Bangladesh: Investigate the murder of lawyer Mr. Asadul Hoque | Joint Statement

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BANGLADESH: 24 International organizations and individuals condemn the murder of lawyer Asadul Hoque

The Committee on Attacks on Lawyers, International Association of People’s Lawyers (IAPL), Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights (BIHR), JusticeMakers Bangladesh, Lawyers for Lawyers Bangladesh and Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada (LRWC) condemn the murder of senior lawyer Mr. Asadul Hoque in Bangladesh and call for exemplary punishment against the culprit after quick and impartial investigation.

The report published in the Bangladesh media including the NewAgeBd state that lawyer Asadul Hoque was killed at his residence at Rangpur in Bangladesh on June 5th. The deceased practiced as a senior lawyer of the district session judge court in Rangpur district.

He was killed after his throat was slit when the murderer entered his house while he was preparing to go to the mosque. Late the police went to the location, recovered the body and arrested one of the perpetrators.

The killing of a lawyer is not an isolated incident in Bangladesh. Rather the killing, harassment, intimidation, and physical attacks against lawyers are common phenomena in Bangladesh.

The Committee on Attacks on Lawyers, International Association of People’s Lawyers (IAPL), Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights (BIHR), JusticeMakers Bangladesh, Lawyers for Lawyers Bangladesh and Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada (LRWC), as well as other organizations and individuals around the world, condemn the murder and call for exemplary punishment of the culprit after quick and impartial investigation by the committee headed by a justice of the High Court division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh.

We also call upon the Bangladeshi authorities to ensure the physical, psychological and financial integrity of the family members of the deceased.

Furthermore, we urge the government of Bangladesh to ensure the protection of all lawyers from all kinds of violence, harassment, threats and other forms of violence in Bangladesh in the exercise of their professional duties.

ADDITIONAL SIGNATORIES:

Mohammad Alamgir, Advocate, Judge Court, Dhaka Bangladesh

Naorin Amina, Student, University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh

Gill H. Boehringer, Former Dean, Macquarie University School of Law, Sydney Australia

Martin S. Flaherty, Leitner Family Professor of International Human Rights Law, Fordham Law School, New York USA

Patrick Henry, Lawyer, Brussels Belgium

Biplob Karmakar, RTI activist & columnist, Cumilla Bangladesh

Md.Morshedul Islam, Advocate, Judge Court, Sirajganj Bangladesh

Leitner Center for International Law and Justice, New York USA

Binoy Krishna Mallick, Executive Director, Rights Jessore, Jessore Bangladesh

Saif ul Malook, Advocate, Lahore Pakistan

Adv Al Mamun, Judge court Naogaon, Bangladesh

Monitoring Committee on Attacks on Lawyers, International Association of People’s Lawyers (IAPL)

Khodadad Khan Pitu. President, District Advocate Bar Association, Naogaon Bangladesh

Dr. KP Pradeep, Lawyer, Kochi India

Ole Reitov, Independant expert on artistic freedom and human rights. Copenhagen Denmark

Stuart Russell, Canadian lawyer, Australian law professor and administrative judge (retired), Bordeaux France

Shahanur Islam Saikot, Human Rights Defender, Lawyer & Blogger, Bangladesh

Veerawit Tianchainan, Thailand

For background information please consult:

Lawyer killed in Rangpur city, New Age Bangladesh, 5 June 2020

Lawyer murdered in Rangpur, Dhaka Tribune, 5 June 2020

Lawyer slaughtered in Rangpur, Daily Sun, 5 June 2020

Ex-APP hacked to death in Rangpur: Bar Assoc seeks exemplary punishment to the killers, Daily Sun, 6 June 2020

For further information contact:

Advocate Shahanur Islam Saikot
saikotbihr@gmail.com
Cell +8801720308080

Stuart Russell
Monitoring Committee on Attacks on Lawyers/Comité de surveillance des attaques contre les avocats
International Association of People’s Lawyers (IAPL)
Web: http://iapl.net/