India Creating Ring of Fire in South Asia

[Bull]

The Bangladeshis have much to be proud of. They achieved independence and a pluralistic state after a hard fought war. They took to the streets nearly twenty years later dissatisfied with military rule and stood united for democracy. Devastating annual floods covering a third of the country does not deter their commitment to entrenching democracy and promoting modernity. Lately Bangladesh has gained notoriety for the spread of Islamic extremism, but jihadis don’t spring from the ground like mushrooms.

In October 2001, the Bangladesh National Party (B.N.P.) in a four party alliance was voted into office by a large majority. The alliance included two hard line Muslim parties, the Jamaat-e-Islami and the Islamic Oikya Jote (I.O.J.). Since then, the existence and growth of a radical Islamist movement has been officially denied by the B.N.P. Bangladesh Finance and Planning Minister M. Saifur Rahman called the rise of extremists “a fake issue,” and “foul propaganda.” The denial went on for years.

Islamic extremists have spread their ideology, primarily among the disadvantaged poor, using over 700 mosques built across the country by the Revival of Islamic Heritage Society. In 2002, Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill said the society “had been stealing from widows and orphans to fund Al Qaeda terrorism.” The society’s funds were blocked in Afghanistan and Pakistan, among other nations, and O’Neill said, “These bad actors will now be pariahs in the civilized world.” But they were not pariahs in Bangladesh, where they operated with impunity in certain areas.


the January assassination of former finance minister Shah A.M.S. Kibria sparked turmoil in Bangladesh. A leader of the center-left opposition Awami League (A.L.), Kibria was murdered in a bomb blast.

In recent years there has been a spate of unchecked political violence. An August bombing of an A.L. rally killed twenty-one and injured hundreds. Jatras (village theaters) and cinema halls have been targets, as have secularists, moderates and Awami League party members. These crimes remain largely unsolved. Amnesty International noted, “The government has failed to investigate previous attacks with the rigor and determination they deserve.”

Apparently the assassination of Mr. Kibria finally got the attention of Bangladesh’s Western donors, who called an informal meeting to discuss the deteriorating rule of law and rise of terrorist activity in Bangladesh. Bangladeshi officials were pointedly not invited to attend several meetings. Reportedly, European Union officials considered cutting Bangladesh’s aid portion. Just as this meeting was about to convene, the Bangladeshi government took action against the terrorists, banning two Islamist groups and arresting several people.

Among those arrested was Dr. Muhammad Asadullah Al Galib, head of an Islamist militant group. Dr. Galib is a Rajshahi University Arabic teacher. His three associates taken into custody were all employed by either madrasas or colleges.

The banned groups, Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (J.M.J.B.) and Jamaatul Mujaheedin Bangladesh (J.M.B.), are said to be complicit in the series of bomb attacks and murders throughout Bangladesh. In a rather startling turn, the ban was not applied to Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (Huji), which has confirmed ties to Al Qaeda and the International Islamic Front. Terrorist mastermind Bangla Bhai is still at large.

While demonstrating the impact Western pressure may have, many observers see the ruling was late, halfhearted, and toothless. “Had the government been really sincere and not complacent about the rise of fanaticism and extremism, it would have acted long before instead of issuing a press note hours before the Washington meeting,” Parliamentary opposition leader Saber Hossain Chowdhury said.

Politics in Bangladesh has nearly halted, with the A.L. boycotting parliament, and many B.N.P. members not bothering to show up either. A series of A.L. sponsored hartals (nationwide strikes) has exhausted the population and damaged the economy.

Bangladesh is light-years ahead of some other nations in achieving representative government. The issues it faces today may be a telling indication of tomorrow’s concerns in other regions. The rise of extremism in Bangladesh is a cautionary tale of the dangers of a democracy in form more than substance and of social constructs that preclude democratic safeguards.

A government-controlled media, everywhere it exists, is an anti-democratic institution. Similarly, democracy is poisoned by an executive branch that wields influence in the judiciary or bureaucracy. An educational system that does not teach economically viable skills is a disservice to the nation. Corruption denies citizens of their equality and prevents achievement based social mobility. Fringe parties cannot be permitted to undermine the law, the political system, or the centrist consensus.

For their democracy to flourish and thrive, the Bangladeshi people need Western assistance in cutting off the external sources of terrorist funding, developing their export markets, protecting themselves from natural disasters, and growing their economy. Given this support, 140 million Bangladeshis can achieve their goal of a modern, pluralistic, self-sufficient state. Without it, militant Islamic groups will continue to find fertile ground in Bangladesh to the irritation of the West and the despair of the Bangladeshis themselves.

http://www.worldpress.org/Asia/2071.cfm

 

[Bull]

Bangladesh's Conducive Conditions for Extremism

By Stephen Ulph

While Bangladesh government spokesmen dismiss the notion of the presence of international Islamist militants in the country, and intelligence agents attempt to identify the local sources of a New York Times article in January that depicted ripe conditions for the "next Islamist revolution", events in the country are working against them.

On February 20 a series of arrests nationwide, in response to a spate of bomb attacks, netted 12 suspected extremists. According to the Bangladeshi Daily Star, six of these were caught roaming at midnight with bomb-making formulas, masks and documents fingering the Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) (www.thedailystar.net). This group, and the Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB) were subsequently banned, in an attempt to forestall charges of foot-dragging in combating the growing influence of extremist groups and their apparent immunity from prosecution.

Dr. Muhammad Asadullah al-Galib, university lecturer in Arabic and leader of the JMB, was arrested on February 23. Galib has been implicated, according to www.bangladesh.net, in five cases related to explosives, bombings and murders. Meanwhile the leader of the JMB, Siddiqul Islam, also known as 'Bangla Bhai', who is notorious for his violent vigilantism, has so far eluded arrest. What makes the banning stand out is the evidence to date of at least passive collusion by local police organizations. Following his arrest, Dr. Galib was allowed, to government embarrassment, to give a televised interview while in court custody. Bangla Bhai, the country's top most wanted criminal, was actually photographed leaving a police station after a meeting with the superintendent. The foot-dragging may be passively conditioned by some political realities. Although a secular state, Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's governing coalition relies on support from two Islamic parties, Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Oikya Jote, both of which promote the establishment of Islamic law. Opposition parties are demanding that the first move against Islamic militancy should be the banning of the Ruling BNP-Jamaat-e-Islami alliance (www.bangladesh.net).

So far the government has sought to write off the arrests as evidence of "local goons" working in the name of religion. But media reports highlight Dr. Galib's frequent trips to Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, using fake legal documents, and his hosting of Arab and Kashmir mujahideen at the madrasa where he taught.

http://jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2369365

 

[Bull]

Transparency International (TI) in its Global Corruption Report (GCR) 2007 said Bangladesh failed to ensure full independence of the judiciary and the politicisation of the judiciary is one of the major reasons behind judicial corruption.
The TI also highlighted a number of other issues including bribery, judges' (except High Court and Supreme Court) bindings to the government, low population-to-judges ratio, huge backlog of cases strangling the judiciary and low salary and benefit structure for the judges.

