where the Rani was, as she had last seen the Rani being dragged along the rear entrance corridor. The Chakma Chief, also an advocate at the High Court Division, was at the time boarding a plane from Dhaka to travel to Chittagong, after having addressed the Hon'ble High Court Division and the Hon'ble Appellate Division's Chamber Judge on the matter.

On 15 Feburary 2018, Rani Yan Yan, queen of the Chakma Circle and women human rights defender, was assaulted while she was at the Rangamati General Hospital with two girls from her community, who were sexually violated by alleged state forces.

A 25-year-old Bangladeshi blogger has been arrested at the Dhaka airport on charges of writing blasphemous posts on social media, police said today. The blogger, Asaduzzaman Noor aka Asad Noor, was on the run after the head of an Islamic seminary filed a case against him on January 11 this year under the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act, bdnews24.com reported. He was arrested from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka while trying to board a Kathmundu-bound flight, a senior police official was quoted as saying. Immigration police said that Mr Noor was detained after his passport number raised red flag in the immigration system at the airport. Mr Noor was charged under Bangladesh's strict internet laws and could face up to 14 years in jail if found guilty. Hundreds of Muslims had staged demonstrations against Mr Noor this year after Bangladesh Islami Andolon Amtali unit President Mufti Omar Farooq filed the case against him. Comments: In recent years, Islamist extremists have hacked to death a dozen bloggers, publishers and activists, and forced several others to flee the country. Following the attacks, the government launched a crackdown on extremist groups.

On 26 December 2017, A 25-year-old Bangladeshi blogger has been arrested at the Dhaka airport on charges of writing blasphemous posts on social media

A case was filed against Asad Nur on January 11 this year under ICT act for a blog post which allegedly carried defamatory languages against the prophet. Police have arrested a blogger from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Monday evening on charge of defaming Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) in a blog post. According to the officer-in-charge of Barguna's Amtali police station, the blogger Asaduzzaman Nur, more commonly known as Asad Nur, have been on the run after a case was filed against him on January 11 this year under ICT act. The case was filed for a blog post which allegedly carried defamatory languages against the prophet. OC Shahid Ullah also said police sources confirmed that Asad, an Amtali denizen and son of one Tofazzal Hossain, fled to India as soon as he learned about the case. Limon Fakir, a known associate of Asad, had also been arrested in this connection. "We[Amtali police] notified the immigration police about Asad's status at the time," the OC said. An immigration police official, wishing anonymity, said Asad Nur has been detained after his passport number raised red flag in the immigration system at the airport. The immigration official also said Asad was holding a boarding pass of a Kathmundu-bound flight.

On 26 December 2017. Asad Nur, blogger was arrested on charge of defaming Prophet Mohammad in a blog post in Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

A Bangladeshi human rights lawyer on Wednesday said he sought police protection after complaining about death threats received for writing about and advocating for his country's LGBT community. Shahanur Islam Saikot said unidentified men, whom he suspected were militants, repeatedly threatened him over the phone, with the latest two calls made on Nov. 9. The death threats, including ones sent on Facebook, began in October. "On Oct. 19 and 23, some unidentified callers threatened to kill me if I did not stop writing in favor of the LGBT people in Bangladesh. They tagged me as an atheist and reminded me of dire consequences," Saikot, a blogger and 2010 fellow of Switzerland-based rights group JusticeMakers, told BenarNews. The South Asian nation is where Muslim extremists carried out a spate of grisly killings targeting secular writers, intellectuals and LGBT activists in 2015 and 2016, according to Bangladeshi police. "I have been getting repeated threats on Facebook where I share my story in favor of the LGBT community," he said. "Who would threaten me on this issue other than the militants? The militants are behind the threats." Homosexual acts are outlawed in Saikot's Muslim-majority country. Defendants can be sentenced to life in prison if found guilty of sodomy, but the law is not seriously enforced, according to a 2016 U.S. State Department country report on human rights in Bangladesh. Saikot said he filed a complaint with the police on Oct. 27 in northern Naogaon district, where he was when he received one of the threats over his phone. In his complaint, a copy of which was obtained by BenarNews, Saikot said the caller cursed him and told him to stop writing blogs perceived as favoring the LGBT community, whose initials stand for "lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender." "Otherwise, you would be sent to the other world to stop the writing completely," the caller said, according to Saikot. Home | News | Bengali news Bangladeshi Lawyer, LGBT Advocate Seeks Police Protection after Getting Death Threats Kamran Reza Chowdhury Dhaka 2017-11-15 Email story Comment on this story Share story Share Comment Email 171115-BD-lgbt-620.jpg Bangladeshi LGBT people pose in front of the Osmani Memorial Auditorium Complex in Dhaka during a rally marking World Aids Day, Dec. 1, 2015. Monirul Alam/BenarNews A Bangladeshi human rights lawyer on Wednesday said he sought police protection after complaining about death threats received for writing about and advocating for his country's LGBT community. Shahanur Islam Saikot said unidentified men, whom he suspected were militants, repeatedly threatened him over the phone, with the latest two calls made on Nov. 9. The death threats, including ones sent on Facebook, began in October. "On Oct. 19 and 23, some unidentified callers threatened to kill me if I did not stop writing in favor of the LGBT people in Bangladesh. They tagged me as an atheist and reminded me of dire consequences," Saikot, a blogger and 2010 fellow of Switzerland-based rights group JusticeMakers, told BenarNews. The South Asian nation is where Muslim extremists carried out a spate of grisly killings targeting secular writers, intellectuals and LGBT activists in 2015 and 2016, according to Bangladeshi police. "I have been getting repeated threats on Facebook where I share my story in favor of the LGBT community," he said. "Who would threaten me on this issue other than the militants? The militants are behind the threats." Homosexual acts are outlawed in Saikot's Muslim-majority country. Defendants can be sentenced to life in prison if found guilty of sodomy, but the law is not seriously enforced, according to a 2016 U.S. State Department country report on human rights in Bangladesh. Saikot said he filed a complaint with the police on Oct. 27 in northern Naogaon district, where he was when he received one of the threats over his phone. In his complaint, a copy of which was obtained by BenarNews, Saikot said the caller cursed him and told him to stop writing blogs perceived as favoring the LGBT community, whose initials stand for "lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender." "Otherwise, you would be sent to the other world to stop the writing completely," the caller said, according to Saikot. Gay activists slain Police said they were trying to track down suspects, but acknowledged the difficulty that investigators faced because they lacked proper technology needed to trace incoming calls. "We have yet to trace the people behind the threats. The numbers used for issuing threats are not local," Himel Roy, an additional superintendent at the Naogaon Police, told BenarNews. He said he would refer the case to the police in Dhaka, the nation's capital. Saikot expressed fears for his safety two days after a U.S.-based group, which monitors freedom of expression, underscored that internet freedom had declined in Bangladesh, citing a recent surge in the number of fatal attacks by religious extremists. Freedom House emphasized that religious extremists claimed responsibility for the April 2016 killing of Xulhaz Mannan, the founder of a magazine that promoted LGBT rights; as well as the spate of deadly machete attacks on secular bloggers, publishers and intellectuals. Police have determined that five to seven men killed Mannan and Mahbub Tonoy on April 25, 2016. But investigators have since made no significant headway and have arrested only one suspect, who was caught days after the attack. Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) claimed responsibility for the double-murder, but investigators have blamed a local militant group with AQIS leanings, Ansarullah Bangla Team, for carrying out the killings. Home | News | Bengali news Bangladeshi Lawyer, LGBT Advocate Seeks Police Protection after Getting Death Threats Kamran Reza Chowdhury Dhaka 2017-11-15 Email story Comment on this story Share story Share Comment Email 171115-BD-lgbt-620.jpg Bangladeshi LGBT people pose in front of the Osmani Memorial Auditorium Complex in Dhaka during a rally marking World Aids Day, Dec. 1, 2015. Monirul Alam/BenarNews A Bangladeshi human rights lawyer on Wednesday said he sought police protection after complaining about death threats received for writing about and advocating for his country's LGBT community. Shahanur Islam Saikot said unidentified men, whom he suspected were militants, repeatedly threatened him over the phone, with the latest two calls made on Nov. 9. The death threats, including ones sent on Facebook, began in October. "On Oct. 19 and 23, some unidentified callers threatened to kill me if I did not stop writing in favor of the LGBT people in Bangladesh. They tagged me as an atheist and reminded me of dire consequences," Saikot, a blogger and 2010 fellow of Switzerland-based rights group JusticeMakers, told BenarNews. The South Asian nation is where Muslim extremists carried out a spate of grisly killings targeting secular writers, intellectuals and LGBT activists in 2015 and 2016, according to Bangladeshi police. "I have been getting repeated threats on Facebook where I share my story in favor of the LGBT community," he said. "Who would threaten me on this issue other than the militants? The militants are behind the threats." Homosexual acts are outlawed in Saikot's Muslim-majority country. Defendants can be sentenced to life in prison if found guilty of sodomy, but the law is not seriously enforced, according to a 2016 U.S. State Department country report on human rights in Bangladesh. Saikot said he filed a complaint with the police on Oct. 27 in northern Naogaon district, where he was when he received one of the threats over his phone. In his complaint, a copy of which was obtained by BenarNews, Saikot said the caller cursed him and told him to stop writing blogs perceived as favoring the LGBT community, whose initials stand for "lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender." "Otherwise, you would be sent to the other world to stop the writing completely," the caller said, according to Saikot. Gay activists slain Police said they were trying to track down suspects, but acknowledged the difficulty that investigators faced because they lacked proper technology needed to trace incoming calls. "We have yet to trace the people behind the threats. The numbers used for issuing threats are not local," Himel Roy, an additional superintendent at the Naogaon Police, told BenarNews. He said he would refer the case to the police in Dhaka, the nation's capital. Saikot expressed fears for his safety two days after a U.S.-based group, which monitors freedom of expression, underscored that internet freedom had declined in Bangladesh, citing a recent surge in the number of fatal attacks by religious extremists. Freedom House emphasized that religious extremists claimed responsibility for the April 2016 killing of Xulhaz Mannan, the founder of a magazine that promoted LGBT rights; as well as the spate of deadly machete attacks on secular bloggers, publishers and intellectuals. Police have determined that five to seven men killed Mannan and Mahbub Tonoy on April 25, 2016. But investigators have since made no significant headway and have arrested only one suspect, who was caught days after the attack. Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) claimed responsibility for the double-murder, but investigators have blamed a local militant group with AQIS leanings, Ansarullah Bangla Team, for carrying out the killings. Case of the missing professor On Monday, the New York-based PEN America said Bangladesh had failed "to protect independent voices within Bangladesh's intellectual sphere," as it cited the disappearance of Mubashar Hasan, a Dhaka professor and policy analyst known internationally for his work on Islamic extremism. "The disappearance of Dr. Mubashar Hasan is another in a long line of grave threats to scholars and independent thinkers in Bangladesh," Karin Karlekar, a PEN America director, said in a statement. "The authorities must step up efforts to find and free Dr. Hasan from whatever forces are responsible for his disappearance as soon as possible." Hasan was last seen on Nov. 7, 2017 after teaching his class at North South University and while on his way to a meeting at the U.N. office in Dhaka, PEN said in the statement. It said Hasan was a scholar of religion and politics who focused on the rise of Islamic extremism. He is also the founder of the secular website alchonnaa.com, which strives to promote democracy and pluralism within Bangladesh. "Hasan's disappearance is part of larger pattern of free speech violations in Bangladesh by both state and non-state actors," PEN said. "According to local and international groups, extrajudicial executions of political opponents and other critical voices by security forces, particularly the Rapid Action Battalion, remain a serious concern, with dozens of cases reported each year." A senior official of an NGO that promotes LGBT rights in Bangladesh told BenarNews that the militants had been encouraged by the failure of authorities to conclude their investigation into the Mannan and Tonoy killings. "Now, they have targeted the other people supporting the LGBT community. When we go to the police seeking protection, the police do not take our concern seriously. They make objectionable comments about us instead," said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "That is why [LGBT groups] do not feel safe asking for police help," he said.

