Prime Minister Khalida Zia
Prime Minister's Office
Old Airport Road, Tejgaon
Dhaka
BANGLADESH
Dear Prime Minister,
Human Rights Watch is deeply concerned by the arrest and continued detention without charge of Mr. Rafique Al Islam, a prominent member of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) and presently coordinator of a group of Bangladeshi non-governmental organizations supporting the antipersonnel mine ban. We are writing to urge his immediate release. No reasons have been given for his detention.
Mr. Al Islam, 44 years old, was arrested on the afternoon of Saturday, August 21, 2004, at his home in Cox's Bazar by military officers of the newly formed Rapid Action Battalion, who also seized equipment and documents. Despite repeated requests, neither his family nor his attorney has been given any reason for his detention or the charges against him.
Mr. Al Islam is the Bangladesh country representative of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, which received the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize. He is also the country director of Nonviolence International, a non-governmental organization registered with the government of Bangladesh. Nonviolence International currently coordinates a group of Bangladeshi NGOs that support the landmine ban under the coalition of the "Treaty Implementation and Victim Assistance Working Group for Bangladesh." On behalf of Nonviolence International, Mr. Al Islam has also provided the Bangladesh country update for the ICBL's annual report on landmines, the Landmine Monitor, since the year 2000. Human Rights Watch serves as coordinator of the Landmine Monitor initiative and is a co-founder of the ICBL.
At the time of his arrest, Mr. Al Islam was providing the country update for the ICBL's sixth annual publication, entitled Landmine Monitor Report 2004: Toward a Mine-Free World. This report is scheduled to be released November 18 and subsequently distributed to governments attending the First Review Conference of the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and On Their Destruction in Nairobi, Kenya. As one of the treaty's 143 States Parties, Bangladesh has given its fullest support to implementation of this important international agreement and currently serves in a leadership position as Co-Rapporteur of the treaty's Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction.
Mr. Al Islam has positively engaged with representatives of his government as the ICBL's country representative and during the course of his research for Landmine Monitor. He has attended every meeting of States Parties to the treaty since the year 2000, as well as several important regional meetings, most recently in Afghanistan and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is scheduled to participate and speak at the First Review Conference this November. Mr. Al Islam is one of the more senior members in our coalition and commands our greatest respect. His arrest and detention is therefore very surprising and disturbing to us. We are very concerned for the well-being of our colleague.
We strongly urge you to see that Mr. Al Islam is released without delay. We also request that his family and attorney be informed promptly of the reason for the arrest, any charges against him, and the reasons for his continued detention. We also ask that they be kept informed on where he is being detained and for how long the authorities intend to detain him.
Sincerely,
Stephen D. Goose
Executive Director, Arms Division
Human Rights Watch
CC: Hon. M. Morshed Khan, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Hon. Lutfozzaman Babor, Minister of Home Affairs
