Unheard Voices

Well-paid jobs at garment factories in Dhaka. Employment at steel mills in India or the UAE. Highly-paid work at beauty parlours in Singapore. Marriage. These are the lucrative offers made to women and children in vulnerable situations. Often, however, they turn out to be false promises and victims are trapped and trafficked either from rural to urban areas within the country or to foreign lands, and forced into the sex trade. Unlike victims of other crimes, most victims of trafficking do not even make statistics, because the actual number of people being trafficked is unknown. (more…)

At one point her employer poured hot oil down the front of her pyjamas. Wahida tried to stifle her screams by putting cotton in her mouth. From time to time she would hit her in different parts of her body with a rolling pin. One day Wahida scalded her on her cheek, which left a deep scar. “When he [Rafiqul Alam] asked about it, mami [Wahida Akhter] said, ‘Why do you care about the bandi of the house, do you want to marry her?’ and he never asked about me again.”

Not satisfied with her torture methods, Wahida moved on to more ’sophisticated’ techniques. A couple of months ago, Wahida took a pair of pliers, put it to Ratna’s breasts and tore off one of her nipples. She bled for days but was never taken to the hospital. With no other body part left unscathed, Wahida once put a hot cooking spoon on Ratna’s tongue when she didn’t do her work ‘properly’. [Read Full Report]

We, the average citizens, do not protest when some of us lynch dacoits to death once in a while.

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[Choles Richil, tortured to death in Army custody]
JUNE 26 is UN Day in Support of Victims of Torture. Bangladesh ratified UN Convention Against Torture in 98 but with reservation of Article 14 (providing compensation to victims). Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture was adopted by UN in 2006. 35 countries ratified the protocol, Bangladesh is not one of them.

1. A Tortured Image –Rahnuma Ahmed
2. Beyond The Rule Of Law –Odhikar Report
3. Torture Prime Impediment To Democracy
4. Drishtipat on Torture

A Tortured Image, by Rahnuma Ahmed
Social classes are described as relationships of exploitation that endure. Likewise, torture in Bangladesh. It endures changes in government, in systems of ruling, in the legitimacy provided for ruling. Dismantling it won’t be easy. Those committed to doing so insist that the torturers be identified, and punished. Likewise, that those who are higher-up, those who order it, not be given any impunity.

I AM against torture. Nothing justifies torture. This is a principled stand, there are no ifs and buts.
But why is it that when I see a recent picture of Tarique Rahman, son of ex-prime minister Khaleda Zia, his face screwed up in sheer agony, I feel no empathy, no compassion? Why do I not allow myself to dwell on his pain? Why do I shut it out, turn to another news item, or turn the pages of the newspaper?
Why does a picture of this torture victim leave me cold?

(more…)

On March 25th, Ain Salish Kendra (ASK) released the 2007 Annual Human Rights Report. In the Chapter on CHT Paharis and Flatland Adivasis, following 7 topics were covered. On March 27th, the CTG announced a removal of the ban on mobile phones (item # 4).

1.Death in Custody: Eco-Park activist Cholesh Richil
2.Racial Profiling: Army Operations, Ranglai Mro, DANIDA kidnapping
3.Right to Property: Bengali settlers and land grabbing
4.Right to Information: Continuing ban on mobile phones, limited reporting on CHT
5.1997 Peace Accord: Continuing Non-implementation
6.Legal Challenge to Peace Accord
7.Voter List implementation in violation of Peace Accord (more…)

Background

On March 19th, the first anniversary of Cholesh’s death was observed. or was it? Didn’t hear a word about it any where. In this one year, we have seen Universtiy teachers getting 2 year imprisonment for doing a silent procession (and then pardoned), we have seen “anti corruption” drives to bring rule of law in the country. But what we have not gotten is justice for Chalesh and family. In stead, his family got 30,000 taka and a sewing machine.

Human rights groups demanded publication of the inquiry report of the killing of Choles Ritchil and punishment to the culprits

On 28 February 2008 in a press conference, five prominent human rights bodies in Bangladesh, namely, Ain O Salish Kedra (ASK), Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), Association of Land Reform and Development (ALRD), Nijera Kori and Bangladesh Environment Lawyer Association (BELA) demanded immediate publication of the judicial inquiry report of the killing of indigenous leader Mr. Choles Ritchil and punishment to the persons involved with this incident.
Ms. Sultana Kamal, former Advisor of Caretaker Government and Executive Director of ASK presided over the conference. A written statement was read out by Mr. Sayeed Ahmed, Coordinator of ASK. Among others, eminent human rights activist Dr. Hamida Hossain, Executive Director of BLAST Mr. Taslimur Rahman, Executive Director of ALRD Mr. Shamsul Huda, Coordinator of Nijera Kori Ms. Khushi Kabir and senior lawyer Mr. Iqbal Kabir were present at the press conference. It is mentionable that Mr Choles Ritchil was tortured to death in the custody of the joint forces at Khakraid under Modhupur police station in Tangail district on 18 March 2007.
In their press statement, the human rights bodies expressed their frustration over the government attitudes after the killing of Mr. Choles Ritchil. They said that though 10 months have been passed after the incident, but judicial inquiry committee formed by the government did not publish its report so far. For the sake of justice, the report of the inquiry committee should be published soon and the culprits should be punished accordingly, they demanded.
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“…nails of 3 fingers of the right hand removed, left hand thump finger nail removed”

OP-ED: I’m Sorry, Choles Ritchil
INVESTIGATION: Asia Centre for Human Rights
INVESTIGATION: Hana Shams Ahmed: Nightmare in Modhupur
INVESTIGATION: Odhikar Report
INVESTIGATION: Tasneem Khalil on Modhupur
ACTION: Sign The Petition
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