2024-07-30 19:59:34
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has strongly condemned the incident of illegally picking up the coordinators of the quota reform movement and forcing them to read the program cancellation announcement through video messages as a tool of forceful control of the quota reform movement, stating that it is false, fraudulent and against the constitution.
The organization has demanded to stop falsification of the truth including the lies of the Intelligence Branch (DB) in the continuation of false statements by the government, ruling party and state agencies to legitimize rights violations such as massive loss of lives, indiscriminate cases and arrests by the law and order forces while suppressing the movement. TIB made the claim in a statement late on Monday (July 29).
Citing media sources, TIB Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said that more than 213,000 cases have been made in 200 cases in different police stations of the capital in connection with the recent violence centered on the quota reform movement. Law enforcement forces are conducting mass arrest operations. Incidents of mass arrests and arbitrary filing of cases, including harassment of ordinary people, which have nothing to do with conflict or violence, are against the constitution.
He said, although only those involved in violence are held accountable in the arrest operation in various areas to find those involved in violence, we are getting to know from media sources that ordinary people including students, professionals are being arrested indiscriminately. There have been cases where ordinary people, even teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17, have been handcuffed and hauled to court outside of the violence. Which is a clear violation of the rights of citizens given in the constitution. Apart from this, there are allegations of inhumane torture on remand in disregard of the clear instructions of the High Court after arrest, which is also a gross violation of human rights.
“We want to remind the law enforcement forces of their constitutional responsibility and professional oath once again, if they have any respect for their identity as law enforcers, get out of the way of the law-breakers and stop harassing the common citizens, stop the brutal harassment of the students,” he said. This is the executive director of the organization.
In the name of providing security, the TIB Executive Director said that it is immoral and a felony to take the coordinators of the movement and hold them in the DB office and force them to read the program withdrawal announcement through video messages. Pressure is applied by lifting. The intelligence branch is lying, trying to mislead the public and showing its own professional bankruptcy. Besides, ‘security custody’ has no legal basis. Picking up and detaining students is a clear violation of Article 33 of the Constitution. Similarly forcing the coordinators to read the declaration of withdrawal of the program is a violation of Article 35(4) of the Constitution. Basically, it is not unreasonable to assume that the movement resorted to unconstitutional attempts to cover up the unprecedented use of force.
While suppressing the quota reform movement, the government has been trying to create false statements to legitimize various irresponsible activities including internet shutdown, Dr. Zaman also said that it is clear that by failing to understand a completely non-political and peaceful movement and using force, it is the government that has allowed the state agencies to abuse their power and push the issue towards violence. Mass arrests, arbitrary prosecutions, block raids, harassment of ordinary citizens and denial of truth should be stopped by trampling on the constitutional rights of citizens. At the same time, we strongly demand to refrain from trying to make the situation look normal as well as stop such suicidal activities immediately.