***Report on torture and deaths under police and jail custody reminds the new government to make its police force discharge the duties humanly, justly and impartially.***

POLICE torture is increasing by the day. The people are continuously being battered by the police and law enforcing agents. The police's role in maintaining people's security is very disheartening. The people's saviours have become a reason for terror in the minds of the people. The jail situation in the country is beyond description. Laws and regulations are violated now and then. The tail laws and regulations of the eighteenth century are still in practice. Although an independent state has emerged, its jail laws and regulations have not changed. Therefore, human rights are frequently violated.

According to concerned sources, there are more than five hundred thanas and permanent camps. There are also seventy-seven jails. Complaints against these have been accumulating for years. Among this vast sea of com-

plaints although a little is taken up by the administration, they are never implemented. Death and torture in police and«Jail custody, harassment. inadequate Jail space, various problems with jails, unhygienic environment, poor and inadequate food, improper treatment facilities, security of female prisoners, jailed without trial, abuse of the Special Powers Act. and problems related to security of the prisoners and the people have increased even more in 1995.

From January 1995 to December 1995. it has been observed from various newspapers that a total of 24 persons nave died in either police custody or in jail — 14 in police custody and the rest 10 in several Jails while they were undergoing treatment. During this period, more than 30 women were raped by law enforcing agents.

As per the information in

the newspapers, police attack on several conferences, congregations. sieges, protest processions etc. have injured at least 2810 persons, and more than 150 major crimes in custody have been reported. This information has been gathered from the newspapers and human rights activists. The actual number could exceed this number. Many instances at the grassroots level are not covered by

the newspapers.

On January 6. 1995. Tuhin (18). son of the owner of Noor-jahan cloth store at Naogaon. was arrested without any warrant. Tuhin was not involved in any crime. The OC of the poliqp station where Tuhin was tortured, admitted that Tuhin was not linked with any filed case and there were absolutely no complain against him. But. Tuhin had to die in the hands of the police. Fact-finding revealed that Tuhin was arrested by mistake. Because the police had done such a mistake, it could not be admitted. Rather, the police had tried to Involve him with a case and tried to force confessions from him. In the face of inhuman and cruel torture Tuhin had to fade away. The medieal certificate indicates attack on the cardiac nerve.

On August 24. 1995. early in the morning, around 10 miles away from Dinajpur. a young girl had to give her life because of brutal lust of the police. The name of the girl is Yasmin On August 23,_ 1995, she was returning honie from Dhaka. Earty at dawn she was dropped by a transport named "Hasna Enterprise’ at a place named 10-Mile. Some time later, a patrol van from the police station was passing by They came to know that Yasmin’ would be going to Dina -Jpur Police Invited ner to get on the van Yasmin rejected the offer But. when the police

forced her. she had no way but to give in. On nie way to Dinajpur, Yasmin was brutally raped by the police and she died. Later when*the people anjassed a protest procession, police Opened fire on them and killed another seven persons.

Torture In Jail custody is nothing new-in our> country. Because of the traditional and colonial mentality, police still act like the masters of that

time. Therefore, they cannot think themselves as the servants of the people. For this reason, independence has not brought any mental change among them. Thus, physical and mental torture is occurring every moment.

Tn a report published in a newspaper (The Bhorer Kagoj). it had been stated that every month. in the 15 police stations of the capital, around 1.000 people are subjected to torture. This information cannot be denied completely. Among these tortures there are some instances which are too horrifying to listen to.

In the village of Nishchinta-pur at Magura district, a student Khafru) and his elder brother were arrested in relation to a woman kidnapping case. They were detained at Panchbibi Policy Station. Jaipurhat. At the dead of night, police took Khainll out of his cell to a room outside the police station and inhumanely tortured him. When Khairul became unconscious, police called a quack doctor and CUt off Khatrul's penis at the base. When he woke up the next morning, he shouted at the sight of thk bondage on his abdomen Al this point, police threatened to kill him at gun point. Khairul is now a prisoner of Dhaka Central Jail Fact finding revqals that Khairul was not involved In any sort of kidnapping. He was a house tutor at Mujaffar Ali,s

residence who lived at T&T colony. Panchbibi. He fell in love with Mujaffar All’s daughter Motahara. whom he married at court. Because of this incident. Mujaffar All bribed the police and asked them to do the aforementioned act.

