[icann-europe] Urgent: Attorney General of Bangladesh manhandled human rights defender

[Save Bangla <savebangla@yahoo.com>]

 To, 
All Human Rights Defenders,
We at HRCBM do hereby appeal at your kind end to call for an Urgent Action regarding the physical assault on HRCBM's president of Bangladesh Chapter and member of Supreme Court Bar Association Advocate Rabindra Ghosh by Attorney General of Bangladesh Supreme Court.
We have furnished details herein below for your kind consideration. 
I would be at your disposal for further information regarding the incident state herein below 
Thanks
Dhiman Deb Chowdhury
President
HRCBM
http://www.hrcbm.org
Ph: 212-592-3627
Fax: 212-202-6251
Email: info@hrcbm.org

Request for Urgent Action

Organization submitting the request:
Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM)
P.O. Box 5493
Santa Clara, CA 95056
USA
Ph: 212-592-3627
Fax: 212-202-6251
Web: http://www.hrcbm.org
Email: info@hrcbm.org


Victim’s name: Rabindra Ghosh

Sex: Male

Age: 52

Nationality: Bangladeshi

Occupation: Advocate in Bangladesh High Court.

Place of Residence: Azimpur, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Social ties: Belonging to minority community, a well known Human Rights defender and President of HRCBM’s Dhaka Chapter, Bangladesh.


Type of violation:

Attorney General of Bangladesh Supreme Court has physical and verbally assaulted Advocate Rabindra Ghosh, President of HRCBM-Dhaka at the promises of Supreme Court building. Advocate Ghosh’s appeal to Chief justice of Supreme Court.


Although a number of newspaper stated bias reports about the incident. The victim’s and witness statements along with some media reports suggest that Attorney General physically assaulted Advocate and socially humiliated Advocate Rabindra Ghosh.

Reason of assault: 

Rabindra Ghosh was involved with HRCBM for years as being the country coordinator and later elected President of HRCBM-Dhaka, Bangladesh to provide grass root humanitarian services to destitute minorities especially gang rape women and children in Bangladesh. Advocate Ghosh’s tireless humanitarian service to minorities as well as campaign for human rights had annoyed the government of Bangladesh as well as ruling party lawyers of the Supreme Court Bar association. Bangladesh Government numerous times tried to apprehend Advocate Rabindra Ghosh by taping his phone and assigning intelligent services to monitor his activities. At every occasion government failed to bring appropriate charges against his alleged involvement of serving mankind. Failure to apprehend and stop advocate Ghosh’s human rights services at grass root level, government took different approach by instigating its supporters at Supreme Court Bar Association. As a result, a group of lawyer manhandled Advocate G!
ho!
!
sh in the Supreme Court Bar Association building numerous times and verbally assaulted him. Some even used racial slurs against advocate Ghosh. Advocate Ghosh faced a bigger assault and manhandling in last July,2002 when a group of lawyer assaulted him in front of entire Supreme Court Bar Association and snatch away his camera and other proof of minority oppression.
Since than a case was logged at local police station to recover his camera, video cassettes and endow justice in the process of taking action against lawyers involved in the misdemeanors and racial prejudice. But no action was taken instead the investigating officer seems to be obnoxious about type of humanitarian services advocate Rabindra Ghosh and his groups provides. 
In November 20th, Advocate Rabindra Ghosh again approached to Attorney General and was obviously assaulted by the Attorney General of Bangladesh. Here is the email of the victim Advocate Rabindra Ghosh describing the incident: 

 

