Showing newest posts with label Law. Show older posts

Cross Fire or encounter killing is a well known term in the Indian subcontinent. Its the killing of people under custody of police/RAB and making a story like they wanted to escape and was shot in the back while fleeing. However its ironic that no member of police/RAB was killed in the cross fire.

Sultana Razia, a researcher with Odhikar sheds a light on the history of encounter killing in Bangladesh:

In 1972, the paramilitary group Jatiya Rakkhi Bahini came into force and had become infamous for its extrajudicial executions until it was absorbed into the army in 1975. Now, since the formation of the elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in March 2004, such killings are again on the rise and are being categorised under a new vocabulary of "crossfire," "extrajudicial killings," "encounters," etc.

"Crossfire" is an extrajudicial execution that is in flagrant violation of Bangladesh's constitution and the international human rights conventions of which the country is a party.

Although some people believe that extrajudicial killing of hardened criminals helps ease the problem of "terrorism," in reality, it encourages lawlessness and aggravates "state terrorism." In different countries across the world, people in power have created an impression that killing "terrorists" without bringing them to justice can help curb "terrorism," but such extrajudicial killings, in fact, can neither bring peace nor eradicate "terrorism."

Since the formation of the RAB, there has been a rising trend of "deaths in crossfire." The number of deaths in RAB custody is also alarming.

Renowned photo journalist and blogger Shahidul Alam of Drik is organizing a photo exhibition on Cross Fire which will take place from 22-31 March in Drik Gallery, Dhaka. In an article in BDNNEWS24.com Mr. Alam accuses the BNP law minister Moudud Ahmed of defending extra judicial killing:

রেবের উদ্যোক্তা মওদুদ আহমদকে অস্ট্রেলীয় সাংবাদিক জন পিলজার ‘ভদ্র ও সাহসী’ মানুষ বলছিলেন বলে আমি খুব বিরক্ত হয়েছিলাম।

মওদুদের কথার পরতে পরতে ছিলো ন্যায় বিচার অগ্রাহ্য করার সুর।

“যদিও আপনারা টেকনিক্যালি একে বিচারবহির্ভূত বলতে পারেন। আমি কিন্তু বলবো না হত্যাকাণ্ড, বলবো বিচারবহির্ভূত মৃত্যু। মৃত্যু আর হত্যা কিন্তু এক জিনিস নয়… যাই -ই বলুন মানুষ কিন্তু খুশি।”

দুর্নীতিগ্রস্ত একটি পুলিশবাহিনী ও দুর্বল বিচার ব্যবস্থার অজুহাত দেখিয়ে আইনমন্ত্রী এরকম একটি বাহিনীকে ন্যায্যতা দেওয়ার চেষ্টা করেছেন।

He criticizes the current government of ignoring their electoral pledge that they will stop the cross fire. Howver the current home minister has denied that such cross fire exists in Bangladesh. Perhaps she needs to look at these incidents mapped in Google map.

It is about time Bangladesh should do something about the extra judicial killings it has witnessed for many years. Ever since Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) started operating in 2004 to stop spiraling crime, they have made a practice of killing criminal suspects in detention. Torture methods used by the force include beatings, boring holes in suspects with electric drills, and the application of electric shock.

Human Rights Watch reported about it several times and they have published a 79 page report on this.

The Awami League MP Saber Hossain Chowdhury has proposed a bill in parliament titled "Torture And Custodian Death Prohibition Bill 2009". You can read the contents of the bill from here (pdf file).

It deals with provisions implying that the the authorities should record complaints from the victims, give protection to the victim, a special prosecutor should lead the trial proceedings, punishment of the law enforcement agency officials who commit such act.

I think every political party should back this bill and help implement this as soon as possible.

In early 1992, 18-year-old Lia McCord got an offer she couldn't refuse.: Go to Bangladesh, pick up some packages and return home to Texas with $20,000. Simple.

However, the packages were in fact heroin and her contact was violent and controlling. Following a botched escape from her hotel McCord was arrested at Zia International Airport in Dhaka with 7 lbs. of heroin strapped to her body. It was then that her descent into hell really began. She narrowly escaped the death penalty, but was sentenced to 30 years.

As a model prisoner, she came to the attention of Congressman Bill Richardson, who appealed to the President of Bangladesh. It was successful, and she was released in July 1996. She now lives and works near Washington DC.



The full report is in the National Geographic.

(Via Voice of Bangladeshi Bloggers)

During the Bonian war in July 1995 an estimated 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys were killed in the region of Srebrenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina by units of the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) under the command of General Ratko Mladić during the Bosnian War. The Srebrenica massacre is the largest mass murder in Europe since World War II. (Wikipedia).

Prior to the genocide, the United Nations had declared Srebrenica a UN protected "safe area", but that did not prevent the massacre, even though 400 armed Dutch peacekeepers were present at the time.

