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SAHR Appeal to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh on the Recent Custodial Deaths and Disappearances

Her Excellency Sheikh Hasina,

Hon. Prime Minister

Prime Minister’s Office

Old Sangsad Bhban

Tejgaon, Dhaka-1215

The People’s Republic of Bangladesh

05/07/2010

Madam,

SAHR appeals for an Independent Judicial Enquiry instead of Police Enquiry into recent cases of custodial death and disappearance

South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR) would like to urge the Government to take serious note of the reported cases of custodial deaths and disappearances reported in national newspapers, and particularly in Daily Star.

Reports of three deaths of people in police custody only within a span of 5 days are unacceptable. Although the police is denying the custodial deaths of Mizanur Rahman, Babul Kazi and Mujibur Hossain, The Daily Star investigation has found that the fact is quite the opposite to that of the police version of the incidents. Police picked up businessman Mizanur Rahman from his Badda house early Tuesday while Mujibur Hossain from Melartek Ghat in Darussalam early Thursday, and Babul kazi from Modhubagh, Moghbazar on Monday the investigation revealed.

Mizanur was found bullet-hit and was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where Mizanur succumbed to his injuries. Meanwhile, Darussalam police denied Mujibur’s arrest and his death in custody. His body was recovered floating on the Turag Friday morning, said Mujibur’s family members. Morgue sources said Mujibur died drowning but his body bore several marks of injury. Abdul Malek, officer-in-charge of Darussalam Police Station, however, identified Mujibur as a local drug peddler and said that Mujibur’s rivals killed him over a feud. According to the brother of the deceased, the policemen had allegedly demanded money from him for his release but when he failed to give it he was beaten to death.

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