On 15 November 2017. Bangladeshi Lawyer, LGBT Advocate Seeks Police Protection after Getting Death Threats, in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Acting on a tip-off that Mazhar was travelling on a Dhaka-bound Hanif Paribahan bus from Khulna, law enforcers conducted a search inside the bus on the highway under Noapara Police Station around 11:30pm, Mufti Mahmud Khan, legal and media wing director of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), told The Daily Star. A check post was set up to conduct searches on the highway in this regard, the Rab official said. Further details on rescuing Mazhar were not made available. Questions like why Mazhar was on the bus still remain unanswered. Earlier, Rab said they were conducting drives in Khulna to rescue Farhad Mazhar as the columnist was traced there this evening hours into he went missing from Dhaka. Mazhar was located in KDA Approach Road area of Khulna with the help of technology, Utpal Roy, company commander of Rab-6, told The Daily Star. "We're conducting drive in Khulna based on mobile-tracking information. We're trying to find him out in the area," Roy said. Mazhar went out of his Adabar house around 5:00am, said Biplob Kumar Sarker, deputy commissioner (Tejgaon division) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, quoting his wife Farida Akter. According to Farida, half an hour after Mazhar, also a researcher, went out of the house, he called her through his mobile phone and said, "Save me, they have kidnapped me. They will kill me". After receiving a verbal complaint, police visited his house and found a CCTV footage that shows Mazhar leaving the house around 5:07am "in normal gesture", the police official said. A general diary was filed with Adabor Police Station in connection with the incident, DC Biplob said. Farida Akter, in the evening, addressed a press conference demanding to get back her husband safely.

On 3 July 2017, columnist and human rights activist, Farhad Mazhar, was "kidnapped" from Adabor in Dhaka.

On 11 June 2017, Golam Mujtaba Dhruba reported on an incident which occurred in Manikganj town where a heated altercation took place between the family of a sick child and court employees who refused to move a truck ,rented by Judge Mahbubur in order to move his belongings, that was blocking the road. On 13 June 2017, two days after Golam Mujtaba Dhruba's report was published on bdnews24, Senior Assistant Judge, Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman, filed a case against the journalist under section 57 of the ICT Act with the police in Manikganj Sadar, near Dhaka. According to the Judge, Golam Mujtaba Dhruba had distorted the facts in his story. In the case report, Senior Assistant Judge, Mahbubur Rahman, also claimed that the journalist had manipulated the facts and threatened him over the phone. However, journalists gathered in support of their colleague said that the report was prepared and published in accordance with established journalistic rules and ethics.

On 13 June 2017, Manikganj Judge, Mahbubur Rahman, filed a case under section 57 of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act against human rights defender, Golam Mujtaba Dhruba, for an article he published on 11 June 2017.

Sultana Kamal is a human rights defender and lawyer known for her work on civil and political as well as gender rights. She served as the Executive Director of Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), a legal aid and human rights organisation in Bangladesh for over 15 years. In addition to that, she is the Chairperson of the We Can End Violence Against Women Alliance, Chairperson for Transparency International Bangladesh and also Co-chairperson for the Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission. On 2 June 2017, Hefazat-e-Islam Dhaka City Committee called for the arrest of Sultana Kamal and threatened her with violence following a TV show in which she participated. Discussing the removal of a sculpture representing Lady Justice from the Supreme Court premises, Sultana Kamal argued with Hefazat-e-Islam representative, Mufti Sakhawat Hossain, that if the group's position was that no religious edifice should be put in the court premises, by the same argument the mosque that is inside the premises should not be there either. After the talk show, Hefazat's Vice-President Junayed Al-Habib claimed Sultana Kamal had called for the removal of all mosques from the country and demanded her arrest within 24 hours. Members of the organisation threatened her with violence and said she would share the same fate as author, Taslima Nasrin, who has been in exile since 1994 due to her human rights advocacy. Dhaka Metropolitan Police Ramna Division and the Detective Branch declared on 5 June they had taken joint measures for providing protection to Sultana Kamal. However, the human rights defender said that the law enforcement agency merely spoke to her and said that they are keeping a close eye on her neighborhood as part of their protection effort.

