Shuchinta

Amazing article by Mr. Monsur Ibrahim, reposted from Voice of Bangladeshi Bloggers.

Recently we have heard some valuable and inspiring words from some very important persons in our country. Their roles are so important that the future of our nation depends on what they do and how they act.

Very recently, our Chief Justice said, Supreme Court will play its crucial role at any critical juncture of the nation like it did in the past. Though Daily Star Editor Mr. Mahfuz Anam on the very next day, in a news commentary titled “My Lord, We beg to differ”, pointed out how the Supreme Court in fact was responsible for the current Emergency because of its failure to act properly in the writ petition against President Yazuddin Ahmed’s acquisition of power as Chief of Caretaker Government. When High Court was about to give a verdict, the former Chief Justice deliberately interfered and obstructed justice from being served - leading to current national crisis.

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Reposted from E-Bangladesh 

Photo: Anwar Choudhury, British High Commissioner in Dhaka.

[Mashuqur Rahman, USA.]

On August 26, the British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Anwar Choudhury, apparently went off the reservation. After meeting with the foreign advisor in Dhaka Mr. Choudhury was the only foreign envoy to face the media. He apparently had a lot to say.

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It’s so unfortunate that even our Supreme court is so corrupted that it rules under the influence of Military backed Goverment.It’s not any doubt that Ruhul Amin so called Justice is on the line to be the next president of Bangladesh under so called joker CG.Please people of Bangladesh save our democracy becuase if we do not act now our next generation is going to pay for this dictatorship.Where are these generals taking our beloved country ? Like MUA said they are going to make Bangladesh as the model of their beloved Pakistan. STOP THEIR NOTORIOUS ACT NOW OR GET READY TO SUFFER AND YOU WILL SEE MORE POVERTY, BLOODSHED AND AUTOCRACY IN BANGLADESH.

Reposted from E-Bangladesh:

[In his second round of interview with Tasneem Khalil, M Sanjeeb Hossain, son of detained DU Professor Anwar Hossain, detailed what his father told him about the DGFI “black hole,” his torture and what happened in the court. Considering its significance, this pod was recorded both in English and Bangla.]

Click HERE to listen to the interview.

While reporting the military crackdown on university students and teachers in Bangladesh, in one of our earlier pods, we quoted our sources close to the military headquarters in Dhaka who confirmed to us that detained DU professors “Anwar Hossain and Harun-or-Rashid are right now in the custody of DGFI, the military intelligence agency. They are detained in a torture-cum-detention facility inside the DGFI headquarters in Dhaka cantonment,” with a note saying, “We are not able to verify this from an official or independent source.”

The current Bangladesh government should enter into a dialogue with the parties, student leaders and lawyers, on restoring civil rights and the independence of the courts.

We repeat the call made five months ago by the Commonwealth Secretary General to the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh to lift the state of emergency and restore basic human and political rights to all citizens.

Since then, there has been significant erosion of popular support. The recent outbreak of protests and violence indicates the volatility and uncertainty of a situation in which the government and their military backers are pitted against large sections of civil society and the political parties. The indefinite curfew may have produced a temporary lull, but over the medium term may serve to fuel the resentment of the students and their supporters.

[Read the full text of Lord Avebury Statement Aug 25 2007.]

What sparked these protests is the ongoing repression of emergency rule, and the government’s heavy-handed response is like oil on a fire. Sophie Richardson, Asia advocacy director of Human Rights Watch.

Students Angry After Eight Months of Emergency Rule

(New York, August 25, 2007) – The Bangladesh government must respect international human rights standards as it enforces a curfew and seeks to police demonstrations, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch reiterated that anyone detained under the emergency regulations must be charged with a cognizable criminal offense or released, and that anyone mistreated in detention should be able to seek and obtain an effective remedy before competent authorities.

The demonstrations currently taking place in Bangladesh come after eight months of repressive emergency rule, which has restricted the rights to protest and to seek a legal remedy, and fails to respect basic due process rights.”What sparked these protests is the ongoing repression of emergency rule, and the government’s heavy-handed response is like oil on a fire,” said Sophie Richardson, Asia advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. “While the protesters should remain peaceful and must exercise restraint to prevent loss to life and property, the government should immediately address some of their legitimate concerns instead of arbitrarily arresting people, beating detainees and fueling anger.”

[Read the full text of the Human Rights Watch news HERE.]

Source: Shahidul Alam’s Blog

Reposted from E-Bangladesh

tk-250807.mp3

Podcast by Tasneem Khalil: Military crackdown on university students and teachers in Bangladesh. With an interview with M Sanjeeb Hossain, son of Professor Anwar Hossain. Professor Anwar Hossain is now believed to be in DGFI custody.

