CAGE says FCO has to answer questions over Briton’s disappearance and staged arrest in Bangladesh

<div> <em>London </em>– CAGE calls on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to answer crucial questions regarding the disappearance of Touhidur Rahman in Bangladesh three months ago and clarify what assistance was given to the family. CAGE was approached by relatives of Rahman’s on 16 June. We encouraged the family to report the incident to the British authorities. His sister Nasera Begum had already reported her brother’s disappearance to the FCO on 3 June. [1] Rahman was paraded in front of the media on Tuesday in a stage managed arrest [2] by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), who claimed that he had confessed to the murders of two bloggers earlier this year. But it is clear that Rahman disappeared three months ago, and the FCO was informed of his disappearance. British complicity in training the RAB was revealed in December 2010 in Wikileaks cables [6], in investigative reports by The Guardian [7], and in an extensive case study report by CAGE [8]. &nbsp; <strong>Ibrahim Mohamoud, spokesperson at CAGE,</strong> said: “The fact that Begum reported her brother missing to the FCO on 3 June shows that the British government was aware of Touhidur Rahman’s disappearance prior to his alleged ‘arrest’.” “Rahman’s family’s pronouncements that he is being framed demand further investigation, given the dubious circumstances around his disappearance, and the likelihood that he has been tortured.” “The British government must seek assurances from the Bangladeshi authorities to release Rahman, and treat him as a full citizen entitled to his rights under international law. Its actions now are of crucial importance in the eyes of all those concerned with human rights.” [ENDS] <hr /> <strong>Notes:</strong> &nbsp; [1] Doubts over arrest of UK man for Bangladesh murders: Al Jazeera - <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/08/doubts-arrest-uk-man-bangladesh-murders-150820113858521.html"><strong>www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/08/doubts-arrest-uk-man-bangladesh-murders-150820113858521.html</strong></a> &nbsp; [2] Ibid &nbsp; [3] Rahman’s arrest shines light on UK complicity in Bangladesh reign of terror: CAGE - <a href="https://cage.ngo/?p=4457"><strong>cage.ngo/article/rahman%E2%80%99s-arrest-shines-light-uk-complicity-bangladesh-reign-terror-0</strong></a> &nbsp; [4] Judge, Jury and Executioner: Torture and Extrajudicial Killings by Bangladesh’s Elite Security Force: Human Rights Watch - <strong><a href="http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2006/12/13/judge-jury-and-executioner">www.hrw.org/en/reports/2006/12/13/judge-jury-and-executioner</a></strong> &nbsp; [5] Doubts over arrest of UK man for Bangladesh murders: Al Jazeera <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/08/doubts-arrest-uk-man-bangladesh-murders-150820113858521.html"><strong>www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/08/doubts-arrest-uk-man-bangladesh-murders-150820113858521.html</strong></a> &nbsp; [6] Wikileaks cables: Bangladeshi ‘death squad’ trained by UK government: The Guardian <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/dec/21/wikileaks-cables-british-police-bangladesh-death-squad"><strong>www.theguardian.com/world/2010/dec/21/wikileaks-cables-british-police-bangladesh-death-squad</strong></a> &nbsp; [7] Tortured while MI5 left the room: The Guardian - <strong><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/may/26/mi5-jamil-rahman-torture-bangladesh">www.theguardian.com/world/2009/may/26/mi5-jamil-rahman-torture-bangladesh</a></strong> &nbsp; [8] Fabricating Terrorism III <strong><a href="http://www.cageprisoners.com/our-work/reports/item/1063-fabricating-terrorism-iii-british-complicity-in-rendition-and-torture">www.cageprisoners.com/our-work/reports/item/1063-fabricating-terrorism-iii-british-complicity-in-rendition-and-torture</a></strong> &nbsp; <hr /> <strong>Press enquiries:</strong> Ibrahim Mohamoud 
Communications officer +(44) 207 377 6700  | <a href="mailto:press@cageuk.org"><strong>press@cageuk.org</strong></a> </div> <div></div>