On 2 June 2017, human rights defender, Sultana Kamal, was publicly threatened with arrest, exile and violence by radical group Hefazat-e-Islam Dhaka City Committee, who willfully misrepresented the comments she made during a talk show broadcast on the private news channel News 24.

On 30 March 2017, Mr. Hasibur Rahman Riju, a police informer, filed a complaint at Kushtia Model Police Station against Messrs. Hasan Ali and Aslam Ali. He accused them of publishing an offensive post under the Facebook name "Sultan Eslam' by using the cell phone of a worker at a tea stall at Thana Mor of Kushtia town. Mr. Hasibur Rahman Riju alleged that the post defamed him and violated Section 57(2) of ICT Act. On the same day, police Sub-Inspector Azizur Rahman arrested Messrs. Hasan Ali and Aslam Ali, along with Mr. Moudud Rana, a Kushtia District correspondent for the daily Manab Kantho, without any warrant. The three were briefly detained at the Kushtia Model Police Station. They were released on the same day after dozens of journalists went to the police station to investigate the arrests. Police Sub-Inspector Azizur Rahman subsequently recorded the complaint against Messrs. Hasan Ali and Aslam Ali as a case under Section 57 of the ICT Act with Kushtia Model Police Station, based on a statement taken from a boy who worked at a tea stall close to the police station. On 11 April 2017, Messrs. Hasan Ali and Aslam Ali were granted anticipatory bail for four weeks from a High Division Bench of the Supreme Court, composed of Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Razik Al Jalil. On 9 May 2017, at the end of the four-week bail period, they appeared before the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate of Kushtia, which ordered their detention.

On May 9 2017, at the end of the four-week bail period, Messrs. Hasan Ali and Aslam Ali appeared before the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate of Kushtia, which ordered their detention.

On April 19, 2017, members of JKSS held demonstration in front of the Bokakhat Agriculture Office (BAO) and Bokakhat Divisional Forest Officer (DFO). Their demands were - immediate release of State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) for the poor peasants who had lost their life and property during the 2016 flood, immediate loan waiver for the farmers, 100% reservation to the locals of Kaziranga National Park in the recruitment of 90 Assam Forest Protection Force (AFPF) personnel from the 5 adjoining districts, immediate compensation and job to the members of the victim family who have lost life due to animal depredation and excesses of forest department, disclosure of the clearance papers of highlands being constructed inside the core zone of Kaziranga. The demands were made by JKSS in a democratic assemblage. On April 21, 2017, during the visit of Hon'ble Forest Minister, Ms. Pramila Rani Brahma, at the DFO Bokakhat, members of JKSS, Takam Mising Porin Kebang (TMPK) and Mising Mimag Kebang (MMK) were gathered there and put forwarded their demands to the Forest Minister in front of the press. The Forest Minister assured the members on 100% reservation for the posts of AFPF to the Kaziranga locales and that the advertisement for these posts would be published again with this criterion. The Bokakhat DFO gave a written assurance to the JKSS, TMPK and MMK members to handover the minutes of this meeting to them on April 24, 2017. Soneswar Narah and Pranab Doley were present in the meeting. Around 2 PM on April 24, 2017, the members of JKSS, TMPK and MMK went to the office of the DFO to collect the resolution of the previous meeting. After much deliberation with the DFO, it was found that except one demand, other demands were not agreed by the ministry. In the meantime, Pranab Doley received a phone call regarding arrest of five innocent boys from the vicinity of Kaziranga National Park by the Bokakhat Police without the knowledge of the family members. He immediately went to the Bokakhat police station and found that family members were denied access to their children. Pranab Doley had some arguments with the police for not allowing the family members to meet with their children; the police dragged Pranab Doley into the lockup of the police station. When Soneswar Narah went to ask about Pranab Doley, he was dragged too to the police lockup. Later on, it was found that Pranab Doley and Soneswar Narah were arrested by the Bokakhat Police based on a complaint given by Mr. Dharanidhar Bora, DFO, Bokakhat on April 19, 2017, alleging that Pranab Doley and Soneswar Narah along with 50- 60 Jeepal members forcefully entered the office premise of the Bokakhat DFO, put their banner and disrupted the functioning of government office and also threaten to burn the office. Bokakhat police had registered the case against Pranab Doley and Soneswar Narah on April 19, 2017. The case number is 82/2017 under sections 147/447/353/506 IPC. The arrest was made without any warrant when Pranab Doley and Soneswar Narah themselves went to the police station to inquiry into another incident about the arrest of the five innocent boys. They were produced to the court of SDJM (M) Bokakhat, where their bail was rejected on the ground of illegally using force with the intention to destabilise the function of the government establishment and threaten the officials of the concerning office. They were sent to Golaghat Jail and continue to remain there. Pranab Doley is a law student and his internal examination is starting from May 5, 2017. It is worth to mention here Pranab Doley and Soneswar Narah were present in the meeting with the Forest Minister on April 21, 2017. Both of them were arrested on April 24, 2017, when they themselves were visiting the police station in another case mentioned above. The police registered the case against them on April 19, 2017. This itself is a clear evidence to show that DFO, Bokakhat and police misused the power to suppress the democratic voice. On April 27, 2017, around 200 protesters of JKSS, TMPK and MMK staged protest in front of the Bokakhat police station demanding immediate release of their leaders Pranab Doley and Soneswar Narah. The protesters gathered in the police station at around 10.30 AM and were ordered by the police to leave the place within five minutes. When the protesters refused to leave the place, police snatched their banner and the traffic inspector Mr. Govind Kakoti started beating up the protesters. Parboti Khaklari, who was one of the protesters, mentioned that the police started beating up the protestors brutally. Women protesters were beaten up by male police personnels. Only one woman police personnel was present when police started lathi charge. Govind kakoti, the traffic Inspector caught hold of one woman protestor from the back and tore her blouse. Three members of JKSS were arrested and later they were released.

Both HRDs are members of the Jeepal Krishak Shramik Sangha (JKSS). The JKSS called for immediate release of State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) for the poor peasants who had lost their life and property during the 2016 flood on 19 April 2017. On 24 April 2017, Pranab Doley and Soneswar Narah were arrested by the Bokakhat Police based on a complaint given by Mr. Dharanidhar Bora, DFO, Bokakhat, alleging that Pranab Doley and Soneswar Narah along with 50- 60 Jeepal members forcefully entered the office premise of the Bokakhat DFO, put their banner and disrupted the functioning of government office and also threaten to burn the office.

On 13 March 2017 at around 7.30 pm, Binay Krishno Mallick was picked up by a dozen policemen from his home in Ghope Nawapara, Jessore town, in the south-western region of Bangladesh. He was then taken to Shibganj Police Station of Norshingdi district, in central Bangladesh, where a forgery case was filed against him. Earlier that day, Binay Krishno Mallick held a press conference at Jessore Press Club during which he alleged that the district superintendent of police, Anisur Rahman, was harassing him and his family members over a movement protesting the removal of homes and business outlets from a piece of land leased from the government. The human rights defender also stated that the police superintendent had delivered to him and his organisation several letters containing false information about him. On 14 March 2017 at around 6 pm, human rights defender Binay Krishno Mallick was released from police custody after being granted bail by the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Norshingdi district.

On 13 March 2017 at around 7.30 pm, Binay Krishno Mallick was picked up by a dozen policemen from his home in Ghope Nawapara, Jessore town. On 14 March 2017 at around 6 pm, human rights defender Binay Krishno Mallick was released from police custody after being granted bail by the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Norshingdi district.

