101 tortured to death in custody in 7yrs: Odhikar

At least 101 people have died due to torture in custody by law enforcement agencies in seven years between January 2009 and May 2016, according to a report of human rights group Odhikar.

The tortures and inhuman behaviours in custody are occurring because of a culture of impunity and non-implementation of the Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention) Act, 2013, said Odhikar.

Adilur Rahman Khan, secretary of Odhikar, shared the information at a discussion in Cirdap auditorium in Dhaka, on International Day in Support of Victims of Torture yesterday.

Odhikar and World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) jointly organised the programme.

Adilur said local human rights activists of Odhikar put together the figure of 101 after interviewing the victim families, and they had with them the profiles of the victims.

He said Odhikar's observations suggest that torture by law enforcers had become a common phenomenon. The problem has been compounded due to political interference and weaknesses in the criminal justice system, he claimed.

At the meeting, ASM Abdur Rab, president of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD-Rab), said, “Bangladesh is now a haven for murder, abduction and repression. Killing has turned into a festival across the country. If the terrorists kill one, the government kills 10.”

Referring to BNP, Gonoshasthaya Kendra founder Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury, said, “It needs support from the people to come to power. You have to pay for the mistakes you made in the name of conducting the Operation Clean Heart. The torturers must be brought to justice under a special tribunal."

He mentioned that a Hindu youth was tortured by police after being branded an Islami Chhatra Shibir activist even though he stripped himself to show he was not a Muslim.

Shawkat Mahmud, president of a faction of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), said, "Bangladesh is making progress in repression... It's unimaginable how many forms repression can take here.”

Dr Asif Nazrul, professor of Dhaka University, said, "Bangladesh is now a haven for killers."

Inspector General of Police (IGP) AKM Shohidul Hoque was not available for comments.

Eric Sottas, former secretary general of OMCT; Farida Akhter, executive director of UBINIG; Saiful Huq, general secretary of Biplobi Workers Party; Faizul Hakim Lala, secretary of Jatiya Mukti Council; Md Nur Khan, acting executive director of Ai o Salish Kendra, and Pinaki Bhattacharya, writer and online activist, spoke among others.