--- In chottala@yahoogroups.com, Syed_Aslam3 <Syed.Aslam3@...> wrote:
>
> Bangladeshi force trained by UK police 'allowed to kill and torture'
>
> Human Rights Watch calls for Rapid Action Battalion to be disbanded and for
> UK and US to withdraw support
>
> - Fariha Karim <http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/fariha-karim>
> - The Guardian <http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian>, Tuesday 10 May
> 2011
> - Article history<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/10/bangladeshi-force-trained-uk-police#history-link-box>
>
> [image: Rapid Action Battalion in Bangladesh]
> Bangladesh's Rapid Action Battalion has been allowed to torture and kill
> prisoners, according to a report. Photograph: Farjana K Godhuly/AFP
>
> The Bangladeshi government has allowed a British-trained paramilitary force
> to secretly detain, torture and kill hundreds of people with impunity over
> the past two years, a report warns.
>
> The report, released by the New York-based NGO, Human Rights Watch,
> catalogues a series of extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances and
> deaths in custody of the Rapid Action Battalion. Citing a lack of redress
> for victims, and the government's dismal record of failing to prosecute a
> single perpetrator, the NGO has called on the Bangladeshi government to
> disband the RAB and for the UK and US to withdraw support unless they take
> active steps to hold the force to account.
>
> Torture methods listed in the report include burning with a hot iron, and
> beatings so severe that a victim's legs were "smashed and did not retain
> their usual shape; they were flattened". Mahabub Khokon told researchers
> that when he collected the body of his brother, Mohiuddin Arif, from the
> morgue after he was arrested by the RAB in February last year, repeated
> assaults had turned his legs green, skin had been scraped off several areas
> of his body, and his feet were swollen and looked as if they were "falling
> apart".
>
> The 54-page report cites another instance from March this year, when a
> 34-year-old shopkeeper, Rasal Ahmed Bhutto, was picked up in the street
> outside a friend's shop in the capital, Dhaka, by men in plain clothes. A
> week later he was found shot dead and slumped against a nearby wall.
>
> British police <http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/police> have helped train RAB
> teams since 2007, around the time that UK intelligence agencies began
> seeking closer counter-terrorism co-operation with the RAB and Bangladeshi
> intelligence agencies. On Monday, a Foreign Office spokesman said the UK
> government raised issues of human rights abuses by the RAB "at every
> opportunity". He added: "We are not currently providing any training for the
> RAB at all."
>
> The HRW report details how nearly 200 people have been killed in RAB
> operations since the Awami League government came to power in January 2009.
> Asia director, Brad Adams, commented how the party had pledged to end
> extrajudicial killings while in opposition. He said: "After two years in
> office, the government has had more than enough time to take action to stop
> the RAB's murderous practices. A death squad is roaming the streets of
> Bangladesh <http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/bangladesh> and the government
> does not appear to be doing anything to stop it."
>
> In December, the Guardian reported on US diplomatic cables leaked by
> Wikileaks which revealed that British police officers from the National
> Policing Improvement Agency had been travelling to Dhaka to train members of
> the RAB in "investigative interviewing techniques" and "rules of
> engagement".
>
> The US and UK view the RAB as their most effective counter-terrorism partner
> in the region and have expressed a strong interest in increasing
> co-operation, according to Human Rights Watch.
>
> The Foreign Office defended themselves against the ensuing outcry by saying
> the NPIA had been training RAB in human rights and ethical policing.
> However, a course in counterterrorism which had been scheduled to take place
> in January was then cancelled due to a "lack of trainers", according to
> officials. The Guardian has learned that Anthony Layden, Britain's former
> ambassador to Libya, had been lined up for the training.