Abdul Hakim Shimul, a reporter for the Bangladeshi national daily Samakal newspaper, died on February 3, 2017, from gunshot wounds sustained while covering political unrest in the northern Bangladeshi city of Shahjadpur the previous day. He was 42. Violence broke out between rival factions of the ruling Awami League, namely supporters of Halimul Haque Miru, mayor of Shahjadpur, and his opponents from another faction of the party, according to news reports. Witnesses said that Miru opened fire in the confrontation, despite police instructions not to do so, according to media reports. A bullet entered Shimul's skull after piercing one of his eyes, according to news reports. Shimul was first treated at a local clinic, but succumbed to his injuries on the way to a hospital in the capital Dhaka the following day. Police arrested Miru on February 5 on suspicion of being responsible for Shimul's death. Miru admitted to firing his gun, but claimed he fired a shot in the air in response to shots fired by his rivals. Police said only Miru's gun was fired, according to the Bangladeshi news website bdnews24.com. A court on February 6 ordered Miru jailed in connection with Shimul's death, and said it would decide on the question of bail later. Police sought to hold Miru for at least seven days for questioning, according to news reports. According to media reports, Shimul's maternal grandmother, Rokeya Begum, died of a stroke when she heard of his death. The journalist left behind a wife and two young children. His colleagues remembered Shimul as "honest journalist."

On 3 February 2017, a journalist for the Bangladeshi national daily newspaper, got shot. The journalist loss his life on the next day while being transported to a bigger hospital.

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and FIDH, requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Bangladesh. New information: The Observatory has been informed with great concern about further acts of judicial harassment against Messrs. Adilur Rahman Khan and ASM Nasiruddin Elan, respectively Secretary and Director of the human rights non-governmental organisation Odhikar, in a further attempt to sanction and silence their human rights activities. According to the information received, on January 9, 2017, the High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, presided over by Justice M. Enayetur Rahim, dismissed the appeal filed by Messrs. Adilur Rahman Khan, also a member of OMCT General Assembly and FIDH Vice-President, and ASM Nasiruddin Elan, aiming to contest the charges framed against them under Section 57 of the Information and Communication Technology Act (ICT Act) 2006, in relation to a fact-finding report issued by Odhikar on the killing of civilians by security forces in May 2013. The High Court further decided to lift a stay order which the Supreme Court had granted to the two defenders in January 2014, and directed the Cyber Crimes Tribunal to proceed with their prosecution (see background information). On January 10, 2017, the lawyers of the two defenders filed an appeal challenging the High Court's judgement and order dated January 9, 2017 before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh. In the afternoon, the Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division stayed the High Court's judgment and order for four weeks, in order to give time to both parties to prepare for the case. The Observatory condemns the ongoing judicial harassment of Messrs. Adilur Rahman Khan and Nasiruddin Elan, which seems only to be aimed at sanctioning their legitimate human rights activities, and urges the authorities to put an immediate end to it. Background information: Odhikar has been under extreme pressure since August 2013, when the authorities arrested Mr. Adilur Rahman Khan on trumped up charges in relation to a fact-finding report issued by Odhikar on the killing of civilians by security forces in May 2013. Following this publication, Messrs. Rahman Khan and Elan were arbitrarily detained in 2013 for respectively 62 and 25 days until they were both released on bail. On January 21, 2014, the High Court Division of the Supreme Court granted a stay of the trial in the Cyber Crimes Tribunal. The stay order was subsequently challenged by the Attorney General's Office in the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court. On March 21, 2016, the Appellate Division ordered that the hearing on the stay order was to commence as early as possible before the High Court Division. On January 3 and 4, 2017, a hearing took place in two parts before a High Court Bench comprised of Justice M. Enayetur Rahim and Justice Shahidul Karim. Since 2013, attacks and harassment against Odhikar have been ongoing, including judicial harassment against both Messrs. Adilur Rahman Khan and Nasiruddin Elan, as well as the surveillance and repression of Odhikar, its staff, and their relatives. Odhikar is also facing great difficulties to implement its activities, since its registration has not been renewed by the NGO Affairs Bureau (NGOAB) of the Government of Bangladesh and is still pending though all the required documents were submitted on time. All of its bank accounts have been frozen and it has been forbidden from receiving foreign funding. In addition, on August 2, 2015, the Media and Public Relations wing of the Police Headquarters in Dhaka issued a statement condemning newspaper reports on extrajudicial killings, which cited Odhikar and BAMAK, another NGO, and declared that the statements made by the two organisations "contravene the existing laws of Bangladesh, which is synonymous to challenging Rule of Law and the judicial system". The Police Press Release further stated that questioning the activities of the police threatens the reputation of the police and amounts to defamation and a criminal act, and may be considered as a subversive activity.

On 9 January 2017, the High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh dismissed the appeal filed by Adilur Rahman Khan and Nasiruddin Elan, respectively Secretary and Director of the human rights non-governmental organisation Odhikar, aiming to contest the charges framed against them under Section 57 of the Information and Communication Technology Act (ICT Act) 2006, in relation to a fact-finding report issued by Odhikar on the killing of civilians by security forces in May 2013.

A journalist of private Ekushey Television covering ongoing labour unrest along Ashulia of Dhaka was sent to jail on Saturday on charge of inciting apparel workers to raise their demand for a minimum monthly wage of Tk 16,000. The reporter, Nazmul Huda, was arrested on Friday night and was prosecuted under Special Powers Act and Section 57 of the controversial Information and Communication Technology Act. He also works for Bangla daily Bangladesh Protidin, police said. Dhaka's judicial magistrate, Atikul Islam, sent the journalist to jail, pending a hearing on Tuesday. Dhaka police superintendent Shah Mizan Shafiur Rahman claimed that "We have arrested a bad guy.' Police said they arrested Nazmul at Baipail area and seized his laptop, mobile phone and his car. They said the journalist intended to incite the workers by his "inaccurate reportage'. "He is accused of inciting illegal protests, holding secret meetings with seven labour leaders whom we have arrested. He was also trying to destabilise the government,' said the Dhaka police chief. Private television channel ETV and Bangla Daily Bangladesh Protidin Savar correspondent Nazmul's arrest comes after mass protests by thousands of workers, prompting closures of about 100 apparel factories across Ashulia. The workers continued their agitation at the industrial belt, demanding Tk 16,000 as monthly minimum wage. Section 57 of the ICT, which the government had promised to amend in the face of criticism, empowers a court to punish an offender by awarding a maximum of 14 years jail and with Tk one crore in fine. More than 80 such cases were reported since January 2014, according to Odhikar, a rights organisation. At least 27 people including Bangladesh Nationalist Party leaders and labour leaders were arrested in different cases until Saturday. Earlier on Thursday, a leading labour leader, Moshrefa Mishu, was briefly detained.

On 23 December 2016, Nazmul Huda, a journalist of private Ekushey Television covering ongoing labour unrest along Ashulia of Dhaka, Bangladesh, was arrested and sent to jail on charge of inciting apparel workers to raise their demand for a minimum monthly wage. He was prosecuted under Special Powers Act and Section 57 of the controversial Information and Communication Technology Act.

5 October 2016 Bangladesh - Parliament passes Foreign Donations Regulation Bill to deregister NGOs commenting against authorities On 5 October 2016, the Parliament of Bangladesh passed the Foreign Donations (Voluntary Activities) Regulation Bill 2016. This bill will further restrict the space for human rights NGOs in Bangladesh. According to the bill, any foreign funded NGO which engages in anti-state activities and finances extremism and terror activities, or "making derogatory comments about the Constitution and constitutional institutions" of Bangladesh would be considered as offences. The NGO Affairs Bureau (NGOAB) supervised by the Prime Minister's Office are granted authority to cancel or withhold the legal registration of foreign funded NGO or ban its activities for committing the offence. Foreign funded NGOs are required to register with the NGOAB, submit reports and seek approval for all their activities before receiving the foreign grant. The NGOAB will also be inspecting, monitoring and assessing NGOs' activities and approve the hiring of any foreign specialist or advisers. On 18 May 2016, a parliamentary Committee proposed to introduce a provision in the Foreign Donations Regulations Act, to take actions against NGOs making "insulting or derogatory remarks" on constitutional bodies. The Committee Chair, Suranjit Sengupta, said in a press conference that NGOs must "honour the country's constitutional bodies, including parliament, the attorney general and the judiciary". He also said NGOs should be able to criticise, but not be abusive. If this amendment is approved, NGOs commenting against the authorities may face sanctions or closure. The parliamentary committee only used vague terms in its recommendations and did not clarify which type of remarks can be considered insulting and derogatory. Front Line Defenders is concerned that the Foreign Donations Regulation bill fall short of international standards relating to the right to freedom of association, and that the law will further restrict the space for human rights NGOs in Bangladesh. Front Line Defenders urges the Bangladeshi parliament to repeal the current bill and to refrain from passing it into law.

