'No prison in Bangladesh where people are tortured like in USA's Guantanamo': Information Minister Hasan Mahmud says

[Black_cats]

Published on 11:57 PM, April 14, 2022

'No prison in Bangladesh where people are tortured like in USA's Guantanamo': Information Minister Hasan Mahmud says​

File photo of Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud
UNB, Dhaka

The human rights situation in Bangladesh is better than the United States in many instances, said Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud today (April 14, 2022) dismissing the report of the US on human rights issues in Bangladesh.

"We do not agree with the US human rights report," the minister told the reporters after attending a discussion titled "Mahe Ramadan and Mass Media" and an Iftar Mahfil organised by Bangladesh Sampadak Forum in the city.

The data in this report might have been collected from certain sources. And the sources are one-sided and provide a lot of misinformation, he added.

"In fact, in many cases, the human rights situation in Bangladesh is better than in the United States, though not in all cases."

"There are no prisons in our country like the way people are tortured at Guantanamo Bay of the US," said the minister.

The unarmed black man George Floyd had been pinned down and killed by a police officer in the US, he added.

Hasan Mahmud further said four persons were killed even in the US parliament which never happened in Bangladesh.

"The judicial department is working very independently in Bangladesh," he said, adding that they are examining the report.

The minister also said the relation between Bangladesh and the US is very close. Besides, the security force mentioned in the report (Rab) has also taken technical assistance from the US.

"I think there is an opportunity to correct any shortcomings in the future if we have any help with this technical assistance and other issues," he added.

Meanwhile, the World Bank hinted at higher growth of Bangladesh economy this year in a recent report, he said.

"Those who criticise our country all the time, I hope they will stop criticising after this report," he said, referring to the World Bank's report as the country's economy has turned around after the pandemic.

'No prison in Bangladesh where people are tortured like in USA's Guantanamo'

The human rights situation in Bangladesh is better than the United States in many instances, said Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud today (April 14, 2022) dismissing the report of the US on human rights issues in Bangladesh.

www.thedailystar.net

 

[Arulmozhi Varman]

That should have stung the US.

 

[Shorisrip]

 

[leonblack08]

 

[Wergeland]

 

[Black Tornado]

Published on 11:57 PM, April 14, 2022

'No prison in Bangladesh where people are tortured like in USA's Guantanamo': Information Minister Hasan Mahmud says​

File photo of Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud
UNB, Dhaka

The human rights situation in Bangladesh is better than the United States in many instances, said Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud today (April 14, 2022) dismissing the report of the US on human rights issues in Bangladesh.

"We do not agree with the US human rights report," the minister told the reporters after attending a discussion titled "Mahe Ramadan and Mass Media" and an Iftar Mahfil organised by Bangladesh Sampadak Forum in the city.

The data in this report might have been collected from certain sources. And the sources are one-sided and provide a lot of misinformation, he added.

"In fact, in many cases, the human rights situation in Bangladesh is better than in the United States, though not in all cases."

"There are no prisons in our country like the way people are tortured at Guantanamo Bay of the US," said the minister.

The unarmed black man George Floyd had been pinned down and killed by a police officer in the US, he added.

Hasan Mahmud further said four persons were killed even in the US parliament which never happened in Bangladesh.

"The judicial department is working very independently in Bangladesh," he said, adding that they are examining the report.

The minister also said the relation between Bangladesh and the US is very close. Besides, the security force mentioned in the report (Rab) has also taken technical assistance from the US.

"I think there is an opportunity to correct any shortcomings in the future if we have any help with this technical assistance and other issues," he added.

Meanwhile, the World Bank hinted at higher growth of Bangladesh economy this year in a recent report, he said.

"Those who criticise our country all the time, I hope they will stop criticising after this report," he said, referring to the World Bank's report as the country's economy has turned around after the pandemic.

'No prison in Bangladesh where people are tortured like in USA's Guantanamo'

The human rights situation in Bangladesh is better than the United States in many instances, said Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud today (April 14, 2022) dismissing the report of the US on human rights issues in Bangladesh.

www.thedailystar.net

Nobody takes USA seriously it seems like, and this only grows their frustration further.

 

[UKBengali]

Again shows that USA cannot do much about changing either BD government policy, let alone the party in power.

With AL firmly in control, BNP a shambles and India tacitly supporting Hasina there is little that USA do.

Yes they can seriously damage the BD economy by banning imports and putting pressure on Japan, ADB etc. to stop lending to BD but there would be a large cost to them as well.

I am sure that the USA is smart enough to know that any potential benefits is not worth the cost.

 

[cloud4000]

Every country, not just the US, is a hypocrite on human rights. They only support human rights if it serves their interests.

 

[Tom-tom]

This guy be stepping on egg shells.

 

[bluesky]

'No prison in Bangladesh where people are tortured like in USA's Guantanamo': Information Minister Hasan Mahmud says

It is a great discovery by Hasan Mahmud. So, it is time now to impose sanctions on all or most of the US establishments so that the US citizens cannot come to BD the Pearl of Asia and purchase houses and lands here.

