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EDITOR
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Editorial
‘Fortnightly’
পাক্ষিক |
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BHRC Human Rights Report
Political Killing 42 and injured
over 2000
Total 421 persons killed in January,
2015
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 421 (political killing 42 and injured over
2000) peoples were killed in January, 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 January, 2015 average 14
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 421 people's killed in January 2015.
Political killing 42, Killing for dowry 08, killing
by family violence 32, Killed due to social
discrepancy 56,
Killed by Law enforcing authority 10, Killed due to
doctor negligence 3, Killed by Abduction 8,
Assassination 12, Mysterious death 57, Killed due to
BSF 1.
Killed by several accidents: Killed by road accident
169, Suicide 19.
Besides victims of torture: Rape 2, Acid through 2.
President Hamid off to Riyadh to join Saudi King funeral
President Abdul Hamid has left Dhaka
for Riyadh by a special flight of Biman Bangladesh
Airlines at 10.30am to attend the funeral of Saudi
King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, President's
Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Industries Minister
Amir Hossain Amu, State Minister for Foreign Affairs
M Shahriar Alam, dean of the diplomatic corps,
cabinet secretary, chiefs of the three services,
principal secretary to the Prime Minister and high
civil and military officials were present at Hazrat
Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) to see him
off.
President Abdul Hamid is likely to return home on
January 25.
The royal court in a statement said that Abdullah
bin Abdulaziz Al Saud died at 1:00am (Saudi local
time) on 23 January.
India and US seal nuclear deal
The US and India have announced a
breakthrough on a pact that will allow American
companies to supply India with civilian nuclear
technology.
It came on the first day of President Barack Obama's
visit to India.
The nuclear deal had been held up for six years amid
concerns over the liability for any nuclear
accident.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the nations
were embarking on a "new journey" of co-operation,
with stronger defence and trade ties.
Mr Obama said that the nations had declared a new
friendship.
Security is intense in Delhi, with Mr Obama to be
the guest of honour at Monday's Republic Day
celebrations. Thousands of security personnel have
been deployed in Delhi.
Renewed trust
The nuclear pact had been agreed in 2008 but the US
was worried about Indian laws on liability over any
accidents.
Now, a large insurance pool will be set up, without
the need for any further legislation.
US ambassador Richard Verma said: "It opens the door
for US and other companies to come forward and
actually help India towards developing nuclear power
and support its non carbon-based energy production."
The BBC's Sanjoy Majumder in Delhi says the sides
also agreed to increase their bilateral trade five
times, from the current $100bn (£66.7bn) a year. The
US will also sell more military hardware to India.
Earlier, Mr Modi stressed the importance of the
visit by breaking with protocol to receive Mr Obama
personally at Delhi airport.
After his arrival, the US president travelled to the
presidential palace, Rashtrapati Bhavan, for an
official welcoming ceremony.
Mr Obama laid a wreath at the Mahatma Gandhi
memorial and planted a tree.
At a joint press conference, Mr Modi said the two
countries were "starting a new journey" based on
"renewed trust and sustained attention".
He said of Mr Obama: "We have forged a friendship,
there is openness when we talk."
He said the two nations would increase cooperation
on defence projects and on "eliminating terrorist
safe havens and on bringing terrorists to justice".
Mr Obama said the countries "had declared a new
friendship to elevate our partnership", which
"commits to more meetings and consultations across
governments".
He added: "The new partnership will not happen
overnight. It will need patience but will remain a
top foreign policy priority for my administration."
Out of bounds
The BBC's Geeta Pandey in Delhi says security around
the Republic Day parade is generally tight, but this
year the high-profile visit has taken preparations
to a new level.
India Gate and the Rajpath (the King's Avenue),
where Monday's parade takes place, have been out of
bounds for most people for the past few days, with
thousands of policemen on duty.
Security has been upgraded at several upmarket
hotels, where the US president and his team are
staying.
Traffic restrictions have been put in place across
the city, and extra checks have been taking place at
metro stations.
Mr Obama's visit to India has been shortened so he
can visit Saudi Arabia and pay his respects
following the death of King Abdullah.
It means he will not now visit the Taj Mahal.
Bomb victims continue fight for
life
Mohammad Jamil Khan
Six victims of Molotov
cocktail attacks have been undergoing treatment at
the ICU of burn institute at Dhaka Medical College
Hospital in critical condition.