The TI yesterday disclosed the GCR 2007 simultaneously from Dhaka, London and Berlin. Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) released the report at a roundtable discussion held at Biam Multipurpose Auditorium with its senior trustee Prof Khan Sarwar Murshid in the chair.


TIB treasurer M Hafizuddin Khan moderated the session while Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman presented the GCR 2007.

Among others, Justice Mahmudul Amin Chowdhury, Justice KM Sobhan, Prof Moniruzzaman Mian, Justice Abdur Rouf, Justice Golam Rabbani, Awami League Presidium Member Suranjit Sengupta, Col (retd) Shawkat Ali, Dr Enamul Haque and Taleya Rehman spoke.


"Two thirds of the people who used a court in 2004 paid bribes, with the typical bribe amounting to 25 percent of average annual income," the report says, adding that judicial reform is underway but unfolding slowly and sometimes with limited effect.

It also said, "77 Supreme Court justices and 750 other judges cover a population of nearly 150 million and the salary structure for the judges in the countryside is insufficient, and discourages capable people from joining the judiciary."

According to the report, "Judicial corruption erodes the foundation of the society as it allows criminals to go unpunished, destroying effective governance and democratic participation. It diminishes trade and economic growth also."

"Ordinary people suffer from judicial corruption as demanding bribes for a speedy trial erodes the rule of law and undermines confidence in the justice system," the report says, adding that an impartial judiciary must be based on transparency.


"Judicial and prosecutorial appointments and removals must be transparent, independent of the executive and legislative branches and based on experience and performance," the TI report says.

The TI recommended that journalists must be able to monitor and comment on legal proceedings freely, bringing reliable information on laws, propose changes in the legislations, court procedures and judgements to the public.


"The prosecution must conduct judicial proceedings in public and publish reasons for decisions," the TI suggested.

Suggesting the set up of "elders council" that would be composed of three former chief justices to appoint justices, former chief justice Mahmudul Amin Chowdhury said corruption has taken a turn into "blood cancer" and it would not be eradicated if nepotism, favouritism are not stopped.

He also said, "The chief justice should be provided with more power so that he can take actions against the corrupt people in judiciary," adding that judges should be given the opportunity to work independently.

"The chief justice should also be strong in keeping the district judges corruption free," the former chief justice observed rejecting any links between corruption and the provision to make former chief justices the chief of caretaker government.


Emphasising the need for "human quality" improvement of the judges, Prof Khan Sarwar Murshid said judges should be provided proper training.

He also said the judiciary should be a self-regulating body and a responsible press might act as the guardian.

"No institution can sustain ignoring the society but many things were done in last 20 years keeping the people in the dark," he said.

Calling on finding out ways to remove the inefficient justices, Justice KM Sobhan said systematic changes are necessary in the judiciary and the Bar Council should get more power and salaries of the judges should be increased.


At this point Suranjit Sengupta said, "I hope the chief justice will write for forming Supreme Judicial Council without making any delay."

"Elders Council might be formed if there was no legal complexity or the decision might come from the people," he said regarding the removal procedure of a judge. He said everyone should work together to make the society corruption free.

Prof Moniruzzaman Mian also asked for bringing changes in the system and said judges' appointment system is the root of all evils so it should be changed.

Justice Abdur Rouf stressed "human quality" of all involved in the judicial process to eradicate corruption and also developing the judicial system.

Justice Golam Rabbani stressed the need for strengthening local government institutions to eliminate corruption from all levels of society.

Recommendations of TI: The TI in its recommendations to strengthen judicial independence and fight judicial corruption said an independent judicial appointment body should be at the heart of the judicial selection process and judicial appointments should be merit based, with clear and well-publicised election criteria and candidates should have competence and integrity. The civil society should be consulted on the merit of candidates.

"Judicial salaries should reflect experience, performance and professional development, protection to safeguard salaries and working conditions and judicial transfer should be based on objective criteria," the report said.

According to the report, judges should receive limited immunity for actions relating to judicial duties, an independent body should rigorously investigate allegations against judges and the removal process should be transparent and fair.

 

[Bull]

Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received shocking information from local human rights group ODHIKAR regarding the murder of Mr. Khabirul Islam Dulal, Commissioner of Ward No. 6 of the Char Fashion Municipality in Bhola district, allegedly caused by a brutal assault by naval officers on 20 February 2007. Mr. Dulal was arbitrarily arrested from his office by a team of the Bangladesh Navy led by Lieutenant Mr. S M Reza. The victim was handcuffed, blind-folded and assaulted in public by the officers. On top of this, the navy committed grave crimes against the community including the torture of women, child abuse, theft, intimidation and engaged in corrupt practices. Meanwhile, the family has received no justice, no investigation has been launched, no journalists are reporting the case and they have received no financial compensation.

CASE DETAILS:

On 20 February 2007, at around 10:00 am, a group of 11 naval officers, 9 of whom were in plain clothes and two who were armed and in uniform, went to the Char Fashion Municipality office located within Bhola district. The team went to the office room of the Commissioner of Ward No. 6 of the Municipality, Mr. Khabirul Islam Dulal, who was in a meeting with local citizens. One of the group members introduced himself as Mr. S M Reza who is the Lieutenant of the Bangladesh Navy Contingent deployed in Char Fashion. Following the command of Lt. Reza, the Navy personnel asked the victim to hand over the arms allegedly in his possession. When Mr. Dulal denied possessing any, the navy personnel severely beat, handcuffed and blindfolded him in the meeting. The Navy team pushed Mr. Dulal into one of their vehicles and brought him to the temporary camp in the upazilla Dak Banglo (a public rest house in the town used by the visiting government officials).

Over the next 4 hours, the commander, Lt. Reza allegedly kept physically assaulting the victim with roller sticks, fists and boots. The victim was kept handcuffed and blind folded for almost the entire period. At around 3:30 pm, the navy took the victim to one of his aunt’s house at Masterpara village in the Char Fashion municipality. At the house, the soldiers used abusive languages and threatened the family at gun point, including her 26 year-old and 16 year-old daughters.

Lt. Reza then ordered the navy officers to ransack the house. The victim was brought to the backyard and was again beaten by soldiers. The officers kept searching in the house for about 20 minutes.

At around 4:00 pm, the officers once again blind folded and handcuffed the victim before proceeding to his house. Lt. Raza who was holding the rope that tied the victim's hands together, ordered the two armed soldiers to ransack the house. Lt. Raza again beat Dulal with a roller stick in the yard, this time in front of his family and relatives. At this time, Dulal’s cousin’s wife, Mrs. Parul Begum, attempted to save the man; however, officers pointed their guns at her head while two soldiers beat her with sticks on the lower part of the body.

Unbelievably, the soldiers also beat an 11-years-old girl named Moni who was carrying Parul’s 6-month-old son. A soldier pressed against Moni’s throat and strangled her. The 6-month-old infant, Abir, was thrown around 10 meters away from Moni’s lap. While this was happening, Parul’s son-in-law Mr. Nur Uddin and his brother Mr. Mosleh Uddin came to visit the house and were also beaten by the soldiers.

