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| Razzak was shifted to the capital’s Trauma Centre early Saturday as his condition deteriorated. Police said the injured journalist had locked into a quarrel with some of his relatives and in-laws over possession of a land in Paikgacha. |
by William Gomes
(May 04, Dhaka, Sri Lanka Guardian) Human Rights Defender cum journalist F M A Razzak, President of Human Rights Development Centre (HRDC) and Editor of the Pakkhik Gonomichhil (Fortnightly Mass Procession, a vernacular newspaper), based in Paikgachha of Khulna district, has been struggling for life at private medical hospital in Dhaka now. Mr. Razzak was abducted by around 20 people led by Mr. Kazal Sarder, who is a brother of Bangladesh Army Major Mustafizur Rahman Bokul, from Paikgachha town. At around 10:30PM on 29 April 2011, Mr. Razzak was abducted from the Dhaka-bound Bus Terminal of Paikgachha where he, accompanied by his younger brother Mr. Bodiuzzaman Bodiar and co-brother Mr. Bakkar, went to a medicine shop for buying medicine. On 29 April at around 10:30pm a group of armed men led by Mr. Kazal Sarder, younger brother Major Mustafizur Rahman Bokul, kidnapped Mr. Razzak from the Dhaka Bus Stand of Paikgachha along with Razzak’s younger brother and brother-in-law. The abductors put the three persons into a vehicle and took in a field adjacent of Major Mustafizur Rahman’s parent’s house. There Razzak and his brother Bodiuzzaman Bodiar were brutally tortured according to the instructions by the army officer, Major Bokul and the Officer-in-Charge (OC) Enamul Haque of the Paikgachha police. Both - army and police officers - asked the perpetrators to gauge the eyes of Razzak and torture him until death. Razzak, who was initially declared “dead” by Paikgachha hospital doctors, and his brother were denied adequate medical treatment in the hospitals in Khulna due to tremendous pressures from the military officers. Razzak and Bodiar are struggling for life in critical conditions.
The abductors forcibly put Razzak and two other persons to a Nosimon (a locally made vehicle of shallow pump engine) beating randomly. On the way Bakkar was thrown from the vehicle while Razzak and Bodiar were taken to a field adjacent to the house of Major Mustafizur Rahman Bokul, who reportedly ordered his brother Kazal Sarder to kill Razzak immediately.
Around thirty men brutally beat Razzak and Bodiar with stick, rod, sharp weapons. The perpetrators pushed fingers into Razzak eyes that started seriously bleed. The right hand and leg of Razzak have been fractured in several places. He has sustained sever injuries all over his body.
Meanwhile, when the family received information from the pedestrians of the scene of abduction that Razzak and two of his relatives were abducted by a group of people, they looked for them in probable nearby places including the Paikgachha police station. The Paikgachha police expressed their ignorance about the alleged incident to the relatives. One of Razzak’s relatives called the Additional Superintendent of Police of Khulna district seeking immediate action by the police.Then, a team of police led by Sub Inspector (SI) Nurul Islam, who is the Second Officer of the Paikgachha police, comprising SI Delwar Hossain, SI Idris Ali and few Constables, moved slowly toward Godaipur village toward which direction the abductors drove their vehicle, according to the eyewitnesses. But, the police team was seen stopped their motorbikes at Godaipur Natun Bazar instead of searching the whereabouts of Razzak. One of Razzak’s relatives drove a motorbike toward the house of Major Mustafizur Rahman Bokul in Godaipur village under the jurisdiction of the Paikgachha police station and from around 300 yards away he heard noise of beating and cries of persons and requested the police to rescue the victims. Then the police only moved to the scene.
The police and eyewitnesses found Razzak unconscious next to the houses of Army Major Mustafizur Rahman Bokul and his next door neighbour Nur Islam Sana. The perpetrators were brutally beating Razzak in order to confirm his death. His bother Bodiar was also being beaten in brutal method. The police did not arrest any of the perpetrators from the scene. They (police) put Razzak’s unconscious body and Bodiar, who was critically injured, onto the same vehicle, which was used by the perpetrators at the time of abduction. The police brought them to the Paikgachha Upazilla Health Complex (local public hospital). Eye witnesses told Srilanka Guardian that Razzak’s both eyes was almost gauged out while he was bleeding from the eyes. His right leg and hand were fractured in several places. The whole body had injuries with marks of cut, bruise and swollen wounds.
The on duty medical officer of the Paikgachha hospital, who primarily examined Razzak did not find his pulse, told the relatives that the “patient had died already”. After receiving the information about Razzak’s abduction when AHRC contacted Razzak’s wife Mrs. Rahima Razzak after 2AM in Hong Kong time on 30 April early morning Rahima told the AHRC that she was told by the doctors that Razzak was “no more”. Meanwhile, the leaders of the journalist community came to the hospital and insisted the doctors to examine Razzak consistently to confirm Razzak’s life and death status. The doctors then re-examined Razzak for around 40 minutes and finally found Razzak was alive. They started giving the first aid to Razzak. His brother Bodiar’s right forearm is broken while the whole body is marked with serious injuries. The Paikgachha hospital, which me incapable of providing necessary treatment, referred Razzak to the Khulna Medical College Hospital (KMCH).
