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EDITOR
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Editorial
‘Fortnightly’
পাক্ষিক |
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BHRC Human Rights Report August
2015
Total 196 persons killed in
August, 2015
Human Rights Report:
The documentation section of
Bangladesh Human Rights Commission (BHRC) furnished
this human rights survey report on the basis of
daily newspapers and information received from its
district, sub-district and municipal branches. As
per survey it appears that 196 peoples were killed
in August, 2015 in all over the country. It proves
that the law and order situation is not
satisfactory. Bangladesh Human Rights Commissions
extremely anxious about this situation. In the month
of August, 2015 average 6.32 people were killed in
each day.
The Law enforcing agencies and related Govt.
departments should be more responsible so that
percentage of killing may be brought down to zero
level. To institutionalize the democracy and to
build human rights based society the rule of law and
order must be established everywhere. Through
enforcing rule of law only such violation against
human rights can be minimized.
It appears from documentation division of BHRC:
Total 196 person killed in August, 2015
Political killing 10, Killing for dowry 6, killing
by family violence 37, Killed due to social
discrepancy 43, Killed by Law enforcing authority
24, Killed due to doctor negligence 3, Assassination
5, Killed due to abduction 7, Mysterious death 51,
Killed due to BSF 2, Women & chilled killed due to
rape 8.
Killed by several accidents:
Killed by road accident 218,
Suicide 25.
Besides victims of torture:
Rape 58, Torture for Dowry 9, Sexual Harassment 10,
Journalist torture 2.
Bernicat tells PM
Extradition of Rashed now depends
Human Rights Report:
US Ambassador to Bangladesh Mercia Stephens Bloom
Bernicat on Wednesday said the decision to extradite
one of the Banga-bandhu killers, Rashed Chowdhury,
now in the USA, depends on court as this is now
under a judicial process."The issue is now under a
judicial process and it (extradition) depends on the
decision of court," she was quoted as telling Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina when she met her at her
office.PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed
reporters after the meeting. Turning to the RMG
sector, the US Ambassador said, "We're committed to
helping Bangladesh's readymade garment sector...this
is not a political issue and we're working hard so
that Bangladesh could meet the requirements in the
sector."About the initiatives of the Bangladesh
government for the RMG sector' s development,
Bernicat mentioned that the US buyers want to know
the condition of the garment workers in
Bangladesh.She highly appreciated Bangladesh's
impressive success on different socioeconomicfronts
under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's leadership."Not
only in the garment sector, Bangladesh is also doing
well in agro-based industries and shipbuilding
sector under the Prime Minister's leadership," the
US envoy said. She also praised Bangladesh's
tremendous progress in women empowerment.The US
envoy highly appreciated the stance of the
Bangladesh government and Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina against terrorism and militancy. Bernicat
also lauded the role of Bangladeshi peacekeepers in
maintaining peace across the globe and the
Bangladesh government in handling the Rohingya issue
efficiently.On terrorism and militancy, the Prime
Minister reiterated that the terrorists and
militants have no religion and border, and mentioned
that she herself is the victim of terrorism. "The
people of Bangladesh have suffered a lot for it
[terrorism]," she said.She also mentioned that human
being must be protected from terrorism and
militancy. Referring to Bangladeshi peacekeepers'
contributions towards maintaining peace in
trouble-torn regions, Hasina said Bangladesh is now
the top troop-contributing country in the world."The
Bangladeshi peacekeepers have long been rendering
their services for the socioeconomic development in
different trouble-torn countries alongside
maintaining peace," she said. The Prime Minister
also laid emphasis on reduction of arms production
across the globe.About the
Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicle
Agreement and the ongoing process of establishment
of Bangladesh-China-India-Myanamar (BCIM) Economic
Corridor, Sheikh Hasina said the connectivity is the
key to economic development. Sheikh Hasina also
mentioned the enclave swap between Bangladesh and
India as per the Land Boundary Agreement.
