CCPR/C/122/D/2642/2015
Factual background
2.1
The author is a citizen of Bangladesh of Muslim faith. He indicates that he is a
member of the Jamaat-e-Islami, a political party that opposes the Government of
Bangladesh. Since 2007, he has been regarded as a non-cooperative member of the party
who should be punished.1 The author has been affiliated with the party since 1989, when he
was sent to a party-run school called the Alia Madrasa. When his father died in 2000, he
remained without financial support. He therefore started to live at the school because it was
free of charge and provided food and clothing for free. One condition that had to be met in
order to live in the school was to join the young people’s branch of the Jamaat-e-Islami. As
part of that movement, the author had to participate in activities designed to promote the
school and the party, such as: recruiting new members, including students from other
schools; collecting donations for the school and the party; discussing the Jamaat-e-Islami
view of Islam; and learning martial arts.
2.2
Between 2002 and 2004, he went back to living at home but continued to attend the
Alia Madrasa. During this time, he taught other students martial arts so that they could fight
if demonstrations became violent. He also attended demonstrations himself and encouraged
others to do so. The author states that he had to bring between 5 and 10 people to each
demonstration.
2.3
Between 2004 and 2006, the author became a senior member of the young people’s
branch of the Jamaat-e-Islami and stopped attending class. He was responsible for planning,
preparing and leading demonstrations, working to earn money for the party and collecting
donations. As he was a martial arts instructor, the author was also expected to fight in
demonstrations in case of tensions.
2.4
In October 2007, the author’s family advised him to stop his activities with the
branch because they had become dangerous; there were many demonstrations in the capital
city and the party was engaging in illegal activities such as setting cars and buses on fire.
The author decreased his activities little by little. The last demonstration he was involved in
was in October 2007. He was requested to be in the front to fight in case there were clashes,
but he refused to do so and went home.
2.5
After the author disobeyed the party and left the demonstration in October 2007, he
was summoned twice to meet with Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, which he refused to do. On a
third occasion, the author agreed to meet with two leaders outside a girls’ high school. The
leaders demanded an explanation from the author and reminded him of his pledge to the
party. The author indicates that the leaders blamed him for the death of some party
members resulting from violent clashes during the previous demonstration, and stated that
the Bangladeshi police would “get him for this”. The author explained that he wished to
leave the party. In response, the author was attacked by the leaders and beaten with iron
knuckles. He also had his stomach cut with a razor, as a result of which he still has visible
scars. The author was admitted to a clinic and then transferred to a private doctor. 2 He then
went to stay with his aunt in Faridpur for approximately one month while he recovered
from the attack. A few days after the attack by the leaders of the party, the Jamaat-e-Islami
was accused of committing a terrorist attack during a demonstration, in which two cars
were set on fire and two people suffered burns and died. The author learned that the
authorities believed that he was connected with this crime, even though he had not taken
part in it.3 The author believes that he was denounced by the Jamaat-e-Islami leaders as
punishment for trying to leave the party.
2.6
In December 2007, the author’s cousin informed him that he had been charged in a
case arising from the demonstration in October 2007. The author’s cousin stated that the
charge had been reported in two newspapers with nationwide circulation, the Daily Ittefaq
1
2
3
2
See paras. 2.4–2.5.
The author does not provide a medical report. He also states that public doctors have a duty to provide
information to the police, and affirms that he was scared that the police would be notified since the
leaders of the party had threatened him.
The author does not specify who gave him this information.