Uwazi

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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 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.

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.

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).

(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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.