Disappearance of Ilias Ali

Last updated

Ilias Ali
Born(1961-01-01)1 January 1961
Bishwanath, Sylhet, Bangladesh
Disappeared17 April 2012 (aged 41)
Banani, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Status Missing for 12 years, 4 months and 19 days
Alma mater University of Dhaka
Sylhet Govt. College
Known forMember of Parliament
Opposition leader
Missing person

The disappearance of Ilias Ali is a high-profile incident in Bangladesh that took place in 2012. [1] Ilias Ali, a former Member of Parliament and the organising secretary of the then-main opposition party Bangladesh Nationalist Party. He along with his driver Ansar Ali, was reportedly abducted from Banani neighbourhood, Dhaka, by individuals claiming to be from law enforcement agencies. [2] In the following days, at least five of his party men died and many were injured as they observed strikes and demonstration programmes in protest of his disappearance. The incident got much media coverage. [3]

Contents

BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia accused the Awami League government of being responsible, a claim the government denied. [4] Observers express concern that security forces, including the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)—a paramilitary unit established in 2004 under the BNP government—and local police, are engaged in a campaign of intimidation against the opposition to benefit Sheikh Hasina's government. [5] [6]

Place and Time

On 17 April 2012, at 1:30 AM, Ilias Ali and his driver Ansar Ali were abducted in front of South Point School and College on Road No. 2 in Banani, a neighbourhood in Dhaka, Bangladesh. [7]

Background

In 1999, the Government of India proposed the construction of the Tipaimukh Dam on the Barak River in the Sipuikawn (Tipaimukh) area of Manipur State. [8] [9] After its approval, a controversy arose over it in Bangladesh. Bangladeshi experts have said the massive dam will disrupt the seasonal rhythm of the river and have an adverse effect on downstream agriculture and fisheries. [10] Later, in 2009, concerns arose among the people of the greater Sylhet region in northeastern Bangladesh that the first impact of the proposed Tipaimukh Dam would be felt there. This led to local protests in Sylhet. Various organizations from Dhaka joined the movement and organized large-scale actions such as long marches. Additionally, the Sylhet Division Development Struggle Council organized a three-day long march. The BNP-led four-party alliance also organized programs including long marches, boat marches, and hunger strikes in the area. [11] [12] [13] Ilias Ali was one of the key organizers of the movement against the construction of the Tipaimukh Dam in Sylhet and a staunch critic of the project. Approximately four months before his disappearance, in December 2011, during an interview with Banglanews24.com , he alleged that a conspiracy was being plotted against him for his leadership in the anti-Tipaimukh Dam movement in Sylhet. He stated, "It was under my leadership that the movement against the Tipaimukh Dam in Sylhet's upstream began. Earlier, I led a long march in the border areas of Bangladesh with Mahmudur Rahman, the editor of Amar Desh . I have always been uncompromising against all conspiracies, including the stock market scandal, economic collapse, and the selling out of the country to India by this government. That is why various cases are being filed against me to take me down." [14] In May 2023, general secretary of BNP Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir made a similar allegation, stating, "Ilias Ali was possibly abducted because of his involvement in the movement against the Tipaimukh Dam." [15] On 17 April 2024, on a press conference held at the BNP's central office in Naya Paltan to mark the 12th anniversary of Ilias Ali's disappearance, the party's senior joint general secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, made a similar allegation. He stated, "Ilias Ali became a major target for the state apparatus and domestic and foreign forces due to his uncompromising struggle against the government and his leadership in the mass movement in Sylhet protesting the Tipaimukh Dam and border aggression. Ilias Ali stood against imperialism. The government, envious of his popularity and organizational skills, failed to confront him politically and has kept him disappeared." [16]

Event

Tahsina Rushdir Luna, wife of Ilias Ali, in describing her husband's disappearance to Netra News : [17]

When he (Ilias Ali) was returning home, several armed plainclothes individuals, who had arrived at the scene on two white microbuses, blockaded his car and forcibly captured him and his driver Ansar Ali.

