CAT/C/34/D/221/2002 Page 4 demanded it. For almost a year during 1995 to 1996, he was not in Bangladesh at all out of fear of being kidnapped and because of death threats. 2.3 In 1995, while on holidays in Bangladesh, the complainant was kidnapped by followers of the BNP and held for four days. During this time he was allegedly severely maltreated and his arms and hands were slashed with knives. The purpose was to make him stop his political activities and his fight against corruption. After four days he was left in the street, and passers-by brought him to hospital. He reported this incident to the police but was not able to name any of his kidnappers as he was blindfolded during the ill treatment. The police were unable to arrest anyone involved. 2.4 In June 1995, the complainant was falsely accused of murder in his home town, Mymensingh. For this reason, and because the police was looking for him he did not stay at home, but mostly in Dhaka. He continued to carry on his political activities in other parts of the country. 2.5 In September/October 1999, the complainant was arrested while taking part in a demonstration in Dhaka. He was accused of kidnapping. He states that the accusation was false and that according to the police report the Awami League was responsible for it. He was released on bail in January/February 2000 after complaining of torture. Throughout his custody, the complainant was subjected to torture, at least once a week for two or three days at the time. He describes the torture as follows; his hair was shaved and water was dropped on his head and poured through his nostrils, he was subjected to electric shocks, and hit with clubs, truncheons and long sticks. He was also electrocuted by being forced to urinate in hot water into which electric cables were introduced. The purpose was to obtain a confession and to stop him from being politically active. According to the complainant’s counsel in Bangladesh, the responsible authorities acknowledged that he had been subjected to maltreatment but not to “more severe forms of torture”, and that sometimes a little force or torture was necessary to obtain “the truth”. The case against the complainant is still pending. 2.6 After his release, the complainant was treated for some time in a private clinic, for his mental and physical sequels of the torture. In May/June 2000, and although the