Sun 27 Jul 2008
On Saturday morning (yesterday), I got an email from a journalist in Rajshahi. I should really call him a fortune teller because he predicted a death. His email read like this:
Sat, Jul 26, 2008 at 10:32 AM
Just now I heard Dr. Mizanur Rahman Tutul was arrested by RAB. Perhaps this night he (Tutul) would be ‘crossfired’. Dr. Tutul is the chief of banned Purbo Banglar Communist Party (M-L Red Flag).
As soon as I read it I felt a sense of helplessness, probably one millionth of how his family felt at that time. Dr. Tutul’s mother had no idea where his son was. From various sources she heard that Tutul was picked up by RAB and she feared for the worst. There was no court to go for bail, there was no lawyer to go to. Because he was not shown arrested in any official log. By Saturday night she desperately went for the last resort — ‘appealing’ to the government to save her son’s life. She went to the Rajshahi Press Club and asked whichever journalists she could talk to and she did a press conference clinging to a hope that perhaps a media outcry will help the government to move and save her son. I sent the email to every HR group I knew. Just like that journalists who were also trying their best to spread the word out with a sense of gloom.
Too little, too late.
This morning — the predictable news was on bdnews24. The fortune teller has called it correctly.
Naogaon, July 27 (bdnews24.com) – A top leader of an extremist party died early Sunday in an exchange of gunfire with police in Naogaon, a police official said.
The dead man was identified as Dr Mizanur Rahman, alias Dadabhai, the organising leader of Purbo Bangla Communist Party (ML Lal Pataka), an extremist party of the south, officer in charge of Raninagar police Tofazzal Hossain confirmed.
The dirty war continues.
URGENT PRESS STATEMENT
Extrajudicial Execution’s Sinister New Turn:
Targeting Unarmed Political Activists
Odhikar unreservedly condemned the reported killing in so-called ‘shootout’ by Police of Dr. Mizanur Rahman Tutul, a physician and a top leader of a left wing political party named Purbo Banglar Communist Party ( M. L Red Flag).
Earlier, on 26 July around 8.00 p.m. Dr Tutul’s mother informed the journalists of Jhenaidah press club that she came to know from different sources that Dr.Tutul was arrested by Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on 25 July. His mother claimed that Dr.Tutul served for disadvantaged people of the society and appealed to the Government for her son’s life and requested not to kill him in ‘crossfire’. She requested the Government to follow the due process of law, if it can be proved that Dr. Tutul was guilty of any wrong. However, within a few hours of her appeal he was killed in a so-called ‘shootout’.
It has been a common feature to liquidate people, against those there are accusations, in ‘crossfire’, ‘shootout’, ‘gunfight’ and ‘encounter’- terms inter alia used for what in essence are extrajudicial killings. Since taking over power on 11 January 2007 and until today 27 July 2008, during the state of emergency, a total of 197 persons were killed in such crossfire/shootout/gunfight/encounter by RAB, Police and other law enforcement agencies.
Extrajudicial killings are worst form violations of right to life and negation of law. A persons’ life cannot be taken away without the due legal process, which is the foundation of a civilized society. Continuing extrajudicial killings are eroding the foundation of Bangladesh polity.
Odhikar is further concerned that killing of Dr. Tutul is a marked shift from previous such killings, in that the victim was reportedly not involved in any violent means to propagate his political believes. If this trend continues, those with “different” views could now risk being targeted.
Odhikar demands that there should be independent judicial inquiry to circumstances leading up to Dr. Tutul’s death and those found responsible are brought before legal process. Odhikar also reminds members of security forces not to carry out illegal orders, as under law, they are only obliged to perform lawful orders of superiors.
Odhikar reminds the Government of Bangladesh of its obligations under the Constitution, ICCPR, ICESCR and Convention against Torture (CAT) and also as a member of UN Human Rights Council, to respect right to life and due process of law.
July 27th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
It must be over 35 years since we first protested against an extra judicial killing. Remember that 1971 provided a kind of legitimacy to it as a function of the states - both in existence and about to be- and no action was taken throughout 1972 and 1973 as many were killed, guilty or innocent of whatever crimes they may have committed or been conveniently accused out of personal enmity.
And so killing anti-1971 elements which included the Maoists- they were against AL not independence- by popular description was conducted by the state, by the powerful and sometimes by the mob. I can’t ever remember anyone opposing those killings except for souls like us and we didn’t matter then or now.