>
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/10/bangladeshi-force-trained-uk-police
>
> *Disband Rab if not
> reformed*<http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php%3Fnid%3D185144&sa=U&ei=0EvKTcmzIobY0QH14ombCQ&ved=0CB4QFjAB&sig2=XNQPFSuZxDktrTblyJgVgw&usg=AFQjCNE59hZUUgGbtItFW-WXlfMuvUOMyg>
> May 11, 2011 *...* *Disband Rab if not reformed*. Human Rights Watch asks
> govt; Home boss rules out
> its report. Staff Correspondent *...*
> www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-d... -
> Similar<http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&tbo=1&q=related:http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=185144+Disband+Rab+if+not+reformed&sa=X>
>
>
> *Bangladeshi* force trained by UK police 'allowed to kill and
> torture'<http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/10/bangladeshi-force-trained-uk-police&sa=U&ei=DErKTaqrPKbu0gHGp4TcCA&ved=0CBsQqQIwAA&usg=AFQjCNEeJRDrTzfxDoi_2E-77tZwKbsXCQ>
> The Guardian - 1 day ago
> The report, released by the New York-based NGO, *Human Rights* Watch,
> catalogues a *...* Asia director, *Brad Adams*, commented how the party had
> pledged to end *...*
> RAB men don't kill, claims
> Shahara<http://bdnews24.com/details.php?id=195372&cid=2>- Bangladesh
> News 24 hours
> *all 171 news articles
> »<http://news.google.com/news/more?q=brad+adams+human+rights+guardian+bangladesh&hl=en&prmd=ivnsuo&resnum=1&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ncl=dEU0sGxgEhp2jzMJ86wDrmX7JzCyM&ei=DErKTaqrPKbu0gHGp4TcCA&sa=X&oi=news_result&ct=more-results&resnum=1&ved=0CBwQqgIwAA>
> *
> <http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-south-asia-13341359&sa=X&ei=DErKTaqrPKbu0gHGp4TcCA&ved=0CBoQpwIwAA&usg=AFQjCNFQ8bOLiOtZ-ujgqcEGxKAOMxBG-A>
> The State Of *Human Rights* in
> *Bangladesh*<http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.countercurrents.org/malik230411.htm&sa=U&ei=DErKTaqrPKbu0gHGp4TcCA&ved=0CCAQqQIwAQ&usg=AFQjCNE8X5Fdf5wMzeWRQkOJ89P-Rvdxug>
> *CounterCurrents.org - Apr 23, 2011*
> In recent years, the *human rights* situation in *Bangladesh* has
> deteriorated *....* Lord Eric Avebury of the UK House of Lords, *Brad Adams*of
> *Human Rights* Watch *...*
>
> http://www.bhorerkagoj.net/content/2011/05/11/news0768.php
>
> http://www.dailyjanakantha.com/news_view.php?nc=15&dd=2011-05-11&ni=58187
> *হিউমà§à¦¯à¦¾à¦¨ রাইটস à¦"য়াচ বলছে রà§à¦¯à¦¾à¦¬ খà§à¦¨à§€ বাহিনী, ঢেলে সাজান*
> **
> *সà§à¦Ÿà¦¾à¦« রিপà§&lsqauo;রà§à¦Ÿà¦¾à¦° ॥ রà§à¦¯à¦¾à¦¬à¦•à§‡ 'খà§à¦¨à§€ বাহিনী' বলে উলেসà§à¦¨à¦– করেছে মানবাধিকার সংগঠন
> হিউমà§à¦¯à¦¾à¦¨ রাইটস à¦"য়াচ। মঙà§à¦—লবার পà§à¦°à¦•à¦¾à¦¶à¦¿à¦¤ à¦à¦• আনà§à¦·à§à¦ ানিক পà§à¦°à¦¤à¦¿à¦¬à§‡à¦¦à¦¨à§‡ রà§à¦¯à¦¾à¦¬à¦•à§‡
> 'খà§à¦¨à§€ বাহিনী' আখà§à¦¯à¦¾à§Ÿà¦¿à¦¤ করে আগামী ছয় মাসের মধà§à¦¯à§‡ সরকারকে রà§à¦¯à¦¾à¦¬à§‡à¦° আমূল
> পরিবরà§à¦¤à¦¨ আনতে বলা হয়েছে। সরকার à¦à¦‡ বাহিনীর পà§à¦°à§Ÿà§&lsqauo;জনীয় সংসà§à¦•à¦¾à¦° আনতে না পারলে
> সনà§à¦¤à§à¦°à¦¾à¦¸ দমনে গঠিত বিশেষ à¦à¦‡ বাহিনীকে বিলà§à¦ªà§à¦¤ করতে বাংলাদেশের পà§à¦°à¦¤à¦¿ আহà§à¦¬à¦¾à¦¨
> জানিয়েছে সংগঠনটি। à¦à¦•à¦‡ সঙà§à¦—ে ঠবাহিনীর পà§à¦°à¦¤à¦¿ যà§à¦•à§à¦¤à¦°à¦¾à¦·à§à¦Ÿà§à¦° à¦" যà§à¦•à§à¦¤à¦°à¦¾à¦œà§à¦¯à§‡à¦°
> সমরà§à¦¥à¦¨ তà§à¦²à§‡ নেয়ারà¦" আহà§à¦¬à¦¾à¦¨ জানানà§&lsqauo; হয়েছে। রà§à¦¯à¦¾à¦¬à§‡à¦° .*
> **
> **
>
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