Dulal’s two sons, eight year-old Ziaur Rahman Jim and three year-old Jibon, were held at gun point while their mother, Mrs. Jasmine Akhter Khuku, was beaten in front of the family. Dulal’s aunt Mrs. Moyful Begum and Dulal’s 58-years-old mother Mrs. Hajera Khatun were also beaten by the navy personnel. Mrs. Khuku alleges that Lt. S M Reza beat her on the hips with stick; pushed her against the wall and hurt her right eye and foot, before knocking her to the ground. Also, about 1.5 million Taka (USD 21,740) was stolen from the house, money that was to be used as payment for labourers working on the “Abashan” and “Adarsha Gram” housing projects. Gold ornaments worth approximately 1 million Taka (USD 14,500) and belonged to the projects contractors were also taken from the house.

After the raid on the house, two Navy personnel lifted Dulal’s body and put a long roller stick under his arms, since Dulal’s hands were tied behind his back. The men put the body by the side of a pond outside Dulal’s house. Meanwhile, Dulal who had been unconscious returned to his senses and asked for water. A Naval staff brought dirty water from the pond in a pot and poured in Dulal’s mouth. Then, Dulal was taken to Mrs. Fatema Begum’s home. As Dulal could not walk by himself, the Navy personnel held his arms and dragged his legs on the street. The Navy personnel asked Mrs. Fatema to give up the guns suspiciously kept in the house. Fatema then gave them a toy pistol, which her son plays with. Later on, Dulal was taken to the house of a former Member of Parliament (MP) and a leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Mr. Nazim Uddin Alam, who was not at home at that time. The security guards at the house Mr. Hafizur Rahman was also beaten by the Navy soldiers.

Then Lt. Reza brought Dulal to the rooftop and ordered him to stand up alone; however, Dulal was not able to do it by himself and fell down on the floor. Lt. Reza kicked him and ordered the soldiers to collect red chilli powder, salt and rice husks from a next door neighbour named Mrs. Helena’s. The spices were mixed together with water in a bucket and poured in Dulal’s mouth. About 20 minute later, Mr. Reza forced Mrs. Helena to give hot water, which was also poured into Dulal’s mouth. Dulal’s relatives claim that many people living in the adjacent houses including the house of Mrs. Rina Khanom, a municipal commissioner of Reserved Ward No. 3 of the Char Fashion Municipality, had witnessed the scene of torture on the roof of Mr. Alam’s house.

Later at around 9:30 pm, navy personnel picked up Dulal in a vehicle and took to the Navy camp. Arriving at the camp, Lt. Reza kicked Dulal’s motionless body was handcuffed and blindfolded in the back of the vehicle. Then, he held the rope and proceeded to kick Dulal’s body severely and dragged him toward the nearby pond. As witnessed by many locals, Dulal’s body rolled into the pond. For roughly five to six minutes, the body was under water. Later, Dulal’s body was taken to the Emergency Unit of the Char Fashion Upazilla Health Complex. The Medical Officer (MO), Dr. Ekramul Kabir, found that Dulal was already dead. The MO then lodged a complaint with the Char Fashion police station. In his application, Dr. Kabir mentioned that at 10:55 pm, Navy personnel brought the dead body of Mr. Dulal to the hospital. It was alleged that Dr. Kabir was forced by Lt. Reza of the Navy to lodge the complaint with the local police.

The Officer-in-Charge (OC) of the Char Fashion police station, Mr. Zakir Hossain Fakir, recorded this case as an Unnatural Death (UD) case (No. 6, date: 20 February 2007) following Dr. Kabir’s compliant at 11:45 pm. The OC, however, denied that the incident involved arbitrary arrest, torture and murder. However, the OC does note that when he went to the navy camp, S.M. Reza had refused to hand over the body so that he could return it to the victim’s family.

According to a fact-finding report prepared by human rights organization ODHIKAR, “Doctor Ekramul Kabir of Char Fashion Upazila Health Complex also noted that Dulal died long before being admitted to the hospital. Observing the state of the body, he requested other four doctors for their opinion. After that they sent a report to the Char Fashion Police Station. In answer to a question Doctor Ekramul Kabir told ODHIKAR that there was a lot of water inside the dead body and the marks of ropes were clearly demarcated around the wrists. He also noticed that pieces of skin were falling off the body due to severe bruising and that the testicles were also bruised. Dulal’s throat was distended, and some of his toes and finger nails were missing too.”

The following morning (21 February 2007), the on-duty police also refused to return the body of the victim to the relatives of Dulal at the hospital. Magistrate Mr. Foyez Ahmed prepared the Inquest Report of Dulal’s dead body at the Char Fashion hospital. The Inquest Report mentioned injuries on the legs, hands and in the back. A medial board comprising of Dr. Rathindra Nath and two others conducted the post mortem of the body at the Bhola Sadar Hospital morgue at around 4:30 pm. The complete post mortem report is pending until the viscera examination report is conducted in a chemical laboratory in Dhaka.

Dulal’s father-in-law, Mr. Shahidul Haque, alleges that the Dome of the Bhola Sadar Hospital, namely Mr. Bhanu, demanded a bribe from Shahidul if the deceased’s family wanted a “fair post mortem report”. This was done in front of Dr.Rathindra Nath, who did not comment or say anything to the Dome. Mr. Shahidul, then, allegedly responded the Dome to lodge a complaint against him with the Magistrate’s Court.
Although the dead body was handed over to the family from the hospital morgue at around 5:15 pm the Char Fashion police finally gave the body to the family at around 7:40 pm at the police station. But, the family had to pay the transportation cost of the dead body from Bhola district town to the Char Fashion police station.
On February 22, the relatives buried the dead body of Dulal in their family graveyard. Two naval staff also joined the rituals in plain cloths while some soldiers were patrolling around the area.

Mr. Shahidul alleged that he was told not to announce about the funeral to the public by the Chairman of the Char Fashion Municipality Mr. Amirul Islam Mintis before the victim's funeral. It has also been reported that the Chairman told the victim's family to sign on a blank paper that the death of Dulal was "unnatural" and urged them not to lodge any complaint against the Navy officers about the murder of Dulal. Then the Chairman urged the family to leave the town and do not seek any further proceedings regarding the death of Dulal.

It has also been reported that the Police officers from the Char Fashion police station also urged the family to compromise with the Navy officers about the case. Mr. Shahidul also received a phone call from an Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Zakir Hossain of the Char Fashion police station who told him that he should not pursue any further persecutions against the Navy officers and offered money in exchange for his silence.
Mr. Shahidul and the wife of Dulal have lodged a complaint with the office of the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Bhola district on 26 February 2007. Both of them are asking the police officers to record the case of Dulal however the police officers allegedly refused to register the case. On 27 February 2007, Mr. Shahidul submitted another petition to the Upazilla Nirbahi (sub-district executive) Officer (UNO) seeking further post mortems of Dulal’s dead body by impartial medical doctors. The application was addressed to the Deputy Commissioner of Bhola.

