Joint Press Release: UN Day for Victims of Torture - an Urgent Call for Justice

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Geneva–Dhaka, 26th of June 2015. On the occasionof the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, the WorldOrganisation against Torture (OMCT) and its member organization in Bangladesh,Odhikar, demand justice for victims of torture and extra judicial killings.

“Two years ago, Bangladesh passedthe Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention) Act 2013; and committed itself toeradicating torture. Yet torture and impunity remain widespread in Bangladesh.No serious efforts have been made to give effect to the said Act or the UNConvention against Torture. Hundreds of victims of torture and their families areawaiting justice” says Adilur Rahman Khan, Secretary of Odhikar

Today on June 26, 2015 we want to commemorate and pay tribute to thenumerous victims of torture and their families, some of which are named below:

- RezaulIslam, from Khayersuti village, was picked up from hishouse by the Detective Branch (DB) police in May 2015. He was beaten withchains and taken to the Pabna Sadar Police Station. He died in police custodylater the same day. The police claimed that Rezaul was a drug addict and a drugpeddler and had died of a heart attack after his arrest.

- Jahangir Hossain was arrested in March2015 as a suspect in a robbery. He was subsequently granted two-day remand bythe Magistrate. One day later, the police claimed that Jahangir had committedsuicide by hanging himself in his cell. As there were wounds on different partsof his body, his family claimed that the police had beaten him to death.Jahangir’s father was given 10 thousand taka and threatened that if he speaksto anyone about his son’s death, he and his other sons would face the sameconsequences.

- Mizanur Rahman was arrested for allegationsof beating a police officer in March 2015. In the police station. he wasseverely beaten by three police officers till he became unconscious. Five dayslater, Mizanur was produced before the court. As he could not walk, twopolicemen physically supported him to the courtroom. Despite his visibly severephysical condition and despite showing the marks of torture to the judge, thecourt refused to grant him bail.

- Shapla Khatun, from Mathail Chapar village under Kazipur upazila inSirajganj District, was arrested as a murder suspect in January 2015 andtortured in Kazipur Police Station for six days. Her family and lawyer allegedthat police arrested Shapla due to a telephone conversation with an accusedmurderer. Police took one hundred thousand taka as a bribe from her family.Shapla’s lawyer brought up the matter of torture before the Court, when policeproduced her before the Court after six days of arrest and sought remand.

These victims, their families, as well as many, manyother torture victims are awaiting independent investigations andrehabilitation, as per the CAT and the Act of 2013. On the day dedicated totorture victims, Odhikar and the OMCT urge Bangladesh to take effective stepsto effectively implement the landmark Convention against Torture and the Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention) Act.

“17 years ago,Bangladesh ratified the Convention against Torture and promised to preventtorture, to condemn any act of torture and to meet the needs of victims. It istime that Bangladesh steps up to its obligations and develops an action plan thatincludes the submission of the very first state report to the Committee againstTorture” says Gerald Staberock, Secretary General of the OMCT.

Every year, Odhikar conducts a series of events, including rallies andpublic awareness events in several districts to commemorate this internationalday condemning torture and ill treatment and remembering the victims. Theevents are part of OMCT’s global campaign entitled ‘nothing can justify tortureunder any circumstances’.

For further information please contact:

- Gerald Staberock, OMCT Secretary General, Email: gs@omct.org, Tel:(0041) (0)22 809 49 23

- ASM Nasiruddin Elan, Director, Odhikar, Email: odhikar.bd@gmail.com, Tel: (0088) (0) 2 988 85 87

The OMCT wishes to thank the European Commission for their financialsupport to the OMCT global campaign on June 26 ‘nothing can justify tortureunder any circumstances’.