On 17 April 2012, Ilias Ali returned to Dhaka from Sylhet. Later that evening, he left his home again with the same car. That night, after meeting with supporters at Hotel Sheraton (now InterContinental), he mysteriously disappeared along with his personal driver, Ansar Ali, on his way back home from Banani Road No. 2 in Dhaka. [3] The Officer-in-Charge of Banani Police Station, Mamun Ar Rashid, reported that they found an abandoned car in the Mohakhali, Dhaka around midnight. Upon bringing the car to the police station and examining the documents, they discovered it was the vehicle belonging to prominent BNP leader Ilias Ali. [18]

Investigation

The day after Ilias Ali went missing, on 18 April, his wife Tahsina Rushdir Luna filed a writ petition in the High Court seeking his return. [19] The following day, on 19 April, in response to the petition, the High Court issued a rule asking law enforcement agencies to explain his disappearance within 10 days. [20] In May 2012, five law enforcement agencies submitted separate reports to the High Court. The reports from the Inspector General of Police (IGP), RAB, CID, Special Branch (SB), and Banani Police Station claimed that they were doing everything possible to locate Ilias Ali. The Attorney General's office later informed The Daily Star that the agencies, in their respective reports, asserted that BNP leader Ilias Ali was not in their custody and that they had neither detained nor apprehended him. [21]

Following his disappearance, joint operations were conducted by RAB and police in various locations, including Pubail in Gazipur, but Ilias Ali was not found. At one point, the court ordered Banani Police Station to investigate his disappearance and submit regular investigation reports. Kazi Mainul Islam, the Inspector (Investigation) of Banani Police Station, reported that since the court's directive, they had submitted 25 reports up until 17 April 2013. [19]

Reaction

Domestic

After news of Ilias Ali's disappearance spread, tensions flared across the country, particularly in his home district of Sylhet. From 18 April, a five-day nationwide hartal (general strike) and a six-day hartal in Sylhet were observed. In response, a political organisation named Ilias Mukti Sangram Parishad (Ilias Freedom Struggle Council) was formed in Sylhet.

Violence erupted across the country. In Bishwanath, Sylhet, Ilias Ali's birthplace, a protest demanding his return led to a three-way clash occurred between the police, Awami League, and BNP supporters. This led to the deaths of Monowar Hossain, a Jubo Dal leader, Selim Ahmed, a Chhatra Dal leader, and Zakir Hossain, a rickshaw puller and BNP supporter, who were shot dead during the conflict. [22] [23]

On 18 April, in Bishwanath, Sylhet, clashes erupted between police and protesters, resulting in over 20 injuries and several individuals were arrested. [24] On 23 April, protesters escalated their actions by attacking the Bishwanath Upazila Parishad, leading to further clashes, vandalism, and arson. As a result, the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development, and Co-operatives ordered the temporary suspension of the chairmen of seven Union Parishad of Bishwanath Upazila, as they were named in the charges related to the incident.

Following this, on 2 July, the Upazila Nirbahi Officer carried out the suspension of all seven UP chairmen simultaneously. [25] [26] [27]

During the protests over Ilias Ali's disappearance, many senior BNP leaders, including the then-Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, were imprisoned.

Three organisations expressed concern over the disappearance of BNP leader Ilias Ali and his driver, calling for a proper investigation. The Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) stated that ongoing disappearances and secret killings threaten human rights and democratic progress. They demanded investigations into all such incidents, including Ali's case, to hold those responsible accountable. The Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh and Jatiya Party (JP) also urged authorities to quickly locate Ali and his driver. [28]

On 18 April 2012, in response to Ilias Ali's disappearance, the BNP sent letters to then-UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the United Nations headquarters in New York and to United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the U.S. State Department.

The party also sent a letter to Joe Crowley, the co-chairman of the Bangladesh Caucus and an influential U.S. Congressman. [29]

International

The international human rights organisation Amnesty International expressed concern over the enforced disappearance of Ilias Ali, a prominent opposition leader, as well as the broader issue of extrajudicial killings in Bangladesh. Amnesty International called on the Bangladesh government to conduct an independent investigation into the recent disappearances of several individuals, including Ilias Ali, and the deaths of protesters during subsequent clashes. They suggested that security forces, particularly the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), might be involved in these disappearances. Amnesty International urged the government to hold those responsible for the disappearances and killings accountable. [30]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) also voiced deep concern over the disappearance of Ilias Ali and his driver. They highlighted the increasing number of enforced disappearances of opposition leaders and political activists in Bangladesh, calling on the government to immediately initiate an independent and impartial investigation. HRW also demanded an independent investigation into the excessive use of force against protesters following Ilias Ali's disappearance. [31]

Additionally, the Parliament of the United Kingdom held a debate on the disappearance of Ilias Ali, where speakers expressed deep concern over recent cases of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in Bangladesh, including Ilias Ali's case. [32]

Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has expressed concern about the disappearance of BNP leader Ilias Ali and the killing of a labour-rights activist leader Aminul Islam, and called for thorough and independent probe into the incidents during a state visit to Bangladesh in 2012. [33]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bangladesh Nationalist Party</span> Political party in Bangladesh

Bangladesh Nationalist Party is a major political party in Bangladesh. Founded on 1 September 1978 by the late Bangladeshi president Ziaur Rahman, with a view of uniting people with a nationalist ideology, BNP later came out as one of the two most dominant parties in Bangladesh, along with its archrival Awami League. Initially being a big tent centrist party, it moved towards more right-wing politics later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rapid Action Battalion</span> Elite Bangladeshi police unit

Rapid Action Battalion is an anti-crime and anti-terrorism unit of the Bangladesh Police. This elite force consists of members of the Bangladesh Army, Navy, Air Force, Police, Border Guard, and the Bangladesh Ansar. It was formed on 26 March 2004 as RAT, and commenced operations on 14 April 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir</span> Student Organization in Bangladesh

Bangladesh Islami Chhatrashibir is an Islamist student organization based in Bangladesh. It was established on 6 February 1977. The organisation is generally understood to be the student wing of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, and several of the leaders of the student organisation have gone on to become notable leaders within Jamaat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Syed Mujtaba Ali</span> Indo-Bangladeshi author and scholar (1904–1974)

Syed Mujtaba Ali was a Bengali writer, journalist, travel enthusiast, academic, scholar and linguist. He lived in Bangladesh, India, Germany, Afghanistan and Egypt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bishwanath Upazila</span> Upazila in Sylhet, Bangladesh

Bishwanath is an upazila of Sylhet District in the Division of Sylhet, Bangladesh.

Ragib Ali is a Bangladeshi-born British industrialist, pioneer tea-planter and educationalist. He is also associated with bank, insurance companies, and many other businesses. He is the founder of Leading University, Sylhet. In 2017, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison for corruption by the lower court, but later on he was granted bail by the Supreme Court, Dhaka

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ilias Ali (Bangladeshi politician)</span> Bangladeshi politician

M Ilias Ali was a Bangladeshi politician and member of the Jatiya Sangsad (2001–2006) representing the Sylhet-2 constituency. He served as the organising secretary of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. He, along with his personal car driver, Ansar Ali, went missing on 18 April 2012. Later that day, local police recovered his abandoned car near his residence in Banani neighborhood and found Ansar's cellphone inside. They have not been seen since. On the tenth anniversary of his disappearance, Netra News, an independent news platform in Sweden, reported on 21 April 2022, that Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), an elite Bangladeshi police unit, had carried out the disappearance. The platform cited leaked confidential documents and internal investigations documents from RAB to reach the conclusion.

Mahbub Ali Khan was a Bangladesh Navy rear admiral and the chief of naval staff from 1979 until his death in 1984. He is known for his heroic actions for his country. Under him, the South Talpatti sandbar and other emerging islands in the Bay of Bengal, over which both India and Bangladesh claimed sovereignty, remained under the authority of Bangladesh. He is also known for reducing piracy in the Bay of Bengal and was responsible for maintaining the security of the Bay and the Sundarbans.

The Khelafat Majlish, also spelt Khelafat Majlis, is a far-right Islamist political party in Bangladesh. The party was founded in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, in 1989 by Deobandi scholar Azizul Haque along with Ahmad Abdul Qadir and former leaders of the National Awami Party and Tamaddun Majlish. Since its founding, it has only ever gained one seat in the country's National Parliament. The party split into two in 2005, with Azizul Haque's faction taking the name Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish.

Abū al-Khayr Muḥammad Ayyūb ʿAlī al-Māturīdī, or simply Ayub Ali, was a Bangladeshi Islamic scholar, author and educationist. He was awarded the Ekushey Padak in 1976 by the Government of Bangladesh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enforced disappearances in Bangladesh</span> Human rights abuse

Enforced disappearances in Bangladesh are cases in which the government of Bangladesh directly or indirectly kidnaps people and holds them incommunicado. According to Dhaka-based human rights group Odhikar, at least 402 people were victims of enforced disappearance from 2009 to 2017 under the Awami League administration. These incidents along with extrajudicial killings in Bangladesh have been criticized by the United Nations and human rights groups including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), a special paramilitary unit in Bangladesh, is alleged to be behind most of these disappearances, but the RAB denies these allegations. The Awami League regime has denied involvement in these forced disappearances even when victims later surface in custody.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ali Amjad's Clock</span> Monument in Sylhet, Bangladesh