Meanwhile, Mr. Shahidul further alleges that he received threats to his mobile phone from unidentified callers, who warned him not to step forward regarding this case. On 6 March 2007, at around 11:00 pm, Shahidul received two calls from phone number +8801720494851 and +8801725440257. Mr. Shahidul, along with his daughter Mrs. Jasmin Akhter Khuku (Dulal’s wife) and her two sons are now in hiding. Mrs. Khuku is now questioning whether they will have right to achieve justice. She is extremely worried about the future of her two minor-aged sons as she has no assets left by her husband and has no job.

It is also alleged that the Navy officers threatened human rights defenders, who conducted the fact-finding mission regarding the death of Dulal. According to the report of ODHIKAR, “The ODHIKAR fact-finding officer visited the Navy Contingent to talk with Lieutenant SM Reza. Lieutenant Reza tried to shake him off and ultimately threatened to have him arrested as a member of the JMB (an underground radical group). He claimed that he did not have the intention to kill or arrest Dulal and that if that was their intention; they would have done so in ‘crossfire’. He commented that Dulal was not meant to live a long life and met his fate by drowning.”

Local journalists also alleged that they received threats from the Navy and were told to only write that “Dulal jumped into a pond and died when trying to flee”. The Navy personnel also threatened the local journalists that they would kill them like Dulal if they disclose anything more regarding the murder.

However, Lieutenant Commander Ashraf of Char Fashion Navy Contingent told ODHIKAR’s fact-finding team that Khabirul Islam Dulal was a threat to the people of his locality. Dulal was arrested on the basis of a number of verbal and written complaints from the people of the locality against him, including toll collection, harassment of women, land-grabbing and other anti-social as well as criminal offences. Mr. Ashraf claims that the complaints were preserved in the Khulna and Chittagong Navy headquarters. According to Dulal’s statement they conducted an arms recovery operation in various places; an Indian pistol was recovered from the house belonging to Fatima, beside his home. On recovering the pistol, they returned with him to the contingent and untied his wrists in order to take a picture of him with the pistol. Dulal tried to flee but fell into the pond. He was rescued and sent to the hospital, where he died.

SUGGESTED ACTION:

Please write to the relevant Bangladesh authorities listed below urging them to take prompt action to investigate the conduct of the Navy personnel of the Char Fashion Contingent in the alleged arbitrary arrest, detention and extrajudicial killing of Mr. Khabirul Islam Dulal. Please also send your letters to the relevant UN agencies listed below.


Sample Letter:

Dear __________,

BANGLADESH: Extreme torture, child abuse and an extrajudicial killing in Bangladesh as Navy runs rampant

Name of the victim (killed): Mr. Md. Khabirul Islam Dulal, aged 32, Commissioner of Ward No.: 6, Char Fashion Municipality of Bhola district and President of the Jatiatabadi Krishak Dal (Nationalist Peasants Party) Char Fashion upazilla unit
Name of the victims (tortured, intimidated and threatened):
1. Mrs. Jesmine Akhtar Khuku, aged 30, wife of the deceased mentioned above, living in Adarshapara village of the Char Fashion municipal town under the Char Fashion police station in the Bhola district
2. Ms. Parul, aged 26, daughter of Mr. Abdul Rob Hawladar, living in Masterpara village under Char Fashion police station in Bhola district
3. Ms. Parvin, aged 16, an examinee of Secondary School Certificate (SSC), daughter of Mr. Abdul Rob Hawladar, living in Masterpara village under Char Fashion police station in Bhola district
4. Mrs. Rokeya Begum, aged 45, wife of Mr. Abdul Rob Hawladar, living in Masterpara village under Char Fashion police station in Bhola district
5. Ms. Moni, aged 11, a maid servant living in the house of Mr. Iqbal Hossain,
6. Mrs. Parul Begum, wife of Mr. Iqbal Hossain,
7. Master Abir, aged 6 months, son of Mr. Iqbal Hossain & Mrs. Parul Begum
8. Mrs. Fatema Begum, a housewife
9. Mrs. Hajera Khatun, aged 58, wife of Mr. Uzir Ahmed Master, mother of Dulal
10. Mrs. Moyful Begum, aged 55, aunt of Dulal,
All living in Adarshapara village of the Char Fashion municipal town under the Char Fashion police station in the Bhola district
11. Mr. Hafizur Rahman, a retired Habildar (a non-commissioned army rank), works as the caretaker of the house of former MP Mr. Nazim Uddin Alam in the Char Fashion town
12. A Fact-finding Officer (name withheld) of the ODHIKAR, a national human rights organization in Bangladesh, based in Dhaka
Alleged perpetrators:
1. Lieutenant Mr. S M Reza, Commander of the Bangladesh Navy Contingent deployed in the Char Fashion Upazilla under Bhola district
2. Lieutenant Commander Mr. Ashraf attached to the Bangladesh Navy Contingent deployed in the Char Fashion Upazilla under Bhola district
3. Personnel of the Bangladesh Navy attached to the Contingent deployed in the Char Fashion Upazilla under Bhola district
4. Mr. Farid Uddin, Sub Inspector, attached to the Char Fashion police station and Investigating Officer of the Unnatural Death (UD) case regarding the death of Mr. Dulal
5. Mr. Zakir Hossain, Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI), attached to the Char Fashion police station under Bhola district
6. Mr. A N M Amirul Islam Mintis, Chairman of the Char Fashion Municipality in Bhola district
Date of the incident: 20 February 2007
Place of incident: Char Fashion Dak Banglo

I am writing to express my total condemnation of the mayhem and heinous crimes allegedly committed by the Bangladeshi Navy in Char Fashion in Bhola district on 20 February 2007. I know of the arbitrary arrest, torture and murder of Mr. Khabirul Islam Dulal, Commissioner of Ward No. 6 of the Char Fashion Municipality in Bhola district. Not to mention other grave offences such as the torture of women, child abuse, theft, intimidation and corruption. Meanwhile, I have learned that the murder victim’s family has received no justice, no investigation has been launched, no journalists are reporting the case and they have received no financial compensation. It should be considered a national shame that the country’s protectors act in such barbaric ways against their own citizenry.

Please allow me to describe to you what atrocities the Navy has allegedly committed. According to the information I received, on 20 February 2007, at around 10:00 am, a group of 11 naval officers, 9 of whom were in plain clothes and two who were armed and in uniform, went to the Char Fashion Municipality office located within Bhola district. The team went to the office room of the Commissioner of Ward No. 6 of the Municipality, Mr. Khabirul Islam Dulal, who was in a meeting with local citizens. One of the group members introduced himself as Mr. S M Reza who is the Lieutenant of the Bangladesh Navy Contingent deployed in Char Fashion. Following the command of Lt. Reza, the Navy personnel asked the victim to hand over the arms allegedly in his possession. When Mr. Dulal denied possessing any, the navy personnel severely beat, handcuffed and blindfolded him in the meeting. The Navy team pushed Mr. Dulal into one of their vehicles and brought him to the temporary camp in the upazilla Dak Banglo (a public rest house in the town used by the visiting government officials).

Over the next 4 hours, the commander, Lt. Reza allegedly kept physically assaulting the victim with roller sticks, fists and boots. The victim was kept handcuffed and blind folded for almost the entire period. At around 3:30 pm, the navy took the victim to one of his aunt’s house at Masterpara village in the Char Fashion municipality. At the house, the soldiers used abusive languages and threatened the family at gun point, including her 26 year-old and 16 year-old daughters.

