Bangladesh: Cycle of Fear - Combating Impunity for Torture and Strengthening the Rule of Law in Bangladesh
This is the grim picture on the basis of the information gathered by the OMCT during its visits to the country while meeting members of government, the national human rights institution, civil society, legal community and victims and their families, and it is reflected in the cases of alleged torture, reported and documented by its member organization, Odhikar. Torture and cruel, and inhuman or degrading treatment are not only a reality in Bangladesh, large parts of the public, law enforcement and judiciary appear to take torture in judicial remand as a reality. Regrettably, there appears a lack of awareness –or at least of resolute action –to counter the poisonous effect of torture has for society, the rule of law and sustainable security in the country.
This report seeks to lay out the torture challenge in the country in its many current facets, including both political and non-political torture. It calls for a renewed recognition of the problem at all levels in order to define a decisive and forward looking rule of law agenda which tackles the problem not only in words but also through action.This action plan requires using the UN Convention Against Torture, including its international reporting obligations ignored for over two decades,as a basis to translate legal norms and commitment into reality for society.