Well done Mr. Hasan Mahmud. You are great to treat the USA as if it is another BNP.

 

[Homo Sapiens]

Every country, not just the US, is a hypocrite on human rights. They only support human rights if it serves their interests.

But Western countries have better track record at upholding human rights. This is obvious if you live in those countries. You can expect respite from arbitrary detention, torture and unlawful killing, you are not expected to be picked up by secret police if you criticize rulers or their policy. Even in USA, which is not as good as other Western countries, figure like Noam Chomsky, made his entire career criticising US left and right sitting in US! Do you think this would be possible in Russia, China or many other non Western countries? There is a check and balance in their power structure which prevent someone at the top becoming too powerful to become reckless with their power. There is enough self criticism within their society and media and common citizen is always discussing about all the shortcomings thanks to strong media landscape largely independent of govt. interference. They have a strong civil society which act as a watchdog against any abuse of power. These things are largely absent or underdeveloped or repressed outside Democratic Western World.

You accept or not, Human rights is actually a part of foreign policy of the Western Countries. That's why many of their action actually goes against their own strategic interests. It would have been better for their interests if US just ignored democratic backsliding in countries like Bangladesh, Myanmar and India and coosy-up with the regimes to extract benefits. If you look at the countries which have bad relations with US, they are dictatorship, authoritarian and major human rights abuser. North Korea, Iran, Venezuela, Myanmar, China, Russia, these are police states thrive on fear and repressions and they have problems with Democratic and liberal global order promoted by the West because it threaten their ruling autoctratic regimes. I am not discounting many previous bad US foreign policy specially during cold war when US supported military juntas in various countries. But this policy was not their ideology or aligned with their values. Their understanding was, military dictatorship was a lesser evil than outright Communist takeover and becoming a Soviet satellite state. But after finishing cold war, US avoided supporting any military junta usurping any democratic govt.

Barack Obama administration opposed Egyptian military takeover in 2013 despite Egypt being ruled by anti-American and anti israeli Muslim Brotherhood, because Muslim Brotherhood was democratically elected. They had no interest in opposing military take-over other than to see democracy take roots in Egypt even under problamic Muslim Brotherhood. US tolerate current Egyptian regime and work with it on security issues, not because they love those guys but because they have no better alternative in Egypt. Democratic movement have to come out from within. If there is no such possibily. US is willing to work with military junta and monarchies if they do not pose a threat to global peace and treat their own citizen relatively mildly. We often ignore this angle when we criticise US commitment of democracy and human rights.

Humanitarian concerns was part of the reason that India, despite being Soviet ally and at odd with US was the largest beneficiary of US foreign humanitarian aid. In 1966, US sent one-fifth of its entire wheat harvest to India to prevent a major famine. Without which tens of millions of Indians could have died. I see, Indians always fondly remember the Soviet support in 1971 war, but totally forgot about those years when US foods and other humanitarian aid prevented catastrophe in India. US always maintained a certain degree of respect for India for it's democratic rules and wanted India to be a model for those third world countries that were vulnerable to communist take-over.

We often take for granted Western democracy, human rights, rule of law and freedom without realizing that these are hard-fought achievements. It would be a disaster for the world if these hard-fought achievements were usurped by China, Russia led ruthless authoritarian global order who gives two cents about these values and will create a global jungle where might is right is the only guiding principle where citizens are the slave of the ruling regime not allowed to speak or think by themselves. We should be careful about what we wishes for ourselves.

 

[Wergeland]

But Western countries have better track record at upholding human rights. This is obvious if you live in those countries. You can expect respite from arbitrary detention, torture and unlawful killing, you are not expected to be picked up by secret police if you criticize rulers or their policy. Even in USA, which is not as good as other Western countries, figure like Noam Chomsky, made his entire career criticising US left and right sitting in US! Do you think this would be possible in Russia, China or many other non Western countries? There is a check and balance in their power structure which prevent someone at the top becoming too powerful to become reckless with their power. There is enough self criticism within their society and media and common citizen is always discussing about all the shortcomings thanks to strong media landscape largely independent of govt. interference. They have a strong civil society which act as a watchdog against any abuse of power. These things are largely absent or underdeveloped or repressed outside Democratic Western World.

You accept or not, Human rights is actually a part of foreign policy of the Western Countries. That's why many of their action actually goes against their own strategic interests. It would have been better for their interests if US just ignored democratic backsliding in countries like Bangladesh, Myanmar and India and coosy-up with the regimes to extract benefits. If you look at the countries which have bad relations with US, they are dictatorship, authoritarian and major human rights abuser. North Korea, Iran, Venezuela, Myanmar, China, Russia, these are police states thrive on fear and repressions and they have problems with Democratic and liberal global order promoted by the West because it threaten their ruling autoctratic regimes. I am not discounting many previous bad US foreign policy specially during cold war when US supported military juntas in various countries. But this policy was not their ideology or aligned with their values. Their understanding was, military dictatorship was a lesser evil than outright Communist takeover and becoming a Soviet satellite state. But after finishing cold war, US avoided supporting any military junta usurping any democratic govt.