I have learned that Lt. Reza then ordered the navy officers to ransack the house. The victim was brought to the backyard and was again beaten by soldiers. The officers kept searching in the house for about 20 minutes. Then at around 4:00 pm, the officers once again blind folded and handcuffed the victim before proceeding to his house. Lt. Raza who was holding the rope that tied the victim's hands together, ordered the two armed soldiers to ransack the house. Lt. Raza again beat Dulal with a roller stick in the yard, this time in front of his family and relatives. At this time, Dulal’s cousin’s wife, Mrs. Parul Begum, attempted to save the man; however, officers pointed their guns at her head while two soldiers beat her with sticks on the lower part of the body.

Moreover, I have been informed that the Navy personnel also tortured a number of women, the elderly and children during the operations in different houses. Among the victims, a six-months-old boy, namely Abir, who was thrown about 10 meters in the air and an eleven year-old girl who was carrying the boy in her lap was strangled. Dulal’s mother Hajera Khatun; Mrs. Rokeya Begum and her two daughters, namely Parul and Parvin; Mrs. Fatema Begum; Mrs. Moyful Begum; Mrs. Parul Begum and her son-in-law Mr. Nur Uddin and his brother Mr. Mosleh Uddin; caretaker of former MP’s house, Mr. Hafizur Rahman were also all beaten by Navy personnel.

I have also learned that Dulal’s two sons aged eight and three respectively were held at gun point while their mother Mrs. Jasmine Akhter Khuku was beaten by Lt. Reza. The naval force damaged the furniture of the houses when they raided. Meanwhile, the victim’s family was denied access to body, the medical officers demanded bribes for a fair post-mortem and that the local police encouraged the family not to pursue the case or make a public announcement about the funeral arrangements.

On top of all this, it is also alleged that the Navy officers threatened human rights defenders, who conducted the fact-finding mission regarding the death of Dulal. According to the report of “ODHIKAR”, “The ODHIKAR fact-finding officer visited the Navy Contingent to talk with Lieutenant SM Reza. Lieutenant Reza tried to shake him off and ultimately threatened to have him arrested as a member of JMB (an underground radical group). He (Lt. Reza) claimed that he did not have Dulal arrested to kill him (Dulal) and that if that was their intention; they would have done so in ‘crossfire’. He commented that Dulal was not meant to live a long life and he met his fate by drowning.”

Local journalists also allege that they received threats from the Navy and were told to only write that “Dulal jumped into a pond and died when trying to flee”. The Navy personnel also threatened the local journalists that they would kill them like Dulal if they disclose anything more regarding the murder.

I strongly condemn the threats and intimidation of human rights defenders and journalists by Lt. S M Reza and other personnel of the Navy. I strongly urge you to begin a prompt and independent investigation into this incident and take strong disciplinary and legal measures against the responsible Navy personnel including Lieutenant S M Reza and the Char Fashion police. The family of the deceased and the victims who were tortured should be adequately compensated as well. Adequate medical treatment must be provided to these victims.

I also urge the Bangladeshi authorities to condemn and investigate threats made against human rights defenders and journalists. An investigation must be conducted promptly regarding this issue and the alleged perpetrators must be punished.

I look forward to your urgent intervention in this matter.

Yours sincerely,

---------------

PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTER TO:

1. Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed
Chief Adviser
Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh
Office of the Chief Advisor
Tejgaon, Dhaka
BANGLADESH
Tel: +880 2 8828160-79, 9888677
Fax: +880 2 8113244 or 3243 or 1015 or 1490

2. Mr. Mohammad Ruhul Amin
Chief Justice
Supreme Court of Bangladesh
Supreme Court Building
Ramna, Dhaka-1000
BANGLADESH
Tel: +880 2 9562792
Fax: +880 2 9565058

3. Barrister Fida M Kamal
Attorney General of Bangladesh
Office of the Attorney General
Supreme Court Building
Ramna, Dhaka-1000
BANGLADESH
Tel: +880 2 9562868
Fax: +880 2 9561568

4. Mr. Nur Mohammad
Inspector General of Police (IGP)
Bangladesh Police
Police Headquarters'
Fulbaria, Dhaka-1000
BANGLADESH
Tel: +880 2 9562054 or 7176451 or 7176677
Fax: +880 2 9563362 or 9563363

5. Rear Admiral Mr. Sarwar Jahan Nizam
Chief of Naval Staff
Bangladesh Navy
Naval Headquarters
Airport Road, Banani
Dhaka-1213
BANGLADESH
Tel: +880 2
Fax: +880 2

6. Professor Philip Alston
Special Rapporteur on Extra-judicial, Summary, or Arbitrary Executions
Attn: Lydie Ventre
Room 3-016
c/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9155
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTN: SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR EXECUTIONS)

7. Ms. Leila Zerrougui
Chairperson
Working Group on arbitrary detention
OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTENTION: WORKING GROUP ARBITRARY DETENTION)

8. Professor Manfred Nowak
Special Rapporteur on the Question of Torture
Attn: Mr. Safir Syed
C/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Fax: +41 22 9179016 ((ATTENTION: SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR TORTURE)

9. Ms. Hina Jilani
Special Representative of the Secretary General for human rights defenders
Att: Melinda Ching Simon
Room 1-040, c/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 93 88
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTN: SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS)


Thank you.

Urgent Appeal Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ahrchk@ahrchk.org)

http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2007/2267/

 

[Bull]

Bangladesh: Failure by state protects alleged rapists

The acquittal last week of four policemen accused of raping a young woman, Shima Chowdhury, in their custody in October 1996 is a culmination of a series of failures by the Bangladesh authorities to protect human rights and provide justice, Amnesty International said today, as protests gather throughout the country.

The four policemen were acquitted by a trial court on 14 July. The judge reportedly deplored the fact that government lawyers had presented weak evidence and witnesses. No one in the jail administration has even been held to account for alleged negligence after Shima Chowdhury died in “safe-custody” in mysterious circumstances four months later.

“A series of failures by different institutions of the state has effectively allowed the police to get away with rape -- and led to Shima Chowdhury’s death several months later,” Amnesty International said in a report released today. “It is time the Home Ministry, the police, the court, the jail administration and hospital authorities all acknowledge their responsibility in this.”

Amnesty International is calling on the Government of Bangladesh to promptly investigate these failures seriously with a view to bringing to justice not only those who raped Shima Chowdhury, but also those whose alleged negligence caused her death.

Two inquiries into Shima Chowdhury’s death instituted by the government and by the parliament have been disappointing. More than five months after their establishment, they are yet to produce any reports and recommendations.

However, following protests by women’s rights groups including Sammilito Nari Samaj (United Women Community) and Ain O Salish Kendra (Law and Mediation Centre) the government announced that it would appeal against the acquittal of the four policemen.

“Shima Chowdhury should never have been in custody in the first place. At the very least, she should have been released as soon as her medical condition deteriorated, as women’s groups and human rights organizations were urging,” Amnesty International said. “Instead, she was left to cope with her own traumatic experience, and with a serious illness without medication or necessary treatment.”