US court dismisses 1984 riots case
against Sonia Gandhi
Human Rights Report:
An appeals court in New York has affirmed a district
judge's order to dismiss a human rights violation
lawsuit filed against Congress president Sonia
Gandhi by a Sikh group in connection with the 1984
anti-Sikh riots case, ruling that the petition
lacked merit.The three-judge panel of the US Court
of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled that it
found the arguments presented by Sikhs for Justice (SFJ)
in its case against Mrs Gandhi "without merit".The
bench of Circuit Judges Jose Cabranes, Renna Raggi
and Richard Wesley affirmed the district court's
order of June 9, 2014 in which the judge had
dismissed the human rights violation lawsuit filed
by SFJ against Mrs Gandhi.US District Judge Brian
Cogan had granted Mrs Gandhi's motion to dismiss the
complaint due to "lack of subject matter
jurisdiction" and failure to state a claim."Upon due
consideration..., it is hereby ordered, adjudged,
and decreed that the judgement of the District Court
is affirmed," the three-judge bench said in its
order issued in New York yesterday.Mrs Gandhi's
lawyer eminent Indian-American attorney Ravi Batra
termed the appeals court ruling as "historic" and
said the judges have upheld a nation's sovereignty
by declared Mrs Gandhi free of any fault - despite
SFJ's "reprehensible defamatory efforts".
Moving havens for
sexual harassment
AKM
Moinuddin
Sexual harassment
should not be part of one's travel, but this
reprehensible act has become an everyday bitter
experience for thousands of working female
commuters, including students, who use public
transport in Dhaka city.
The harassment ranges from inappropriate touching,
penetrating stares, lewd gestures or comments to
outright attacks, and on most occasions the victims
end up powerless to protest.
Jasmin Papri, a working woman in the city, describes
her experiences of travelling in public buses,
reminding many have to accept these low-level abuses
silently. "Public buses have become spaces of sexual
misconduct for some perverted male passengers," she
says.
Papri is not alone. This correspondent talked to a
dozen female passengers who recounted essentially
the same story of abuse, particularly in the
capital's crowded buses that don't subscribe to any
limits on how many passengers they will carry,
standing or seated.
"Being a female passenger means you will face
numerous problems," one of them said, mentioning
that female passengers can hardly avoid 'being
touched' inappropriately.
Another relayed the story of how she had to engage
in a war of words with other passengers, mostly
male, when she protested the indecent conduct of a
fellow male passenger in a public bus. "It's not so
easy to protest, as all male passengers might go
against you together. Still, we shouldn't spare
anybody."
Tamanna Tanjila, a private university student, says
she cannot describe in words what she has been
facing every day in public buses.
"First of all, there's a negative attitude that
drivers shouldn't take female passengers. If a
female passenger gets into a bus, male passengers
won't give her space to stand up at least. And when
she tries to accommodate herself she'll come across
unwanted touches for sure," she explains.
"Not that all passengers do this," Ripa, another
passenger, says adding that bus helpers are also
'culprits'. "You can just see what they do in the
name of help while we are getting down from buses."
She also says a crowded bus is no excuse for
unwanted sexual contact or behaviour.
Advocate Salma Ali, Executive Director of Bangladesh
Mahila Ainjibi Samity, acknowledges all these
bizarre scenarios in public buses. "You won't find
anybody who isn't familiar with this unexpected
experience. It's become a common problem now," she
said, adding that there should be symbolic protests
on the spot and female passengers should disclose it
immediately to other passengers to expose such
passengers. "Then she can file cases and if police
doesn't take up the case, we can help." Salma Ali
also said there should be hotlines for availing
emergency help and these hotlines should be
effective.
Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) Deputy
General Manager (operation) Almas Ali said that
there are 16 buses exclusively for female passengers
in the city which are available on 12 routes. But
many passengers alleged that they cannot avail these
buses as in most cases they do not see them. About
inadequate supply of buses for women, Salma Ali says
the BRTC buses are 'captured' by male passengers.
"We've seen a big photo on the front page of a
newspaper recently," she said, referring to a report
in a Bangla daily recently on men occupying a
women-only BRTC bus.
"Most of the problems will be resolved once the
demand and supply gap is minimised," said Dr M.