The father, mother and brother of Hasan Nuhanovic and the husband/father of the Mustafic family were among the people who were actually forced to leave the Dutch UN contingent's compound at Potocari and were effectively hande dover to be killed by the Bosnian Serbs under Ratko Mladic. Hasan and the Mustafic's are bringing a civil action in the Dutch courts on 16 June to hold the Dutch government to account for their failure to protect their relatives. Here is the press release. Please circulate it.

PRESS RELEASE

Amsterdam, 1 June 2008:

THE DUTCH STATE FAILED IN ITS DUTY TO PROTECT CIVILIAN VICTIMS OF GENOCIDE AT SREBRENICA

Civil action due to be heard at 10 a.m. on 16 June 2008 in the District Court at The Hague (Prins Clauslaan 60, The Hague, Netherlands).

On 16 June 2008 the District Court at The Hague will hear the first civil action brought against the Dutch State by relatives of the victims of genocide at Srebrenica. Hasan Nuhanovic and the family of Rizo Mustafic are seeking to establish that the Dutch state is responsible for the failure of Dutch troops acting under a United Nations mandate to protect their family members massacred at Srebrenica in July 1995.

Hasan Nuhanovic, a U.N. interpreter who lost his father, mother and younger brother, and the family of Rizo Mustafic, an electrician employed by the Dutch battalion of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR), claim that the Dutch government failed to protect the lives of their relatives after the safe area established by U.N. Security Council Resolution around the town of Srebrenica in Eastern Bosnia was allowed to fall into the hands of the Bosnian Serb Army.

The Nuhanovic and Mustafic families were among thousands of refugees who sought protection inside the compound of the U.N. base at Potocari but were then delivered by the Dutch UNPROFOR forces into the hands of Serb General Ratko Mladic. Dutch soldiers in U.N. blue helmets are alleged to have watched on as women and young girls were taken away and raped and men and boys separated before being taken away for summary execution.

In a tort action against the Dutch state in which much of the legal debate revolves around the division of responsibility between the United Nations and national states, the plaintiffs' lawyer Liesbeth Zegveld will argue that the Dutch government and the Dutch command within UNPROFOR were responsible for the gross negligence shown by Dutch troops, were primarily concerned for the safety of their national contingent and showed scant regard for the safety of the civilian population entrusted to their care.

Please see the full press release here.

Update: Srebrenica Families’ Anger at Removal of Judge:

It is unclear why Judge Bart Punt has left the case, which is to be heard at the Hague District Court on June 16. However, victims’ families are outraged that he is going after working on it for three years, and fear it could affect the final verdict.

In January 2007, families welcomed an interim decision by Judge Punt which supported the view that Dutch soldiers at Srebrenica should have evacuated Mustafic along with them because he was employed by the UN. Instead, according to the claimants, a Dutch personnel officer sent him away and he was captured by Bosnian Serbs.

In 2002, Dutch prime minister Wim Kok and his government resigned after a report found the state partly responsible for the fall of the UN-protected area.

Bangladesh government has introduced a tougher law to combat religious terrorism in the country. The Anti-Terrorism Ordinance 2008 passed this week empowers:

* The Central Bank to freeze the accounts of a suspected terror financier.
* judges to impose death penalty for terror financing and staging murder to create panic and jeopardize the country's sovereignty. Special tribunals will be constituted to deal with such offenses.
* Anyone resorting to murder, kidnapping or damaging property to create panic among the people and jeopardize the country's security by using explosives, arms and chemicals, will be charged with committing terrorist offense.

These will provide a deterrent to the terrorist outfits who are funded from terrorist cocoons like the Middle East and not surprisingly UK.

Although considering the population Bangladesh is a Muslim majority country it enjoys much liberal legal and cultural environment since its inception. The common perception of many who knows Bangladesh less is that it is one of these monarchy or religious party controlled state with Sharia in place. Quite contrast to that most of the Bangladesh's legal system are based on the British laws (imposed during the colonial era) and some renovations. India and Bangladesh recognizes some religion specific rules regarding marriage and inheritance. But Pakistan adopted full Sharia law in their legal systems in 1979.

Bangladesh broke away from Pakistan after a bloody liberation war in 1971. The Pakistani army carried out a genocide of many Hindus and Bengali Muslims who were deemed not proper Muslims and secessionists.

The fundamental principles of Bangladesh constitution of 1972 were:
- Democracy
- Nationalism
- Secularism
- Socialism (this principle was generally considered for social justice particularly for the disadvantaged.)

According to the section on fundamental rights, all men and women are equal before the law, without discrimination based on religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth. The Constitution also guarantees the right to assemble, hold public meetings, and form unions. Freedom of speech and of the press are ensured. Persons who have been arrested must be informed of the charges made against them, and they must be brought before a magistrate within twenty-four hours.

