HRDB NEWSLETTER

Human Rights and Development for Bangladesh Newsletter / 2-15

November 2015

Bangladesh's Democratic Backsliding:

Time to Act Before It's Too Late
Time to stop the executions of political opponents and
restore the rule of law.
By Lord Carlile of Berriew CBE QC
The news of a new round of violent attacks in Bangladesh underscores a deteriorating security risk the world can no
longer ignore.
Last week in Dhaka, groups of men
stabbed two prominent secular publishers, leaving one dead and the other in
critical condition. Western intelligence
agencies have warned the government
that terrorists linked to so-called Islamic
State are targeting foreigners and are set
upon bringing increasing terror to Bangladesh.

The ruling Awami League and religious

extremists are fomenting civil war while
the rest of the countryespecially the
legitimate political opposition
is caught in the middle of violence and
oppression.

US governments and the broader international community must immediately pressure her to stop these executions and reform the government of her
country.
She is dragging Bangladesh inexorably
towards an unwelcome choice between
authoritarian and mob rule.
The so-called International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) is at the heart of oppression
and unrest in Bangladesh.
Prime Minister Hasina uses the ICT to
imprison and in some cases execute
opposition party leaders instead of allowing the ICT to fulfill its purpose of prosecuting crimes from the 1971 war.

Prime Minister Hasina uses the As Amnesty InternaFor those who have
tional recently statICT to imprison and in some
been watching Banged, the ICT fails to
ladesh closely,
cases execute opposition party meet international
it is clear that Prime
standards for a fair
leaders instead of allowing the trial.
Minister Sheikh
ICT to fulfill its purpose of
Hasina has abandoned democracy as
The ICT is one of
prosecuting crimes from the
she continues to use
the fundamental
1971 war.
the government and
reasons that Bangcourts to eliminate
ladesh is descendpolitical opponents and consolidate her
ing into violence. Decisions by the ICT
grip on power. The so-called Parliamen- have led to surges in violence at the antary opposition is supine and ineffective. nouncement of verdicts and executions.
The world cannot stand by and let this
Hasinas continued suppression of legiti- happen once again.
mate dissent only increases the likelihood of violence. Suppressing a real
One of the prisoners facing execution,
political process encourages extremSalauddin Quader Chowdhury, is a leadists, whose rhetoric incites violence.
er in the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party. During the ICT trial, Chowdhury
In the coming days, Bangladeshs current was prevented from calling all the destate of unrest will only grow worse if
fense witnesses he was advised by his
Hasina continues to abandon the rule of
lawyers were necessary.
law by allowing the execution of two opposition leaders. She has long given up
The ICT did not allow 26 crucial defense
listening to the people of Bangladesh or
witnesses to testify or submit affidavits
respecting human rights. The British and
- see next page

November 2015

Human Rights and Development for Bangladesh Newsletter / 2-15

Democratic Backsliding contd.

attesting that Chowdhury was in Pakistan
during the war of independence in 1971
when his alleged crimes were committed
in Bangladesh. The witnesses include a
former Prime Minister of Pakistan and a
former US ambassador. The Bangladesh
Government must stop these executions
and provide Chowdhury a fair and just
trial.
To institute the rule of law in Bangladesh,
Prime Minister Hasina must immediately
take the following steps to turn the ICT
into a court that is truly independent and
international:

Convene a reconstituted, internationally sanctioned and supervised war crimes tribunal

Impose a moratorium on all executions ordered by the ICT
Allow a fully independent inquiry
into all ICT judgments
Halt all current trials until the
above policies are implemented

Another Mass Imprisonment and

Repression Drive!
More than 2,200 people including many activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and
BNP have been arrested in a special drive in different districts since Friday
6th November, 2015
Among them, 665 were arrested Saturday during the drive that the police
headquarters in Dhaka ordered to maintain law and order, according to
sources in the HQ.
At least 592 more people were arrested on Sunday.
Taskforces comprising members of police, Armed Police Battalion, Rapid
Action Battalion, Border Guard Bangladesh and Coast Guard started the
drive on Friday night and launched a crackdown in 16 districts to arrest suspected troublemakers, the sources added.
Police also raided the houses of top BNP and Jamaat leaders in dufferent
places
The drive is set to continue until further notice, said an official at the police
HQ wishing not to be named.
This seems to be in preparation for the Municipal and UP elections likely to
be held in the third week of December 2015. The intelligence has warned the
govt of the possibility of rout of the Awami League in these elections

Nothing less will do. At present the opinion of the worlds jurists condemns Bangladesh for ignoring internationally recognized rule of law values.
Prime Minister Hasina must now seek
reconciliation with those values. Otherwise Bangladesh will continue down
a path to one-party government, authoritarianism or mob rule.

Source:

http://www.thedailystar.net/backpage/1500-held-two-days-169606
http://www.thedailystar.net/backpage/592-more-held-170026

November 11, 2015

Lord Carlile of Berriew, CBE, QC is a
Liberal Democrat member of the House
of Lords. He was the British governments independent reviewer of terrorism
legislation from 2001 until 2011
Source: http://thediplomat.com/2015/11/
bangladeshs-democratic-backsliding-time
-to-act-before-its-too-late/

During a nationwide special drive aimed at maintaining law and order, members of joint forces
take a youth, detained at a slum in Chittagong city's Bakolia area, to a nearby police station
Photo: Daily Star

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Human Rights and Development for Bangladesh (HRDB) / email: humanrightsbd@gmail.com