If its alright to kill alleged razakars in public view as Kader siddiqui did right after independence and not be condemned by anyone except other Razakars I suppose, there was no protests at the killing of Biharis either, we should accept the social acceptance of extra-judicial action as a form of public and state rage coming together.
Since the only protection that can be provided is through rule of law and since flouting that is essentially what every government does, we have integrated this disregard structurally into the system. Its impossible to govern this state within the rule of law anymore, when no tradition of rule of law exists.
What I think the HR organizations fail to recognize sufficiently is that the rule of law applies equally to all including the Maoists and the Jamaat-e-Islami.
People in general are extremely anti-Maoist and fear them as armed anti-state and shantrashi elements. Each time they are killed , people cheer. All over the world, the middle class is too stressed, puzzled and also more comfortable with the consumerist aspirations to analyze why extremism rises. So public support for the ‘dirty war’ which began in victorious Bangladesh in 1972 has never abated.
We should have the courage to say that we have always supported it, during every regime. We are doing it now. In fact, its easier to blame it on the army and RAB while we are secretly glad that the ‘terrorist’ is gone.
How are we different from the all other anti- terrorist population groups elsewhere ?.
We are the population base which allows the enforcers to act with impunity.
July 28th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Afsan Bhai hit the nail on its head.
It is ok for the State to kill, maim or torture another person as long as he is deemed to be my enemy.
But one day it will all come back to haunt us.
There should not ever be any excuse for state sponsored murder or torture.
July 28th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Is there a dangerous parallel here?
RAB was created to deal with a law & order situation that was worse than recent history - some said unprecedented. Many were quite glad of the improvement that they brought. Even now, depending on who you ask in Bangladesh, there is some level of approval of what they do. But then we start seeing inevitable danger signs of unchecked power. Involving RAB initially may not have been a bad idea, but leaving the involvement open-ended is leading to where we seem to be heading now.
The current army-backed CTG probably saved the country from sliding into a significant crisis. Their governance performance (so far) has been reasonable, and it appears as if they will lead us to a vote.
My personal views about the current state of the country and the CTG’s performance to date are not as negative as what I see often expressed on this board. Nevertheless, here is something that I can emphatically agree with most here - let us hope for a swift shift away from status quo - the longer an (army-backed) non-democratic regime stays in power, the higher the chance of unchecked power causing significant damage.
I hold little hope that a political regime will be better able (than current CTG) to govern the country through the significant crises (energy, environmental,food inflation) that we face. Unfortunately, the alternative (of having this army-backed CTG stay in power) will inevitably be worse.
The potential downside from open-ended and unchecked involvement of the military (RAB or CTG) in civil administration is too great.
July 28th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
#1, I totally agree with you. Even the mob murders in the anarchic 71-72 should not be condoned. But I am not sure that is exact parallel to the premeditated execution by “law-enforcing” agencies like glorious RAB. This is a new ball game. More likely some of the inspiration came from Siraj Sikhder and ‘jail-hotta’; if you can get away killing the national leaders – you can get away with anything.
July 30th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
So now Police has joined the party as well?!
RAB => Crossfire
Police => Encounter
Army => Heart attack
July 30th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
PBCP leader Tufan killed in ‘encounter’ in Rajbari
UNB, Rajbari
A regional commander of outlawed Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP) was killed in an ‘encounter’ between his cohorts and police in Pangsha upazila of the district early today.
Five policemen were also wounded during the ‘encounter’.
The dead was identified as Tofazzal Hossain Tufan alias Shimul, 32, son of Gafur Mollah of Dayalnagar village in Sadar upazila.
Police said Tufan was wanted in a number of criminal cases, including murder and extortion charges.
Acting on a tip-off, police arrested Tufan from Suryanagar area in Pangsha upazila Monday night. According to his confessional statement, they recovered a shutter gun from the area yesterday.
Later, on the basis of his more confession, police along with Tufan when reached near a bailey bridge at Mohishshahi Chandpur village on their way to Suryanagar to recover hidden arms at about 4:00am, his accomplices opened fire on them, forcing the law enforcers to fire back.
While trying to flee, Tufan received bullet injuries during the ’shootout’. He was rushed to Rajbari Sadar Hospital where the doctors declared him dead.
A revolver was recovered from the spot.