The practice of so-called “safe-custody”, a form of imprisonment ordered by the judge on application from the police, continues to be allowed even though victims and human rights activists have urged its abolition on the grounds that it violates the women’s fundamental right to liberty, as well as facilitating ill-treatment. Some women have been kept in “safe-custody” for up to four years.../ENDS



http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGASA130051997?open&of=ENG-BGD

 

[Bull]

Pakistan: Geopolitical epicentre of Islamist jihad

The 1993 serial bomb blasts in Mumbai, the attack on Parliament, the hijacking of IC-814 and the latest but not the last devastating serial bomb blasts on the Mumbai suburban railway system generated media fever, crocodile tears from politicians, motivated leakages by police and intelligence agencies, communal cleavage and erosion of faith in the political system.
The fever will subside; the rhetoric will be morphed to ballot box paranoia, the police and intelligence agencies will lapse back to routine servitude. And the people, and the nation will continue to live with deep scars, fearfully anticipating the footsteps of other disasters.

India's war against internal disruptive forces, ethnic insurgencies, pseudo-religious sub-nationalist terrorism, the Kashmir gangrene and unresolved agrarian unrest and imbalance between urban and rural economy (brand named Naxalism) has been weaved into the texture of daily routine.

The deformity in the criminal justice system does not pain us anymore. Restructuring of ethnic political geography and increasing assertion of regional (provincial) autonomy within the crashing debris of the Federated Unitary System are being absorbed at regular intervals. Even after 59 years of independence, the Republic is yet to be fully federated and a new India Inc is yet to emerge. India limps with pain and gasps with expectations. The people are learning to cope.

However, India has not been able to cope with the threat from regional and global Islamist jihadist forces. This multidimensional cancer travels through the arterial system of the country along the scarred tissues of fractures and carcinogenic gaps left by the neurosis of pre and post independence philisophy and the unassimilated edges of history.

The Pakistani establishment and the ISI have deftly exploited these gaps and unmatched edges in collaboration with the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence of Bangladesh and the Islamic tanzeems patronised by them.

Journeying through the Afghan killing fields, tangoing with the Taliban and Al Qaeda and resurgent global Islamist thrusts, Pakistan has emerged as the geopolitical epicentre of Islamist jihad with a binary centre in Bangladesh.

Extension of Pakistan's proxy war through jihadist tanzeem tools to all conceivable corners of India is a part of its strategic war plan -- mostly carried out through subversive terrorist attacks and sometimes with a Kargil-type forward thrust.

It is, nonetheless, part of a planned war.

India's internal security and the seams of national unity and solidarity have been repeatedly threatened by jihadist operations carried out by ISI and DGFI-aided Pakistani and Bangladeshi tanzeems. This war, under the facet of peace, is about to invade every Indian home.

On a scale of one to ten, the jihadi tanzeems and handful Indian collaborators score success in about eight-and-a-half cases. The Indian intelligence agencies and state police forces can claim success in about two-and-a-half or three cases. On the scale of the law of averages, this is classified as failure.

Why do we fail in over 85 per cent of cases? We fail because:

With minor exceptions the political class -- the presumed custodian, driver and preserver of the Constitutional Democratic Republic -- fails to recognise that India exist beyond ballot boxes.

On either side of the imaginary 'secular fence', there is an abominable amnesia about the historical roots of the jihadist thrust against India from Pakistan, Bangladesh and other global jihadist tanzeems. They communalise or trivialise the grave threat to national security, unity and integrity by throwing mud on each other with squinted eyes on the bulge of the ballot box.

The threat is not about 'secularism' or 'Hindu Muslim divide'; this is all about an undeclared multidimensional war involving India (irrespective of community and religion), Pakistan and Bangladesh, overlorded by International Islamic Jihadist Inc, represented by Al Qaeda al Sulbah and its global franchisees.

Political parties on either side of the imaginary 'secular fence' (like the Tropic of Cancer that divides India almost into two equal halves) should understand that even before partition of the subcontinent certain Islamist leaders had targeted Indian Muslims for carving out a Muslim First Nation, which they called Pakistan. The descendants of same Hulagu (grandson of Genghis Khan, who ruled over much of southwest Asia) conquistadors are targeting to divide India on communal lines, while the gullible vote-blinded politicians still cling to their ballot boxes and keep dividing the country from behind their respective Tropic of Cancer. They fail to recognise that the cancer is real, and not an imaginary geographical line.

When will the responsible media and people ask them: 'You damn idiots! It's all about national security and not ballot boxes and 'secular fencing'?'

I do not think more space can be spared for the paranoid political classes.

The 'Permanent Government' (bureaucracy-including intelligence, police and security) has always been the steady spine of the Indian administrative system. These elements of governance should have succeeded in meeting the challenges coming from across the borders. Unfortunately, the ballot box baboons have either disarmed or de-fanged and emasculated these precious tools of governance.

We fail at two crucial combat levels. The most important combat force is the state police and intelligence forces. Each district and commissionary is equipped with a dedicated Intelligence Branch (different nomenclature in different states) and in some cases, anti-terrorist cells.

Unfortunately, ideology and caste configuration decides the parameters of 'intelligence operations' by the state Intelligence Branch units. They are restrained from operating in certain areas of the 'secular fence, 'caste fence' and 'criminal niches.'

These limitations have impeded 'police-intelligence operations' in Assam, West Bengal, and Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. There is plenty of evidence to prove that political interference continues to blunt the operational edges of the state's security tools.

These forces are trained to operate irrespective of caste, religious, political and mafia affiliation of terrorists and jihadists. But they are forced to discriminate, refrain and restrain from operating according to the law of the land.

Often the holy ghost of 'secularism' invade the state legislatures and even Parliament for scrapping certain Acts of the country and for chaining the tools of governance, simply because Pappus want a few more votes (like the Madani case in Tamil Nadu-Kerala).

Whenever serious terror attacks occur and police/intelligence agencies start investigating 'certain community leaders' start screaming about being 'isolated and targeted.' They never assure the people that they would evolve a mechanism to protect their community from being contaminated by 'foreign instigators'.

Have they ever given calls from organised platforms to their community to refrain from collaborating with Pakistani and Bangladeshi conspirators? If not, what right do they have to complain? As good Indians, they should have gone into the community with the message to rebuff Pakistani/Bangladeshi saboteurs.

When shall the nation ask these questions to vote-hungry politicos? When shall the compulsions of electoral democracy transcend the cubicles of polling booths, 'secular fences' and adopt holistic administrative, constitutional, legal and patriotic view against the jihadist thrust driven into Indian heartland from foreign soil?

India requires strengthening of the State Intelligence tools, revival of the khabri (informers), mohalla nighrani (neighbourhood watch) system, introduction of 'community policing' and providing better tools for augmenting human, technical, and electronic intelligence gathering systems.

There is tremendous scope for integrating the state intelligence tools with the Panchayat, Block Development, Gram Sevak/Sevika, Dakia, Chowkidar, Dafadar, Lambardar etc systems, wherever these still exist. It should be made mandatory for the 'neighbourhood policing' cells to report suspect matters to the nearest police station. These tools have gone into disuse and the state governments have not carried out any threat assessment from criminal, jihadist, and mafia forces and have not equipped its police and intelligence tools to combat these threats.