Of them, truck driver Jahangir received 46% burns,
mechanic Niranjan 42%, autorickshaw driver Abdur
Rashid 39%, service holder Bilal Hossain 25%,
furniture trader Saju 20%, and car driver Nazmul
14%.
Forty-two more victims with different degrees of
injuries are now taking treatment at different wards
of the National Institute of Burns and Plastic
Surgery.
Since January 6 when the BNP-led 20-party alliance
enforced indefinite blockade, doctors at the
institute have been treating as many as 87 burn
victims.
Yesterday another victim of the petrol bomb attack
died. Bakul Debnath, 35, succumbed to his injuries
after battling for seven days, ICU chief Prof Dr
Maruful Islam told the Dhaka Tribune.
"He had around 35% burn injuries on his body. He
died around 7am," he added. Following a post-mortem
examination, Bakul's body was handed over to his
family in the afternoon.
With his death, the number of casualties from petrol
bomb attacks in the DMCH now stands at six while 16
across the country.
Bakul was attacked on his way to Sylhet city from
Jaintiapur area on a sand-laden truck on January 20.
"When the truck reached Bagher Sarak area in
Gowainghat upazila around 12:30pm, some pickets
hurled Molotov cocktails at the truck," Bakul's
brother Rantu Debnath told the Dhaka Tribune.
The victim was first taken to Osmani Medical College
Hospital in Sylhet, but as his condition
deteriorated, he was shifted to the DMCH burn
institute three days later.
Bakul remained unconscious until his death. Hailing
from Shosharkandi village in Sylhet, he was the only
earning member of his family.
The sufferings of burn victims have extended to
their families as well.
One-year-old girl Unaisa was seen crying for her
father beside one of the beds. Only learning how to
speak, she kept crying "Baba," bringing tears to her
mother Ratna's eyes too.
"She has been asking for her father for the last two
days. I cannot make her understand that the man
lying on the bed [beside her] is her father. The
petrol bomb attack burned my husband's face. Failing
to recognise him, my daughter continues searching
for him," Ratna told the Dhaka Tribune.
The man in question, Md Khokon, 25, has 20% burn
injuries on his body, with his face the most
affected. A shoe vendor in Gulistan area in the
capital, Khokon was one of the victims in the bus
that was attacked in Jatrabari on Friday night.
"My daughter, who used to jump at my lap when I
returned home from work, who woke up in the morning
hearing my voice, does not recognise me now," Khokon
cried while talking to the Dhaka Tribune.
"Only those who have children will understand how
painful it is. Not being able to console my child is
even worse than these burn injuries," he said.
"Khokon used to make Tk400 on average every day, and
we used to make do with that. Now, we do not know
what to do, how we are supposed to survive, and how
many days he have to remain in the hospital," his
wife Ratna said.
Bilal Hossain, 28, and his family are in a similar
situation. Being a salesman at a fabric shop in
Gulistan, Bilal is the only earning member in his
family. He received 10% burn injuries.
"The shop owner used to pay my husband Tk400 every
day, Tk100 of which was his conveyance. Now he is
here in the hospital; we are meeting ends with
donations from different people. But if he cannot
get back to work soon, we will be on the streets,"
Bilal's wife Shainur told the Dhaka Tribune with
their one-year-old son Sakibul Hasan on her lap.
At a press briefing around noon yesterday, Prof
Sazzad Khandker of the burn institute said: "A total
of 48 people are currently undergoing treatment
here. We are trying our best to ensure the best
treatment, but it is impossible to say anything
specific before the treatment is finished."
Submit memos to PM, BNP chief seeking end to impasse
Protesting the ongoing political violence, business
leaders and exporters have sought an immediate end
to the political impasse to keep the country's
economy growing.
The garment makers yesterday submitted memoranda to
both the prime minister and the BNP chairperson in
this regard.
Before submitting the memoranda, they formed a human
chain in front of the Bangladesh Garment
Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA)
Complex in the capital to press home their demands.
A team of businessmen led by BGMEA president Atiqul
Islam submitted the memorandum, signed by 10 trade
bodies, to the Prime Minister's Office. The trade
bodies include Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and
Exporters Association (BKMEA) and Bangladesh Textile
Mills Association (BTMA), among others.