Shafiq-Ur Rahman, Associate Professor, Department of
Urban and Regional Planning at Jahangirnagar
University, mentioning that there is inadequate
supply of public buses. He also says the issue of
social ethics and values is important, which is
largely valued in other countries. "We need to
change our attitude (towards fellow passengers)."
Dr Rahman who worked on the issue in the past says
there should be effective law enforcement so that no
one can dare to get involved in inappropriate
actions.
.
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Myanmar's acid
test
Barrister Harun ur Rashid
Myanmar is set for
general elections on November 8. Tin Tun, director
general of the Union Election Commission, confirmed
the date on 8th July. Many observers say that the
landmark vote, which will be the first general
election to be held under Myanmar's reformist
government, is expected to be the first multi-party
election in more than two decades.
Myanmar was ruled for over six decades by a military
government, which has made way for a government that
is headed by a former General Thein Sein since March
2011 after elections in 2010. The election is
expected to be participated by more than 70 parties,
including the main opposition National League for
Democracy (NLD), led by Aung San Suu Kyi who has
reportedly said that her party would participate in
the election, ending months of uncertainty.
An unprecedented number of election observers, both
local and international, have been invited to
monitor the vote. The election commission has also
prepared voter lists, which they have in recent
weeks displayed across every town in every state in
the country. Opposition leaders reportedly say the
lists are riddled with inaccuracies, but the
election commission has denied it since it
encouraged people to check and ensure that names and
details listed are correct.
Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy (NLD)
party have been pushing for changes to the
constitution, which the military government drafted.
One clause bars anyone whose children or spouse are
foreigners from becoming president, which is seen
aimed at Nobel laureate Suu Kyi, whose two sons are
British citizens. The NLD is expected to win a
significant number of seats in Myanmar's
legislature. However, she herself who was awarded
the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, continues to be
disqualified from becoming president which is
elected by the members of the parliament under the
constitution.
If the NLD is successful in winning majority of
seats, Suu Kyi could become the speaker of the
parliament and may try to change the constitution
with the help of some military members of the
parliament. Like Suu Kyi, ethnic minorities have
major objections to the constitution, and are
pushing for changes that would introduce a federal
system in Myanmar, giving them greater control over
regional governance and natural resources. Aye Maung,
the chairman of the Arakan National Party who was
designated to represent ethnic minorities'
reportedly said amendments to the country's
controversial military-drafted Constitution requires
amendment for peace and stability in the country.
It is noted that Myanmar President Thein Sein
reiterated to hold free and fair general election in
the year, and called for cooperation and support not
only from the administration but also from security
forces, political parties, civil society and the
general public as a whole.
He noted that the 2015 election will mark the first
time since independence in which all the political
stakeholders will contest freely and fairly. In this
way 2015, the President hopes, will be a remarkable
year in Myanmar politics as it will be shaped by the
election and by the efforts of all political
stakeholders to find the right solution through the
electoral process.
The president reportedly emphasized the dominance of
military in politics and said that "the military has
two tasks. One is to fight for the country in case
of war. If there's no war they will serve the
interest of the people which means the involvement
in national politics."
Speaking of Myanmar's economy status President Thein
Sein said the country was able to establish an
investor friendly environment, leading to an
increase in foreign investment by $6.3 billion in
2014.
The military's political clout is one of the most
divisive issues in the new system. Under debate in
the parliament was a proposal to trim the share of
house votes required to amend the constitution from
over 75 percent to 70 percent, essentially removing
the military's veto. "It's necessary to keep the
Myanmar military in the legislative and
administrative sectors, to protect and stand for the
country in its time of need," said army delegate Tin
Soe.
The ruling, military-linked Union Solidarity and
Development Party hasn't clearly identified its
candidate for the presidency. The party was led by
the influential speaker of Myanmar's parliament,
Shwe Mann who was also the chairman of the ruling
party has been surprisingly removed on 14th August
as it is believed that Shwe Mann's willingness to
form ties with Suu Kyi irked many hardline and
conservative figures in the ruling party, as well as
former dictator Senior-General Than Shwe, who,
despite his retirement, is known to keep a keen eye
on political developments in nation's reemergence
from a half-century of military rule. Shwe Mann has
been soft towards Suu Kyi. This clearly reflects
hard line of the government towards Suu Kyi.