As the news of Razzak’s survival spread among people the perpetrators carrying various types of weapons came to the Paikgachha hospital to kill him (Razzak) when the relatives were taking Razzak and Bodiar to an ambulance for the KMCH. The inhabitants of the neighbourhood of the hospital attempted to catch the perpetrators. Then, the police prevented the people giving ways to the perpetrators to escape.
The doctors of the KMCH provided another first aid instead of any specialised treatment to Razzak and referred to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), the largest public hospital of the country, for treatment. The doctors told the relatives that if Razzak’s eyes are not adequately and immediately treated within 24 hours since time of gauging the eyes he (Razzak) will permanently lose his eye sight. His right leg and hand also require immediate proper treatment in order to avoid permanent physical disability. Razzak returned to his sense but could not see anything.
Razzak told the Srilanka Guardian that Major Mustafizur Rahman Bokul’s brother Kazal Sarder and their allies abducted him from the Dhaka Bus Stand of Paikgachha. He was taken to an open field next to Bokul’s parent’s house. Everyone of Major Bakul’s family including his mother tortured him. Kazal Sarder called his brother Major Bokul and asked, “the son of a bitch is brought to our house; what shall we do to him?” The mobile phone’s conversation was made handset free at that time. Major Bokul instructed to his relatives from the other end, “Take off his eyes and kill him!” The perpetrators then pushed screwdrivers into both of the eyes of Razzak and stirred the screwdrivers around the eyeballs. Razzak immediately became unable to see anything. Kazal Sarder also called the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of the Paikgachha police station told him that they want to gauge Razzak’s eyes in another handset free conversation. In reply the OC told, “First make sure that the eyes of the son of pig are taken out. Then, confirm me!” Razzak felt that he was being beaten with rod and stick until he lost his sense.
Razzak’s brother Bodiar told that he heard the OC’s conversation while the police officer was telling Kazal Sarder that “Police will not go (to the crime scene) until you finish him (Razzak).” “When the police were taking us (Razzak and Bodiar) to hospital by Nosimon Idris Daroga (Sub Inspector of police are locally called “Daroga”) told his other colleagues to through him beside the road from the vehicle (indicating Razzak) though the rest did not do that as some people were following the vehicle”, said Bodiar.
Bangladesh Navy personnel Shafik, son of Amzad Hazi was physically present in the torture of Razzak. Shafik told the fellow perpetrators not to hand over Razzak to the police, who may be compelled by local people to arrange medical treatment for Razzak. Instead, he suggested to handover Razzak to the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), which will remain out of reach of the people and will murder him in the pretext of crossfire.
The journalists of Khulna allege that the KMCH doctors have been influenced by Major Bokul and other military officers. As a result, the doctors did not record the injuries of Razzak in details and avoided providing necessary treatment to Razzak. They have reasoned that as the medical college hospitals in Bangladesh are headed by the army officers the perpetrators of the military service dominate the whole hospital administration and medical cares whenever the officers of the armed forces wish to do. The relatives of Razzak and journalists seriously fear that in the DMCH, which is also headed by a Brigadier of Bangladesh Army, Razzak may be denied necessary medical treatment due to the interference by the military officers.
At 9:45AM Razzak was brought to the DMCH for treatment. Since then a large number of plain clothed officers of the intelligence agencies, who belong to the armed forces, have cordoned the hospital where no treatment is being given to Razzak and his brother. Doctors are barred from treating the victims due to the instructions from the officers of the armed forces. Razzak is left on the floor of the Radiology Unit of the DMCH.
Razzak was shifted to the capital’s Trauma Centre early Saturday as his condition deteriorated. Police said the injured journalist had locked into a quarrel with some of his relatives and in-laws over possession of a land in Paikgacha.
Major Mustafizur Rahman Bokul, who claimed to be a nephew of Razzak, said to Srilanka guardian that, “Locals beat Razzak, as he went to grab a piece of land of a local mosque that was given by one Fuljan Bibi.”
AHRC has already written separate letters to the UN Special Rapporteurs on Situation of Human Rights Defenders and on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment calling for their immediate intervention into this matter. Local human rights organizations and journalist protested about the brutal attack on journalist and his brother. They demanded everyone to insist the authorities of Bangladesh to arrest and prosecute Major Mustafizur Rahman of the Bangladesh Army for masterminding a series of crimes against Mr. Razzak’s family including pressurising the police and civil administration to endanger lives of Mr. Razzak's family. They also asked the authorities of Bangladesh Army to terminate Major Mustafizur Rahman from his service for his continuous lawless involvement in committing crimes. They also demanded that the government must ensure all necessary treatment to the victims, particularly Mr. Razzak and the other members of his family. Any kind of interference to hamper the process of treatment or safe movement by the military or police officers must be stopped immediately. They said all the perpetrators should be prosecuted followed by thorough investigation into the whole issue since the beginning to the present state. And the investigation should be conducted by competent judges of the higher judiciary for the sake of the credibility and justice.
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