Shuchinta

Reporters Without Borders has released their 2008 Annual Report on Bangladesh. Among their major concerns this year are the rise of the military government, the lack of freedom of press, threats to media personnel and the torture of journalists:

“A drop in the number of physical assaults and death threats was eclipsed by dozens of cases of arrests, maltreatment and censorship committed by the army against independent journalists. The interim government and the military put an end to political disorder but at the price of serious violations of press freedom.” [Read the full report HERE]

Summary of Information:

Owner(s): AHMED FAKHRUDDIN

Property Address: 10808 BRICKYARD CT, POTOMAC, MD 20854-1788 [Yahoo Maps]

Total Value: $1,504,670.00 (about TK 105326,900.00)

Well, let’s not talk about it.

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In a recent development, United States presidential candidate HIllary Rodham Clinton and 14 other influential senators have written a letter to Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed asking him to outline detailed plans for general elections in Bangladesh.

Read the letter: US Senators’s Letter to Fakhruddin and a brief information sheet on all of the 15 senators: US Senators Brief Intros.

We feel it is about time to ponder on some points about the current CG.

1. Blocking Sheikh Hasina from returning was illegal. By doing so theCG has exposed its true intentions. Their goal was to try and eliminate allpolitical opposition so that they can stay in power indefinitely.

2. Reforms have stalled. What happened to the separation of thejudiciary? Why have they not even started updating the voters list?

3. They made a big deal about how corrupt all politicians were. Whyhave most of the arrested not been charged with corruption even after 3months in detention? If they have no charges, why are these people not being released?

4. Power to arrest without charges is completely against human rights.If the CG claims to bring about reform, then why are they violating humanrights? They are acting just like the previous BNP regime.

5. Extra judicial killings are continuing at the same rate as the previousBNP regime. If the CG wants to work for good, then why is it murdering people?

6. Power appears to have gone to the advisers heads. It seems we have replaced Iajuddin with Fakruddin. Time for him to go.

The disgusting ploy of the current technocratic government of Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed to ban Sheikh Hasina from returning to her motherland failed today miserably under pressure from the domestic and international media and intelligentsia. This unelected government said the lift was because of “views from the media and other quarters.”

Fakhruddin’s cabinet also said the administration never put any pressure on BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to go into exile. We find it difficult to believe. We feel Khaleda Zia should step forward to the media and share her side of the story as well.

No government has the right to exile a citizen from the country (unless of course you are a Pakistani dictator).

We feel it is good time that people start considering the possible evils of this Caretaker Government.

In a bid to stop Sheikh Hasina from returning to Bangladesh, a bizzare extortion charge has been filed against Sk. Hasina.

What I found funny was this, will a sitting prime minister ask for 3 crores from a random businessman, Tajul Islam Farooq? I mean if you are going to make up something, at least make it believable. If so, how come no one has ever heard of this case before, even during the BNP-JI rule?

Clearly, this is a an attempt to prevent Sk. Hasina from returning to Bangladesh. She was scheduled to return next week so the timing should not surprise anyone.

From what I heard, not only is she returning, but returning even sooner. The more days pass, the more our generals seem to want to emulate the Pakistani model.

Well, Bangladesh is no Pakistan.

P.S. Stay tuned for more on this.

Several top Nizami-Khaleda government ministers and MPs, along with AL ex ministers and MPs have been recently arrested by law enforcemet agencies in Bangladesh. Irrespective of political beliefs, most people are happy about seeing the crooks behind bars. But do these pictures look like these crooks are enjoying the moments?!
We hope they will all be banned from running in Bangladeshi elections again.

Now, why hasn’t the caretaker government going after Tarique Rahman - the source of most corruption? Inside sources claim that Tarique Rahman is negotiating a “safe passage” to Saudi Arabia. [SalamDhaka] Whyhasn’t this government going after the Jamati crooks?