Bangladesh was fundamentally a secular country when it was born. The Islamic parties supported Pakistan during the war and was a party to the crime the Pakistan Army committed in 1971 in the name of curling insurgency. So after the war many of their leaders went on to hiding and returned to normal life after a mass pardon.

Then the father of nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman inclined towards Socialism and was assassinated in 1975 by a military coup. Military dictatorship (and autocratic puppet democracy by military rulers) ruled Bangladesh till 1990 when democracy was truly restored. The leaders of the Jamaat returned to Bangladesh during the rule of the military rulers Zia and Ershad and some were even helped to restore in politics. For an example is the case of Abdul Kader Molla, who became known as "the Butcher of Mirpur," a Dhaka suburb which in 1971 was populated mainly by non-Bengali Muslim immigrants. Today, he is the publicity secretary of Jamaat e Islami Bangladesh. In 1996 the more progressive political party Awami League joined hand in hand with Jamaat e Islami to make a electoral pact to contest the election against then ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

"The Constitution as originally framed in 1972 explicitly described the government of Bangladesh as "secular," but in 1977 an executive proclamation made three changes in wording that did away with this legacy. The proclamation deleted "secular" and inserted a phrase stating that a fundamental state principle is "absolute trust and faith in the Almighty Allah." The phrase bismillah ar rahman ar rahim (in the name of Allah, the beneficent, the merciful) was inserted before the preamble of the Constitution. Another clause states that the government should "preserve and strengthen fraternal relations among Muslim countries based on Islamic solidarity."

State support for Islam, including recognition of Islam as the state religion in the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution in June 1988, has not led to official persecution of other religions. Despite agitation by Jamaat e Islami (Congregation of Islam) and other conservative parties, there was no official implementation of sharia (Islamic law) as of mid-1988".(source)

In fact in 2001 a Bangladesh court banned Fatwa which was a blow to the Islamists.

So there are many Bangladeshi laws to safeguard the society from religious fanatics and restrictions on freedom of expressions. But in effect many people do not know of their rights. In rural areas mosque based religious leaders are respected and people are afraid to counter their unlawful acts.

A couple of months ago Mufti Fazlul Huq Amini, chairman of Islami Oikkojote (Islamic confederation) had the audacity to proclaim a Fatwa in a press release that by announcing the new National Women Development policy (promoting equal right of women), the caretaker government has spoken against the Koran, and are thus considered apostates.

His Fatwa was unchallenged and in fact the Government took no steps other than a meek protest.

So it remains to be seen whether the new laws are not politically manipulated and thus become truly effective. People has to be aware of these regulations to fight the bigotry and Jihadi ideologies.

From Canada Free Press:

Kidnapped from his own office, which had been stormed by members of Bangladesh’s Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) at 7 p.m. Dhaka time last night, anti-Jihadist Muslim journalist Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury was questioned for hours.

When RAB stormed the offices of Choudhury’s newspaper, Weekly Blitz, they ordered his employees out and interrogated Choudhury, seizing his telephones and not allowing him any communication, friends or legal counsel.

“After more than an hour and a half on the scene, RAB claimed to find a controlled substance in Shoaib’s desk—an allegation that Shoaib’s friends and associates claim is impossible,” his American friend Dr. Richard Benkin told Canada Free Press (CFP) last night. “His brother, Sohail claims that any evidence had to be planted.”

“Shoaib was blindfolded and taken to an RAB interrogation center in Dhaka, where, according to Shoaib, his captors verbally abused him for hours, repeatedly calling him a “Zionist spy and agent of the Jews”. They used expletives to refer to journalists against whom RAB has a record of harassing, and the United States Congress, which passed a resolution in Shoaib’s support. The verbal assault, which included numerous threats, continued for another three hours until someone RAB described as a “high government official” telephoned and ordered them to release him. When Shoaib asked about the contrived drug charge, he was told they would not pursue it.”

Apparently all these drama had only tarnished the country's image. What were they trying to achieve?

Last week I reported about the bloggers reactions on the controversies surrounding the exhibition of the masterpieces of Ganges in Musée Guimet of France from the collections of the Bangladesh museums.

The apprehensions of the art lovers who were protesting the unclear processes of sending the artifacts including their fear of loss, theft, replication, even accident (on the way) came true as on Dec 22, one of the 13 crates in the 2nd shipment of artifacts to Musée Guimet in Paris vanished from the tarmac of ZIA International Airport, Dhaka.

Shafiur of Imperfect | world | 2008 reports:

Ah yes the bumbling and incompetent Inspector Clouseau must have been in charge of the precious bits and pieces at Zia Airport the other day when the nation’s heritage was under the care of Air France. Two priceless pieces have gone walkies. And the rest have been returned to the national museum as the powers that be finally resolved to not send the stuff to the Guimet in Paris. As I said in an earlier post, this whole thing at the Guimet lacked process even apparently the final decision to send them according to the New Nation.

