Bangladesh News

Condemning the recent ‘targeted’ police attacks on Awami League (AL) leaders, human rights watchdog Amnesty International asked the government to set up an independent, impartial and competent body to investigate the atrocities.

Police attacked opposition activists during their recent programmes of laying sieges to the Election Commission Secretariat and Prime Minister’s Office demanding electoral reforms.

“Such investigation should identify the police personnel who carried out the attacks and the senior police officials under whose command the attacks took place,” said a press release of the international human rights watchdog.

“Its remit should also be expanded to identify any other government connivance in these attacks,” added the release published on Amnesty International’s official website on Thursday.

Those identified as perpetrators of the attacks should be brought to justice without delay in proceedings which meet international standards of fairness, the release said.

“Amnesty International is also urging the Government of Bangladesh to ensure the safety and security of opposition leaders and activists taking part in rallies and demonstrations. Under no circumstances should the government allow law enforcement personnel to use excessive force or subject demonstrators to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment,” the release added.

Police attacked at least five opposition leaders during street demonstrations in the past few days, and beat them severely leaving them injured, some seriously, said the human rights watchdog.

The injured are Saber Hossain Chowdhury, political secretary to opposition chief Sheikh Hasina, Mohammad Nasim, a former home minister, Asaduzzaman Noor, a lawmaker, Motia Chowdhury, a former agriculture minister, and Advocate Shaira Khatun, a leading member of the Supreme Court Bar Association.

“None of these individuals were acting violently and they posed no threat to the police,” said Amnesty International quoting from news reports.

“They are believed to have been specifically targeted because of their leading role in the Awami League party,” the release said.

According to news reports, police attacked these individuals in a specific and targeted manner, Amnesty International said adding, “They were surrounded by police officers and were not able or allowed to disperse. They were then subjected to severe beatings.”

In Amnesty International’s view, these attacks on persons under police control when they were not resisting the police in any way amount to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, the release read.