Ali Amjad's Clock is the oldest clock tower of Bangladesh and lies on the north bank of the Surma River in the northeastern city of Sylhet. The tower was founded by Nawab Ali Ahmad Khan of Prithimpassa in 1872 and named after his son, Nawab Ali Amjad Khan. It is a popular tourist attraction adjacent to the Keane Bridge and is often used in the establishing shot of films set in Sylhet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Athar Ali Bengali</span> Bangladeshi Islamist politician

Athar Ali was a Bangladeshi Islamic activist, author, teacher and politician. He participated in the Indian independence movement, and was former president of the Nizam-e-Islam Party. Ali was also a khalifah of Ashraf Ali Thanvi, one of the founders of the Deobandi movement.

Muhammad Ashraf Ali was an Awami League politician in Bangladesh and member of parliament for Sylhet-6. He was president of the Sylhet District Awami League and part of the last District Awami League Advisory Council.

Ajmal Ali Choudhury was a Pakistani politician and former Minister of Commerce of Pakistan. He was also a member of the 4th National Assembly of Pakistan. His close relationship with Muhammad Ali Jinnah and contributions during the 1947 Sylhet referendum led to him being known as the Sylhet's Quaid by his supporters. However, he became heavily criticised after supporting Pakistan during the Bangladesh Liberation War.

Karāmat ʿAlī Jaunpūrī, born as Muḥammad ʿAlī Jaunpūrī, was a nineteenth-century Indian Muslim social reformer and founder of the Taiyuni movement. He played a major role in propagating to the masses of Bengal and Assam via public sermons, and has written over forty books. Syed Ameer Ali is among one of his notable students.

Mufakkir al-Islām Ḍiyā' ad-Dīn ibn Muqaddas ʿAlī, better known simply as Zia Uddin or reverentially as Nazim Saheb Huzur, is a Bangladeshi Deobandi Islamic scholar, politician and educationist. He is currently the president of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh and Azad Dini Adarah-e-Talim, and an advisor to Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh. Uddin is also the director of Jamia Madania Angura-Muhammadpur and a member of Al-Haiatul Ulya Lil-Jamiatil Qawmia Bangladesh's permanent committee. He has played important roles in the 2013 Shapla Square protests and Khatme Nabuwwat movement, and has spoken out against the construction of the Tipaimukh Dam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashraf Ali Bishwanathi</span> Bangladeshi Islamic scholar (1928–2005)

Ashraf Ali Bishwanathi (1928–2005) was a Bangladeshi Deobandi Islamic scholar, educator, politician and religious writer. He was called "Baba-e Jamiat" in order to lay the foundation of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh in East Pakistan and present day Bangladesh. He was also the president of the party for 2001 to 2005. He was also the founder of Jamia Islamia Darul Uloom Madania Bishwanath, Madania Qawmia Mahila Madrasa and the literary magazine Monthly Al Farooq.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abdul Momin Imambari</span> Bangladeshi Islamic scholar (1930–2020)

Abdul Momin Shaykh-e-Imambari was a Bangladeshi Islamic scholar, teacher and politician. He was a former president of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh.

Ishaque Ali Khan Panna was a Bangladeshi businessman and general secretary of the Bangladesh Chhatra League. He was a member of the executive committee of the Bangladesh Insurance Association. He was the founder chairman of Diamond Life Insurance Company Limited.