And amazingly, Ayub Quadri, the education and cultural adviser to the inappropriately named “caretaker” government, is mulling resignation. I guess he is hoping Monsieur Clouseau will find the priceless Vishnu artefacts and save his skin.

Meanwhile I reckon Inspector Clouseau’s spokesman has started the damage limitation exercise at the French embassy in Dhaka. They reckon the whole thing was “highly suspicious.” Mon dieu! Yes it gets better. And they are effectively blaming those people who objected to the exhibition for the theft! This is a quote from their press release:

‘’… could also be the result of a conspiracy by a very small nexus of people to embarass France and Bangladesh.'’

Although according to the agreement the transport of the artifacts were responsibility of borrower (i.e. the French authorities), there were lapses in securities as the masterpieces were left in tarmac for three hours unattended. A local news source reports:

Homebound, the shipping agent hired by France, had declared the 145 artefacts awaiting shipment to Paris as ‘general cargo’, leading to the crates being left unattended for three hours on the tarmac and the theft of two Vishnu statues.

Meanwhile grapevines (as not supported by a second source) kept appearing in the media:

A confirmed source told Weekly Blitz that the authorities of Guimet Museum is now looking into legal aspects of holding the whole batch of first consignment of artifacts sent from Bangladesh for, what Guimet says, non performance of the contractual obligation of the authorities in Dhaka in sending the second consignment of artifacts.

Further report in a Bangla blog (chemical Ali) quoting a museum official suggests [bn]:

"the French officials requested Bangladesh national museum officials to quote the value of the artifacts so that insurance value becomes lower and promised that they will carefully handle them. The Bangladeshi museum officials were also lured with the chance to visit France alon gwith the artifacts which made them co-operate."

Arup at Sachalayatan posts an interview which tells that the French authorities have opened the first lot of the artifacts without the presence of the accompanying Bangladeshi officials, which is the due process.


And finally everybody loses as broken pieces of the two 1500 year old relics were found in a dump yard in the outskirts of Dhaka city. Apparently the petty thieves were trying to cover up their crime and could not handle the hunt on them.

Arup writes an emotional piece addressing the French ambassador in Bangladesh in Sachalayatan titled "Désolé Monsieur Romnicianu" [bn]:

সেদিন মিডিয়া আর বাংলাদেশের প্রতিবাদী কিছু মানুষের উপরে আপনি ক্ষেপে উঠেছিলেন। কূটনৈতিক শিষ্টাচার (যা আমাকে নিকটজনেরা শত চেষ্টায় শেখাতে পারেনি) ভুলে আপনি কতোকটা ফুঁসেই উঠেছিলেন। কেন? গরীব দেশ দেখে যাচ্ছেতাই করবেন আর বলবেন, আর আমরা হজম করবো?
...
কিন্তু আজকে আমি সেই বোঝাপড়ায় আসিনি। বড় লজ্জা নিয়ে আপনার মতো ঘৃনার্হ একটা মানুষের কাছে হাটু গেড়ে বসে কিছু কথা বলতে চাই। ...বাংলাদেশের সমস্ত পুরাকীর্তি আপনারা নিয়ে যান, যতো তাড়াতাড়ি পারুন, নিয়ে যান সব। আর যেগুলো প্রথম চালানেই চলে গিয়েছিল, প্লীজ ফেরত দেবেন না আর। চুরির শংকায় আমরা আপনাদের বিরুদ্ধে কতোই না আন্দোলন করেছিলাম। কি লাভ হল তাতে। মোবাইল ফোনের চালান ভেবে যেদেশের মানুষ ৩য় খ্রীস্টপূর্বাব্দের অমূল্য বজ্রসত্ত্ব মূর্তি চুরি করে আর পরক্ষনেই ভেঙ্গে টুকরো টুকরো করে বর্জ্যক্ষেত্রে ছিটিয়ে দেয়, তাদের কি অধিকার আছে নিজের অমূল্য সব সম্পদ নিজের বুকে আগলে রাখার? আমরা মায়ের কুলাঙ্গার সন্তান। দেশের সম্পদ তাই বরং চলে যাক আপনাদের মতো বেনিয়াদের হাতে। আপনারা বেনিয়া হতে পারেন, কিন্তু ইতিহাস আর ঐতিহ্যের মূল্য দিতে জানেন। নিয়ে যান, তবু শান্তি, জানি আগলে রাখবেন পরম মমতায়।

"That day you showed your outburst of anger to the media and some protesters ignoring diplomatic etiquettes. Because we are a poor country, does that give you the right to say anything at your will and we should digest that?

No I have not come to talk about that. Keeling down before a hated man like you, I want to say something... Please take away all the archaeological artifacts from Bangladesh as soon as possible. Please keep those which were already sent to you. We have protested a lot on the apprehension of theft. But what good it did to us? Some people of this country had stolen a 300 Year BC artifact on the notion that its a consignment of mobile phones and later broke them into pieces and dumped them. The people of this country do not deserve to protect their priceless assets. We are condemned sons and daughters of this country. So let these objects go to you, the colonialists. You can be colonialist, but can value and respect the history and tradition. Please take them away, still we will be happy to know that they are safe."

