STATEMENT:Bangladesh human rights defender, lawyer and journalist received death threats from Islamic militant.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) January 9, 2012 --

Advocate Shahanur Islam, Founding Secretary General of JusticeMakers Bangladesh, Executive Director of Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights (BIHR), Country observer of Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD), Netherlands, Legal & Human Rights affairs editor of the Monthly Doyel and also member of Dhaka Bar association and Bangladesh bar Council received death threats from a Islamic militant on December 5, 2011 early morning around at 1.20 am in Dhaka. However, it is concerning that, despite of numerous international appeals for increased security for Mr. Islam in previous, the police failed denied to register First information Report or General Diary to ensure Mr. Islam physical security.

According to statement received from Mr. Islam and also the text sms received from the perpetrator on December 05, 2011 early morning around at 01.20 am, Mr. Shahanu Islam, received a call from +8801726832465 to his personal cell number +88 01720308080. The caller introducing himself a devoted Muslim people, threatened Mr. Islam stating that “you bustard trying to establish gay rights in Bangladesh. Be a good man, leaving gay fucking. Otherwise, we the Muslim people in Bangladesh will learn you properly, so that you forget about gay rights. Still, you have enough time to come back to the way of Islam. If you do not come under umbrella of Islam and you again encourage people to continue gay life, you will be killed.” Hearing the threatening call, Mr. Islam switched off the cell. Then, Mr. Islam received once again threatening call from above mention number as soon as Mr. Islam switched on his cell phone. The caller again threatened Mr. Islam stating that “you are under our observation. We will follow your every step. You will not get release from us. If you think that you will get release from us keeping your cell phone switched off, you are still living in the heaven of fool.” Then Mr. islam cut the phone call and blocked that phone number. But later the caller sent a threatening text massage to Mr. Islam stating that “Ur 14 generations mthr fuck u male pros fuckn gay bastard..buzz off”.

On the same day morning Mr. Islam went to the Concerned Mohammadpur Police Station to file a First Information Report (FIR) to bring the perpetrators before the book as well as ensure his physical security connecting the threatening phone call and text massage. But the concerned police official denied filing FIR or GD. Rather; the official treated him as guilty person by his behavior.

Recently, on 30 November, 2011 Mr. Islam posted a massage to Internet based Bangladeshi gay forum “Gay Bangladesh” asking a gay victim of physical abused to communicate him to get legal support to bring the perpetrators who abused him.

This is not any isolated instance of such kind of threats on human rights defenders, lawyer and journalist in Bangladesh. It is a very common phenomenon for the professionals like human rights defenders of Bangladesh facing attacked, harassment, ill treatment, death threats from the terrorist, law-enforcing agencies and security forces. It is well-known that Bangladesh has cultivated one of the best cultures of impunity to alleged perpetrators of human rights abuses despite the nation’s presence in the UN Human Rights Council since May 2006. Instead of improving the country’s human rights records the government of Bangladesh has paved the ways to degrade the rights of the citizens through various means of violations

JusticeMakers Bangladesh, Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) deeply concerned over the treats received by human rights defender, lawyer & journalist Mr. Shahanur Islam from the Islamic militant and demanded a full and impartial investigation to bring the culprits before the book..

You can also see the statement visiting the following link: http://shahanur.blogspot.com/2011/12/statement-bangladesh-human-rights.html