On January 4, 1995, political leader Shahidullah Shabuj from Sirajganj was brutally tortured by police. The torture had been so intense that at one point his right knee cap broke down to pieces. His whole body was completely shattered. The incident occurred at broad daylight in front of the Press Club. He was then admitted at the Poly Clinic in a Critical condition. Shahidullah was not tortured for any criminal or political reasons. Rather fact finding by Bangladesh Human Rights Commission reveals that he was tortured for protesting the selling of adulterated soya bean oil by some dishonest businessmen. Shahidullah was trying to create mass opinion on such crime Because of this reason. under the influence of those businessmen, four policemen tortured, him brutally.

On August 24. 1995. in the name of captivating a prisoner, police tortured women and children, and also ransacked many shops at Madambibi s Hat at Jahanabad village. Si-takundu. It was later known, they were trying to punish some criminals linked with a very normal GD. After they captured the prisoners, they stripped them naked and tortured them brutally. Not even the women and children were spared from this torture. These instances have happened at the office of the OC's room. Apart from physical torture, this perverted Inspector also gave electric shock at women's breasts and genitalia. The names of these victims are Anowara Begum 122). Abdus Samad Bhulu (25). and Ka m al uddin.

Such cases .have happened over and over agaitl in the police stations. The complete actual statistics of such instances cannot be given. Published articles in the media show that some 3.000 people were battered by law enforc ing- agents Harassment and false cases have pestered many more. In spite of con tlnuous abuse of the Special Powers Act. the miscreants are using it still Bangladesh Re habifitation Centre for Trauma Victims (BRCT) sources said that through 1995. a total of

259 victims of police torture and human rights violations were treated at their facilities

Ways of Torturing

Analysing the Bangladesh Human Rights Commission fact findings, reports published by human rights activists and Bangladesh Rehabilitation Centre tor Trauma Victims, and published articles of the newspapers. it has been observed that police had undertaken several ways of torturing. Among these techniques, the most mentionable are — stick charge, boot kick, hit by rifle butt, electric shock, heated

bamboo rub. piercing nails at feet ant) needles through fingertips. pouring hot water through the nose, pourine chili water on eyes and lace, inserting hot egg through the

aims, beating on the leg joints and feet, breaking fingers and pulling nails by the help of a pair of pliers, forcing to sit with heads down, forcing to drink urine, etc. But. electric shocks have been found in almost every case. (Source: Human Rights Anushandhani).

More than 30 women were raped by law enforcing agents during 1995. Such news have been published in the newspapers through the whole year. The actual number, .of course, is more than this. Many women held in police sta tions-and jails were subjected to rape, which the human rights activists cannot find out. In September and October alone, the total number of raped victims by law enforcing agents were 12.

One such victim. Laili Begum. a housewife, was brought to Dhnla Police Station to be a witness in a murder case. In the dead of the night she was raped in the police cell. Mother of one child. Laili was later divorced by her husband when he came to learn of the

Other victims are Shefali of Feni. Shahnaz Begum of Rang-pur. Yasmin from Jessore, Lipi of Pirganj. Rawshan from Lama and many many more. This dubious role of a voracious animal in the mask of a saviour had created terror and anxiety in the minds of the people. This had even more increased by the recent harassment and torture on women by the law enforcing agents. Now, women and girls are afraid to come near the police. As it had been illustrated by Farida, a young girl who was brought to the Pabna Bera Hospital after being victimised by a road accident. when she, said to her doctor: "Please do not hand me over to the police."

In many places police are engaged in women trafficking. In one such incident, concrete evidence had been found against a police constable at Jessore. One Hajera Begum of Goidarpara. Chanchra. accused one police constable of offer- . ing her to send her widowed daughter Nasima (22) to Pak istan. Hejera Begum had sent a letter to the Prime Minister in this regard.

Akram H. Chowdhury — Secretary General Bangladesh Human Rights Commission..