Wed 16 Jul 2008
Central Vice President of Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s student wing JCD, and ex VP of Barisal BM College student’s union and Barisal city unit JCD President, Mr Moshiul Alam Sentu was arrested from Dhaka yesterday. It was reported in Newspapers yesterday. This second page small report in a vernacular daily described how he was picked up and taken to undisclosed location yesterday.
If Bangladesh media still retain the slightest trace of sensitivity, I feel Mr Sentu will get a better coverage in tomorrows newspapers. He was killed today by RAB.
Just like that. That easy!
Members of the defence forces pick up an opposition political leader without any arrest warrant and take him away blindfolded. Then within several hours, without any court proceedings, any charges, any chance of defense, that man is shot and killed. And this is executed by members of government law enforcement agencies and defence forces. And that is not the end of the story. The tortured and mutilated body of the victim is then thrown in a public place in his own locality for public viewing.
Welcome to political season 2008-2009. Welcome to post 1/11 Bangladesh.
Full Investigation Report from Odhikar
Download the original attachment
RAB Alleged to Have Shot and Killed a Chhatra Dal Leader at Barisal
Fact-finding Report
Odhikar
It was learned from the witnesses and RAB sources that Md. Moshiul Alam Sentu (34) from west Kauniya Bagan Bari, Barisal was arrested by a team of RAB at the Nilkhet area in Dhaka on July 15, 2008. Sentu’s family alleged that he was shot and killed by RAB following his arrest. His family also informed that after they came to know from a source that RAB had planed to kill Sentu under the excuse of ‘crossfire’, they gave Taka 300,000 to a senior officer of RAB-8 as bribe to stop the killing. On the other hand, RAB claimed that when a team of RAB officers along with Sentu was going to recover arms, according to Sentu’s confession following his arrest, there was a gunfight between RAB and Sentu’s associates at around 4.15 pm on July 16, 2008, leaving Sentu killed in ‘crossfire’.
On the basis of the allegation made by the victim’s family, Odhikar conducted a fact-finding mission into the incident. During the fact-finding, Odhikar spoke with:
The deceased’s family members and relatives
Witnesses
Local residents
The Doctor who conducted the post-mortem and
The concerned police and RAB officers
Chaina Momtaz Begum (50), Sentu’s Mother
Chaina Momtaz told Odhikar that her son Sentu was a Chhatra Dal1 leader. At around 7.00 pm on July 15, 2008, Syed Monzurul Islam Mamun, a student of Political Science of Dhaka University informed her via mobile phone that Sentu had been arrested by RAB from Sir A F Rahman Hall of Dhaka University. After hearing this, Chaina telephoned RAB-8 and Major AKM Mamunur Rashid Mamun from RAB-8 confirmed that Sentu had been arrested by RAB and also assured her that nothing untoward would happen to him. At around 5.30 am on July 16, 2008, Chaina went to Major Mamun’s house at T and T Colony. Major Mamun’s wife told her that her husband had gone out to exercise. When Chaina telephoned Major Mamun’s number at around 6.00 am, he asked her to come to the RAB-8 office at around 9.00 am. He also told her that the RAB would bring Sentu to Barisal and he would not face any problems. At around 6.30 am, Chaina heard from others that Sentu had been killed in ‘crossfire’ at Bilbobari, Kashipur. She rushed to Bilbobari to see three RAB cars on the road and Sentu’s body laying in a paddy field beside the road. When Chaina tried to take Sentu’s body from the RAB, they told her to go home. At around 2.30 pm that day, Awal Mollah, a Commissioner2 of Barishal City Corporation accompanied by the RAB and the police, brought home Sentu’s body under strict security. The RAB and Police left at 5.00 pm after the burial of Sentu. Chaina told Odhikar that there were no cases filed against Sentu. Despite this, after the proclamation of State of Emergency across the country, it was Major Mamun of RAB-8 who sent a message via Sultan of Rupatoli that Sentu would be killed in ‘crossfire’. In order to ensure that Sentu was not killed Chaina paid Taka 300,000 as bribe to Major Mamun on June 19 or 20 via Sultan and Dolon, the acquaintances from Rupatoli. Chaina alleged that the RAB had killed her son Sentu in a planned way and demanded justice for the killing.