On 4 October 2016, the Bangladeshi Parliament passed the Foreign Donations (Voluntary Activities) Regulation Bill (FDRB) 2016, a new law that increases the government's control of civil society organizations and could have a negative impact on the rights to freedom of expression and association.

The founder of Bangladesh's only lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) magazine has been killed in the latest of a series of horrific murders of bloggers and activists. Xulhaz Mannan was one of two people hacked to death in an attack in the capital, Dhaka, police said, by a gang posing as couriers in order to gain access to his apartment in the Kalabagan area of the city. Mohammad Iqbal, the officer in charge of the local police station, confirmed that about six people had entered the apartment building and hacked Mannan and his friend to death in a first-floor flat. Two other people were seriously injured. "A person came with a box identifying himself as courier service personnel. Xulhaz took him upstairs to his flat," Iqbal said. Mannan, 35, was a founding editor of Roopbaan, the country's only magazine for the LGBT community and also worked at the US development agency USAid. The magazine had been launched in 2014 to promote greater acceptance of LGBT communities in Bangladesh. A security guard at Mannan's building said the group had identified themselves as courier company officials when they arrived at around 5pm. "Half an hour later, I heard shouting and shooting sounds from the flat and went to look into the incident," he told the Dhaka Times. "The assailants then attacked me with knives." Police said they had found the box, but did not divulge its contents. Marcia Bernicat, the US ambassador to Bangladesh, condemned the killing. "I am devastated by the brutal murder of Xulhaz Mannan and another young Bangladeshi," she said. "We abhor this senseless act of violence and urge the government of Bangladesh in the strongest terms to apprehend the criminals behind these murders.". The deaths of Mannan and his friend adds to a series of horrific murders of bloggers and academics in the country. It comes two days after Rezaul Karim Siddique, 58, an English professor, was hacked to death with machetes as he walked from his home to a bus station in the north-western city of Rajshahi. Earlier this month, Nazimuddin Samad, 28, an atheist blogger, was murdered near Jagannath University, where he was a law student. Mannan had been behind an annual "rainbow rally" in Dhaka, which since 2014 had been held on 14 April, at the beginning of the Bengali new year. It was cancelled this year on police instruction. A close friend of Mannan's who lives in the US said Mannan had told him on Facebook that after the rally was cancelled four participants were arrested and only released after their families had been informed "that their sons were homosexuals". Homosexual relations are criminalised in Bangladesh and many LGBT activists have been forced into exile. The friend described Mannan as "my elder brother, friend, guardian, mentor". He said the two had known each other since becoming friends through the online LGBT group Boys of Bangladesh, where members would talk about their daily struggles and challenges. "People would make friends there, virtual friendship under pseudo names as no one trusted nobody ... insecurity was high in that group, but he shared a series of photographs on Dhanmondi Lake on a winter morning and posted them under his real name Xulhaz Mannan," he said. "Xulhaz was the first openly gay person I had known. He was out to his close university and school friends, out to his colleagues, and everybody loved him to bits ... he introduced me to a world where straight people did not care what my sexual orientation was." Champa Patel, Amnesty International's south Asia director, said: "There have been four deplorable killings so far this month alone. It is shocking that no one has been held to account for these horrific attacks and that almost no protection has been given to threatened members of civil society. "Bangladeshi authorities have a legal responsibility to protect and respect the right to life. They must urgently focus their energies on protecting those who express their opinions bravely and without violence, and bringing the killers to justice. The authorities must strongly condemn these horrific attacks, something they have failed to do so far." Rashed Zaman, a professor of international relations at the University of Dhaka, said. "This is unacceptable. People may have belief and orientation but at the end of the day everyone has their own individual rights to live the life they want. "I firmly believe in spite of the many difficulties I think our law enforcement are more than capable enough to unearth these cases if they put in effort."

On 25 April 2016, LGBTI activists Mr. Xulhaz Mannan and Mr. Nahbub Tonroy, killed in their apartment in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Bangladeshi villagers staged further protests on Tuesday after police opened fire and killed at least four people demonstrating against the planned construction of two large Chinese-financed coal-fired power stations. According to police and eyewitness reports, several thousand villagers gathered in the coastal town of Gandamara near Chittagong on Monday, to protest against the two power plants. These are expected to force the eviction of several thousand people in a fertile coastal farming areas and the demolition of temples and schools. The police admitted killing four people after the villagers' demonstration was banned but the protesters on Tuesday claimed that at least five people had died and four others were missing. Around 100 people, including 11 police, are believed to have been injured in violent clashes. "We've filed cases against around 3,200 people for the violence. We've identified 57 of them but the rest are unnamed," police chief Swapan Kumar told the AFP news agency. Eyewitness Abu Ahmed, who was was shot in the leg, told coal protest group Phulbari solidarity group that the villagers had been holding peaceful protests for several days after S. Alam, the Bangladeshi developer, started buying up land. "The government did not pay attention to the villagers' protests and the district administration remained silent for months. This led the villagers to stage a mass-protest which turned into the worst tragedy in the history of coal killings," said Ahmed. "This is the largest loss of life at an anti-coal protest in Bangladesh since 2006. It is the worst overall loss of life in anti-coal protests worldwide since the killings of six people in Jharkhand, India, at two protests in April 2011," said Ted Nace, editor of Coal Swarm, an open-source encyclopaedia on coal sponsored by the Center for Media and Democracy. The coal plants, which are expected to cost $2.4bn and have a capacity of 1,224MW, are said to be needed to supply the fast-growing industrial city of Chittagong, which experiences regular power cuts. Because Bangladesh has limited coal reserves, the plants are expected to import millions of tonnes a year from Indonesia which is itself experiencing coal protests as farmland and forest is destroyed and communities are evicted. The clashes near Chittagong follow major demonstrations last month against the building of a large coal-fired power station at Rampal, on the edge of the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest. Government plans to increase power supplies have been thwarted by powerful grassroot groups objecting to the loss of farmland and communities. Plans by a UK coal company to develop one of the biggest coal mines in the world, at Phulbari in the north of the country, have been delayed for eight years following the death of three protesters and 200 injuries at a rally in 2008. The mine would involve the eviction of more than 50 villages. According to the Ministry of Power, only around 60% of people in Bangladesh have access to electricity and demand is growing 7% a year. Two-thirds of its electricity is generated by gas and the country imports around 3.5m tonnes of oil and 2m tonnes of diesel a year. In May 2011, the government said it had plans generate more than 10,000MW of electricity from coal-based power plants by 2021 and 20,000MW by 2030. Nearly half the electricity would be be generated using imported coal.

On 4 April 2016, Four people were killed after police opened fire on villagers as a protest against two China-backed power plants turned violent in Chittagong, Bangladesh.

