Case Profile: Muzammil Hussain Simon

Background

Muzammil Hussain Simon is a 33-year-old computer engineer who studied at Mymensingh Zilla School, Ananda Mohan College, and the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology. He is married with two young children. His father served in the Bangladesh Air Force, and his wife studied Marketing at Dhaka University. Muzammil, a practising Muslim, was not part of any movement or organisation but critiqued the ultra-secular elements of Bangladeshi society, leading to false accusations of him being associated with organisations in opposition to the regime of Sheikh Hasina. 

Arrest, Imprisonment & Charges

• On 30 September 2017, Muzammil was arrested by a group of 20-25 police officers led by the former head of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit (CTTC) Monirul Islam, now head of the Detective Branch (DB), in front of his family and subsequently disappeared for 48 days.

- He was later presented publicly with trumped up allegations of being a member of Hizb-ut-Tahrir and Shibir (an independent student organisation not affiliated with Jamaat-E-Islami), and accused of partaking in the murders of secular bloggers.

• He was sentenced under Section 6(1)(a)(i) of the Anti-Terrorism Act for being directly involved in the murders. Muzammil has repeatedly denied being a member of any political party, organisation or group. 

• Muzammil was denied legal rights and access to a lawyer. He was banned from reading books, writing letters and communicating with his family during his imprisonment. His detention has been incommunicado. 

• In 2021, he was sentenced to death by the Anti-Terrorism Tribunal judge Mujibur Rahman, despite the lack of any evidence and contradictions in the charges against him. Furthermore, there were inconsistencies in the confessions which were forcibly obtained through abduction, torture and threats to his family.

• “I was sentenced under section 6(1)(a)(i) of the Anti-Terrorism Act (2013) for being directly involved in the murder, whereas even a person with  basic literacy could see that, even if all the allegations against me were true, there was no  scope to accuse me under section 6(1)(a)(i). Rather, the charge should have been brought under section 6(1)(a)(ii), which does not have the provision for the death penalty; at most, I would have been sentenced to 14 years.” 

Torture & Abuse

• For one month, Muzammil was kept in isolation with his hands, feet and eyes bound. He was subjected to severe beatings and physical abuse. He highlighted the whipping of the soles of his feet as a painful method of torture.

• Muzammil was presented with pre-written confession statements by the police that implicated himself in the blogger murders. After refusing to sign them, the police increased the torture against him and threatened to detain his sick father. Under severe physical and psychological distress, Muzammil signed the statements. 

• Armed police officers were present in the magistrate’s room to ensure he signed the pre-written statements. Muzammil and his father were threatened with further harm if they disclosed the circumstances of his forced confession.

• “Among the various methods of torture, the most  applied one was severe beating on the soles of the feet. I later heard that due to the intense  connection between the soles of the feet and the brain, this is used more on their ‘militant’  prisoners.”

• “I unequivocally and clearly state that I am innocent. I have never been an active or inactive  member of any organisation (public or secret). Neither directly nor indirectly. My confession was obtained under extreme physical and mental pressure.” 

The Anti-Terrorism Act, Anti-Terrorism Tribunal & the Role of the US

• Muzammil’s case was pursued under the Anti-Terrorism Act, using the Anti-Terrorism Tribunal, which expedited his sentencing based on forced confessions.

• The judicial process was marked by irregularities, with the confessions being the sole basis for the death sentence, despite numerous contradictions within them. Furthermore, the confessions were made under duress and after threats of imprisonment against Muzammil’s father. 

• Muzammil stated that the US played a role in supporting his torture as part of their broader counter-terrorism strategy. Furthermore, according to Muzammil, anti-terrorism is an important industry for the Sheikh Hasina regime as it allows for the biggest area of engagement with the US. 

• He argued that the Anti-Terrorism Act in Bangladesh is applied as a tool to suppress dissent and used in the service of foreign nations, in the context of the “War on Terror”.

• “Since the Anti-Terrorism Act has been passed as non-bailable, the principle  for those labelled as terrorists is “imprisonment is desirable, bail is the exception.” 

• “Even after Hasina’s fall, the victims of torture might not speak out, as America directly supports this. The same America, which is engrossed in marketing human rights in its ideological colonialism worldwide, pounces on Muslims like a ferocious hyena. Therefore, the CTTC’s stance is “Terrorism is a very important issue for us because it is the biggest area of direct engagement with America.” 

Current Status

• Muzammil is still being held in prison in Bangladesh despite the collapse of Sheikh Hasina’s regime. 

• His ordeal and experience is mirrored by thousands more who are currently languishing in prisons across the country.

Call to action

CAGE International has set out 6 steps for the comprehensive overhaul of the structures that sustained Hasina's rule. These include the freeing of political prisoners and repealing oppressive laws, especially counter terrorism powers.  See our 6 steps here.

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