Moreover, the State Intelligence Branch and police have no institutionalised and speedy communication system to liase with the central intelligence and security agencies and the intelligence and security agenises of other states. It is imperative to discuss the important aspects of immigration control, detection and deportation of illegal immigrants and cracking down on criminal-politician-terrorist nexus. When shall the political breed agree to introduce 'National Identity Cards'?

We fail, because our tools have been blunted and taken hostage by the vote and money hunting political class.

Maloy Krishna Dhar is a former joint director, Intelligence Bureau, and author of Open Secrets and Fulcrum of Evil-ISI-CIA-Al Qaeda Nexus and other books. Available at maloy_d@hotmail.com

http://in.rediff.com/news/2006/jul/31guest.htm

 

[alamgir]

India's Designs to Harm Bangladesh Using Islamic Militancy as Pretext
Mohammad Zainal Abedin - 5/30/2005
During the recent Awami League rule (1996-2001), India began a propaganda war which claims Islamic terrorists are becoming active in Bangladesh. A section of Dhaka-based dailies frequently made reports about the existence of the militancy in Bangladesh. They repeatedly alleged that the Muslim terrorists were being trained deep in the jungle of Chittagong Hill Tracts, or Sundarbans or different madrashas of the country. Security forces instantly rushed to those spots mentioned in the dailies, but found the reports fake and baseless. To provoke the America-led western power India deliberately launched media campaign that Bangladesh has become a safe base of al-Quada and Taliban terrorists. To promote the idea of the existence of the Islamic militant groups in Bangladesh, the government even officially published booklets on the eve of the US President Bill Clinton's visit to Bangladesh. American government, however, still officially claims that there is no real Islamic militancy in Bangladesh, rather Bangladesh is a moderate Muslim democratic country.

During its rule, AL government arrested a number of madrasha teachers and students and Imams of the mosques branding them either as terrorists or their godfathers and claimed that some of them were trained in Afghanistan or Kashmir. But the court failed to prove the allegation and they were released. But neither India nor AL stopped their fake propagation and their followers or hired columnists stopped their campaign. India and its allies in Bangladesh were cock sure about the existence of such extremist groups in the country, as they fueled them. It is unfortunate that our ministry of Home Affairs failed earlier about India's hand in floating a number of India-sponsored outwardly Islamic terrorist outfits that clandestinely served in the interest of India in justifying the allegation of India and its Bangladeshi allies.

India's constant aggressive designs to create disturbances in her neighbouring countries ventilates her expansionist as well as jealous attitude against her peace loving and innocent neighbours is known to all. But India is particularly intolerant towards her neighbouring Muslim countries, Bangladesh and Pakistan, as they were curved out of British India. India, after 58 years of the partition of the subcontinent, unfortunately failed to forget the spirit of two-nation theory. She applies this theory in dealing with the Muslims inside her own territory and beyond.

The recent bomb attacks on some NGO installations and cultural soirees and the subsequent arrest of some terrorists under the guise of so-called Islamic militants and their gangleaders unveiled India's involvement. A number of Bangladeshi dailies on February 25, 2005, quoting the interrogation of the arrested informed, that the recently banned so-called Muslim outfits - JMTB (Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh) and Jamaatul Mujahiden-were the brainchildren of Indian intelligence agency-RAW. The outward and instant aim of floating these outfits was to justify Indian allegation that Bangladesh is a haven of the Islamic terrors and provoke the government to take stern action against the madrashas, their teachers and students. Such step will make the government unpopular among the people that will deter the possibility of returning to power of the alliance government and pave the way to install a puppet government in Dhaka. The long-term design is to invite American-led anti-terror invasion or get American permission to invade Bangladesh so that either the invaders or their puppets in Dhaka gradually can close down the madrashas and crush the Islamic scholars, intellectuals, and even the pro-nationalist forces and ultimately make Bangladesh a vassal state of India.

Now the question arises why India is inimical to madarasha education in Bangladesh.

Historically, India believes in the unification of the pre-1947 map of the British India, which means destruction of independent Bangladesh. Indian policy makers believe that madrashas and madrasha education are main sources of inspiration of pro-nationalist forces. So long these institutions exist in Bangladesh, it will not be possible to control and keep Bangladesh under her occupation if she invades and captures it eve in remote future. Indians are aware that the maulanas, mulllahs, imams, pirs, darvishs, in brief the Muslim religious leaders, organised and led all the anti-British movements and struggles in the subcontinent when the Hindus extended their unconditional support to British occupation and exploitation. So the real resistance in Bangladesh will come from the madashas, whenever India bids to capture it. On the other hand, this education keeps the candle of Muslim identity alive in Bangladesh, which is the main bar of the reunification of the British India. For this reason madrasha as well as madrasha education has become the prime
target of India. After the emergence of Bangladesh in 1971, India tried its best to ban madrasha and Islamic education in Bangladesh alleging that all the teachers and students of madrashas were collaborators and they should be tried and given exemplary punishment. But the then government paid no heed to pressure of Indian government, though madrahas remained closed for certain period of time. But India did not lose heart; rather worked vigorously over the years to defame the madrahas and their teachers and students branding them anti-liberation forces. Madrassas were termed as the producers of 'rajakars' and anti-liberation forces. Demand was raised from the pro-India elements to close down madrashs and madrasha education. During the immediate past AL rule, madrasha teachers and students passed hard days and many of them were the victims of harassment and persecution and thrown into jail under fake allegations. Pro-lndian print media branded the madrashas as Taliban training centres. Same of the madrashas were closed down during the AL regime (1996-2001). Moreover, all the governments were directly and indirectly influenced to change the curriculum and syllabus of the madrasha education in the name of modernisation and reformation, so that the students and teachers are gradually diverted to secularism, which is the road to the unification of dreamy 'Akhand Bharat.' Above all, the debacle of AL in the general election of 2001 scared India of and it came to this conclusion that religious parties played the vital role in installing a nationalist government in Bangladesh. Indian intelligence are confirmed that the ruling alliance will come out victorious in the coming election scheduled to be held in 2006. Though the government adopts soft policy in dealing with India, it does not respond positively in allowing transit or port facilities to India or allow her forces to use Bangladesh territory to fight against the militants of her northeastern states. Moreover, the relatively independent foreign policy of the alliance government, its internal success stories, above all its 'look east' policy scared Indians strategists that Bangladesh would get out of Indian fold if the alliance is allowed to form government again. For all these reason, India took hard line against the
alliance government. Other than disturbing the government in hundreds of ways, Indian agencies clandestinely recruited agents from those who are outwardly seen and known as religious and have relations with madrashas. This is how India now uses the card of the presence of the Islamic militancy in Bangladesh in order to crush religious education and brand Bangladesh a terror-infested country and isolate it from the international community and install a puppet government to turn it into a secular vassal state and annex it to India in course of time when Muslim identity will be replaced by secular spirit.

