Amnesty urges probe into CEPZ deaths

The international human rights watchdog urges inquiry into deaths of workers during the clashes of Dec 12 in Chittagong

Dhaka, Dec 22 (bdnews24.com) — Amnesty International has urged Bangladesh to probe four recent deaths at Chittagong Export Processing Zone on Dec 12.

The UK-based human rights watchdog called on the Bangladesh authorities to order an immediate inquiry into the deaths during violent clashes between police and garment factory workers.

The inquiry must establish the causes of the deaths and find out if the deaths were due to police brutality against the demonstrators, Amnesty said in a statement on Monday.

"If police have used excessive force, the government should bring to justice the police officers responsible," it added.

The workers had been demonstrating for implementation of their wage increase, which the government had promised would come into force from the beginning of November. In clashes between the demonstrators and the police in Chittagong, Dhaka and Narayanganj, on Dec 12, four people died and more than 200 people were injured.

The recent unrest is the latest among the waves of garment factory unrest in the country in the last six months.

Dozens of people were injured in June and August as police clashed with hundreds of demonstrating textile workers calling for higher wages.

At that time, the government agreed to introduce a pay increase, which would come into force from the beginning of November.

Garment factory workers told journalists that their wages were not increased accordingly.

The watchdog said: "To address the workers' grievance, the government of Bangladesh has decided to form a committee comprised of representatives from the government, workers and factory owners to implement the new pay scale."

"Amnesty International welcomes this move, which could address some of the grievances underlying the recent violence in the garment industry."

But, it said, "There has, however, been no news on how the government will investigate the use of force by the police to ensure that they have not committed human rights violations."

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is quoted in the media as saying that action will be taken against those who created the unrest, but there has been no reference to the need to investigate the use of force by the police.

Most of those injured have been garment factory workers taking part in the unrest. Police admitted that their officers had fired tear gas and live ammunition during the clashes. Newspapers reported that at least two of the four people who died have had marks of gunshots on their bodies. The identity of the other was not established.

Journalists say 10 garment factory workers, some of whom may have gunshot wounds, were admitted to the intensive care units of hospitals in Chittagong and Dhaka.

Police sources say 56 police officers, attacked by the demonstrators with brickbat and stones, were among the injured, and that six of them were admitted to hospitals with serious injuries.

"Amnesty International acknowledges the responsibility of the police to maintain law and order. However, use of firearms by the police during the protests and the death of four people require a thorough and rigorous investigation in keeping with international human rights law, including the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials.

"We have documented a pattern of excessive use of force by police and other security forces in Bangladesh. Establishing the facts in the current incident through an independent and credible inquiry will show that the government is committed to ensuring that security forces do not violate human rights.

"Any one found to have used excessive force should be brought to justice," it stressed.

Police announced that they had filed cases against a total of 33,000 people on charges of involvement in the violence. So far, more than 40 people are reported to have been arrested by the police. Some have been released but an unknown number remain detained, the organisation claimed.

"Amnesty International is urging the authorities to release the detainees unless they can be charged with a recognizable criminal offence. At all times, the detainees should have access to a lawyer of their own choice and receive any medical treatment that they may need."

Among the detainees is Moshrefa Mishu, president of the Garment Sramik Oikkya Parishad (Garment Workers Unity Council), which promotes the interest of garment workers. Police arrested her on Dec 14 in connection with a complaint filed against her last June during an earlier wave of garment factories unrest. She was accused at that time that she had "ransacked" the office of a garment making business.

Given a pattern of use of torture in Bangladesh during interrogation, the government should ensure that the detainees are not tortured, and can have family visits, the statement adds.

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