The four-point memorandum demanded restoration of a
business-friendly environment, keeping intact the
supply chain of the garment industries, ensuring
safety and security of the garment goods and
business, and legal actions against those
responsible for hurting the industry.
Later, the BGMEA boss, on behalf of the trade
bodies, handed over another memorandum to BNP
chairperson's adviser MA Qaiyum and her special
assistant Shimul Biswas at Khaleda Zia's Gulshan
office.
In the memorandum, Atiqul urged the BNP chief to
keep the RMG sector out of political programmes like
hartal and blockade.
It also called on Khaleda Zia to keep the Dhaka-Chittagong
highway and other roads and highways out of the
hartal and blockade so that the supply chain is
maintained properly.
"We are planning further programmes if the memoranda
don't work. We will wait for the responses from the
political leaders," Atiqul told The Daily Star.
The BGMEA chief said work orders marked a fall by 30
percent in law few days due to the political
instability.
"The retailers have started sending messages to me
to know about the orders they have placed. They are
worried over the current political situation,"
Atiqul said.
Reading out messages from some foreign buyers,
Atiqul Islam said, "Is there anything we can do to
help stop the violence in Bangladesh? It is really
becoming a problem for us and our factories."
Quoting the emails, he said retailers also urged the
government to take steps to stop the violence or it
will have an impact on the cost and delivery of
products. They might even consider placing future
orders if the current situation persisted, he added.
"We are already cancelling number of trips for our
US merchandisers. This will impact samples, thus
impacting where we place products," according to an
email.
Many factories will not be able to pay salaries to
the workers, and only the bank interest rates will
pile up if the situation does not improve as soon as
possible, he said.
Expressing concerns over the prevailing political
stalemate, Tapan Chowdhury, president of the BTMA,
said, "More than five crore people are involved in
the garment sector. We took to the streets to save
the sector. Please do not give such programmes which
will damage the industry."
Helal Uddin, vice-president of the Federation of
Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI),
urged the political leaders to resolve the problems
as soon as possible through discussions, not through
hurting the economy.
Abdus Salam Murshedy, former BGMEA president and A H
Aslam Sunny, acting president of Bangladesh Knitwear
Manufacturers and Exporters Association, among
others, spoke on the occasion.
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Ukraine rebels in land grab, says US
US Secretary of State
John Kerry has accused pro-Russian separatists in
east Ukraine of a "blatant land grab".
He was speaking after reports that the rebels had
extended the area they control, violating a
ceasefire plan.
Ukraine says Russia has more than 9,000 soldiers
fighting alongside the rebels, a claim it denies.
Meanwhile, foreign ministers from Ukraine, Russia,
France and Germany issued a joint call to end the
fighting, following talks in Berlin. Speaking after
the meeting, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter
Steinmeier said it was not a breakthrough "but I
think we saw tangible progress".
He also said they had agreed on a procedure for
pulling back heavy weapons 15km (nine miles) from a
demarcation line defined in last year's Minsk
agreement.
Development or democracy?
Brig Gen Shahedul Anam Khan, ndc, psc (Retd)
Only over a fortnight
ago the two major parties focused on democracy in
their own different ways. One was celebrating its
'success' while the other lamenting its 'demise.'
And only a popular vote can determine which of the
parties is closer to the truth.
While democracy and its most essential factor -- the
people -- remain the constant refrain of
politicians, nowhere are these more grossly debased
than in this country. And nowhere are so much ill
done to a country's interest in the name of the
people and in the name of democracy than ours. The
current situation is ample proof of that. 26 people
have died for the sake of 'democracy' since January
5, 2015.
The violence we are witnessing today has mutated
from a political character to the seminal stages of
a more precarious conflict where terror tactic is
being employed. The indirect target is the
government while the direct targets are the
unfortunate victims. (More on this issue next week).
The path of democracy in Bangladesh has been very
patchy at best. Even now it survives, but only just,
and rather tenuously. In the more than 40 years of
its existence, democracy in this country has been
conspicuous either by its long absence or its feeble
attempt to survive in a quasi state or of its
largely dysfunctional character mostly due to the
very intolerant disposition it often assumes because
of the very illiberal attitude of politicians.
According one scholar, the difference between a
consent-based political system and an undemocratic
regime was getting increasingly blurred. That was
written several years ago. And if he were writing
the piece today he would not have failed to notice
that democracy has not only become illiberal, the
propensity to assume a tyrannical and autocratic
character of those that have come to power through a
very notional democratic process has also become
dangerously pronounced.
