Case History: Jakia Sultana
On 19 October 2015, the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate granted bail to four human rights defenders arrested on suspicion of human trafficking.
The bail was granted in response to a petition filed by the human rights defenders' counsel, Barrister Bibhuti Tarafdar.
Jakia Sultana is a volunteer with the Adomyo Bangladesh Foundation, a youth organisation which takes care of homeless children. The organisation provides them with shelter, education and computer training as well as vocational training. The organisation runs two schools for homeless children in Sadarghat and Agargaon.
On 19 October 2015, the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate granted bail to four human rights defenders arrested on suspicion of human trafficking.
The bail was granted in response to a petition filed by the human rights defenders' counsel, Barrister Bibhuti Tarafdar.
Front Line Defenders issued an appeal regarding the arrest of the three men and one woman by police in an apartment where the organisation provides shelter for homeless children. According to the police, the human rights defenders failed to present any documentation to verify their work with the organisation.
The police raid on the apartment followed a complaint which was filed with Rampura police by Mr Munir Hossain. He lodged the complaint under the Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking Act 2012, claiming that his nephew, Mobarak, had been picked up from a school in Goran. During the raid Mobarak was found in the shelter apartment, along with other nine children. All children confirmed that members of Adomyo Bangladesh Foundation had offered them shelter as they were homeless. Mobarak confirmed that he was staying at the apartment voluntarily as he was homeless.
On 16 September 2015, Dakha Court rejected a bail petition filed by four detained human rights defenders, Messrs Arian Arif, Jakia Sultana, Hasibul Hasan Sabuj and Firoz Alam Khan Shuvo. They had been arrested on 12 September on false accusations of human trafficking. They will therefore remain in detention until the next court proceeding, which is scheduled to take place on 20 September.
The human rights defenders have been detained since 12 September 2015, when police arrested them in an apartment where the organisation provides shelter for homeless children. According to the police, the human rights defenders failed to present any documentation to verify their work with the organisation.
The police raid on the apartment followed a complaint which was filed with Rampura police by Mr Munir Hossain. He lodged the complaint under the Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking Act 2012, claiming that his nephew, Mobarak, had been picked up from a school in Goran. During the raid Mobarak was found in the shelter apartment, along with other nine children. All children confirmed that members of Adomyo Bangladesh Foundation had offered them shelter as they were homeless. Mobarak confirmed that he was staying at the apartment voluntarily as he was homeless.