Syed Monzurul Islam Mamun, a Witness to the Arrest
Syed Monzurul Islam Mamun told Odhikar that on July 15, 2008, the Chhatra Dal organised a hunger strike from 9.00 am to 6.00 pm at the Dhaka University campus demanding the release of Begum Khaleda Zia, the Chairperson of BNP3 and Chhatra Dal leader Helal along with the treatment of Khaleda Zia’s younger son Coco. After successfully completing a peaceful hunger strike he got onto a rickshaw to have some food at around 7.00 am. There were three rickshaws among which the first rickshaw carried Sentu and Hannan Miah, the President of Gazipur District Chhatra Dal. The second rickshaw carried Parvez Mollick, President of Jahangir Nagar University Chhatra Dal and Talat Mamun, President of Savar Chhatra Dal. Syed Monzurul Islam was aboard the third rickshaw with Md. Mithu the Information and Research Secretary of Dhaka City Unit Chhatra Dal. They were all heading for the Bashundhara City Shopping Complex from Haji Mohammad Mohsin Hall. When the three rickshaws were in front of Sir A F Rahman Hall, a micro-bus bearing a sticker of RAB-3 came from behind and signaled the rickshaw to stop. When the rickshaws stopped the RAB officers fired a round of blank shots. Sentu jumped off the rickshaw but was shot in the leg. When Sentu tried to escape, 7-8 RAB officers grabbed hold of him and threw him to the ground and began to hit him with the butts of their guns. When Sentu gave up, the RAB officers blindfolded him and tied his hands with a towel and took him in their car and left. When the RAB officers had surrounded the three rickshaws the persons on board other than Sentu escaped, but Syed Monzurul ran to the Nilkhet bend nearby and watched the whole incident from the gathering crowds. After 10-15 minutes he phoned Sentu’s mother Chaina Momtaz in Barisal and informed her about the arrest. On July 16, 2008, he came to know that Sentu had been killed. He also told Odhikar that Sentu’s mother had paid Major Mamun of RAB-8 Taka 300,000 as bribe in order to ensure that Sentu would not be killed.
Khadija Begum (35), Sentu’s Paternal Aunt, Zia Shoroni, Matuail, Dhaka
Khadija Begum told Odhikar that Sentu had been living in her house for a long time. On July 15, 2008, Sentu left for the Dhaka University at around 7.00 am. At around 7.00 pm, Mamun telephoned her and told her that Sentu had been arrested by RAB in front of Sir A F Rahman Hall of the Dhaka University. As the night progressed, Khadija Begum inquired at RAB-3 and other RAB offices and police stations for Sentu’s whereabouts but was told that the RAB or the police had not arrested Sentu. In the morning of July 16, 2008, Khadija came to know that Sentu had been killed the night before by the RAB who had left his body at a place called Bilbobari of Barishal and spread the word that Sentu was killed in ‘crossfire’.
Raihan Hawlader Raju (19), Sentu’s paternal cousin, Zia Shoroni, Matuail, Dhaka
Raihan Hawlader told Odhikar that on July 16, 2008, after hearing of Sentu’s killing by RAB, he and his family members headed for Barisal. Describing Sentu’s body he stated that there was a wound on the right side of his rib cage, two bullet wounds on his chest and one in the left leg. Raju said that he found injury on Sentu’s right arm. He added that Sentu’s neck was also badly bruised.