A leftist students' organisation leader from Rajshahi University (RU) has been arrested for a Facebook status aimed at Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina over her Rampal briefing on Saturday. The university's Chhatra League unit, the ruling party affiliated organisation, also filed a case in the ICT Act against him. Dilip Roy, the general secretary of Biplobi Chhatra Maitri (Revolutionary Students' Unity) was arrested by Motihar police around 12pm Sunday from Aamtala in the campus. RU Chhatra League has also protested in the campus demanding that Dilip be expelled. Around 10am Sunday, the student leader put a public status on his Facebook profile referring to and criticising Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's statement on the Rampal power plant at a press conference on Saturday. Motihar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Humayun Kabir said RU Chhatra League President Rashedul Islam Ranju had filed the case. "We will investigate the matter and take measures accordingly," he said. RU Chhatra League acting president Ranju said he had filed the case against Dilip for his "derogatory remarks" against Bangabandhu, the prime minister and Awami League. Progressive Students' Alliance, a group of leftist students' organisations, took out a procession in the campus after the arrest. Biplobi Chhatra Maitri President Prodip Mardi told the Dhaka Tribune the arrest was a sign of "the government's autocratic nature." "Not all comments will go in favour of the ruling party. Some comments will go against them, but that does not mean he should be locked up and harassed," he said.

On 28 August 2016, Dilip Roy, leader of Rajshahi University's student organisation Biplobi Chhatra Maitri, was arrested over a Facebook post that criticizes some statements of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

(New York) - Bangladeshi authorities should immediately end the illegal detentions of Mir Qasem Ali and Humman Qader Chowdhury, arrested respectively on August 9 and August 4, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said today. Both men were arrested without warrants or charges, have not been produced before a magistrate, and have not been allowed access to family or lawyers. "There is no question that Qasem Ali and Chowdhury are subject to an enforced disappearance, in the custody of the security forces. Yet the government continues to deny having them. Both men have been refused access to lawyers and their families, and production before a magistrate," said Champa Patel, South Asia Director at Amnesty International. "This is a practice which has unfortunately become completely routine in Bangladesh, and has to end." Chowdhury, a senior member of the opposition Bangladesh National Party, was arrested from inside his car as he was travelling with his mother to a courthouse to attend a hearing around 11 a.m. on August 4. According to his mother, several men in plainclothes - some of whom were armed - forced Chowdhury to leave the car and come with them. Time and time again, we have to call on the government to not give in to its knee-jerk response of arbitrary and secret detentions. The illegal detentions of Chowdhury and Qasem Ali need to end immediately. Brad Adams Asia Director Qasem Ali, a Supreme Court lawyer, was arrested from his home around 11 p.m. on August 9 by several men, also in plainclothes. The men did not identify themselves as being with any security forces. His wife and cousin were present during the arrest. Authorities have denied having either of the men in custody, although multiple credible sources have said that both men were at the headquarters of the Rapid Action Battalion in Dhaka on the morning of August 12. Qasem Ali's wife has filed a general diary complaint, the standard first report of transgressions filed with the police. Chowdhury's family attempted to file a general diary but the police refused to accept it. Qasem Ali's family has subsequently learned, but has not been able to confirm, that he has been moved to the headquarters of the Detective Branch. This is where two other detainees were also held illegally from July 2 until their production in court last week. Chowdhury's family has also been told that he has since been moved from Detective Branch to a different agency, but they have not been able to confirm which one. Bangladesh has been reeling from a spree of seemingly militant inspired killings and attacks, including a horrific attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery Caf_ in Dhaka on July 1, and another the subsequent week on an Eid gathering. In a much-delayed response, Bangladeshi authorities arrested nearly 15,000 people following the spate of attacks on bloggers, atheists, foreigners and LGBTI activists. Following the attack on the caf_, the authorities arrested two hostages, Hasnat Karim and Tahmid Khan, and then proceeded to issue contradictory statements about whether the men were in their custody. More than a month later, they finally admitted the men were in their custody, although they created a false cover story to avoid allegations of illegal detention. Both Chowdhury and Qasem Ali are the sons of two senior opposition politicians convicted of war crimes during Bangladesh's 1971 Independence War. Chowdhury's father, Salahuddin Qader Chowdhury, was executed in November 2015. Qasem Ali's father is currently facing execution on war crimes charges having nearly exhausted his appeals. Qasem Ali had feared that he would be arbitrarily abducted by the authorities shortly after the attack on the caf_ when the government started claiming that the attack was the work of those seeking to free convicted war criminals. "The Bangladeshi authorities have an obligation to pursue those responsible for the heinous crimes which have plagued Bangladesh for years, including of course the horrific attack on the caf_," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "But time and time again, we have to call on the government to not give in to its knee-jerk response of arbitrary and secret detentions. The illegal detentions of Chowdhury and Qasem Ali need to end immediately." Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch both noted that Bangladeshi security forces have an extensive and well-documented history of custodial abuse, including torture and other ill-treatment. Given this history, there is a real risk of harm during detention and interrogation. Bangladeshi authorities need to immediately end the illegal detention of Mir Qasem Ali and Humman Qader Chowdhury.

On 4 and 9 of August 2016, Humman Qader Chowdhury, a senior member of the opposition Bangladesh National Party, and Qasem Ali, a Supreme Court lawyer, were arrested by several men in plainclothes without warrants or charges. They both have not been allowed to have access to family or lawyers. Multiple credible sources stated that they might be subject to an enforced disappearance in the custody of the security forces, but the government continues to deny having them.

Dozens of press freedom groups around the world are calling on Bangladesh to free an elderly British journalist held without charge for over three months. In a joint letter to Bangladesh's justice minister Anisul Huq, 26 groups highlight their "serious concerns" about the ongoing detention and treatment of Shafik Rehman, 81, who is in custody in Dhaka. Signatories include Index on Censorship, the International Federation of Journalists and Reporters Without Borders/RSF. Reprieve, the human rights organisation who coordinated the letter, is concerned that Mr Rehman could be charged with offences that carry a potential death penalty. The calls come ahead of bail proceedings in Mr Rehman's case which are likely to be heard by Bangladesh's Supreme Court later this month (August). Mr Rehman is a professional journalist who has spent a lifetime working for freedom of expression. His arrest represents an attack on press freedoms and forms part of a worrying trend in Bangladesh, where several prominent editors have been arrested in recent years. At the time of his arrest, Mr Rehman was editor of the popular monthly magazine Mouchake Dhil, with experience as a TV host and producer. Previously, he has worked for the BBC and edited Jai Jai Din, a mass-circulation Bengali daily. Mr Rehman was arrested on 16 April 2016 by police who entered his house without a warrant, inexplicably posing as a camera crew. After more than three months in detention, he has still not been charged with any crime. Under international law, the Bangladesh authorities have a duty to promptly inform Mr Rehman of the nature of the case against him and either charge or release him. The delays in this case suggest that there is no evidence against Mr Rehman, and that he should be released. Mr Rehman is an elderly man in poor health. He spent the first weeks of detention in solitary confinement, without a bed. His health deteriorated and he was rushed to hospital. His family are seriously concerned about his health failing in prison, and he has missed important medical appointments. Commenting, Harriet McCulloch, deputy director of Reprieve's death penalty team, said: "Shafik's arrest and ongoing detention without charge has worried journalists all over the world. An elderly British man, he could face charges which carry the death penalty and his health is deteriorating in detention, demonstrating the risks faced by journalists and critical voices in Bangladesh. The justice minister must listen to the international concern around Shafik's treatment. It is time Bangladesh drops this groundless investigation into a senior journalist and releases Shafik."

On 16 April 2016, Mr Rehman, British editor of the popular monthly magazine Mouchake Dhil, was arrested by police in Dhaka, Bangladesh. After more than three months in detention, he has still not been charged with any crime, and concerns are raising on his health and detention conditions.

