Publicly reject amendment proposal from police

Expressing grave concern over a recent police proposal seeking amendments to the Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention) Act, Ain o Salish Kendra yesterday demanded that the recommendations, "which are in conflict with the constitution", be publicly rejected.

In a press release, the rights organisation said the government should clearly state that impartial and credible investigations would be conducted over torture allegations and that anyone found guilty would not be spared. Allegations of torture and deaths in custody, which are sheer human rights violations, have arisen against law enforcers, it added. 

The police headquarters sent the recommendations on the act's sections and sub-sections to the home ministry recently, seeking amendments to 14 and dropping of seven. It proposed scrapping Section 12 that says no excuses like war situation, threat of war, political instability, state of emergency, or orders of senior official or the government authorities will be acceptable for any crime under this law.

Piloted by Awami League MP Saber Hossain Chowdhury in 2009 and passed in 2013 in line with a UN convention adopted on December 10, 1984 against torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, the act makes torture in the hands of law enforcers or government officials a punishable offence.

Bangladesh became a signatory to the UN convention on October 5, 1998 during an Awami League-led government.

Moreover, Article 35 (5) of the Bangladesh constitution says, "No person shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman, or degrading punishment or treatment."