Home Minister Khan rejects HRW’s secret detention claims

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan has rejected a report by Human Rights Watch or HRW that condemns “secret detention of hundreds of people” in Bangladesh.

The claim that Bangladesh’s law-enforcement authorities have illegally arrested and detained hundreds of people in secret detention since 2013 is “incorrect”, the minister said on Thursday after the report was made public.

The 82-page report says at least 90 people were victims of enforced disappearance in 2016 alone. In the first five months of 2017, 48 disappearances were reported.

While most were produced in court after weeks or months of secret detention, HRW documented 21 cases of detainees who were later killed, and nine others whose whereabouts remain unknown.

In reaction to the findings, the minister has said HRW had earlier tried to show the trial of war criminals as a violation of human rights.

“They even make up things that never ever took place in this country. Therefore, we reject the report outright,” he said.

The report quotes Brad Adams, Asia director for HRW, saying: “The disappearances are well-documented and reported, yet the government persists in this abhorrent practice with no regard for the rule of law.”

“Bangladesh security forces appear to have a free hand in detaining people, deciding on their guilt or innocence, and determining their punishment, including whether they have the right to be alive.”

On this, Khan said: “People in this country go into hiding for various reasons -- sometimes when they are steeped in debt, sometimes infamous criminals do so to avoid possible arrest.”

“If they want to describe these cases as ‘enforced disappearances’ then we need to change the definition of the term,” Khan said.

He further claimed that although people go undercover, law enforcers successfully find them out and take them to court.

He claimed that ‘overenthusiastic’ security personnel 'who acted on their own' faced trial for their misconduct.

HRW has also urged the Bangladesh government to invite the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to investigate these allegations.

“As a member of the UN Commission on Human Rights, Bangladesh follows all the rules and regulations. We are always in touch with the commission,” said Khan.

Quader wants evidence

Ruling Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has demanded that the HRW make available evidence in support of its report.

"We want to see the names specifically. They should provide the names with evidence," Quader, the road transport and bridges minister, told reporters at Setu Bhaban.

He also said the party and the government would draw a conclusion about the report after discussion.

"We will have to think about it. Let them specify the names with evidence, then we (Awami League) will discuss it in our meeting on June 8. We will discuss it also in parliament the following day.

“We don't want to guess," Quader said.

Speaking about the disappearance and rescue of columnist Farhad Mazhar, a government critic, Quader described the incident as 'mysterious'.

"The abduction is not a mystery. It did actually happen. The mystery is who had abducted him," he said.  

"Farhad Mazhar himself said in a statement he was abducted or thrown into an abduction drama aimed at embarrassing the government at home and abroad."

"If I reiterate his words, then can we call it an abduction, or blame the government for it?" he asked.

The Awami League general secretary also said 'many dramas' would take place now ahead of the parliamentary election.

"The election is less than one and a half years away. Many incidents will occur in the country now; there'll be many conspiracies too.

“We have been tackling all the conspiracies against the government since the beginning, and we will continue to do so," he said.