Morzina Begum (47), Bilbobari
Morzina Begum told Odhikar that on July 16, 2008, at around 4.00 am she woke up to see that it was raining outside. She went outside to see whether anything was getting wet. Suddenly, she saw three cars of RAB on the road beside her house and 10-15 RAB officers walking around. She went back inside to wake up her daughter Ratna. They stood outside their house again to see the RAB officers standing in different groups on various parts of the road. On one side of the road there was a paddy field while on the other side there was a canal. According to Morzina, the RAB officers blocked the road and fired two/three blank shots. After this they began to open and close the door of their car consistently. In the semi-darkness Morzina saw the RAB officers carry something out of the car and take it to the paddy field beside the road. Four/five of the officers gathered on the field. After a few minutes she heard the loud firing of bullets. Morzina was unable to go to sleep after the incident. She wanted to know what was being kept at the paddy field and why the RAB officers had fired. She took a kolshi4 and walked past the RAB officers towards neighbouring Afzal Hosain’s house and came back home, using the excuse of bringing water. While she did this she saw a body on the paddy field where she saw the RAB officers keep something in the darkness. When the RAB officers asked her if she knew the identity of the body, she said she did not know because she wanted to avoid further trouble. The RAB informed her that the body was of Chhatra Dal leader Sentu. They also told her that Sentu had been killed during a ‘shootout’ with the RAB. Morzina said that there was no ammunition at the place of the incident but the RAB brought ammunition from their car and arranged them on the ground. At around 7.00 am, the police and a Magistrate arrived to prepare the inquest report of the body. Morzina also recalled that there was no blood on or around the place where Sentu’s body was kept. There were however, two new towels.
Khaleda Begum (40), Bilbobari
Khaleda Begum (40) told Odhikar that at around 4.00 am on July 16, 2008, she came out of her house to see a significant number of RAB officers standing on the road beside her house and shooting blank shots. She did not hear anyone talk or shout. At around 5.00 am, Khaleda Begum went to the place of the incident to see Sentu’s body laying on the paddy field and two new towels beside the road.
Mahtab (52), a retired officer of the Bangladesh Army, west Kauniya Bagan Bari
Mahtab told Odhikar that on the morning of July 16, 2008, he went to the place of the incident to see Sentu’s body. Upon his arrival he saw several RAB officers standing around and a few guns and bullets on the road. Sentu’s body was laying on the paddy field beside the road. The paddy was not damaged or trampled which was why it seemed to him that Sentu’s body had been placed there by the RAB officers. From the experience he had gained through serving the Army he commented that Sentu was shot in the chest twice from the closest distance and was shot in the leg from a distance of one or one and a half feet. He reached this conclusion from seeing the nature of the wounds on Sentu. He also recalled that Sentu’s neck was seemingly broken and his left hand seemed to be broken too.
Dolon (25), Rupatoli, Barishal
Dolon told Odhikar that Sentu’s mother had contacted Major Mamun so that Sentu would not be killed. It was he who had arranged for that meeting but he did not know whether any bribes were exchanged between them.
Md. Sultan (39), Rupatoli, Barishal
Md. Sultan told Odhikar that he had heard from RAB officers from before Sentu’s killing that Sentu would be killed in ‘crossfire’. This was why he had assisted Sentu’s mother to contact Major Mamun. However, he was not aware of any exchange of money between Sentu’s mother and Major Mamun.
Sub-Inspector (SI) Swapon, Kotoali Police Station, Barisal Metropolitan Police
SI Swapon told Odhikar that at around 8.00 am on July 16, 2008, Magistrate Mahbubul Karim prepared the inquest report of the body. He referred to the inquest report as saying that Sentu’s body was lying on its back on the paddy field. Two bullets hit his chest and pierced out from the other side and one bullet had hit his left thigh and remained inside. There was no blood at the place where Sentu’s body was lying. After completion of the inquest report, he went to the Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital for carrying out the post-mortem of the body under guard of the RAB officers. After completing the post-mortem, Sentu’s body was handed over to his family at 12.00 pm.
