FOLLOWING a custodial death, police headquarters on Saturday closed eight policemen in Tangail. The victim Abdul Hakim suffered cardiac arrest while police were taking him to the police station but the bystanders said the victim was beaten inhumanly and at one stage he died. Custodial death is one of the worst forms of human rights violations. But it’s very common phenomenon in the country. Despite Supreme Court’s directives, the government’s promises and ratification of international clause against custodial death; the law enforcers’ violent and harsh treatment with the citizens is regrettable. The overall human rights situation in Bangladesh is downgrading in the years due to a sharp rise of extra-judicial killings and custodial deaths along with increasing number of rape and sexual assaults on women across the country.
Unfortunately, in Bangladesh, ill-treatment and torture at times appear to be entrenched and when one is arrested, it is assumed that he or she will be subjected to abuse. For some, the culture of forcibly taking confessions is considered a normal practice. However, we have the international obligation to ban torture in our domestic law. This provision is duplicated in Article 35 (5) of our Constitution which states: “No person shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman, or degrading punishment or treatment”.
Abdul Hakim’s death has drawn the nation’s attention to the gruesome practice of torture inflicted on detainees by the members of law enforcement agencies. The episode also lays bare the reality of the lack of accountability in matters of custodial torture and deaths. It’s totally unacceptable such an unlawful action from the disciplined force like police. It’s time for the political leadership and those at the helm of national security and law enforcement establishments to bring to book those members of the security forces who go beyond their mandated tasks. Only withdrawing the cops is not enough to stop torture and custodial death.
