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a year ago
TIB condemns illegal detention of quota reform movement coordinators
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Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has strongly condemned the illegal detention of coordinators of the quota reform movement by the Detective Branch (DB) and forced announcement of the withdrawal of their programme through video messages.
Describing this act as outright lies, fraudulent, and unconstitutional, TIB urged DB to realise that their falsehoods, amidst the government's, ruling party's, and state agencies' persistent false narratives to legitimise the gross human rights violations, deaths, indiscriminate cases, and arrests during the suppression of the movement, are suicidal, anti-people, and cruelly dramatic.
Referring to media sources, the organisation on Monday said over 213,000 individuals have been charged in 200 cases across various police stations in the capital related to the recent violence surrounding the quota reform movement. A mass arrest campaign by law enforcement is ongoing.
TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman stated that the arbitrary arrests and filing of cases against innocent people, including harassment of those unconnected to the violence, are unconstitutional.
He remarked, “Although the arrest campaigns were supposed to ensure accountability for those involved in the violence, media reports indicate that students, professionals, and ordinary people are being indiscriminately arrested. Even minors between the ages of 13 and 17 have been handcuffed and presented in court, which is a clear violation of citizens' rights granted by the constitution”.
“Moreover, there are allegations of inhumane torture in remand, ignoring explicit directives from the High Court, which is a gross violation of human rights. We urge law enforcement agencies to remember their constitutional duties and professional oaths and to stop harassing ordinary citizens and persecuting students if they have even the slightest respect for the law”, he said.
TIB Executive Director also termed the forced video announcement of programme withdrawal by the detained student movement coordinators at the DB office as unethical and a heinous crime.
He said, “What is being reported in the media strongly suggests that the coordinators were essentially coerced. The DB is lying, trying to mislead the public, and showing professional bankruptcy. Additionally, ‘protective custody’ has no legal basis. Detaining students is a clear violation of Article 33 of the Constitution. Forcing coordinators to read withdrawal announcements violates Article 35(4). It is not far-fetched to believe that this unconstitutional effort was taken to cover up the unprecedented use of force to suppress the movement”.
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