The Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,

Having before it the case of Sheik Hasina, a member of the National Parliament of Bangladesh, which has been the subject of a study and report of the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians following the Procedure for the Treatment by the IPU of Communications concerning Violations of the Human Rights of Members of Parliament,

Taking note of the report of the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians, which contains a detailed outline of the case (CL/178/12(b)-R.1),

Taking account of the hearing held by the Committee with two members of the delegation of Bangladesh during 114th IPU Assembly in Nairobi,

Considering the following information on file:

• On 21 August 2004, shortly after she addressed a rally of the Awami League (AL) in the centre of Dhaka, grenades were thrown at Sheik Hasina, the Leader of the Opposition. The attack left her with a permanent hearing disability, killed 25 people and left hundreds maimed for life. Seven other members of parliament sustained injuries from grenade pellets. The attack reportedly involved the explosion of a dozen Arges grenades and occurred in broad daylight, in the presence of more than 300 policemen and scores of government intelligence and surveillance agents;

• According to the source, the crime scene was not protected, and evidence was allowed to be contaminated. Unexploded grenades were not preserved for forensic tests, but detonated instead. No punitive action was reportedly taken against any member of the security personnel for their lapses, and some have reportedly been promoted since.

• According to information provided by the Speaker in January 2004, the investigation has been greatly hampered by the refusal of the AL leadership and Sheik Hasina to have her bulletproof car examined by the investigators. To this, the source replied as follows: After the attack, Sheik Hasina's vehicle was examined on at least six occasions during the period from 24 August to 10 September 2004, and complete access to the bulletproof vehicle was given on demand to the investigators from the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Interpol and their Bangladesh counterparts. Full and unhindered access was reportedly given to the damaged vehicle each time a request was made by a Bangladesh government agency. A few weeks after this work had been completed, the Investigation Officer requested that the vehicle be handed over to the custody of the investigators. However, as it was imperative to repair the vehicle - the only bulletproof vehicle available to Sheik Hasina - and thus to make it roadworthy again, Sheik Hasina's office informed the authorities that, while they could continue to have access to the vehicle, it must remain on Sheik Hasina's premises. The damaged parts of the vehicle were removed, and have since remained at the disposal of the investigating authorities;

• Despite requests of the AL to set up an international commission of inquiry, the Government established a one-member Judicial Inquiry Commission consisting of Justice Md. Joynul Abedin. He delivered a report which has so far not been made public. According to the Speaker, the AL obstructed the investigation by failing to cooperate with the Judicial Inquiry Commission. The source denies this, and affirms that the AL did not prevent any of its workers or activists from giving testimony to Justice Md. Joynul Abedin. Many AL members are said to have provided such testimony. With respect to the public release of the report, the delegation of Bangladesh stated that the evidence gathered would be disclosed during the trial;

• According to the delegation of Bangladesh, assistance has been sought from Interpol, the FBI was involved in the investigation and 20 persons have been arrested in relation with the attack; according to the source, no progress has been made in the investigation and the Awami League has neither been given any updates by government investigating agencies nor been informed of the arrests,

Considering that, according to the delegation of Bangladesh, the entire country was shocked at the grenade attack and the Prime Minister strongly condemned it, requesting harsh punishment for the culprits,

Considering that, with respect to parliamentary action, at a meeting of the parliamentary House Committee on 23 August 2004, members of the opposition party proposed the adoption of an all-party resolution condemning the attack, offering condolences to the survivors of the deceased and prayer for the recovery of the wounded; however, the Committee Chairperson reportedly ruled the resolution out of order; moreover, attempts to discuss the attack in the parliament through adjournment motions have reportedly proved vain,

Noting lastly that, according to the source, Sheik Hasina has been the target of 18 attempts on her life, none of which have reportedly been duly investigated,

Bearing in mind that Bangladesh, as a State party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, is bound to respect the right to life and to security, as guaranteed under Articles 6 and 9,

1. Expresses dismay at the grenade attack of 21 August 2004 targeting Sheik Hasina;

2. Is concerned at the discrepancy in the information provided by the parliament and by the sources regarding progress in the investigation, and would appreciate clarification in this respect;

3. Welcomes the fact that the Government has set up a Judicial Inquiry Commission; and wishes to ascertain what prospect there is that its report may, at least, be brought to the attention of the aggrieved parties;

4. Recalls that it is the duty of all States to provide justice and thus to conduct effective, independent and thorough investigations into any crime in order to identify the culprits and prosecute and punish them in accordance with the law;

5. Also recalls that impunity is a grave breach of human rights, undermines the rule of law and encourages the repetition of crime; and affirms therefore that parliament, as a guardian of human rights, should make every effort to combat and prevent impunity;

6. Notes therefore with deep concern the allegation that the matter of the attack, in which not only the leader of the opposition but also seven other parliamentarians were injured, has not been raised in parliament; and would appreciate receiving the views of the parliamentary authorities in this respect;

7. Affirms that attempts on the life of a member of parliament stand as a threat to all members of that parliament and, ultimately, to the institution of parliament as such and to the people it represents; considers therefore that the parliament of Bangladesh has a vested interest in closely following the investigations into the grenade attack of 21 August 2004 in order to ensure due administration of justice; and calls upon it to do so;

8. Requests the Secretary General to convey this resolution to the Speaker of Parliament, inviting him to provide the requested information and his observations;

9. Requests the Committee to continue examining this case and report to it at its next session, to be held during the 115th IPU Assembly (October 2006).

Note: you can download a complete electronic version of the brochure "Results of the 114th IPU Assembly and related meetings in PDF format (file size 503K approximately ). This version requires Adobe Acrobat Reader, which you can download free of charge.

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