Bangladeshi authorities should immediately withdraw all criminal charges filed against the editors of the Daily Star and Prothom Alo, the country's leading newspapers, Human Rights Watch said today. Bangladesh should repeal its criminal defamation and sedition laws, which violate international standards. As of the time of writing, the editor of the English-language Daily Star, Mahfuz Anam, faced a total of 54 criminal defamation cases and 15 sedition cases, largely for publishing corruption allegations from military sources several years ago. On February 16, 2016, a court in Narayangunj issued an arrest warrant against Anam in a case filed by a private lawyer. Fifty-five cases have been filed against Matiur Rahman, the editor of Prothom Alo, Bangladesh's highest circulation Bengali-language daily newspaper (and the sister paper of the Daily Star), as well as against the newspaper and some journalists associated with the paper, for criminal defamation and "hurting religious sentiment." Each criminal defamation charge allows for two years' imprisonment, and each sedition charge for three. \t"Criminal charges against editors of the leading newspapers in Bangladesh are a clear attempt to intimidate all media in the country," said Brad Adams, Asia director. "A government controlling almost all seats in parliament and all national executive authority has to be particularly protective of a free press - or risk turning Bangladesh into an authoritarian state." The cases are part of a larger, organized assault on independent media in Bangladesh over several years. Bangladeshi authorities have closed critical media houses, jailed editors, tried bloggers, and charged journalists with contempt of court for reporting unfavorably on government actions. The editor of Amar Desh newspaper, Mahmudur Rahman, has been jailed without trial since 2013 on charges of sedition and unlawful publication of intercepted conversations. The editors of the Daily Star and Prothom Alo were among a significant segment of public opinion backing the "minus two" effort by the military when it effectively took power and installed a caretaker government from 2007 to 2009. The military and segments of Bangladeshi society backed a move to remove Sheikh Hasina, the leader of the Awami League and current prime minister, and Khaleda Zia, the leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and a former prime minister. Both were accused of corruption. The charges against Anam and the Daily Star are related to corruption allegations against Sheikh Hasina and other current government officials based on information provided by the country's military intelligence service, the Director General Forces Intelligence (DGFI). At the time, the DGFI was leading the "minus two" effort and routinely threatened and intimidated the media and civil society. DGFI was also responsible for extrajudicial killings, torture, and disappearances. The allegations were published in 2007, but the current assault against Anam came about as a result of a February 3, 2016 admission on his part that he relied on uncorroborated information from DGFI when he published the stories. Anam said he regretted having published material without sufficient corroboration. The charges against Matiur Rahman of Prothom Alo stem from a series of articles the paper ran on alleged irregularities in the purchase of power tillers by a local government office, as well as for running a cartoon in the paper's political satire section. Rahman surrendered at the Jhalakati jail following an arrest warrant issued in January 2015. He was granted bail and given permission to be physically absent from further hearings in the cases. The cases have not yet been resolved. \tBoth the Daily Star and Prothom Alo have faced government retaliation for their reporting. Media personnel have alleged to Human Rights Watch that this includes a ban on advertising by large private companies in the two papers. Several corporate sources speaking anonymously stated that they had received these instructions in an article published by Al Jazeera in October 2015. "Defamation should not be treated as a crime," Adams said. "If a newspaper intentionally publishes false information that harms an individual's reputation, then a civil defamation case is the proper remedy, so long as a fair and impartial trial can be assured. But Bangladesh should not be in the business of jailing journalists for what they write." Human Rights Watch called for repeal of the sedition law, which is overly broad and vague. The law states that anyone by show or use of force or "any other unconstitutional means" who "subverts or attempts or conspires to subvert the confidence, belief or reliance of the citizens to this constitution or any of its article, his such act shall be sedition and such person shall be guilty of sedition." Anam faces at least 15 sedition charges. Bangladesh's sedition and criminal defamation laws are contrary to the country's international human rights obligations. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which Bangladesh ratified in 2000, prohibits restrictions on freedom of expression on national security grounds unless they are provided by law, strictly construed, and necessary and proportionate to address a legitimate threat. Such laws cannot put the right itself in jeopardy. The United Nations Human Rights Committee, which interprets the ICCPR, has said that states parties should move toward abolishing criminal defamation and that no one should ever risk imprisonment for defamation. Human Rights Watch said that laws imposing criminal penalties for peaceful expression are of particular concern because of their chilling effect on free speech. The UN special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression has stated that with such laws in place, individuals face the constant threat of being arrested and subjected to criminal trials, fines, and imprisonment, as well as the stigma of having a criminal record. The assault on speech affects not only the media, but also critical civil society. Journalists report engaging in self-censorship. Activists and human rights defenders have faced charges, arrest, and intimidation. Bloggers who have expressed atheist sentiments have been killed, yet others have faced charges of insulting religious feelings. A 2014 media policy banned speech that is "anti-state," "ridicules the national ideology," and "is inconsistent with Bangladesh's culture," and would restrict the reporting of "anarchy, rebellion, or violence." The government is currently drafting an onerous and overly broad law on publishing in electronic media. "These criminal charges are clearly a form of retribution against political enemies of the government," said Adams. "And while it is going after journalists, the government has taken no action to hold members of DGFI accountable for the extrajudicial killings, disappearances, and torture that took place during the caretaker period. Bangladesh's sedition and criminal defamation laws need to be repealed, and charges against all media and other critics withdrawn immediately."

On 16 February 2016, Mahfuz Anam, editor of the English-language Daily Star, was charged for criminal defamation and sedition. Matiur Rahman, the editor of Prothom Alo, also faced charges of defamation and hurting religious sentiment by the Bangladeshi authorities.

A publisher of secular books has been hacked to death and three other people were wounded in two separate attacks at publishing houses in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. Both of the publishers involved in the attacks had published works of the US-based blogger and writer Avijit Roy, who was hacked to death on the Dhaka University campus while walking with his wife in February. At least four atheist bloggers have been murdered in the country this year for writing critically about Islamist militancy. The body of Faisal Arefin Deepan of the Jagriti Prokashoni publishing house was found inside his office following the second of the attacks, a senior police officer, Shibly Noman, said. Earlier in the day, Ahmed Rahim Tutul and two writers were shot and stabbed by three men in the office of the Shudhdhoswar publishing house. Police chief Jamal Uddin Meer said the assailants then locked the wounded men inside the office before escaping. "We had to break the lock to recover them," he added. The writers were identified by police as Ranadeep Basu and Tareque Rahim. All three of the victims were taken to hospital, and Tutul was in a critical condition, Mr Meer said. Bangladesh has been shaken by a series of attacks this year for which Islamic extremists have claimed responsibility, including the blogger murders and, more recently, the killing of two foreigners - an Italian aid worker and a Japanese agricultural worker. The attacks come amid fears about radical Islam's rise in the country, with secularist writers seemingly targeted in response to a government crackdown on radical groups. No one immediately took responsibility for the latest attacks. The Islamist group Ansarullah Bangla Team had claimed it had carried out the blogger killings and recently threatened to kill more bloggers. Last month, a bomb attack on thousands of Muslims at the main Shia shrine in Dhaka killed a teenage boy and injured more than 100 other people. Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attacks on the two foreigners and the bombing, but the government has denied that the extremist Sunni militant group has any presence in the country. Dhaka has instead blamed domestic Islamist militants and Islamist political parties - specifically the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its main ally, Jamaat-e-Islami - for orchestrating the violence. Hundreds of activists held an impromptu march in Dhaka, condemning the government for failing to protect the country's secular writers, with a number of writers already thought to have fled the country or to have gone into hiding after receiving threats. "We're stunned. One after another secular writer and bloggers have been silenced and murdered. Yet the government has failed to protect them," said Imran Sarker, who heads a secular bloggers group.

On 31 October, in two separate incidents, two publishers and two atheist bloggers were hacked to death by religious extremists.

On September 12, 2015 police entered a house and arrested four activists of a voluntary organisation "Adommo Bangladesh Foundation' that provided shelter to homeless and street children. Police claimed that Arifur Rahman (24), Hasibul Hasan (19), Zakia Sultana (19) and Firoze Alam (21) were arrested under allegations of trafficking 10 children; and were taken into remand. Police also brought children to the police station from a house located at Banashree in the Rampura area of Dhaka. Police filed a case with Rampura Police Station against the four child rights activists. The arrestees claimed that they were working for the rehabilitation of street children with the approval of the government. After taking the children to the police station, they said they were homeless and living at Sadarghat Launch Terminal and Kamalapur Rail Station. They have learned how to write and read their names apart from getting better food and shelter.35 Among the 10 children, a child named Mobarak was handed over to the custody of his family by police and the other children were sent to the correction centre for children and adolescents in Tongi with the permission of the Court. On January 29, 2014 "Adommo Bangladesh Foundation' was registered as a voluntarily organisation. Most of the activists engaged with this organisation are college and university students. "Adommo Bangladesh Foundation' was involved in various welfare activities for the children, including giving them primary education, distribution of warm clothes during winter and entertainment. One of the Board Members of the Organisation and a student of Home Economics College, Ranta Biswas, informed that they had rented a flat at Banashree in December 2014 to make a shelter home for homeless children. 10 children had been staying in that rented flat.