A French Blog Rue89 reports the incident in their post titled "Vishnu disparu au Bangladesh, le musée Guimet ébranlé" (Vishnu disappeared in Bangladesh, the Musée Guimet shaken ). A commenter -"Illusion (archaeologist)" aptly points out [fr]:

Si la situation a escaladé ces derniers mois, c’est aussi parce que les organisateurs n’ont pas réagi avec doigté aux remarques qui leur étaient faites, forts qu’ils étaient d’avoir le support du gouvernement bangladais (et probablement surpris qu’on puisse contester l’organisation d’une telle exposition), mais il serait faux, comme on a tenté de le faire croire, que ce mouvement est uniquement une critique exercée par des opposants au gouvernement en place à Dhaka. Parmi les opposants, il y a des archéologues, des historiens de l’art, des professeurs d’Université et c’est leur faire insulte que d’éliminer d’un revers de main les critiques qu’ils ont émises. C’est vrai que le gouvernement bangladais a fait des fautes, mais la France en a profité. L’opposition n’est pas une opposition au principe de l’organisation de l’exposition mais se base fondamentalement sur le choix des objets.
...
Le Bangladesh est un pays à majorité musulmane, il est vrai, mais néanmoins, c’est avant tout le « pays des Bengalis » (Bangla-desh), et ceux-ci sont extrêmement conscients de leur passé et de leur culture. Ils sont respectueux de leurs ancêtres et de leurs réalisations et n’attendent pas les Occidentaux pour les éclairer à ce sujet, mais on pourrait de fait les aider en finançant des projets éducatifs, ou de formation (ce que Guimet a tenté de faire en offrant des formations de muséologie), ou en partageant notre savoir sur la restauration, la conservation, etc. – mais encore seulement s’ils en font la demande : rien n’est pire que de se croire autorisé à « aider » quand en fait, on ne fait qu’imposer sa propre vision du monde. Et enfin, en sachant aussi se retirer au moment opportun : nous ne sommes plus au « temps béni des colonies », mais les mauvaises habitudes ont malheureusement la vie dure. De telles expositions nous font plaisir, mais n’oublions pas que nous consommons à ce moment de la culture qui n’est pas la nôtre et pour laquelle nous n’éprouvons souvent que de la condescendance. Allons voir l’autre sur place et acceptons que sa vision du monde peut être radicalement différente de la nôtre.

Machine Translation:

If the situation has escalated in recent months, it is also because the organizers did not react sensitively to the comments that were made, they were strong to have the support of the government of Bangladesh (and probably surprised that we can challenge the organization of such an exhibition), but it would be wrong, as it tried to have us believe that this movement is only a review carried out by government opponents in place in Dhaka. Among the opponents, there are archaeologists, art historians, university professors and it is insulting them than to eliminate out of hand the criticism they have made. It's true that the government of Bangladesh has made mistakes, but France took advantage. The opposition is not an opposition to the principle of the exhibition but is based fundamentally on the choice of objects.
.....
Bangladesh is a Muslim-majority country, it is true, but nevertheless, it is the Bengalis' countries (Bangladesh), and they are extremely aware of their past and their culture. They are respectful of their ancestors and their achievements and do not expect the West to shed light on this matter, but it might actually help by supporting educational projects, or training (what Guimet tried to offering training museology), or by sharing our knowledge on the restoration, conservation, and so on. -- But only if they apply: nothing is worse than being allowed to believe "help" when in fact, it does impose its own vision of the world.

And finally, knowing also retire at the right time: we are no longer the "blessed time of the settlements", but unfortunately have bad habits die hard. Exhibitions of this kind we are happy, but we must not forget that we eat at this time of the culture that is not ours, and for which we do often than condescension. Let's hear another on the spot and accept that his vision of the world can be radically different from ours.

Since the beginning of the process French diplomatic pressure was acute on Bangladesh. The adviser (minister equivalent) of the cultural ministry had taken responsibility and resigned. Times Online reports that it had created a diplomatic rift between Bangladesh and France. The president of the Musée Guimet had expressed his opinion in "Le Monde" as "écœuré" (nauseating) and of course blamed the Bangladeshi authorities keeping mum about their lack of processes.

Today's latest news is that the Bangladesh ambassador to France has died of Brain hemorrhage. Close acquaintances say he was under a tremendous pressure for this affair. France may have had lost some amount of money in this debacle but Bangladesh had to pay dearly, all in priceless objects.

Click on the image for enlarged view.

Source: Privacy International

Eamon points to a weird customs law in Bangladesh. If anyone sends a gift to a receiver in Bangladesh then the customs will charge 100% upon the value of the package.