Quoting intelligence agencies a number of Bangladeshi dailies said, both the recently banned outfits were floated, financed and guided by RAW to carryout disruptive and subversive activities. 'The Inqilab, "The Manbjamin," The Amar Desh,' 'The Naya Diganta,' other dailies of Dhaka on February 25, 2005, unearthed how RAW floated a number of socalled Islamic militant outfits, JMJB (Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh), Jamaatul Mujahideens, etc., to implement Indian design and controlled and guided their activities from across the border. Police recovered some vouchers from the house of Mantazar Rahman, which
show that some unnamed persons used to come from and go to India through the Hilly Border. The arrested cadres confessed that an assembly of learning the holy Quran used to hold at Jaypurhat residence of Jamaatul Mujahideen Commander Mantazar Rahman and others on every Sunday and Tuesday. In those gatherings vegetables were served instead of beef during dinner or launch, but in Bangladesh, beef is the main item of such occasion. The intelligence agencies believe that the avoidance of beef indicates that some Hindus used to attend in those outwardly Islamic gatherings to brief the leaders and cadres of the outfits.

Other than briefing on subversive activities, other major task of these outfits, were to award erroneous 'fatwa' (Islamic Judicial decree). The main task of these RAW-financed organisations is to derail and crush the real pro-nationalist Islamic movement in Bangladesh. Indian RAW pours huge amount of money to expand these outfits and keeps them active. No worker of Jamaatul Mujahideen knows who was the real leader of the
outfit and from which source money comes.

It is learnt that a group of Rajshahi-based lawyers belonging to Awami League (AL) and a section of anti-government dailies assisted these groups in earning prominence and spreading activities of Shahadat-e-AI Hikma, another outfit. Its Amir, Syed Kaowsar Houssain was a half-educated Maulana. He was admitted into Rajshahi College in 1999, but could no sit for HSC examination due to financial crisis. Kaowsar does not have the financial or educational ability to run such a militant organisation. So the question arises, how he could gain financial ability to run the outfit. One pro-AL lawyer, Rashidul Islam of Rajshahi Bar assisted and financed Kaowsar in drafting the constitution and leaflets, posters and other publications of his outfit. Rashidul Islam also provided him
legal assistance when he was arrested along with his party worker. Sanjib Roy, the President of Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Okkiya Parishad, accompanied Kaowsar on a tour to India. Kaowsar was introduced in India with an Indian citizen Ashim Kumar who later took him to a hotel and arranged his appointment with such a person who claimed himself that he was Mafia godfather Daud Ibrahim. It is suspected that he was high-ranking RAW official.

On the other hand, Jamaatul Mujahideen headed by Dr. Ghalib Rajshahi University (RU) was floated in 1998 during Awami League rule. Most the leaders and workers of this organisation are the followers of Ahale Hadith. Abdur Rahman, who once acted as the Amir of Jammatul Mujahideen, is the husband of the sister of Mirja Azam MP of Jamalpur-3 constituency belonging to AL. Using his relationship with an AL MP Abdur Rahman procured the dealership of fertiliser and earned a lot of money during AL rule. On the other hand, Dr. Ghalib of RU who now heads the outfit maintains warm relation with some influential political leaders of different parties.

On the other hand, concealing his real profession and identity secret during AL period, Dr. Ghalib using a business passport went to India and stayed there for 11 days. When this forgery came to light, the then Register of RU Prof. Mohammad Younus served showcause notice on him and took disciplinary measures against him. But the initiative deterred and foiled due to the interference of the then Home Minister Mohmmad Nasim and the Mayor of Dhaka City Corporation Mohammad Hanif. Both belong to AL. During interrogation, the arrested persons informed that an Indian prominent religious leader used to come to Bangladesh and inspired them to work for Islamic revolution. A number of Bangladeshis got huge amount of money, arms, explosives and Other materials through this Indian religious leader. As a result, the activities of these groups suddenly expanded in bordering districts like Satkhira, Chapai Nawabganj, Rajshahi, etc.

It is learnt that Indian RAW tried to brand Bangladesh as a terrorist country using these elements The coal of raisine outwardly Islamic outfits was to throw the government to an awkward position-internally and internationally. When the government would take punitive measures against the outwardly Islamic militants, the common Bangladeshis will go against it. On the other hand, if the government remain mum, it will be isolated from the international community. In that case, India will get chance to prove that the government nurses the militants. India will also try to persuade the western powers to impose punitive measures against Bangladesh, including trade embargo, economic blockade, even military invasion. Its short-term goal is to unseat the present government, while its long-term goal is to isolate Bangladesh from the international community and finally invade her.

The international community should evaluate India's historical design and evaluate its involvement in imposing terrorism in her neighbouring countries, particularly in Bangladesh. If a giant country constantly designs to undo a tiny neighbour, it can neither wipe out terrorism, nor survive. India is well aware of this evil theory and deliberately creates terrorists in different sectors to meet her ulterior goal. India is the architect of terrorism in Bangladesh. Under this situation, international community before blaming Bangladesh for all sorts of terrorist activities, should identify the real sponsor of terrorism, that let loose the terrorists not only in Bangladesh, but also in other South Asian countries and ask her to refrain from such heinous misdeeds.
www.globalpoliticion.com

 

[BanglaBhoot]

Very nice alamgir .... just what Bull needed .....

Would have replied to Bull myself but some of us do have day jobs and have to do overtime as well. Bull on the other hand appears to be unemployed so he can spend hours in front of the computer and put up more than 4700 posts in 6 months. This guy couldn't be married .... I guess he needs his computer to play with .......

 

[Adux]

What a load of crap!!!!!

 

[BanglaBhoot]

I see that Adux has 5404 posts in 2 months .... man your hand must be sore .... from all that typing I mean ..... LOL

 

[Bull]

Would have replied to Bull myself but some of us do have day jobs and have to do overtime as well. Bull on the other hand appears to be unemployed so he can spend hours in front of the computer and put up more than 4700 posts in 6 months. This guy couldn't be married ...........

Its not 4700 posts in 6 months u dumbo... its in more than a year....!!!

I guess he needs his computer to play with .......

Well why not you send ur .......... across!!!

 

[Bull]

I see that Adux has 5404 posts in 2 months .... man your hand must be sore .... from all that typing I mean ..... LOL

Oh so funny,go blow urself up man in ..... hole.

 

[Adux]

Adux
Group: Senior Members
Status: General




Join Date: May 2006(hmmm, that is 2 months!!! I wonder who is living in the past, idiot)
Posts: 5,404
Rep Power: 1634
Country:

 

[con]

I see that Adux has 5404 posts in 2 months .... man your hand must be sore .... from all that typing I mean ..... LOL

Guess you must have the experience isn't it. Writing RAW so many times.. wonder how sore your hand must be...

 

[BanglaBhoot]

Okay I was wrong about the years but still -

Adux has 12.97 posts per day

Bull - 9.12

Con - 2.55

so I must assume that Adux and Bull have a lot of time on their hands (pun not intended) to read and then respond to the posts which is not a bad thing but it raises the question whether they are being paid to do it and Con is basically just a moron tagging along with the other two giving each a hand (pun intended) from time to time ......