# Operation Clean Heart

Operation Clean Heart was an anti-crime operation jointly carried out by Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Navy, Bangladesh Rifles, Bangladesh Police and Bangladesh Ansar members in Bangladesh. The operation was carried by the government of Bangladesh headed by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

## Operation

The operation took place from 16 October 2002 to 9 January 2003 led by Bangladesh Army. Brad Adams of Human Rights Watch criticised the shoot at sight order given by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Ashraful Huda to the police during the operation phrase. More than 40,000 security personnel participated in the operation. The security forces included 24,023 army personnel and 339 navy personnel along with personnel from Bangladesh Police, Bangladesh Ansar, and Bangladesh Rifles. The joint forces arrested 11,245 suspects during the course of the operation. It seized 2,028 firearms and nearly 30,000 bullets.
Hundreds were injured and 44 died in custody. Human Rights Watch had claimed 60 people were killed in the operation. The Government of Bangladesh claimed 12 of those deaths in custody were from heart attacks. Awami League leader Saber Hossain Chowdhury and Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, cousin of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, were detained during the operation. The Army also raided the Awami League office and seized documents.
On 9 January 2003, Bangladesh government created an indemnity law, that provided legal protection to security personnel who participated in the operation. It was approved in the parliament of Bangladesh on 24 February 2003. Sultana Kamal, activist, criticized the indemnity ordinance. Justice Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik criticized the drive and indemnity ordinance. After the operation ended, Rapid Action Battalion was created in 2004 with personnel from Bangladesh Police, Bangladesh Ansar, Bangladesh Rifles, Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Air Force, and Bangladesh Navy.

## Legacy

Z I Khan Panna, a lawyer of the Bangladesh Supreme Court, had filed a petition against the indemnity ordinance on 14 June 2012. He was represented by Shahdeen Malik. On 29 July 2012, justices Mirza Hussain Haider and Kazi Md. Ejarul Haque Akondo asked the government of Bangladesh to explain why it should not declare the ordinance illegal and order it pay 1 billion taka compensation to the victims. In November 2015, the Bangladesh High Court declared the indemnity ordinance illegal and scrapped it. The verdict was given by Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Ashraful Kamal of the High Court Division.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina referred to Operation Clean Heart when defending her administrations record on human rights on 16 August 2020 following criticism by Bangladesh Nationalist Party which was in power when the operation was launched.