No discussion on the present state of democracy
would be complete without delving into the past, but
lack of space allows only this to be said that
abridgement of a pluralistic system of government by
a one party rule in 1974 was spurred by the examples
of some East Asian countries of the late '50s and
'60s, where the principles of democracy and
democratic practices were subordinated to the
primary consideration of economic growth. What is
disconcerting is that those examples are being cited
now also as justification of a quasi democratic
state that is in place today in Bangladesh.
Some scholars have justified this position going so
far as to suggest that democracy can wait till we
have reached the status of a middle income country.
I understand this to mean that had we not had the
political turmoil, an inevitable consequence of the
struggle for democracy against military autocrats in
the country, and had we allowed a non-pluralist
political arrangement to continue from the early
stages of the country's independence we might have
become a middle income country long ago. And again
we are being served up the examples of Singapore and
South Korea. Not long ago, the military dictators in
this country were using the same examples to pit
democracy as an antithesis of development.
The current discourse on development and democracy
reminds one of similar narratives originating from a
segment of scholars and civil society on development
and defense not very long ago. Unfortunately, the
arguments lacked rationality, and most of those
failed to address the core issues of the
defense-development debate. One author went so far
as to question the need for a standing military
citing five reasons, one of them being: "In a
disorganised society like Bangladesh a regular
force, being an unequal force, acts as the major
hurdle to socio-economic development."
I am sure he has revised his views since it was
articulated in 1996, having been a minister for the
last six years, and acknowledged the reality that
the investment in defense far outweighs the apparent
opportunity cost involved in maintaining a relevant
defense force in the long run.
It is true that in many countries autocratic regimes
or controlled democracy have seen considerable
economic growth but such state cannot be sustained
for long. And when it comes to the question of
change of government, which is expected to be
peaceful in a democratic system, it often assumes a
violent character under autocratic regimes. (One
would like to keep Bangladesh out of this equation.
It is perhaps only in this country that change of
democratic government has been preceded by severe
dislocations, more than even countries run by
despots).
It is as odious to pit development against defense
as it is to project democracy and development as
being mutually exclusive. There is no precondition
for democracy. And both democracy and development
must go in tandem for a nation to progress.
EU welcomes more active Japanese security role
BRUSSELS: EU foreign affairs chief Federica
Mogherini has welcomed Japan's higher profile role
in regional and global security, although many of
its neighbors including China have expressed deep
reservations over Tokyo's moves.
Last week, Japan approved its largest-ever defense
budget, reflecting hawkish Prime Minister Shinzo
Abe's belief the country should have a more active
military in keeping with its standing as a top world
economy.
After meeting Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio
Kishida on Monday, Mogherini said the European Union
supported Japan "in taking up more of its
responsibilities on regional and global security."
"Japan is a key EU ally in its region and globally,"
she said, adding that her goal was to expand
cooperation and "to realize our shared vision of a
peaceful and prosperous future for our citizens and
the world."
Mogherini said the 28-nation bloc and Japan have a
similar outlook and views, underpinning the EU's
drive to negotiate a Strategic Partnership Agreement
plus a free trade accord as quickly as possible.
In 2013, Japan and the EU agreed to upgrade ties,
which would be based on the two accords to ensure
enhanced political and trade connections. Citing
Japan's policy of "proactive contribution to peace,"
a statement said Tokyo and Brussels were also
"moving towards a significantly strengthened
security partnership, through concrete crisis
management cooperation in support of several African
countries."
Has to kill one crore chicks each
week
Md Owasim Uddin Bhuyan
A file photo shows
broilers at a kitchen market in Dhaka. The poultry
industry is facing setbacks with small and medium
farmers incurring losses unable to sell chicken and
eggs to due to transport problems caused by the
nationwide blockade. - New Age photo
The poultry industry has been facing serious
setbacks with small and medium farmers incurring
losses unable to sell chicken and eggs to due to
transport problems caused by the nationwide
blockade.
About one crore one-day old chicks, worth Tk 30
crore, had to be killed in one week since January 6
due to lack of storage facilities, said poultry
farmers.
And 16 trucks carrying chickens and feed were burnt
during the blockade, said industry leaders.