In comparison:

"most of the countries gift packages are free from government tax within $100 i.e. if the value of the gift exceeds $100 only then you have to pay some tax to the government and the tax is around 5-10% upon the value."

No wonder why people resort to corruption and bribery. These weird laws are impediments to abolish corruption in the country. Why a person has to pay 100% tax for a gift item? Is the govt trying to tell the people of the world to not to send gifts to Bangladeshis?

Tips for the gift senders: please declare it "of no commercial value" or a nominal value like "1$" - thats still about Taka 70 for a person in Bangladesh.

On December 21, nine new EU countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia and Malta) will join the border control-free group known as Schengen.

As of this weekend, travelers can go from the easternmost tip of Estonia all the way to the Atlantic coast in Portugal without encountering a single border official.

More in Spiegel Online International.

Pakistani blogger Dr. Awab Alvi successfully used Flash mob strategy in protesting emergency of Pakistan.

Andy Carvin reports:

"If you announce a date a day in advance, the army and police show up" and they "beat the hell out of you," according to Dr. Alvi.

So he concluded it made more sense to organize very brief protests through telephone calls and other communication channels. At an appointed time, the protesters show up, pull out signs and shout slogans demanding an end to the state of emergency. After 10 minutes, they put away their signs and leave before the authorities can interfere with them.

I need to read the book Smart Mobs: The Next Social Revolution by Howard Rheingold.

Controversies surround a telephone interview with Col. (rtd) Abdur Rashid broadcasted in Channel-I. Col. Rashid is absconding in exile because he has been found guilty of murdering Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the nation. Shada Kalo and An Ordinary citizen have more on this.

Calling for an international campaign to free the Bangladeshi cartoonist Arifur Rahman who was detained for his harmless statirical cartoon published in Alpin, the satirical supplement of the Bangla Daily Prothom Alo. He is only twenty years old.

Backgrounds on this:

- Bangladesh: yet another Muhammad cartoon controversy

- Attack against freedom of speech: Bangladesh cartoon controversy update

The Bangladeshi Bloggers have pressed for Arifur Rahman's release whereas the Bangladeshi media people are silent about their colleague. I wonder what is keeping them.

* Shourav did the splendid banner above and called for support. (Anybody can use it under creative commons)

Other bloggers chimed in:

* Some more bloggers in Bangla blogging platform "Bandh Bhanger Awaaj"

* Mash at "Or how I learned to stop worrying"

* Addafication

* Dhaka Shohor

* Voice of Bangladeshi Bloggers

- In the Middle of Nowhere who also ask to free Nurul Islam, the Bangladeshi aid worker (BRAC) kidnapped in Afghanistan by the Talibans.

- Serious Golmal

- Unheard Voices

- Tacit

Many international organizations demanded the release of Arifur Rahman:

- Reporters without border (RSF) - Cartoonist arrested over harmless play on name Mohammed. Excerpts:

"The play on words had no intention of attacking the Prophet," Reporters Without Borders said "It was a joke about a cultural custom. The government should not yield to pressure from extremist leaders who are trying to politicize the case. Rahman should not be made a scapegoat. He must be freed."

- International Press Institute (IPI) protests jailing of Cartoonist in Bangladesh and suspension of publication of satirical weekly. Excerpts:

IPI would like to remind Your Excellency that the state of emergency imposed in January after the cancellation of the general election is not an excuse to restrict press freedom. With a general election planned for the end of 2008, it is vital that the country’s citizens have access to information and that the media is free to report facts and express opinions.

- Mukto-Mona condemns the arrest of cartoonist Arifur Rahman. Excerpts:

Thanks to the army & fundamentalists' combined efforts, Mr Rahman's life is now threatened inside or outside prison. What should have been a funny cartoon for people to laugh at has suddenly turned into a matter of life and death for a man whose only attempt was to provide readers amusements. Mukto-Mona demands the immediate release of Mr Arifur Rahman and for protection to be provided to him.

Please show your support for Arifur Rahman by putting the badge on your blog.

Join the facebook group to get the updates.

The Bangladesh government temporarily shut down its first 24 hour private satellite news channel on charges of forgery. If the TV authority can not answer satisfactorily the charges of forgery within 7 days, the station will be shut down permanently. News reports in BBC, The Daily Star and BDNews24.

Tiktiki has the background and time line of events concerning CSB news in Dristipat blog. Shada Kalo sheds a light into the forgery charges.

Drishtipat Blog appeals to the Government:

We earnestly hope that the news channel will not go off air permanently. They should be fined in financial terms by all means, if found guilty. But people’s employment, the economic activity it generates and the perception of free media in our country — all should be taken into account before making a final decision.

If these are ignored this will have a considerable impact on the Government's image.

