Fri 30 Mar 2007
On DP Blog we have already had various discussions on the extrajudicial killings in Bangladesh, so it will be no surprise to learn that Bangladesh features on this UN report. The link for the entire report can be accessed here.
AFP summary:
Bangladesh police are accused of murders
GENEVA: A UN human rights expert yesterday accused Bangladeshi security forces of using murder as a means of law enforcement and warned that the country’s reputation was on the line.
“The government of Bangladesh must stop the Rapid Action Battalion and other elite security forces from using murder as a policing technique,” the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions Philip Alston said.
Alston said in a report that his request for information on 27 deaths that authorities had attributed to “crossfire” in police shootouts had gone unanswered.
“The pattern of incidents would suggest that what the police and special forces report as crossfire’ deaths are in fact staged extrajudicial executions,” the report added.
Alston called the Bangladeshi government’s “apparent indifference” to the allegations “deeply disturbing”.
“The involvement of the police in extrajudicial executions is of great concern to the international community, and the reputation of Bangladesh is on the line,” he warned.
April 1st, 2007 at 7:59 pm
“Alston said in a report that his request for information on 27 deaths that authorities had attributed to “crossfire” in police shootouts had gone unanswered.”
How would Alston judge from foreign country or even from an 0ffice in Dhaka what was the reality on the ground ?
America has SWAT teams including Dog squads trained to trace and have the criminal cornered till SWAT Member apprehends the criminals and yet there are shoot-outs or knife attacks that has the criminals killed- What would Alston say about the American SWAT team then???
All Countries of the world have special trained Police teams for different crimes such as: drugs,prostitution,bard-core robbers that would murder without hesitation, stalk women like a predator for rape leading to murder if the victim resisted and failed. Because of high training plus use of area watch through CCTV they are able to combat crime and quick in arresting the criminal provided the criminal is not armed. No criminal with arms would give up without a putting up a fight.
Alston is also the same member of the team who would accuse the Goverment of not showing strict power,courage to combat crime. But if criminals put up a fight when apprehended what does the Police 0fficer do shoot himself or the criminal??
April 4th, 2007 at 5:53 am
The concept of “extra-judicial killing”, I believe is an over-hyped anti-RAB propaganda by rival politicians in BD which was created to keep RAB out of service, so that crime and injustice continued to escalate.
The introduction of RAB, which drastically reduced crime when law & order was like the Wild West in BD, was seen by rival politicians as a threat to their political survival. Hence anti-RAB, anti-govt lobbying was carried from Congessmen in USA to MP’s in London, to disgrace RAB with “extra-judicial killing”.
RAB may have been over-zealous on some occasions to apprehend criminals, but when a UN EXPERT has to make a complaint about aggressive policing, then the extent of the complaint are also like staged propaganda, and deeply disturbing!
But my real concern is when criminals abuse the rights of the PUBLIC, and harrass, murder and terrorize them beyond control, then why don’t UN EXPERTS make any comments about extent of crime on civilians, as an HR issue?
April 4th, 2007 at 3:12 pm
KGazi,
Refyr#2:-”but when a UN EXPERT has to make a complaint about aggressive policing, then the extent of the complaint are also like staged propaganda, and deeply disturbing!”–very correct.These well paid UN experts on HUMAN RIGHT didnt think that attacking Iraq without UN and World’s opinion n killing humans in that country is a great VIOLATION- they reversed their statement-criticised Iraq for putting the humans on the open for them to be hurst by bullets,roket launchers and air-strikes– now a question for thought- these people who fired all these shots must have seen through their “EYE-PIECE” of the instruments before they shot- if they saw ordinary humans n not soldiers why did they shoot????-After all the aim was to disarm Saddam n his army– not citizens.The we all know abt Guantanamo Bay n Prison abuse in Iraq–UN EXperts dint raise their VOICE- wowo HUMAN RIGHTS indeed.
Second question,again food for thought,why doesnt the UN Expert have a training sessions to teach the criminals not to carry weapons and shoot at police 0fficials and or public when they are cornered for arrest. They should start the training in the Western Countries where crime rates are double and Police using special trainied 0fficilas (like SWAT in USA) also have to shoot to save their lives- they try to have them wounded but get killed too.
Its time to tell these UN Experts and also all Human Rights organization that at first Citizen as a whole need to be educated on human rights and policies that Governments adopt.Any discrepencies in policies are to be sorted out and ammended through Parliament proceedings.That through media the education should be strengthened by regular announcements in the TV and newspapers. Special programmes are to be made at rural areas where most are illiterate but need to be made aware -most essential because its here that FATWABI is done than in urban areas.
Next the Police System at all levels throughout Bangladesh is to strenghtend n made efficient and that senior 0ffcials who appear for examinations for their Promitions should hav have Human Rights materials in their syllabus.
Anybody support these ideas???????
April 4th, 2007 at 3:56 pm
phantom, are you confusing un with us?
Ekdom thik bolechen. Amader desher shob bhalo, onnoder shob pocha. Amader shomoshsha keu dekhiye dile shobcheye bhalo upay hochche, ota deny kora, tarpore annanno western deshke attack kora. Tui kere amar bari niye kotha bolte ashchish! Amar shob thik achey. Tui agey torta dekh! Aro bhalo upay hochche aprashongik aro kichu niye asha jate ashol criticism tar bapare shobai confused hoye jai.
Tobe RAB jodi amar nijer bashai hotat eshe amar chele ke dhore niye jai, tahole aboshsho baparta bhalo hobe na. Tokhon ami Human rights group gulor kache jabo. Toddin porjonto chele to annoder jachche. Amar to ar na. Ami care kori na. Du ekta nirdosh mara gele ashubidhda ki ?
Ei na hole amader adorsho chinta bhabna !! Apni bachle baper nam! Ki bolen, Phantom?
April 4th, 2007 at 4:09 pm
Detailed report on RAB is here: http://www.drishtipat.org/blog/2006/12/14/damning-indictment-of-rab/
April 5th, 2007 at 1:35 am
Phantom, I agree that law-enforcement bodies in BD desperately need some real training in HR and handling of cases, and which is a language altogether new for BD police, RAB and law-enforcement. BD village justice has always been capital punishment - nothing new, and for RAB to convert to a world-class force, training is an absolute must. But, a learning-curve of errors, excesses and mis-calcs must be allowed.
Prior to intro of RAB, criminal thugs in BD were on crime excesses, dumping eyes, limbs and heads into manholes, on daily basis.
Rumman, re #4, instead of RAB, if one of those wild criminals confronted someone, then I am sure he would rather meet a RAB than a criminal!
admin re#5 thanks for re-posting. Graphic photo against RAB - doesnt say much about the CRIMES of the criminal himself.
Now, To keep those thugs away from the streets, RAB as a force, must remain active in BD. Trained, polished, advanced and accountable RAB must remain.
However, the political link between RAB and govt has to be severed, so that govt cannot abuse and misuse RAB. How? By delegating Police and RAB under JUDICIARY, or justice department. Since Judiciary is (almost) separate from govt, RAB & police will no longer be controlled by politicians’ abuse, instead RAB must be a judiciary-controlled force.
This works very well in eg USA, where multiple forces of Police, Marshal, Sheriff, SWAT and FBI work under separate branches of Dept of Justice.
No more, “extra judicial killing”, no more meetings for crossfire, and no more hanky-panky. HR training, UN-regulations and hi-tech methods.
No matter who returns after election, AL BNP NS or ABC, the force of RAB will be an independant autonomous justice-controlled force, accountable only to the courts and not to the POLITICIANS.