Hi all,

I have been attacked by Md. Hasan Arif, Attorney General of Bangladesh Supreme Court to-day (November 20,2002) at about 11.30 a.m. in the Supreme Court premises on duty. The unhappy incident took place while I was coming out from Court room number 6 to 7 and I saw Md. Hasan Arif talking with some other lawyers in the court-yard. I politely asked Mr. Arif and reminded him and enquired about my fate of video camera due to incident took place on Ist of July, 2002 when a group of junior lawyers including an Assistant Attorney General Mr.Md.Jalal snatched away my video camera which was not yet recovered from them .I also requested him earlier to take necessary steps to recover my video camera from the possession of Md. Jalal of our Bar Association because Md. Jalal is working under Md.Hasan Arif as AAG.  As soon as pointed out the the fate of my appeal to Mr.Arif became angry with me and replied that " Your allegation of snatching away of video camera has been put into dustbin or!
 t!
!
oilet" Mr. Md. Arif also told me with angry mood that " I shall file case against you and you will be prosecuted in the Bar Council"  I requested Md. Hasan Arif not to show any anger and shouting in the Supreme Court, but Mr. Arif shouted and rebuked in a very filthy languages in presence of some lawyers and lawyers's clerks. I also asked Mr. Arif whether my prayer for justice has been denied because of my religion? Then Mr. Arif became more furious and angry with me and jumped over me and caught hold of my court dress and started to push me on the ground, as a result some other lawyers saved me from further attack, otherwise I would have been seriously injured.

Thereafter I went to the Chamber of Justice Mainur Reza Chowdhury, Hon'ble Chief Justice of Bangladesh Supreme Court at about 12.30 and the Chief Justice was informed of the unhappy incident and he was kind enough to listen to my appeal and assured me that he will look into the matter later on.

Thereafter I went to the President of our Bar Association Mr.Md.Ozair Faruk and Secretary of Bar Association and filed a complain stating all the facts and circumstances of the matter took place to-day. A copy of the complain will follow.

I also informed the matter to other senior lawyers of Supreme Court Bar and they have been given to understand that due to previous allegation against Md.Jalal, AAG the Attorney General bore a grudge upon me and could dare to show such audacity for physical assault. Mr. Md. Hasan Arif also going to threat me to arrest as he is a law officer of Bangladesh Supreme Court. By this attitude of an Attorney General in an open court-yard impaired the prestige of our judiciary. I came to know that a group of lawyers with a view to make me arrest are doing this sort of illegal activities ignoring the Amnesty's concern.

In the meantime I have been given to understand that Mr. Md.Hasan Arif has gone to Ministry of Home for necessary arrangement for my arrest on false allegations. I apprehend that Md. Hasan Arif will invariably take steps as I had already met with the Chief Justice of Bangladesh to-day. The Press has also been informed of the matter to-day

Regards,

Rabindra Ghosh.

Appeal to the Supreme Court Bar Association of Bangladesh by Advocate Rabindra Ghosh
Translated: 
To,
Chairman/Secretary,
Bangladesh Suprme Court Bar Association,
Ramna, Dhaka -1000

Subject: About the oppressive behavior of  Attorney General of Bangladesh Supreme Court Mr. Hasan Arif. 


Dear Sir,
The undersigned of this appeal is a member of the Bar Association of Bangladesh Supreme Court. I was also been the member of the executive committee of the Bar association during 1995-1996. Today, November 20th, 2002 at 11:30 am, I approached and appealed to Attorney General Mr. Hasan Arif while crossing building number 6 to bldg 7 in the corridor  of the supreme court building to recover my video camera and video cassettes and endow justice for the incident of July 1st, 2002. Once appealed for the justice of the abovementioned incident, Mr. Arif replied with anger, “I have trashed your appealed at the dustbin, now you can go ahead and do whatever you can, remember I will punish you through bar association”.  Then I asked to Mr. Arif, “Is it that I was denied of justice because of my religious belief”? Once he heard me saying this, Attorney General jumped on me holding my court dress by the collar shacking multiple times and then pushed me on the side. I was about to fall on!
 t!
!
he ground while a nearby lawyer caught me from falling otherwise I could have been fallen to the ground. This incident was witnessed by senior lawyers of the bar association namely Barrister Rouckonuddin Mahemud and other lawyers. I at once reported it the Honorable Chief Justice of Bangladesh Supreme Court. He assured me that he will investigate it.

By the above mentioned heinous incident, I have been humiliated socially and feel unsafe in supreme court as well as outside.
Henceforth, I do hereby appeal at your kind end for justice.


Rabindra Ghosh, Advocate
Member of Supreme Court Bar,
President of HRCBM-Dhaka, Bangladesh

Date: 11/20/02