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AI alleges attacks on minorities, custodial torture, violence

STAFF CORRESPONDENT
The Amnesty International (AI) has alleged attacks on minority communities, particularly Hindus and custodial torture by police and armed forces in the country.
Atrocities against woman and political violence are widespread, said the AI Country Report 200 simultaneously released here and some other capitals yesterday.
AI Bangladesh chapter Director Golam Mostafa released the report at a press conference here. Its vicepresident Nasrin Sultana was also present.
Following the October one general election, won by the BNP-led coalition, BNP supporters reportedly attacked Hindus at many
places because of their perceived support to Awami League during the election.
Several Hindus were reportedly killed and Hindu women were raped and their houses burnt. Hundreds of Hindu families were driven off their homes, the report said.
About 150 people were killed in political violence before the election, it said.
The AI called upon the government to bring to justice the perpetrators of these attacks.
As a signatory to the International Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the government is required to take steps to eliminate discrimination against women, it said.
Hindus came under attacks by members of the BNP-led alliance before the election also, since it was perceived that they would vote for Awami League.
The backlash after the elections was "systematic and severe". Most of the attacks took place in Barisal, Bhola and parts of Pirojpur, Khulna, Satkhira, Gopalganj, Bagerhat, Jessore, Comilla and Narsingdi, the report said.
But police failed to take effective measures to protect them. Though some arrests were made but most of the perpetrators were not brought to justice.
In response to a petition in November by legal aid organisation Ain-o-Shalish Kendra, the High Court gave the government one month time to explain why it did not protect Hindus. The government promised investigation into the atrocities, but no information was provided in this regard, the AI said.
On November 22, writer and journalist Shahriar Kabir was arrested on his return from India where he investigated the condition of Hindus who had crossed the border after the election.
Police seized his passport, five video cassettes, 13 audio cassettes, three CDs, several unprocessed films and his camera.
"In December, he was charged with sedition but the authorities did not make public the evidence to support the charge. His detention appeared to be solely because he had been investigating the condition of Hindus who fled persecution", the report said.
The report also said that people of other minority communities also suffered attacks. In June, ten people were killed and more than 20 wounded in a bomb explosion in a Church in Baniarchar, Gopalganj last year.
Clashes between tribesmen and Bengali settlers were also reported from the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). Army personnel allegedly raped three tribal women in May but no one is known to have been brought to justice for this, the AI report said.
On women's rights, it said women continued to be subjected to violent attacks including rape.
Dozens reportedly died in dowry-related murders. Acid attacks left many severely scarred. The authorities rarely provided protection or means of redress. The failure of police to investigate and take action against the perpetrators somehow established a climate of impunity.
In an appeal to the Supreme Court, religious groups sought to overrun a landmark High Court
judgement which banned fatwa, often used to repress women's rights.
The international human rights watchdog said torture in custody persists with impunity. At least 30 people reportedly died from torture in custody but the authorities ignored it.
The new government promised in October to repeal the Special Powers Act (SPA) and the Public Safety Act but continued to use those to detain people without trial.
Besides, thousands of people await trial in overcrowded prisons.
On the global human rights situation, AI Secretary General Irene Khan said, "The universality of human rights is facing the strongest challenge yet. Double standards and selectivity are becoming the norm".