Saima Wazed Hossain says autism campaign will not lose steam
Human
Rights Report:
Saima Wazed Hossain,
the prime minister's daughter who spearheads autism
campaign in Bangladesh, has said the government is
working "very strategically" so that the
neurodevelopment disorder never loses attention.
"Bangladesh is moving forward. We'll move forward
leaving no one behind," she said, replying to a
question at a dissemination seminar of a research
finding at icddr,b on Monday.
A US-licenced school psychologist Hossain, better
known by her nickname Putul, brought the disability
issue to the forefront in Bangladesh in 2011, when
she organised first autism meet of South Asia in
Dhaka.
President of India's then ruling Congress party
Sonia Gandhi was among the leaders who joined the
event, being seen as an icebreaker for the cause of
children suffering from autism.
A lot of activities began following the event.
Parents who used to keep their children with autism
inside home came out and formed group to raise
awareness about the disorder.
However, an activist asked whether the hype would
die down after someday like many other issues.
Putul acknowledged that some issues had died down
after initial hype.
"I don't want the same to happen in case of autism.
We have been working very strategically," the
chairperson of the National Advisory Committee on
Autism and Neurodevelopment Disorders said.
She said they were working in a coordinated way, and
that's why when "we talk health and education for
the children with autism it needs to touch all
children with disabilities".
She said she was campaigning for the cause of autism
as it had long been a "neglected" issue in
Bangladesh.
"You have given me a big responsibility," she told
parents of the children with autism at the seminar.
Her campaign was aimed at changing perception of the
people about autism.
The icddr,b study carried out among 388 mothers, who
care their autistic children, in the Dhaka City
found that one in every four of them suffer from
depression.
Non-supportive attitude of neighbours was one of the
factors for their depression, researchers
identified.
One mother said the situation was "even unimaginable
in rural areas" where there were no services and
facilities for the children with autism.
The study was conducted to weigh the feasibility of
creating a community-based support system in
Bangladesh by empowering parents.
Putul said depression was an issue of "concern that
needs to be addressed urgently".
She stressed on training the caregivers on how to
manage the children with autism.
"They (caregivers) have to be partner in the
treatment process," she said.
Banks get access to national ID database
Huamn Rights Report:
Commercial banks are now getting access to the
national identity database, which bankers said would
help them check authenticity of clients' information
and reduce forgeries.
The Election Commission yesterday signed an
agreement with Dutch-Bangla Bank and Brac Bank,
allowing the two to enjoy national identity (NID)
verification services.
Earlier, Bangladesh Bank, the National Board of
Revenue, and the Department of Immigration and
Passports gained the access to the NID database.
Banks and telecom operators have long been demanding
the access.
"The scope for verification will authenticate
information of individuals and ensure transparent
financial transactions. Frauds and forgeries will
come down drastically," Bangladesh Bank Governor
Atiur Rahman said at the agreement signing ceremony
at Radisson hotel in the city.
Johannes Zutt, World Bank's country director for
Bangladesh, and Sirajul Islam, secretary of the
Election Commission, were also present.
The governor said the two banks will now verify NIDs
of their existing and upcoming customers regularly.
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Rahman said banks will use the NID database for
mobile banking services as well.
Election Commission officials said they will have to
manage multiple network connectivity from multiple
service providers to provide the NID verification
services to all banks and financial institutions.
The BB governor proposed a solution to the multiple
network connectivity issue. "The Election Commission
may consider providing the access via the central
bank," Rahman said, adding that it would help the
commission manage ICT security effectively.
Abul Kashem Mohammad Shirin, deputy managing
director of Dutch-Bangla Bank, said the access to
the NID database will help them detect accounts with
false identity.
"Providing mobile banking services will be easier as
many people open accounts with fake NID cards,"
Shirin said. "We will get genuine information from
the Election Commission as its NID database is 99.7
percent accurate," he added.
