Ranglai is ordered released on bail and given proper medical treatment
The Daily Star, Thursday, January 8, 2009
Ranglai Mro freed
Traditional leader of Mro community Ranglai Mro was released on bail yesterday after serving around one year in jail.
Mro, chairman of the Sulaok Union Parishad of Bandarban, was arrested on February 22, 2008 from his Bandarban residence. He had been arrested in a criminal case under the Arms Act for illegal possession of weapons.
A High Court (HC) division bench comprising Justice Mohammad Mozammel Hossain and Justice Afzal Hossain Ahmed issued the bail order responding to a petition by his lawyers, says a press release.
Lawyers sought release of Mro on humanitarian ground for his emergency medical treatment. They also argued that Mro had been falsely implicated in this case for the interest of a certain vested quarter.
Mro was hospitalised the day after his arrest in 2008 and was required to obtain urgent medical treatment for blockages in his arteries. He is yet to receive the treatment.
He was again brought to the National Heart Hospital on January 2, but the indigenous leader was kept in bar fetters in the hospital bed.
However, bar fetters were later removed after interventions by human rights organisations Ain O Salish Kendra and the National Human Rights Commission.
[Corrections by Jumma Net: Mr. Ranglai Mro was arrested in February 2007, and spent 1 year and 11 months in jail.]
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Ranglai Mro is admitted at CCU and shackle has been removed
Source: Prothom Alo Date: 05.01.2009
Staff Reporter
A jail authority has at last removed shackle of Ranglai Mro, an indigenous leader, who is now under treatment at Coronary Care Unit (CCU) of National Heart Hospital.
Source said, Ranglai Mro, a small ethnic leader of Bandarban was transferred to National Heart Hospital last Thursday from Chittagong jail after his health condition was deteriorated. He was wearing shackle continuously while in hospital. A jail authority removed the shackle, after a news of this was published in Prothom Alo newspaper. It is learned that Ranglai is suffering not only heart disease but also suffering from chest-back pain and breath problem.
A press release of National Human Rights Commission said, after seeing the news on the newspaper, Chairman of National Human Rights Commission Justice Amirul Kabir Chowdhury, two members Professor Dr. Niru Kumar Chakma and Munira Khan went to see him in hospital. They talked with Ranglai and doctors. National Human Rights Commission has also seen him wearing shackle. Commission asked the authority to remove the shackle immediately and arrange to send him to Bangabandhu Medical College Hospital custody-room. Shamsul Haider, jail superintendant, said Ranglai Mro｢s shackle has been removed yesterday noon considering a humanitarian ground
Bangladesh Indigenous Rights Movement and Nagarik Uddug condemned injustice against Ranglai Mro. They issued two separate press releases and said Ranglai case was false and demanded his immediate release. At the same time they demanded his proper treatment and well behave.
Sultana Kamal, Executive Director of Ain-O-Salish Kendra and former adviser of Caretaker Govt. said they have always protested against the use of shackle. It is State｢s inhuman behavior. Everybody has to raise voice against this behavior.
Ranglai Mro, environmentalist, human rights leader and indigenous leader was three times elected union council chairman from Bandarban city upajila｢s Sualak union. He was arrested by RAB (joint armed force) at early morning on 23rd February of 2007. He fell seriously ill during interrogation in army cantonment in Bandarban and admitted to hospital at the same day. Afterwards he has to spend some more days in the hospital. On 17th June 2007 he was convicted to 17 years jail. Many human rights organizations from outside and inside of Bangladesh and national leaders issued statement about his arrest and torture during his arrest. They also demanded his release. Human Rights activists complained, he was arrested with false case because he spoke about the rights of indigenous peoples.
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Daily Star, Sunday, January 4, 2009
Mro leader kept in chains in hospital
Ranglai Mro, an indigenous community leader who fell seriously ill in
Chittagong Central Jail, was brought to a Dhaka hospital in chains on
Thursday.
Mro, a cardiac patient, is now undergoing treatment at the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) at National Institute Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), still in chains. He was shifted from Chittagong Medical College and Hospital in a critical condition.
Doctors said Ranglai also suffered injuries in his chest and back and that the chains are creating obstacles to proper treatment.
Shirin Sultana Lira, coordinator of Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission, said Mro remains in chains round-the-clock -- during his sleep and even when he goes to toilet. "It is not only inhuman but also illegal," she added.
Lira said, "Ranglai had been taken to hospital three times earlier. The last time he was hospitalised for his cardiac ailments was in November last year. I and two other senior lawyers then requested the prison authorities not to put him in chains during his stay in hospital and they accepted our request. But this time he was brought to hospital in fetters."
According to a high court verdict, only the notorious criminals can be kept in chains round-the-clock, said Nizamul Haque Nasim, a lawyer for Mro.
Mro, a member of the indigenous community, was elected chairman of Shualok Union in Bandarban three times. He was arrested on February 23 in 2007 by the joint forces. He was jailed for 17 years in an arms case on June 13, 2007.
Human rights activists, who are giving legal support to Mro, said he had been taken to Bandarban cantonment after his arrest for interrogation. He was hospitalised on the same day as he fell ill, they added.
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