Failing to break the culture of Impunity

We have now witnessed yet another fatal attack, yesterday, on Faisal Arefin Dipan – writer, blogger and publisher of Jagriti Prokahashani – who had published books written by murdered blogger Avijit Roy. To the horror and shock of the nation, this killing brings the number of murders of bloggers and communicators to five this year within a period of less than eight months. ARTICLE 19 has also recorded a fatal attack on journalist Abu Sayem, fatally stabbed in his own residence in July. 

The year has also seen the circulation of three "hit-lists" reportedly written by Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), an Islamic militant group. The most recent of these, released late September, includes 20 bloggers based outside of Bangladesh, some of whom  are Bangladeshi citizens, others being dual-nationals or citizens of western nations. 

Bangladesh has witnessed these high levels of violence against communicators, but there has been a deeply concerning lack of response and investigation from officials and government. The absence of accountability for crimes against communicators endangers freedom of expression in the country as well as those exercising it. 

While the international community has spoken with one voice to condemn these crimes and their impact on the exercise of freedom of expression, in the country the state's response has been almost conciliatory at times, and has consistently fallen short of the necessary unconditional condemnation of these horrendous attacks on freedom of expression. One fails to understand how these apparently orchestrated and synchronized attacks on writers, publishers, bloggers and free thinkers can be easily brushed aside as "isolated incidents" even from some of our political leaders. However, the Law Minister's commitment to ensure speedy investigations and accountability provides room for some hope.

While some arrests have been made, progress of investigations of the four bloggers has remained slow and incomplete for the most part, with police officials claiming to be 'taking the time to conduct thorough investigations.'  Aside from the case of Washiqur Rahman Babu, no charges have been pressed against perpetrators, indicating that it is likely that investigations and trials will take much longer. Trials are yet to commence in the cases of journalists Sardar Nipul and Delwar Hossain who were murdered last year.

The relatives and friends of the murdered blogger–publisher Faisal Arefin Dipan claim that had the police made any headway in the murder of the four bloggers and done their jobs properly, yesterday's attack on Dipan and fellow publisher Ahmedur Rashid Tutul, publisher of "Shuddhoswar", bloggers Ranadipam Basu and Tareq Rahim, could have been avoided. 

This wave of violence against bloggers, prominent secularists, and critics of extremist religious doctrines, and the lack of adequate official action or response, has put Bangladesh back on the Committee to Protect Journalists' Global Impunity Index. Bangladesh is ranked at 12 of the fourteen "spotlight countries", where, "killers go free". 

Today, on International Day to End Impunity, we condemn in the strongest possible terms the brutal killings and the lack of progress in investigation of these attacks. Impunity for targeted attacks and murders of bloggers and journalists fosters an environment in which violent groups are strengthened, because they are effectively empowered to silence those they disagree with without consequence. 

This lack of action, delay in investigation, and absence of convictions, serve to embolden perpetrators, and contribute to the culture of impunity for acts of violence. Of the 44 journalists and six bloggers murdered since 1995, there has been only one conviction, and trials are yet to even commence in many cases.

Professor Ajoy Roy, academic and father of murdered blogger Avijit Roy, has urged the government of Bangladesh:

"To take stern action against the perpetrators of the killings of the bloggers Avijit Roy, Washiqur Rahman Babu, Ananta Bijoy Das, Niloy Chakrabarti, Rajiv Haider and now Faisal Arefin Dipan along with other free thinkers so that their dreams for establishing a secular, peaceful and harmonized Bangladeshi society are not in vain." 

We remain deeply concerned by the level of impunity regarding these attacks which amount to crimes against freedom of expression. The state has a duty to prevent, protect and ensure accountability for such attacks on expression: a speedy, independent, and effective investigation must take place and the government must act further to protect bloggers in full compliance with international standards.

We call on the Bangladesh government to unequivocally condemn acts of violence against journalists and bloggers, and commit to holding accountable those who are responsible for the attacks and to take all necessary steps towards prompt, effective and transparent investigation to ensure that perpetrators, and organisers, of all crimes against journalists, bloggers and human rights defenders are brought to account.

The writer is the Director of Bangladesh and South Asia Region of ARTICLE 19.