A bank has to give the Election Commission Tk 2 for
a single verification service in addition to the
specific usage fees.
Bangabandhu and our
sense of history
Dr. Rashid Askari
Father of the Nation' is an honorific bestowed on
individuals who are considered the most important in
the process of the establishment of a country or a
nation. They are the ones who had been instrumental
in the birth of their nations by way of liberating
them from colonial occupation. As George Washington
is the father of the United States, Peter I of
Russia, Sun Yat-sen of China, Sir Henry Parkes of
Australia, Miguel Hidalgo of Mexico, Sam Nujoma of
Namibia, William the Silent of the Netherlands,
Einar Gerhardsm of Norway, Julius Nyerere of
Tanzania, Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya, Carlos Mannel of
Cuba, Mustafa Kemal of Turkey, Sukarno of Indonesia,
Tunku Abdul Rahman of Malaysia, Mahatma Gandhi of
India, Don Stephen Senanayake of Sri Lanka, and
Mohammad Ali Jinnah of Pakistan- so is Mujib-Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman -the Father of Bangladesh.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (1920-1975) is the
architect of our country and the nation by all
implications of the term. What we now call
Bangladesh was never independent in the truest sense
of the term before 1971. It was Mujib, who gave the
nation a real touch of freedom. That was quite a
trek into the long way of struggle for freedom in
which he gave the most active lead. Mujib was a
fearless fighter in the Language Movement of 1952;
one in the vanguard of the democratic movement of
1962; the architect of the Six-point Programme of
1966; the life force of the Mass Movement of 1969;
the enviable victor of the election of 1970 and,
above all, the greatest hero of the Liberation War
of 1971. He is indisputably the founder of
independent Bangladesh and, therefore, the Father of
the Nation.
Bangabandhu has thus an unrivalled position in the
history of Bangladesh independence. On 7th March,
the whole nation was prepared to listen to nobody
else's speech; on 25th March, the occupation army
thought of arresting nobody else; the world's
conscience pressurized the then Pakistan Government
into releasing nobody else; nobody else was made the
founding president of new-born Bangladesh; on 10
January, 1971, nobody else was given the historic
reception; nobody else was entrusted with the
responsibility of reconstructing the war-ravaged
country! It was Mujib and only Mujib who was the
protagonist of the whole play. If the prime credit
of the Liberation War had depended only on the
charisma of any oral declaration, the people of
Bangladesh would have given Zia all they had given
Mujib.
The range of Mujib's preceding and succeeding
politicians would include leaders like Huseyn
Shaheed Suhrawardy, AK Fazlul Huq, Mawlana Bhashani,
Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmed, Captain Mansur,
AHM Quamruzzaman and Ziaur Rahman. The question of
comparing between Mujib and Zia not only makes us
feel distinctly uneasy, but also becomes the angst
of history.
In fact, all histories are contemporary. So, the
contribution of Mujib should be evaluated on the
basis of contemporary facts, not of any posthumous
fabrication. If we look back to our history of
independence, we would see Mujib was the supreme
leader of our liberation struggle. Mujib bears
comparison to none in his country. He can be
compared only with the world leaders like-Abraham
Lincoln of America, Lenin of Russia, Winston
Churchill of Britain, De Gaulle of France, Mao-Tse-Tung
of China, Ho Chi Minh of Vietnam, Ahmed Sukarno of
Indonesia, Kemal Ataturk of Turkey, Nelson Mandela
of South Africa, Patrice Lumumba of Congo, Jomo
Kenyatta of Kenya, Ahmed Ben Bella of Algeria, Fidel
Castro of Cuba, and Mahatma Gandhi of India. This is
history based on the bare bones of things that
really came about. Travesties of facts must be
spoilt by the unrealistic contrivances!
.
UN rights envoy urges Myanmar to value criticism
Huamn Rights Report:
As Myanmar looks ahead to the upcoming elections in
November - a milestone in the country's transition
to democracy - the Special Rapporteur on the
situation of human rights in Myanmar, Yanghee Lee,
urged the government to reconsider its fear and
opposition to critical and independent voices.
