Chalesh Ritchil was murdered: Irene Khan
| Thu, Jan 10th, 2008 5:19 am BdST |  | |
Dhaka, Jan 9 (bdnews24.com) – Chalesh Ritchil, the Tangail-based Garo rights leader was a victim of extrajudicial killing, Irene Khan, secretary general of the Amnesty International said Wednesday.
"Chalesh was definitely a victim of extra judicial killing. He did not get justice," Irene said in the view exchange meeting with journalists and human-rights workers at Gallery Drik in Dhanmondi in the city.
"I have talked to the high-ups of the government about it, have written to them. The government will have to publish the investigation report on his death," she said.
Ritchil, a Bangladesh-based Garo indigenous people's rights defender, was reportedly killed after being tortured by law-enforcers.
He was leading a campaign against the construction of an eco-park in Madhupur, Tangail, which threatened to displace 25,000 Garos and Khasis.
The indigenous people have been living in the area for more than three centuries.
The law enforcers arrested him on March 18 and his body was handed over to his family the next day.
The government claimed that Ritchil died from heart failure but his family said he was tortured to death.
"The execution of international human rights laws were not made clear to the past administrations," the chief of the international human-rights watchdog said.
"The basic idea of human rights will have to be changed at state level. Otherwise, it will be impossible to set up a democratic society," she asserted.
Barrister Sara Hossain, indigenous rights activist Sanjib Drong, tortured journalists Jahangir Alam Akash and Tipu Sultan, Asif Saleh from Amnesty International spoke at the meeting.
The meeting was presided over by Shahidul Alam, chief of Drik News.
Later, Irene Khan launched www.amnesty.org/bangla website
http://www.bdnews24.com/details.php?id=35465&cid=2 | |
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