[Rush transcript/elements.]

A brutal military crackdown is on against thousands of university teachers and students in Bangladesh. Members of Bangladesh army led by major or captain-ranking officers are raiding residences of students and teachers who in the last few days started protesting against the current state of emergency in Bangladesh and demanded withdrawal of army and police from all the campuses.

We are receiving disturbing details of these raids from Dhaka and elsewhere.

In one incident, as the BBC Bangla service reported, platoons of army members entered a residential-cum-commercial complex near Dhaka University searching for students. Each and every apartment was searched and all the students residing in the building were taken to the landing area where they were mercilessly beaten up by soldiers in wide public view. After that, they were tied up and driven away in army trucks to an unknown destination.

We received an email from Dhaka and I am going to quote from that: “Two brothers, both university students were found in one of the apartments. Their father and mother begged the army not to take them away as they were not involved in any kind of protest. At one stage, soldiers broke their arms and knees with rifle butts, right in front of their parent’s eyes. And later took one of them away because the condition of the other was very serious.”

Another message in a Bangla blog says, “Students of Dhaka University. They are looking for you. Please go and hide somewhere where no one can recognize you as a student. Please don’t ask me why is this happening. Just go, just hide.”

We are receiving similar reports of army torture on students and teachers from all over the country.

Military has detained 5 university professors: General Secretary of Dhaka University Teachers Association Professor Anwar Hossain, Dean of the Social Sciences Department in Dhaka University Professor Harun-or-Rashid, former vice chancellor of Rajshahi University Professor Saidur Rahman Khan, Convener of Rajshahi University Progressive Teachers Society Professor Abdus Sobhan and Rajshahi University management Professor Moloy Kumar Bhowmik.

[Interview with M Sanjeeb Hossain]

Professor Anwar Hossain picked up by men claiming to be the “joint forces.”

Team included commandos trained in USA.

Not produced to court, no cases, picked up for interrogation.

Brigadier General ATM Amin, DGFI, met DU professors hours before the pick up.E-Bangladesh has received information from sources close to the military headquarters in Dhaka that Professor Anwar Hossain and his college Professor Harun-or-Rashid are right now in the custody of DGFI, the military intelligence agency. They are detained in a torture-cum-detention facility inside the DGFI headquarters in Dhaka cantonment. However, we are not able to verify this from an official or independent source.

Someone wrote in a blog recently that the teachers and students have become the new Muktijodhdhas of Bangladesh and the army are the new Rajakars! Interesting way of looking at things. Bangladesh er pothay pothay army hete berachchay, how sad and scary is that?!

Check out this link from e-bangladesh.org’s photo gallery.

Finally read this great article by Professor Ajoy K. Roy from Dhaka. [Courtesy: Mukto-Mona]

Click HERE to listen.

Shuchinta has received this information from a very confidential source. As you all know, August 26th is the fourth hearing on Sheikh Hasina’s arrest and bail. The appeals court has already ruled her arrest illegal and the implementation of this decision has been purposely delayed by framing a new charge and then deferring decision by the Supreme Court three times.

As you may also know, Iajuddin’s term as president expires in September. According to our Constitution, a president can only be elected by an elected parliament. There is absolutely no other provision for it. However, the information we have received is that General Moeen Uddin Ahmed has offered the Chief Justice of our Supreme Court, Ruhul Amin, the presidency if he rules according to Moeen’s wishes on Sheikh Hasina’s case.

This is a gross travesty of justice and the exact form of corruption that Gen. MUA rails against. We need him to stop. We want him to stop.

We have seen several years of military dictatorship and their corruption. Even when they were not in power, we have witnessed their corruption. Enough is enough.

PRESS CONFERENCE
ON THE CASE OF SHEIKH HASINA
Statement by Dr. Payam Akhavan
International Counsel to Sheikh Hasina
London, August 6th, 2007

It is my privilege and honour to speak today on behalf of Sheikh Hasina.  I have undertaken to represent her with great aforethought and fully aware of the far-reaching importance of her struggle.  Like every other human being, Sheikh Hasina is entitled to the protection of her fundamental human rights under international law.  But it is obvious that the campaign by the military-backed caretaker government to eliminate her as a political leader has grave consequences not just for her, but also for the future of democracy in Bangladesh.  As such, her political persecution through the perversion of justice may be the most significant measure of whether this nation will continue to have free and fair elections, to continue on a historical path of developing a mature democracy through trial and error, or whether Bangladesh will go the way of other countries in the region, where unchecked military rule, political radicalization, and religious violence prevail.

Read the full text HERE [MS Word] or HERE [Adobe PDF].