People say that there is never a dull day in Bangladesh politics. Today early in the morning the military-backed (care-taker) interim government in Bangladesh had arrested former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia on corruption charges. His son was also arrested on the same charge. Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying has detailed timeline of the events leading to her arrest. It was surprisingly a televised even as the news of the arrest was leaked and the media was trailing the security forces convoy rolling to her house.



Earlier in midnight a case was filed against her where she was accused of favoring her son misusing her power by awarding contracts to a local company, when she was in power. Her elder son is already behind bars also facing corruption charges. She will share a makeshift detention center in the parliament compound with her longtime political rival Sheikh Hasina who is also detained on charges of corruption.

Dozens of high profile Bangladeshi politicians and businessmen are behind the bar because of the governments ongoing battle against corruption and cleansing of the politics in Bangladesh. Bangladesh is under a state of emergency since January 11, 2007, when this interim government was formed.

The Bangladeshi blogosphere has mixed feelings over this issue. Shafiur is delighted hearing this news and distributing misti (sweets) on the net. He is sarcastic about this:

She and her son Koko have not been upfront about their various financial activities, and so it is hoped they will be helped to become more transparent in special quarters set aside for them.

People were discussing after the arrest of Sheikh Hasina about one and a half months ago why no charges were being brought against Khaleda Zia. There are also speculations that a certain quarter is trying to get rid of these political icons and use the space to clinch power. The Voice of Bangladeshi Bloggers comments:

Finally, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, the mother of all corruption, has been arrested by the army backed care taker government. They're now trying to balance their action by arresting Khaleda Zia.

Khaleda Zia told in an exclusive interview with bdnews24.com hours before the arrest:

"I'm not afraid of arrest. People are with me. The case against me is false."

Dhaka blog comments on Khaleda Zia's remarks:

I just don't like politicians from every party crying out "the cases against me are false" and "conspiracy" every time they suffer political intimidation. If there were really these many "conspiracies" in Bangladesh, our GDP would have shot up a bit more!

But the question still remains whether this will pave the way towards restoring democracy in Bangladesh. Rumi writes in Drishtipat Blog ironically:

A significant number of people have been blaming two main political leaders for all the vice of Bangladesh. Now as both the causes of the all the evil are effectively contained in jail cells, so a sun of eternal lasting peace is supposed to rise in the horizon today. People should start living in immense joy, peace and happiness. No more there should be any chaos, corruption, poverty, lawlessness, hunger, crime in this country. There would be everlasting peace.

People commenting on this post also had mixed reactions. While some were gleeful and lauded the government one questioned:

Interesting to see that we, Bangladeshis, judge situation by heart; not by brain. None of the allegations are proved against KZ or SH, though some bloggers are ready to hang them till death!

The country is suffering from high inflation and recent unrest after riot broke out with students and police over withdrawing an army camp from a university campus led to declaration of curfew. The care-taker government promised holding of election by end of 2008 after completing a massive new voter ID project.

(Cross-posted in the Global Voices Online & E-Bangladesh)

Taslima Nasrin receives another death threat fatwa.

Associated Press Pakistan reports:

Majidulla Khan Farhad of Hyderabad-based Majlis Bachao Tehriq while addressing a rally at Tipu Sultan mosque in Kolkata after Juma prayers as saying Taslima has defamed Islam and announced “unlimited financial reward” to anybody who would kill her.

Reuters reports:

While one prominent cleric said Nasreen had a month to leave, another said she had 15 days. Anyone who killed her would get a cash reward of 100,000 rupees ($2,400), they said.

"Anyone who executes the warrant will also be given additional rewards," said Nurur Rehman Barkati, a cleric of one of the biggest mosques in Kolkata.

Incidentally the Indian Government had recently extended her Visa for another six months.

Well it seems there are no shortage of retarded people for whom violence is the only solution against all problems.

More on the recent attack on Taslima Nasrin:

* Bangla Blogs: Its all about Taslima

* Beshi Lajja

* Theatre of the Absurd: The Attack on Taslima Nasreen

Blogs have revolutionized freedom of expression of personal opinions reaching out to the world. There is no one to edit what you right other than yourself. But is it really true? We are forgetting the involvement of hosting services or ISPs and BSPS (blog service providers such as Wordpress, Typepad and Blogspot) in the process.

This has happened before that blogs were banned or suspended from Service Providers for political reasons or threat from other users. Yahoo! handed over dissidents' information to Chinese Authorities. And recently "the blog of the Iranian blogger Hossein Derakhshan (aka Hoder) has been suspended by the U.S. based hosting company, Hosting Matters, after a complaint filed by lawyers representing Mehdi Khalaji(an Iranian), Next Generation fellow at The Washington Institute" - reports Global Voices Online.

The Blog Herald has details on the story. It quotes Jahanshah Javid, an Iranian blogger:

Hossein has not been found guilty in a court of law. He has fallen victim to an aggressive lawyer and an internet hosting company that’s trying to cover its ass.

