Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention) Act

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Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention) Act is a Bangladeshi law that criminalized torture in custody passed in 2013. [1]

History

Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention) Act was established in 2013 by the government of Bangladesh as part of its commitment to the United Nation's Committee Against Torture. Bangladesh ratified the United Nations Convention against Torture in 1998. [2] [3]

In 2017, Bangladesh Police demanded that the Government of Bangladesh repeal the Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention) Act. [4] [5] Bangladesh Police also requested Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to amend the law to allow bail for law enforcement officers charged under the act. [6]

The Daily Star in 2020 reported that the people were too scared to file cases under the act as they feared reprisals from law enforcement. [2] On 9 September 2020, the first verdict was issued under the Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention) Act. On 8 February 2014, Ishtiaque Hossain Jonny and his brother, Imtiaz Hossain Rocky, got in an argument with two police informant who were drunk and harassing women at a wedding. The brothers were detained by officers from Pallabi police station. In custody Jonny was tortured to death. The court sentenced three police officers from Pallabi police station to life imprisonment over the death of Jonny under the Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention) Act. The court also sentenced two informants to seven years imprisonment. [7] [8] [9] [10]

On 2 April 2020, former Inspector of Amtali Police Station, Manoranjan Mistry, was charged under this act for the death of Shanu Hawlader, a 55 year old farmer, in police custody. [11]

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References

  1. ↑ "When even a good law can't protect you". The Business Standard. 6 March 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  2. 1 2 Sarkar, Ashutosh (2020-09-09). "Custodial deaths: Law there, victims afraid to file cases". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2021-03-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ↑ "Bangladesh and the fight to end torture". The Daily Star. 2019-07-29. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
  4. ↑ "Police want law against custodial torture scrapped". The Daily Star. 2017-01-24. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
  5. ↑ "Police's strange demand". The Daily Star. 2017-01-25. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
  6. ↑ "Custodial Torture, Death: Cops want bail provision for the accused". The Daily Star. 2018-01-09. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
  7. ↑ "Jonny's custodial death case: Lessons learned from the verdict". The Daily Star. 2020-09-29. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
  8. ↑ "Justice for Jonny: Ending impunity for custodial torture at last". The Daily Star. 2020-09-11. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
  9. ↑ "A historic verdict: 3 policemen get life term for custodial death". The Daily Star. 2020-09-09. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
  10. ↑ "'I'm satisfied, sir!': victim's brother weeps after 1st verdict on custodial death". The Daily Star. 2020-09-09. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
  11. ↑ "Barguna custodial death: Suspended Amtali inspector sued". The Daily Star. 2020-04-02. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
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