Press Release
The High Commissioner- High Commission of Bangladesh House: No. 1 Street: No. 5 Sector: F-6/3 Islamabad, Pakistan

The current GOB resorted to a policy of brutal repression against Hizb ut-Tahrir since February, 2009, when the party exposed Sheikh Hasina and her government's collaboration in the massacre of officers of the Muslim Army of Bangladesh. Up till now hundreds of party members and activists, along with the party's official spokesman, Mohiuddin Ahmed, have been imprisoned under false cases. They are denied bail despite fulfilling all legal requirements. They are subject to inhumane torture in the name of remand by the infamous Bangladesh police, Rapid Reaction Battalion (RAB) and the Task Force for Interrogation (TFI).

On 13 August, 2011, the GOB instructed the police to launch a brutal crack down on the party's peaceful protest at Muktangon, Dhaka. The police severely beat and injured many members and activists who had to be admitted to the hospital for treatment.  From the place of the protest, police arrested 16 members and activists of the party.  A list of the names of persons arrested is attached with the letter.

After the arrest they were severely tortured during the remand. Some of the inhumane methods of torture are given below:

• They were subjected to electric shock, applied to their genitals.
• They were stripped naked and squashed between slabs of ice for hours.
• They were blindfolded, tied, severely beaten and left hanging upside down, and
• They were forced to stay standing, and deprived of sleep for nights.

 Hizb ut-Tahrir: Wilayah Pakistan calls upon you to communicate the following message to your government from the people of Pakistan:

"The 180 million people of Pakistan strongly condemn the irrational arrest and brutal torture of the members and the activist of Hizb ut-Tahrir by the government of Bangladesh. Such acts by the Bangladeshi government are anti-Islamic, inhumane, criminal, thuggish and brutal.

Hizb ut-Tahrir  is a sincere and aware political party which is working to fulfill the desire that they can live their life under Islamic system. Further more Hizb ut-Tahrir has been dedicated to exposing the treachery of Muslim rulers including Bangladesh, particularly regarding collusion with America and western countries in the war against Islam. Hizb ut-Tahrir for the last fifty-eight years has followed a peaceful political path according to the Prophethood's method to establish a Khilafah "Caliphate".  During its political struggle, Hizb ut-Tahrir faced the brutality of Muslim rulers steadfastly while lengthy imprisonment and martyrdom of many of its Shabab could not force Hizb ut-Tahrir to change its course from peaceful political struggle to militancy. This assertion has been substantiated by numerous international human rights organizations and western think tank reports.

Repression against Hizb ut-Tahrir by the Bangladeshi government is due to the party's stance on the side of Islam, the Khilafah "Caliphate" and the sovereignty of Bangladesh. Thus we demand the immediate release of the arrested members and supporters of Hizb ut-Tahrir and that the government of Bangladesh should abolish all brutal tactics against Hizb ut-Tahrir."

Shahzad Shaikh
Deputy to the Official Spokesman of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Pakistan