ASK is seriously concerned at and strongly condemns the arrest and torture of the supporters of the Committee for Protection of Oil and Gas by the police on July 03, 2011.

Different media reported that the National Committee for Protection of Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Electricity and Port called a half-day hartal (general strike) in Dhaka city on July 03, 2011 protesting the contract signed by the government with the US based company Conocophillips. It is also reported that along with more than a hundred leaders and activists many general students have also been injured in random baton-charge and many of them were arrested by the police.

We believe that every citizen has the freedom of expression and opinion. Just as we do not support smashing vehicles in the name of hartal, so don’t we the random baton-charge, detention and arrest in the name of combating hartal. We express grave concern at and strongly condemn such torture by police on the supporters of the Committee for Protection of Oil and Gas. We believe the committee is committed to the movement for protection of national resources and for people’s right to information regarding the resources of the country. We hope that the government will take effective measures to bring a change in such attitude of police in the name of combating hartal.