On September 12, 2015 police entered a house and arrested four activists of a voluntary organisation __�Adommo Bangladesh Foundation' that provided shelter to homeless and street children: Arifur Rahman (24), Hasibul Hasan (19), Zakia Sultana (19) and Firoze Alam (21) were arrested under allegations of trafficking 10 children; and were taken into remand.

On 22-09-2015 at around 10:23 am, Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM)'s District Human Rights Monitor of Murshidabad district, Mr. Ajimuddin Sarkar was abducted by 5-7 policemen in civilian cloths. At that time, Mr. Sarkar was at local Seikhpara crossing discussing issues with a few torture victims and their families. Police arrived in a red Tata Sumo, verbally abused and beat him before taking him away. Ajimuddin Sarkar has been intimidated and tortured by police in the past as well. He was charged with false accusations and faced intense custodial torture, for which he was also undergoing a medical treatment. Police tried to silence MASUM and Mr. Sarkar's voice after the widow of Rajib Molla lodged a criminal case against the involved police personnel who killed her husband at Raninagar police station. MASUM and Mr. Sarkar's help was instrumental to lodge this complaint. Till now, Mr. Ajimuddins family and MASUM have not received any information about his detention and/or his appearance before court of law.

On 22-09-2015 at around 10:23 am, Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM)'s District Human Rights Monitor of Murshidabad district, Mr. Ajimuddin Sarkar was abducted by 5-7 policemen in civilian cloths.

At least three people were shot to death in Kalihati upazila of Tangail yesterday afternoon as police opened fire during a clash with locals protesting the brutal assault of a woman and her son. The incident left at least 32 others injured and they include three cops and three bullet-hit locals. Of the dead, Faruk, 20, breathed his last at Kalihati Upazila Health Complex and Kabir, 18, on his way to Tangail Medical College Hospital. Shyamol Chandra Paul, 38, died while being taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH). Two others wounded by gunshots were undergoing treatment at the DMCH and another at a local hospital. Locals say Rafiqul Islam Roma of Saturia village in Ghatail upazila was harbouring a grudge against a teenaged boy of Atharodana village of the same upazila for having an affair with his wife. Roma's family had asked the mother and son to come to his house, saying he just want to talk things out. The two came to Roma's house on Tuesday -- but only to face serious physical abuse and humiliation. They were beaten up by Roma, his brother-in-law Hafiz Uddin and neighbour Kazi. At one stage, the mother and son were stripped and confined to a room. On information from villagers, police rescued the victims and arrested Roma. Hafiz was arrested following a case filed by the woman with Kalihati Police Station the next day. Police say the woman in the case statement also brought the allegation of sexual abuse against the accused -- Roma, Hafiz and Kazi. Protesting the incident, hundreds of people from Atharodana, Hamidpur and several villages started a demonstration around 4:30pm yesterday. Marching in processions, they went to lay siege to Kalihati Police Station around 5:45pm. As they reached College Gate area, police intercepted them and following an altercation, they baton-charged and fired teargas shells. Agitating locals threw brickbats, leaving Sub-Inspector Faruk and constables Liakat and Harun injured. They also blocked Tangail-Mymensingh road at different points for four hours till 8:00pm. Some demonstrators also tried to snatch arms of police, witnesses said, adding at one stage of the fight, law enforcers fired 60-65 rounds. Shahidul Islam, officer-in-charge of Kalihati Police Station, claimed they opened fire when the angry mob attacked them but nobody was killed in the shooting. "They might have been killed while clashing with one another as the protesters were split in groups." olice detained five from the spot. Shahidul said they arrested Roma and Hafiz, still people tried to lay siege to the police station. "It was ill-motivated." Tangail Deputy Commissioner Mahbub Hossain last night told this correspondent that they decided to give Tk 50 thousand to the families of the dead and take responsibility of the treatment of the injured. After a meeting at the police station, he also said they formed two committees to probe yesterday's incident -- one under the police and the other under the district administration.

On 18 September 2015, at least three people were shot to death in Kalihati upazila of Tangail as police opened fire during a clash with locals protesting the brutal assault of a woman and her son.

BANGLADESH: Judicial harassment against free speech defenders continues Paris-Geneva, August 14, 2015 - The three-year prison sentence handed down to Mr. Mahmudur Rahman yesterday morning by a Dhaka Court is yet another example of the abusive use of the judicial system to target free speech defenders, declared the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders. "The assault on freedom of expression is growing in Bangladesh, as any dissent is stifled through judicial harassment, civil society is silenced through increasingly repressive laws, and violent crimes against those who exercise free speech are tacitly permitted", stated Karim Lahidji, FIDH President. "Mahmudur Rahman must be released immediately", he added. Mr. Mahmudur Rahman, acting editor of the Amar Desh newspaper, was sentenced yesterday to three years in prison by a Dhaka Court for charges brought against him in 2010 by the Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), which accused him of failing to submit his wealth statement. He intends to appeal the sentencing. Mr. Rahman has been detained since April 11, 2013. The Amar Desh printing press was sealed only hours after his arrest, and has remained closed since. From April 11 to 24, 2013, Mr. Rahman was subjected to torture while held in police custody, and eventually charged with sedition and unlawful publication of a Skype conversation between Md Nizamul Huq, an International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) Judge, and an external consultant(1) on December 9, 2012. The published conversation raised doubts about the impartiality of the ICT and led to the resignation of Judge Huq on December 11, 2012. Prior to his arrest in 2013, Mr. Rahman had already been the target of judicial harassment. In November 2012, he reported to an Observatory fact-finding mission that the Bangladeshi authorities had brought nearly 50 defamation and sedition cases against him since 2008, notably for publishing a report on alleged corruption practices of the Prime Minister and her relatives, and that he was already subjected to torture and ill-treatment while he was arbitrarily detained in relation to these charges(2). "We call on the Bangladeshi judiciary to put an end to any form of harassment and violence, including torture and ill-treatment, against free speech defenders and to strongly reject any evidence that is obtained through torture", said Gerald Staberock, OMCT Secretary General. "We also urge the Bangladeshi authorities to carry out a prompt, impartial and transparent investigation on the above-mentioned allegations of torture and ill-treatment, and ensure that those responsible are held accountable", he concluded. Mr. Rahman's latest conviction is only the last example of the increasing use of intimidation against those who peacefully exercise and defend the right to free speech in Bangladesh. Four bloggers have been brutally murdered since February 2015, with police failing to file charges in any of the cases. In addition, Bangladesh's existing blasphemy laws criminalise peaceful free speech related to religion, and the Foreign Donations (Voluntary Activities) Regulation Act 2014, along with the proposed 2015 Cyber Security Act, serve to stifle free expression and severely restrict the work of civil society(3). The Observatory urges the Bangladeshi government to uphold its obligation under international law to ensure that its people can exercise and defend the right to freedom of expression as well as all other human rights. The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (OBS) was created in 1997 by FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT). The objective of this programme is to intervene to prevent or remedy situations of repression against human rights defenders.

On 13 August 2015, Mr. Mahmudur Rahman, acting editor of the Amar Desh newspaper, was sentenced to three years in prison by a Dhaka Court for charges brought against him in 2010 by the Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), which accused him of failing to submit his wealth statement.However, it is believe that on going harassments against him is an attempt to silence Rahman, who did investigations and published reports on the impartiality of Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal and alleged corruption practices of the Prime Minister and her relatives.