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Appendix: Human Rights Watch Questions for the Government of Bangladesh

[No answer received]

Submitted on June 6, 2006 to:

Minister of Home Affairs Lutfozzaman Babar

Minister of Law, Justice and Parliament Affairs Moudud Ahmed

RAB Director General Mohammed Abdul Aziz Sarkar

Submitted on November 8, 2006 to:

President Iajuddin Ahmed, head of the caretaker government

RAB Director General Khoda Baksh

For Human Rights Watch’s research on RAB, we kindly request answers to the following:

1. What were the reasons for creating RAB in 2004?  Why did the government create a new force rather than revamp the police?
2. How successful has RAB been thus far? How many people has it arrested? How many weapons has it confiscated? How are the crime statistics since RAB’s creation?
3. How many RAB members have been killed in the line of duty since RAB’s creation? What are their names, and how and when were they killed?
4. How many RAB members have been wounded in the line of duty since RAB’s creation? What are their names, and how and when were they wounded?
5. How many people has RAB killed in encounter incidents or crossfire since RAB’s creation? What are the killed persons’ names, and when and where were they killed?
6. How many people has RAB wounded in encounter incidents or crossfire since RAB’s creation? What are the wounded persons’ names, and when and where were they wounded?
7. How do you explain the high number of encounter and crossfire deaths involving RAB?
8. What precautions does RAB take to protect the suspects it takes on searches for accomplices or arms?
9. Given the frequency of individuals’ dying in encounter incidents and crossfire, why does RAB keep bringing arrested individuals to search for accomplices or arms?
10. What is RAB’s procedure for an internal investigation after a suspect is killed during an arrest or while in RAB custody?
11. How many investigations into deaths during arrest or in RAB custody has RAB conducted? What were the results of these investigations?
12. How many RAB members or officers have been prosecuted, punished or disciplined since RAB’s creation?
13. What offense were these RAB members or officers punished for?  When were they punished and what was the punishment?
14. Please provide a copy of the legislation on which RAB’s operations are based, including internal regulations.