Enforced Disappearance / Fear for the safety: Dr. Mubashar Hasan
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by reliable sources about the disappearance since 7 November 2017 of Dr. Mubashar Hasan, a political scientist who is an assistant professor at the North South University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. He is well known for his works on violent extremism in Bangladesh, widely published in academic journals and often quoted in the media for his scholarship.
According to the information received, on Tuesday 7 November 2017, Dr. Mubashar Hasan disappeared after attending a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) meeting in Dhaka. His family has filed a missing person case with the police and also lodged a report with the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), an elite anti-crime unit of the Bangladesh Police.
OMCT fears for his safety since his fate and whereabouts remain unknown at the time of writing this urgent appeal. According to the information received, since Dr. Hasan’s disappearance, the government has not acted swiftly or effectively to find his whereabouts.
Background information
Human rights groups have documented numerous cases of human rights violations, including enforced disappearances, carried out by government agencies, including RAB, with almost complete impunity. According to information gathered by NGO Odhikar, a member of OMCT’s SOS-Torture Network, at least 300 individuals were allegedly subjected to enforced disappearance by various law enforcement agencies during the period from May 2013 to September 2017.[1] Among them, 44 were found dead, 172 were released after being left blindfolded at a particular location or shown as arrested or produced before a court after several days or months following their disappearance. The fate or whereabouts of 84 persons remained unknown. According to the human rights group, in October 2017 alone, seven persons disappeared.
Actions Requested
Please write to the authorities of Bangladesh urging them to:
i. Guarantee, in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of Dr. Mubashar Hasan;
ii. Immediately investigate the whereabouts of Dr. Mubashar Hasan and keep his family informed on the findings at all times;
iii. Carry out a prompt, effective, thorough, independent and impartial investigation into the disappearance of Dr. Mubashar Hasan; the result of which must be made public, in order to bring those responsible before a competent, independent and impartial tribunal and apply penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
iv. End the practice of enforced disappearances and ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance;
v. Guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country, including freedom of expression, in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.
Addresses
- Ms. Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh. Fax: +880 2 8113243 ; Email: pm@pmo.gov.bd/ info@pmo.gov.bd
- Inspector General of Police A.K.M. Shahidul Hoque, Fax : +88027125840 ; Email : ig@police.gov.bd
- Professor Dr. Gowher Rizvi, Adviser to the Prime Minister (International Affairs) ; Bangladesh ; Fax: +880 2 9111312 ; Email: advinternational@pmo.gov.bd
- Mr. Asaduzzaman Khan, State Minister for Home Affairs of Bangladesh ; Fax: +880 2 9515541 ; Email: stateminister@mha.gov.bd
- Md. Shahriar Alam, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh ; Fax: +880 2 9562188 ; Email: fm@mofa.gov.bd
- H.E. Mr. M. Shameem Ahsan, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland ; Tel: +41 229068020 ; Fax: +41 22 738 4616; Email:permanentmission.geneva@mofa.gov.bd/ mission.bangladesh@ties.itu.int
- Embassy of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh in Brussels, Belgium ; Fax: +32 2 646 59 98; Email: bdootbrussels@skynet.be