"Civil society actors, journalists and ordinary
citizens exercising their rights to freedom of
expression, assembly and association are not
threats, but should be seen as partners in
contributing to a robust democracy," Lee stressed at
the end of her five-day official visit to the
country.
During her visit, the human rights expert noted the
continuing arrests and convictions of civil society
actors including students, political activists,
workers, union leaders, farmers, community
organisers and journalists, and met with several of
these individuals detained in Insein and Tharawaddy
prisons, according to a message received here from
Geneva on Tuesday.
"Many emphasized that they were not against the
Government and simply wanted to bring about positive
changes in the country," she said.
Given their vital role in any democratic society,
prior to, during and after elections, the expert
called for the immediate release of all such
political prisoners, including those detained in
connection with the Letpadan incident on 10 March,
2015 during a police operation against student
demonstrators and their supporters.
Of grave concern to the Special Rapporteur was the
"disenfranchisement of hundreds of thousands of
individuals who previously held temporary
registration cards (white cards) who were allowed to
vote in the 2010 elections but lost this right in
2015."
Given the impact of the ongoing conflict on the
holding of inclusive and peaceful elections, Ms. Lee
also drew attention to the "possible
disenfranchisement of migrant workers, internally
displaced persons and refugees, and those living in
conflict-affected areas such as Kachin and northern
Shan States." She called for the full integration of
human rights issues and the full participation of
women in all stages of the peace process.
Additionally, while hailing the efforts of religious
leaders and civil society actors in building a more
tolerant and inclusive society, she warned of the
"increased influence of religious extremists in this
pre-electoral period" and the lack of action taken
against them in cases of intimidation or incitement.
"The Government must do more to combat hate speech
and incitement to violence," the rights expert said.
No access to Rakhine State
Although Lee met with representatives of the Rakhine
State Government, including the Chief Minister, her
request to visit Rakhine State was denied. "I cannot
shy away from continuing to highlight serious human
rights violations in Rakhine State and make
principled but constructive recommendations," Ms.
Lee noted. "More must and can be done to address the
legal status of the Rohingya and the
institutionalized discrimination faced by this
community."
"One practical step that could go a long way to
improve the situation of youth in Rakhine State is
to give priority emphasis to improving education
opportunities and access to higher education."
During her five-day visit, the expert met with
Government officials, members of the Myanmar
National Human Rights Commission, members of the
Myanmar Peace Center and civil society in Nay Pyi
Taw and Yangon. She regretted, however, that the
Government reduced her visit from 10 days to five
and that she was not able to meet with all
interlocutors as planned. Nevertheless the Special
Rapporteur reaffirmed her commitment to engage
constructively with the Government and all
stakeholders.
Lee also expressed her deepest sympathies to the
victims and all those affected by the devastating
floods and offered her assistance and that of the
international community.
.
Criminality in Chandpur and Hazaribagh
Human Rights
Report:
Once again it is the followers of the ruling Awami
League who are in the news, for all the wrong
reasons. A Chhatra League leader in the capital's
Hazaribagh has had a sixteen year-old youth beaten
to death on suspicion that the latter had stolen his
mobile phone and his laptop. The degree to which
individuals like this Chhatra League man has been
spreading fear in the community comes through the
fact that a whole lot of people heard the piercing
screams of the youth as he was being beaten and yet
no one went forward to save him. It has been much
the same case with other young people who have in
recent times died at the hands of criminals.
On Sunday, activists of the Jubo League swooped on
the students of Bhuiyara High School in Chandpur
when the students tried organizing a protest against
the goons who had just assaulted their teachers.
These Jubo League activists had earlier demanded a
donation of Tk. 15,000 from the headmaster of the
school as part of their programme to commemorate
National Mourning Day. The fact that they were
engaged in extortion as a way of observing the death
anniversary of the Father of the Nation was in
itself a matter of huge shame. Who gave them the
authority to demand money from the school? When the
headmaster gave the Jubo League men a mere thousand
taka, they were obviously unhappy. And when on
Sunday they realized that the school authorities
were handing out stipend money to their students,
this gang turned up again, to demand money again. ."
.
.