Lt. Colonel Irshad, Commanding Officer, RAB-8, Barisal
While talking with Odhikar Lt. Colonel Irshad classified Sentu as a notorious criminal. In his written statement, he stated that on July 15, 2008, a detective team of RAB-8 was positioned in Dhaka. Through an undisclosed source the team came to know that Sentu was at the Palashi or Katabon area. On the basis of this news the detective team from RAB-8 carried out a raid at the Katabon area of Dhaka at around 7.00 pm. Sentu tried to escape when the detective team tried to arrest him. The RAB officers tried to arrest Sentu and managed to do so after chasing him down. Following questioning, it was unearthed from Sentu that he kept huge amounts of ammunition and explosives in various parts of Barisal. It was on the basis of the information given by Sentu that the RAB detective team set off for Barisal taking Sentu along for the purpose of collecting those ammunition and explosives. On July 16, 2008 at around 4.15 am when the team arrived at Bilbobari of Kashipur, Barisal, Sentu’s associates attacked their microbus and opened fire in order to capture Sentu from them. For the sake of protecting the property of the State and maintaining their safety, RAB also fired back. Sentu managed to escape from the RAB microbus. Firing between the two groups continued for 10-12 minutes after which Sentu’s associates stopped firing. The RAB officers cordoned the whole area. Towards dawn, the RAB officers saw Sentu’s body at the place of the shootout along with the ammunition of Sentu’s associates nearby. The windows of the RAB microbus were damaged and two RAB officers were injured in the incident.
Doctor Habibur Rahman, Assistant Professor, Forensic Medicine Department, Shere-e-Bangla Medical College
Doctor Habibur Rahman told Odhikar that a bullet had struck Sentu’s left knee and remained inside while two bullets had entered both sides of his chest and had pierced out.
- The End of Report -
July 16th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Do you see any connection between HR abuse and Moeen’s call for increasing farm output???
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Moeen for increasing farm output to attain food autarky
UNB, Rangpur
Chief of Army Staff General Moeen U Ahmed today urged farmers to boost their farm produce to help the country attain food autarky, as it is not possible to live on imports.
July 16th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Same old story of ‘crossfire’,
from BDNEWS24
[Based on the students activist's statement, the elite group went to Kashipur-Lakotia road to recover a stash of arms around 4am Wednesday morning.
Sentu's associates fired at the RAB officers, said Rashid, and as RAB returned fire the Chhatra Dal leader received bullet wounds and died on the spot.
The elite force seized one AK-47, one shotgun, one pistol and a huge cache of ammunitions from the spot, but failed to arrest anybody, said the RAB-8 officer.
Kotwali police assistant commissioner Hayatul Islam told bdnews24.com that Sentu was a listed criminal who has 19 cases filed against him, including murder, with different police stations.]
Those who invented the ‘crossfire’ theory never thought that it would come back to them.I think in today’s Bangladesh ‘they’ can file case against anyone and kill anyone.Why did they throw the body of the victim for public viewing?
Didn’t they promise us reform? why do we have to read news of crossfire now?
July 16th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
I condemn the extra judicial killing and evenly condemn the section of the educated society who loudly or silently supported the establishment of this practice. I hold them equally responsible for each of these murders along with the trigger pullers.
Is there any journalist who can stand up in a press conference and ask Moin, Current CA, SH, or KZ “Do you condemn the killing of Kala Jahangir?” I use Kala Jahangir because that is one of the most notorious name came into my mind among hundreds murdered by the RAB.
Though ridiculous, assuming everyone died in true cross fire, few questions:
1. How do the news of “elite” force’s operation reach the miscreant so that they ambush them every single time? (Reference to “age theke ut pete thaka”)
2. If the prepared “elite” force can not capture/kill any of the untrained ambushing miscreants, should not they be dishonorably discharged for incompetence?
3. Why it is so hard to give an administrative order, “Under any situation, the captive can not be taken out to the place of search”? I will call that a reform, if not all the way. All those forces are from Bangladesh, they know every corner, and they can find the exact location with a good description.
Bangladesh usually needs a spark to change the extreme behavior of the rulers. Matiur Rahman, Asad, Dr. Milon provided those sparks at turning points of history. I suspect someone of that stature has to die in “cross fire” to abolish this sadistic practice.
