Abuse and custodial torture and killing by the special forces
like the RAB also remains virtually unchallenged, precisely
because victims or relatives of victims are intimidated, or
because of the reluctance of the police to accept a case
against members of such special forces.12 Only in a few
instances, the High Court issued Rules to protect the rights of
persons taken into custody by the RAB. In one incident, the
High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh
issued a suo motu Rule against the RAB on the basis of a
report published in the Bangla Daily Janakantha dated 24
July 2006 that one Kishore Kumar, a garage worker, was
arrested by the RAB from his house in Jessore and his
whereabouts were not known to his relations. Human Rights
and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), a human rights
organization, appearing as intervenor in the case, submitted
that despite the fact that there was a provision in the Cr. P.C.
for producing a citizen before a court within 24 hours of
arrest, the police and the RAB personnel had not observed
this in many cases.13 The High Court Division directed the law
enforcing agencies, especially the RAB, to follow the Cr. P.C.
provisions in the case of the arrest of any citizen. In another
instance, on the basis of a public interest writ petition filed by
Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), the High
12
See, Mehedi Murder- ‘Case against RAB in Barisal refused’, The Daily Star,
November 07, 2004 available at:
www.thedailystar.net/2004/11/07/d41107012319.htm, ‘Khilgaon Police refuse
to take against RAB: Sumon’s family’, UNB, 4th June, 2005.
13
Adeeba Aziz Khan, ‘Right to Freedom from Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or
Degrading Treatment or Punishment,’ in: Human Rights in Bangladesh 2006, A
publication of ASK, Dhaka, 2007, p. 49.
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