I am sorry to report that on Sunday afternoon, 29 August, Rafique al Islam was remanded into the custody of the Rapid Action Battalion for the purposes of interrogation.
Deaths in custody by people taken by the military were 3 per month throughout 2003 according to Amnesty International's Annual Report. The Rapid Action Brigade is a powerful entity which can draw on the resources of all the armed forces of the country in order to carry out its serious crime and terrorism repression mandate.
Rafique's family is in grave fear that Rafique will be tortured. Rafique's arrest follows the arrest of the leadership of PROSHIKA, another NGO involved in the mineban coalition, the Treaty Implementation and Victim Assistance Working Group for Bangladesh.
PROSHIKA offices in Dhaka were raided by the police last month. One of its managers, Abdur Rob, was arrested on 20 April. The police brought him before a court three days later, claiming that he had "confessed" that PROSHIKA was involved in political activities. In court, he retracted the confession, saying the police had tortured him severely to make him sign it. He was nonetheless charged with treason.
Nonviolence International suspects that the arrest of Rafique may be politically motivated by elements of the military who do not accept the Mine Ban Treaty, and do not wish to see its implementation go forward, which calls into question Bangladesh's ability to meet its obligations.
Rafique is now to be taken away to another location. He may be taken at any time, and his family has been told nothing about where he is to be taken. He may simply disappear. Torture is endemic in Bangladesh. Most torture takes place during the initial period of interrogation in police custody. In the past, Bangladeshi governments have done little to end torture. Amnesty International has continued to urge the Bangladeshi authorities to protect detainees against torture and ill-treatment. He is being held under Section 54 of the Criminal Code of Bangladesh which allows for detention of people without an arrest warrant.
We are aware that many of you have already taken time away from other ICBL activities to respond to this situation, but it is now very serious. The risk of torture is real.
It may be time to go beyond letters and faxes. Canadian friends have offered to organize a demonstration at the Bangladesh Embassy, which I fully support. Nonviolence International will ask Canada to halt the transfer of any money to the Government of Bangladesh for mine ban activities until Rafique is released, and investigations into why mine ban activists are suffering violent repression.
It may be time for the ICBL to ask state parties to bring this up as a ban issue. I don't know how this can be done, but violent attackes on the mine ban movement certainly call into question a states commitment to the treaty? I would welcome ANY ideas you have, and you all have great ideas.
Rafique's family said today, NOW is the time to apply international pressure, so clearly what we have managed so far is not enough.
Our request is the immediate release of ICBL's Bangladesh campaigner who has been held for 6 days on unknown charges and a halt in repression of the mine ban movement in Bangladesh.
Many thanks for the activity you have already done. Continue to send copies of everything you try to us at: mbanSPAMFLTER@SPATMFLTERnonviolenceinternational.net