July 16th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
Re #2 “Those who invented the ‘crossfire’ theory never thought that it would come back to them.”
It hasn’t come back to them, they never went out of power in the first place. Anwarul Iqbal, the first head of RAB and the person who drew up their terms of operation, including the entire “Crossfire” procedure, is now the LGRD Advisor. And the then Army Chief, who agreed to let military personnel be used under these terms, is, of course, now the ACC Chairman, Lt. Gen. (rt) Hasan Mashud Chowdhury.
July 17th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Shades of South America in the 70s-80s. That’s what this is.
July 17th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
We have seen a lot of political violence in the past decade: Joinal Hazari, anti-Hindu violence, 21 August attack, Islamist violence, logi-boitha. In each case, the government of the day deserved to be blamed. But in each case, the government’s sin was of ommission. It failed to do its job. Hasina failed to keep Hazari in check. Khaleda failed to prevent Islamist terror. Iajuddin (or whoever was in charge) failed to prevent logi-boitha.
This is a political violence of an entirely different order. Here we have a mainstream political activist - not a radical extremist who is fighting an insurgency - picked up by the state’s security apparatus, and then killed in a ‘crossfire’. This is not a sin of ommission. This is a sin of commission. The government’s fault here is not failing to do its job. It is much worse. Here the government is engaged in ‘dirty war’.
Dirty war - that’s the name given to similar tactics used by South American military juntas against political dissidents. This is the kind of stuff that you read about in spy thrillers set in Iron Curtain countries. This is the kind of stuff that happens in war zones. I never thought this would happen in Bangladesh.
It took a while for the news to sink in. I was too numb to write anything sensible about it for a while. I am sincerely hoping that this is also the case for the rest of the DP regulars. Yes, I know there is a lot to get outraged about - the attack on Sachal, the shame of Jahangirnagar, political chicanery. There is only a limited amount of rage that has to be shared I guess. I don’t know how you judge where to direct your rage. But if we don’t get outraged when state security agency kills a citizen for political purposes, then we may as well stop visiting these pages.
July 17th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Make no mistake about it. This extra judicial one is very different compared to the previous ones. This is political murder of the worst kind. So far the killings were mostly centered around the shorboharas in the north and also some ring leaders. But Sentu was a central JCD leader - arguably the biggest student group in Bangladesh. He was arrested and it was reported in the newspaper and then he was killed. There is no description of the “injury” to the two RAB officials. There is no pretense to hide it as the body was left for public viewing. Is this the beginning of a new era of extra judicial killing ? Or is this clearly an attempt to send a message to the political activists to stay out of the political arena? Be afraid, be very afraid.
July 17th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Jyoti bhai/Asif bhai
I wrote the same thing on Rumi bhai’s blog. If this is the message they are sending to the political activists, then what message are they sending to the voters?
I remember that one of the allegations against certain BNP/JI members was that they would routinely try to ‘take care’ of minority leaders in such manner to create fear in the minds of minority voters. The anti-hindu violence was sparked by the dissent of the hindu voters and their refusal to vote for the BNP/JI alliance. I remember certain publications being very vocal in protesting those heinous acts (as would be rightful).
So is the government trying to tell us, the voters, that it’s their way or the highway? We should either vote for the King’s party or should not vote at all (if we fear for our lives)? I don’t get it. I still don’t get. How did we get here?
July 17th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
#6
Remember, MUA openly challenged political activists during his interview with Time magazine(http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1815984-2,00.html). I believe this one is the implementation of his brutal plan.
July 17th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
What started out as a military backed caretaker government (that a lot of people, such as myself was hopeful about) has become a military government with the face of foreign educated men, men who are having to succumb to the politics of military men.
Lest we forget, the same government has put behind bars the very people who led Bangladeshi corruption. They have taught men who did not even dream of being held accountable for their (vile) actions a lesson. A much needed lesson. The Tareq Zias and the Mamuns now know better.
But what happened since then? When did the military slowly take over?
