Man in Bangladesh dies in police custody after refusing to pay bribes; widow and nephew threatened...

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that a mechanic died violently in the custody of Ramna Police in Dhaka, shortly after he refused to continue paying bribes. The police reportedly started extorting money from the victim after the Rapid Action Battalion seized the auto-rickshaw that he operated and the two men he hired to drive it, and detained them illegally. The man was delivered dead to a hospital shortly after police picked him up, and he bears signs of torture. Various fabrications have taken place in the case, including in the case records, and the hospital in question has refused to release his medical records.

The case offers an extremely detailed example of the freedom with which Bangladeshi police are able to trade on justice, to arrest persons at will and to kill with impunity. The AHRC believes that unless extra measures are taken the current probe investigation will be impeded by police and political figures. The wife and the nephew of the dead man have been threatened repeatedly by the officers involved in the case, and need immediate state protection. More...

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