They appealed to the ruling Awami League as well the
BNP to find a way out of the political crisis
immediately to facilitate resumption of business in
a peaceful atmosphere. The nationwide blockade since
January 6 cut off the capital with the rest of the
country. Fani Bhuya and Mohammad Sabuj, small
poultry farmers at Sagordi, Ghatail, Tangail
district said that they were unable to sell their
eggs and broiler chickens due non availability of
transports.
Their stocks of eggs swelled and broilers were
getting aged, they said. The failure to sell in due
time is increasing their losses, they said.
Mohammad Jasim and Rafiqul Islam from Bhaluka,
Mymensingh said that they were unable to sell eggs,
broiler chickens and procure the needed feeds from
market. A veterinary doctor stationed at Bhaluka
said that facing financial constraints poultry
farmers in the area were compelled to provide less
of feeds to their poultry.
Famers usually buy poultry feeds after selling eggs
and they are now forced to give 50 grams of feed to
each chicken per day instead of 120 grams, he said.
Breeders Association of Bangladesh general secretary
Saidur Rahman Babu told New Age that the country's
80 poultry parent breeders that breed one crore
chicks each week need to sell one day-old chicks
immediately.
Each one-day old chick sells for Tk 30, he said.
The shortage of storage facilities and failure to
sell were compelling the breeders to kill one-day
old chicks causing huge losses, he said.
The non stop blockade virtually halted the supply of
broiler chickens and eggs to markets, he said.
The stockpiles of unsold eggs swelled at layer
poultry farms, he said.
Nilsagar Group, among the country's biggest poultry
and layer farms, has been facing a serious setback
due to transport problem, its chairman engineer Md
Ahsan Habib Lanin told New Age.
Storage facility shortage compels the Nilphamari
based farm to kill one lakh chicks each day, he
said.
According to Lanin's estimates small chicks, worth
Tk three to four crore had to be killed in last few
days.
He made a fervent appeal to keep the supply chain of
poultry medicines, feeds and the birds undisturbed
as the poultry industry provides employment to
millions of workers.
The country's 70,000 broiler and layer farms employ
about 70 lakh workers, according to the breeder
association.
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S.K. Sinha takes oath as the 21st Chief Justice of Bangladesh
The oath, administered
by President Md Abdul Hamid, was held at the
Bangabhaban at 11am.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Speaker Shirin Sharmin
Chaudhury, retired Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain
and other previous chief justices were present at
the ceremony.
The government appointed Justice Sinha to the office
last Monday. Justice Sinha, the most senior
Appellate Judge in the Supreme Court, succeeds
Justice Md Muzammel Hossain who retired on Jan 16.
He is the 21st head of judiciary in Bangladesh and
the first non-Muslim to hold the top position in
this Muslim-majority country.
He hails from the minority Bishnupriya Manipuri
community.
Justice Sinha was on the Appellate Bench that heard
the 13th Amendment appeal and scrapped the provision
for caretaker government to oversee general
elections.
He was also part of the bench that heard the 2009
appeals in the Bangabandhu Murder Case and has been
an appeals judge in the ongoing war crimes trials.
He will be in office for more than three years with
his retirement due in early 2018.
UK lauds Bangladesh's progress amid political turmoil
Despite the current
"political conflict" between Awami League and BNP,
UK parliament appreciated of the economy in
Bangladesh.
"Despite the almost constant political turmoil,
Bangladesh's economy continues to perform remarkably
well. While there remain many challenges ahead, good
progress has also been made on social development,"
a report of the House of Commons said today.
Recently, the UK, US and EU condemned the violence
and choking of democratic space that sparked
centering the first anniversary of January 5
election earlier this month. They urged all sides to
exercise restraint and engage in dialogue. The UK,
through its Bangladesh mission, urged all parties
for "restraint and moderation, respect the rule of
law, and to come together in a dialogue to break the
chain of violence". "Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
has been widely accused of playing fast and loose
with democracy," the report published by the House
of Commons today said.
Stop violence at any cost, I take
all liability: PM tells police
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked police to
take stern action to stop violence during the
ongoing BNP-sponsored transport blockade across
Bangladesh. She told top police officials at a
meeting in her office on Tuesday to control the
ongoing violence 'at any cost'. "There's should be
no hesitation, no two ways about it. Whatever
happens I will take the liability," said Hasina,
according to a news agency.
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