References

  1. ↑ "ইলিয়াস আলী রাজনৈতিক কারণে গুম, দাবি স্ত্রীর". Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 17 April 2014. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  2. ↑ "Politician's disappearance fuels Bangladesh crisis". The San Diego Union-Tribune . 9 May 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  3. 1 2 Hossain, Farid (9 May 2012). "Ilyas Ali, Bangladesh Politician, Kidnapping Sparks Bangladesh Crisis". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  4. ↑ "গুজবের কারণে তদন্ত ব্যাহত হচ্ছে: র‍্যাব". BBC News বাংলা (in Bengali). 25 April 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
  5. ↑ "ইলিয়াসকে না পেলে রোববার থেকে কঠোর কর্মসূচি : খালেদা". banglanews24.com (in Bengali). 24 April 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
  6. ↑ Hammadi, Saad; Burke, Jason (22 April 2012). "Bangladesh police out in force as tension rises over missing politician". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 22 August 2024.
  7. ↑ "খালেদা জিয়ার বিরুদ্ধে মামলার সাফাই সাক্ষী নিখোঁজ ইলিয়াস আলী". Ittefaq. Karwan Bazar, Dhaka. 17 April 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  8. ↑ Islam & Islam, Tipaimukh Dam, ecological disasters and environmental resistance (2016), p. 2.
  9. ↑ Thakur, Understanding the Tipaimukh Dam Controversy (2020)
  10. ↑ Zain Al-mahmood, Syed (24 July 2009). "The Dam Documents". The Daily Star. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  11. ↑ "টিপাইমুখ অভিমুখে 'লংমার্চ' সিলেট পৌঁছেছে". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  12. ↑ "টিপাইমুখ নিয়ে উদ্বিগ্ন সিলেট". BBC News Bangla. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  13. ↑ "টিপাইবাঁধ নির্মাণের প্রতিবাদে সিলেট বিএনপি'র প্রতীকি অনশন". banglanews24.com (in Bengali). 29 December 2011. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  14. ↑ "আমার বিরুদ্ধে ষড়যন্ত্র চলছে: ইলিয়াস আলী". banglanews24.com (in Bengali). 12 December 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  15. ↑ রিপোর্ট, স্টার অনলাইন (5 May 2023). "'টিপাইমুখ বাঁধের বিরুদ্ধে আন্দোলনের জন্য সম্ভবত ইলিয়াস আলীকে গুম করা হয়েছে'". The Daily Star Bangla. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  16. ↑ "ইলিয়াস আলীসহ সব গুম 'রাষ্ট্রের পৃষ্ঠপোষকতায়' হয়েছে: রিজভী". Jugantor. 17 April 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  17. ↑ "Leaked documents: RAB abducted Ilias Ali". Netra News. 21 April 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  18. ↑ "বিএনপি নেতা ইলিয়াস আলী নিখোঁজ". BBC (in Bengali). 18 April 2012. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  19. 1 2 "প্রতিবেদনেই সীমাবদ্ধ ইলিয়াসের 'উদ্ধার তৎপরতা'". bdnews24.com. 13 April 2017. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  20. ↑ "ইলিয়াস আলীর 'অন্তর্ধানে' আদালতে রিট". BBC News বাংলা (in Bengali). 19 April 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  21. ↑ সরকার, আশুতোষ (30 August 2020). "কোথায় হারিয়ে গেলেন ইলিয়াস আলীরা?". The Daily Star Bangla. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  22. ↑ "ফিরে দেখা: ইলিয়াস আলীর গুম, ঐতিহ্যে আগুন". banglanews24.com (in Bengali). 1 January 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  23. ↑ "৩ মাসেই হারিয়ে যেতে বসেছে ইলিয়াস আলী নিখোঁজ রহস্য". banglanews24.com (in Bengali). 17 July 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  24. ↑ "বিএনপি নেতা ইলিয়াস আলী নিখোঁজ". BBC News বাংলা (in Bengali). 18 April 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  25. ↑ "সিলেটের ৭ ইউপি চেয়ারম্যান বরখাস্ত". bdnews24.com. 2 July 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  26. ↑ "ছয় চেয়ারম্যান বরখাস্তের আদেশ স্থগিত". bdnews24.com. 4 July 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  27. ↑ "বিশ্বনাথের সেই সাত ইউপি চেয়ারম্যান ফের বরখাস্ত". Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 3 December 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  28. ↑ "Concern over 'missing' of Ilias Ali". The Daily Star. 20 April 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  29. ↑ "ইলিয়াস আলী গুম : জাতিসংঘ ও স্টেট ডিপার্টমেন্টে বিএনপি'র চিঠি". banglanews24.com (in Bengali). 19 April 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  30. ↑ "Bangladesh: Authorities must account for deaths amid spate of disappearances". Amnesty International. 24 April 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  31. ↑ "Bangladesh: Alarming Rise in 'Disappearances'". Human Rights Watch. 26 April 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  32. ↑ "Ilias Ali". UK Parliament. 24 May 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  33. ↑ Al-Mahmood, Syed Zain (6 May 2012). "Clinton Targets Rights in Bangladesh". The Wall Street Journal . Retrieved 30 August 2024.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.