## Deaths in the operation

| Name | Age | Profession | Date Detained | Date died | Remarks | Location |
| Shafiqul Islam | 16 | Jatiyotabadi Chattra Dol Activist | 17 October 2003 | 17 October 2003 | Killed in firing on protestors | Bogra |
| Md. Yakub Ali | 40 | Bangladesh Nationalist Party activist | 17 October 2003 | 17 October 2003 | Died in custody | Dhaka |
| Jahangir Hossain | 38 | Bangladesh Nationalist Party activist | 17 October 2003 | 17 October 2003 | Died in custody | Dhaka |
| Abul Khayer Molla | 50 | Bangladesh Nationalist Party activist | 19 October 2003 | 19 October 2003 | Died in Gopalganj Sadar Hospital after detention | Gopalganj |
| Afzal Hossain | 25 | Bangladesh Nationalist Party activist | 21 October 2003 | 21 October 2003 | Died in Savar Combined Military Hospital after detention | Savar |
| Amirul Islam Rocket | 35 | Awami League Bhola District GS | 22 October 2003 | 22 October 2003 | Died in Bhola Sadar Hospital after detention | Bhola |
| Saifuzzaman | | | 21 October 2003 | 22 October 2003 | | Gaibandha |
| Nazmul Islam Milan | 40 | Awami Jubo League activist | 23 October 2003 | 23 October 2003 | Died in Rajshahi Medical College hours after detention | Rajshahi |
| Abdul Aziz Sardar | 47 | Bangladesh Nationalist Party activist | 23 October 2003 | 25 October 2003 | | Pangsha |
| Khorshed | 35 | labourer | 26 October 2003 | 26 October 2003 | Beaten while sleeping by army soldiers | Ramgati |
| Masum Biswas | 38 | Awami Jubo League activist | 27 October 2003 | 27 October 2003 | Cousin of Sheikh Helal, member of parliament | Dhaka |
| Kala Chand Tripura | | police constable | 28 October 2003 | 28 October 2003 | Died in Chittagong Medical College Hospital | Chitttagong |
| Abul Hossain Litu | 27 | Farmer | 28 October 2003 | 28 October 2003 | Army claimed died while trying to escape | Savar |
| Jamir Uddin | | | 29 October 2003 | 29 October 2003 | Died in Gopalganj Thana Health Complex | Golapganj |
| Abu Syed Delu | 22 | | 29 October 2003 | 29 October 2003 | Died in Chest Disease Hospital | Dhaka |
| Jennifer Syed King | 25 | Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal activist | 29 October 2003 | 30 October 2003 | | Panchagar |
| Tota Mia | 37 | Awami Jubo League activist | 30 October 2003 | 30 October 2003 | Died within hours of detention | Madaripur |
| Mizanur Rahman Busha | 40 | Jubo Dal activist | 29 October 2003 | 1 November 2003 | | Chuadanga |
| Lebu Mia | 45 | Farmer | 30 October 2003 | 1 November 2003 | | Habiganj |
| Abdul Haque | 32 | Microbus driver | 25 October 2003 | 4 November 2003 | Osmani Medical College Hospital | Sylhet |
| Rashedul Hasan | 35 | Assistant film director | 2 November 2003 | 7 November 2003 | | |
| Saiful Islam | 22 | Jubo Dal activist | 8 November 2003 | 8 November 2003 | Feni Sadar Hospital | Feni |
| Abu Sufian | 30 | | 9 November 2003 | 9 November 2003 | Died in Bangladesh Army camp Mohammadpur | Dhaka |
| Haji Abul Kashem | 73 | | 1 November 2003 | 10 November 2003 | Tangail General Hospital | Tangail |
| Zahirul Islam Mia | 25 | Jubo Dal activist | 19 November 2003 | 19 November 2003 | Mitford Hospital | Dhaka |
| Unidentified | 40 | | 19 November 2003 | 19 November 2003 | Mitford Hospital; Army gave to police in critical condition | Dhaka |
| Tasu Mia | 45 | Businessman | 19 November 2003 | 20 November 2003 | Army claimed he was hit by a bus | Dhaka |
| Masum | 30 | | 19 November 2003 | 21 November 2003 | Dhaka Medical College and Hospital | Dhaka |
| Hakim | | Labourer | 13 November 2003 | 21 November 2003 | Injured in a crossfire with army and criminals | Dhaka |
| Shariful Mallik | 26 | | 1 November 2003 | 21 November 2003 | Died on way to Khulna Medical College Hospital | Khulna |
| Arju Mia | 38 | | 25 November 2003 | 21 November 2003 | Gazipur Sadar Hospital | Gazipur |
| Tipu Biswas | 35 | Jubo Dal activist | 30 November 2003 | 30 November 2003 | Died in Army custody | Khulna |
| Abdus Sattar | | Businessman | 10 December 2003 | 10 December 2003 | Bogra Mohammadpur Hospital | Bogra |
| Nabi Hossain Kahn | 50 | Rickshawpuller | 14 December 2003 | 14 December 2003 | Found dead in a pond after being detained by the Army | Narsinghdi |
| Jasim Uddin | 25 | | 15 December 2003 | 15 December 2003 | Combined Military Hospital | Dhaka |
| Shafiuddin Swapan | 35 | Jubo Dal activist | 16 December 2003 | 16 December 2003 | Dhaka Medical College and Hospital | Dhaka |
| Omar Faruk | 46 | | 15 December 2003 | 16 December 2003 | Brother of Bangladesh Nationalist Party activist | Dhaka |
| Ibrahim Khalil Ibu | | Chhatra League activist | 15 December 2003 | 16 December 2003 | Dhaka Medical College and Hospital | Dhaka |
| Mir Jahirul Rabin | 22 | Tejgaon College student | 4 December 2003 | 16 December 2003 | Dhaka Medical College and Hospital | Dhaka |
| Abu Barek Rubel | 24 | | 16 December 2003 | 16 December 2003 | Boalkhali Hospital | Boalkhali |
| Yusuf | 34 | | 20 December 2003 | 20 December 2003 | Combined Military Hospital | Dhaka |
| Mohammad Rashed | 25 | | 25 December 2003 | 25 December 2003 | | Sandwip |
| Unidentified | | leader of an outlaw party | 6 January 2004 | 6 January 2004 | Died a few hours after detention | Pabna |
| Abdul Khaleq Sarkar | 28 | Businessman | 8 January 2004 | 8 January 2004 | Gazipur Sadar Hospital | Gazipur |