And not too relatedly, how has Jamaat gained so much gravity? How is it that Jamaat leaders have not be charged with corruption?
(Start of ramble)
Religios Jamaat leaders were not corrupt, is one theory. Nizami, according to that theory, would be an exception. And that may be true. But it’s also true that Jamaat as a group is very organized, they have cash inflow, and they are very very focused. They have put their people everywhere. Everywhere: the military, the bureaucracy, schools, universities, name it. And toppling Jamaat would be increasingly difficult given the grassroot support they ‘enjoy’. They may not have grabbed 20 acres of land in Gulshan, but they have used their connections (nepotism is corruption too!) to go places. How else would a bunch of Rajakars have the audacity to call themselves ‘Jatiya Muktijudha Parisad’ and hold public meetings in broad daylight?
In the Sachal blog, a comment refered to Jamaat’s ideology being different from their role in ‘71. What we do need to understand is that their ideology is formed by their role in 1971 Bangladesh. If people who want their religion to be portrayed in the leaders they choose, that is fine - but that is not Jamaat politics. Jamaatis may spin their politics as religion-centric, but that’s all that it is. A spin for those who want Islam represented. Jamaat always was, and will be anti-Bangladesh. In the name of democracy, Jamaat cannot (and will not) be obliterated. And that is the only thing I have against democracy in Bangladesh. But if we don’t have democracy, we have a Jamaat-friendly military, and that is far, far worse.
Mukhosh gulo shob khule deya dorkar. Jonogoner jagoroner shomoy hoyeche. Jonota ki shunchen?
July 17th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
Some facts need to be considered here, especially to those who are trying to justify ( One scum is trying that in my blog) this killing.
The government owned law enforcement agencies have already given the capital punishment to the man. Judiciary has been completely bypassed here. The punishment was given before allegations were even produced before court. One need to ask, what if, just what if, he was innocent of the alleged crimes?
He was definitely a political leader. If you know politics of BD, for every major crime it is the custom to make the strongest political leader of the opposite side as #1 accused. That serves multiple purpose. That person has to go in hiding or leave the area. And second, his life gets tainted with a murder case which carries him all along, even during any job application/police varification etc. It also helps RAB say that he has that number of murder case when a decision is made at government’s political level to kill him.
Do you know that there are few or none of the VPs of elected student unions of Bangladesh who do not have a murder case- robbery case-extortion case against them. If you investigate, you will find that invariably all district level leaders of Chhatra dal and Chhatra league have a plethora of case against them.
Do you know that Tofael Ahmed, Fazle Hossain Badsha, Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Akhteruzzaman, Asaduzzaman Ripon.. all had these sort of cases against them at some point? Would it be OK for RAB to kill them and say that they committed that many murders?
Sentu was a community organizer, and he organized Barisal JCD and BNP. He brought himself up from grassroots to the top level student leadership in Barisal. When you are a community organizer and a grasroots level leader in Mufassil Bangladesh, for every crime committed by the youth belonging to your locality or young men claiming your party allegiance, you get involved in the police investigation. Thats the professional hazard of a political career in Bangladesh.
Sentu was not the son of a leader, or a professional intellectual or a NGO icon or a business tycoon. He was the only son of a low middle class couple. The father is a paralyzed person and the mother is a district level government officer.
He had the charishma, leadership acumen and young people of Barisal listened to him. Sentu was known for his stubborn allegiance to his party politics. Now with local government election looming in Barisal and as rulers are contemplating new political entity, Sentu needed to be removed from the world.
And another piece of information. After death of Sentu, all the major local Mayoral candidates visited his home and attended his namaj e janaja ( Funeral). If he indeed was a local criminal, that would not have been the case.
July 27th, 2008 at 6:58 am
One day after his 80 year old mother’s urge in the press club to spare Dr. Tutul from crossfire and let him face the court, he was killed in the same old fashion. Sabas RAB! That is playing like a man!!
August 7th, 2008 at 11:11 am
Full factfinding report by Odhikar is posted above.