brother said that she was targeted in TORTURE AND OTHER ILL-TREATMENT retaliation for his criticism of the government. On 10 March, political cartoonist Ahmed COMMUNAL VIOLENCE Kabir Kishore filed a case with the metropolitan sessions judge’s court in the In October, at least 40 pandals (temporary capital, Dhaka, under the Torture and structures made for the Hindu religious Custodial Death (Prevention) Act 2013. He ceremony of Durga Puja) and 25 homes and accused state security agencies of torturing properties belonging to members of the him in custody.3 He had been detained along Hindu community were damaged or set on with writer Mushtaq Ahmed in May 2020 fire during and after the Durga Puja, the under the Digital Security Act, for posting country’s biggest Hindu festival. The satirical cartoons and comments on authorities filed at least 71 cases across the Facebook, critiquing the government’s country, arrested more than 450 people and response to the Covid-19 pandemic. accused 10,000 unidentified people in Mushtaq Ahmed died after 10 months in connection with the violence that erupted prison without trial. The government’s following allegations on social media that a investigative committee concluded that he copy of the Qur’an, the holy book of Islam, died of natural causes. He had been denied had been desecrated at a puja pandal. At bail at least six times. Ahmed Kabir Kishore least seven people were killed and hundreds told Amnesty International that he was injured in violent clashes across the country. forcibly disappeared from his Dhaka A lack of proper investigations into previous residence at least three days prior to the date incidents of communal violence created an stated in official records of his arrest. He environment of impunity. added that both he and Mushtaq Ahmed FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY were tortured in custody by state security agents. The cartoonist required a hearing aid According to local human rights group Ain o after losing the hearing in his right ear. Salish Kendra, 157 people were killed and EXTRAJUDICIAL EXECUTIONS AND 10,833 injured in 932 incidents of political ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES violence and clashes with the police and between supporters of ruling and opposition According to Ain o Salish Kendra, at least 80 political parties during the year. people were subjected to extrajudicial Opposition leaders were detained and executions during the year. Among them, 73 otherwise prevented from carrying out people were killed allegedly in “shootouts” or protests throughout the year. “crossfire” and seven others died after they On 25 March, at least 14 people, including were subjected to physical torture. Odhikar, a journalist, were injured at a demonstration another local human rights organization, that opposed the visit of Indian prime reported that 18 people were allegedly minister Narendra Modi to Bangladesh. subjected to enforced disappearance in the On 26 October, police prevented supporters first nine months of the year. and activists of the leading opposition Despite allegations of hundreds of enforced Bangladesh Nationalist Party from carrying disappearances reported in the media, the out a “peace rally” to protest against government continued to deny them. In some communal violence in the country. Police cases they justified extrajudicial executions alleged that the party did not have permission as “self-defence” by the security forces. to hold a rally; however, having to seek Police frequently attributed deaths of permission contravenes the right to peaceful suspects to “gunfights”, “shootouts” or assembly. At least 44 members and “crossfire”. In many cases, the fact that these supporters of the party were detained during deaths occurred after victims had been taken clashes with the police. into police custody raised concerns that the victims were extrajudicially executed by the Amnesty International Report 2021/22 87