Global Voices Online raises pertinent questions:

Aside from the political and ideological issues that can legally be addressed and discussed by those for and against Hossein Derakhshan’s rights to express himself on his blog, the most important questions raised by this case are relevant to all of us: Are our personal blogs safe with commercial hosting companies, especially when our writing may be deemed controversial? What if hosting companies edit our posts, deleting whatever they want?

Amidst these debates some also feel that there should be a bloggers' code of conduct following that will not prompt these kinds of consequences.

In this weeks tour inside the Bangladeshi blogosphere we will discuss an old black law enacted in time of war being put to use by land encroachers and creating human rights abuse on minorities. We will also look at the dark truth that haunts women in Bangladesh and many parts of the world and which is exploited by commercial organizations. These and much more in this week’s round-up:

Enemy property act:

We take you first to Dhaka Blog where Asif discusses a dark act enacted before the independence of Bangladesh:

Following the 1965 war with India, the Ayub government (of Pakistan) in its infinite wisdom decided to constitute something called the “Enemy Property Act”. It allowed them to declare any citizen an “enemy” and confiscate their property. Following Bangladesh’s independence, Mujib’s Awami League government…..reconstituted the act in 1974 calling it the Vested Property Act.

Then he shows the ways which all the political governments used it to repress the minorities, especially Hindus. He calls it the real national shame.

Drishtipat Group Blog Unheard Voices explains:

Encroachers have misused the law with the help of corrupt state authorities to grab property by identifying Hindus as “enemies of the state.”

To amend the situation, the former Awami League government had enacted the Vested Property Repeal Act in 2001. But it was never implemented because of objections from politically influential encroachers and legal complications.

The Blog comments that it is about time to repeal this black law.

Does skin color still matter?

Himadri Ahsan writes in Adhunika Blog about a dark truth that still haunts women in many regions of the world especially Bangladesh. The Blogger says:

Skin lightening products continue to be one of the fasting growing beauty products in the Indian sub-continent, the Middle East, Africa and among African Americans.

The obvious cause of this phenomenon is the deeply rooted social stigma attached with dark skin. In Bangladesh a fair skinned person is often praised and compared with a Sahib (an English man) or Pathan (a Pakistani), establishing the superiority of both the groups of people that ruled Bangladesh.

Politics with flood and the demolition of a building:

In the midst of Flood the national debate is the lack of political party’s involvement in the relief efforts of the Flood affected areas. As a state of emergency is in place, open political activities are not allowed. In the Middle of Nowhere reports that the Government has criticized the politicians saying that it’s time to help flood victims, not for politics. The Blogger asks: ”What, in fact, is meant by doing politics with Flood?”. A Government adviser probably has the answer quoted in a recent televised interview: “They are free to help others like any ordinary citizen but no mileage with political banners will be allowed.”

A Nikonian’s Blog however points out:

WHY we see a humble Subedar holding a toilet to pose for a photo while distributing those to the villagers? WHY do we even hear as tiny officer as a Lieutenant’s name on television when government officials go to distribute food to flood affected people? Isn’t this flood used for political gain by army itself?

While Bangladesh was reeling with the devastations of Flood, its citizen witnessed demolition of a 22 storied Building (Rangs Bhaban) televised live. Unheard Voices raises some pertinent questions:

What was the rush to demolish an office building of such a magnitude in less than 24 hours notice?

(This was first published in the Global Voices Online)

Receiving aid can sometime be discomforting when it comes with some conditions. Most NGOs and other projects with foreign aid active in Bangladesh are using latest model SUVs and full furnished offices. I have heard that the AID comes with the condition that all materials purchased would be from the originating countries. E.g. ignoring that clause, if an NGO choose to buy a Tk. 1 million Maruti SUV (including duties) instead of Tk. 5 Million Range Rover SUV (including duties) at market price then that would have saved Tk. 4 Million and would buy school books for 4000 students in a year. I am not mentioning here the high perquisites and remunerations of the NGO workers and consultants.

So you see many aid initiative detours its course in the process of implementation.

Bangladesh govt. is in a fix over payment of a Tk 310 million fine sentenced by a court in The Hague for canceling a contract with a Dutch company for supplying computers.
In December 2000, the Netherlands government had agreed to provide about Tk. 499.5 million as grant for introducing computer courses at secondary and higher secondary levels in 3,382 educational institutions under a project. The Dutch government selected Amsterdam-based Tulip Computers as the project implementation agency. But the Bangladesh Cabinet Purchase Committee on December 20, 2000 canceled the procurement initiative, finding the price offer to be 'inflated and unsolicited' as the revised unit price of Tk 70,000 (initial attempt for Tk. 99,000) for the computers were way above the market price (almost half of that).

Following the suspension of the project, Tulip Computers lodged complaint with a Dutch court accusing Bangladesh government of breaching an international contract. Bangladesh could not even contest in the case due to time constraint. Read more here.

I believe the third world countries would do better without those aids with conditions.