Barack Obama administration opposed Egyptian military takeover in 2013 despite Egypt being ruled by anti-American and anti israeli Muslim Brotherhood, because Muslim Brotherhood was democratically elected. They had no interest in opposing military take-over other than to see democracy take roots in Egypt even under problamic Muslim Brotherhood. US tolerate current Egyptian regime and work with it on security issues, not because they love those guys but because they have no better alternative in Egypt. Democratic movement have to come out from within. If there is no such possibily. US is willing to work with military junta and monarchies if they do not pose a threat to global peace and treat their own citizen relatively mildly. We often ignore this angle when we criticise US commitment of democracy and human rights.

Humanitarian concerns was part of the reason that India, despite being Soviet ally and at odd with US was the largest beneficiary of US foreign humanitarian aid. In 1966, US sent one-fifth of its entire wheat harvest to India to prevent a major famine. Without which tens of millions of Indians could have died. I see, Indians always fondly remember the Soviet support in 1971 war, but totally forgot about those years when US foods and other humanitarian aid prevented catastrophe in India. US always maintained a certain degree of respect for India for it's democratic rules and wanted India to be a model for those third world countries that were vulnerable to communist take-over.

We often take for granted Western democracy, human rights, rule of law and freedom without realizing that these are hard-fought achievements. It would be a disaster for the world if these hard-fought achievements were usurped by China, Russia led ruthless authoritarian global order who gives two cents about these values and will create a global jungle where might is right is the only guiding principle where citizens are the slave of the ruling regime not allowed to speak or think by themselves. We should be careful about what we wishes for ourselves.

Both right and wrong.

The west supresses freddom of speech when its against mainstream agenda or/and against national interest. First through ridicule, then public malign and character assasin, and outright financial ruin or jail. But the media would of course never tell you the real reason behind the spectacle.

It is true that even after all this western society still enjoy a greater degree of political freedom than communist China or Putins Russia. No doubt the western civilization has achieved something in this sphere that other civilizations has a lot to learn from and emulate.

That being said, the West was not friendly against non-westerners until quite recently, i would even dare to say its still a defining charachter of the white man, to think of himself as superior. It is humiliating for many white people to this day, to even have a leader that is colored. Which i have first hand experince from my own workplace. Many would say Donald Trump is a direct consequence of Barack Obama being the first president of USA.

The west love to look at the rest of the world as poor, barbaric and uncivilized, and it has a mission and duty to civilize the rest of the world, which for the most part of course are people of colors. Never does it occur to the western man that he/she infact is viewd as a opressor or conqoror by the very people he wants to civilize.

The very idea that the west only acts in order to spread freedom of speech and democracy, around the world, is a novel idea but unfortunately its also false. While its true that the west certainly wants to form the world in its own image and make it a better place place for all, there should be no doubt that the west like evey other civilization strive to keep its strategic advantages safe, at any cost. For global preeminence is not something that is gifted but rather something that has to be fought for.

In a world with finite resources, the west like the rest, will always work for keeping itself strong and the rest as weak as it can afford. The west would rather have a poor India, Middle East and Africa that it can give handouts to, than to have them become economically strong enough to challenge western hegemony.

 

[bluesky]

It is a great discovery by Hasan Mahmud. So, it is time now to impose sanctions on all or most of the US establishments so that the US citizens cannot come to BD the Pearl of Asia and purchase houses and lands here.

Well done Mr. Hasan Mahmud. You are great to treat the USA as if it is another BNP.

Hasan Mahmud, being an uneducated Information Minister do you have any information like the US Democratic govt is interning many Republican party leaders or are killing them in cross-fires?

What you are doing in BD is political killing. A stupid like you should know there is no comparison between Oranges and apples.

Learn the basics of a debate first, bloody idiot Hasan Mahmud!!

 

[Homo Sapiens]

That being said, the West was not friendly against non-westerners until quite recently, i would even dare to say its still a defining charachter of the white man, to think of himself as superior. It is humiliating for many white people to this day, to even have a leader that is colored. Which i have first hand experince from my own workplace. Many would say Donald Trump is a direct consequence of Barack Obama being the first president of USA.

Whites in Western countries are no more racist, xenophobic than the rest of the non white population in Asia, Africa or Latin America. It only looks so because like every other issues, racism is actively debated there mostly by White left libarals. I would say, due to many decades of cultivation of democracy and civil rights movement, Whites are actually more tolerant and accepting to other race, ethnicities and religion than the nations in Asia. Before we criticize White racism, we should open our door to immigration of millions of black African and other alien people with completely different culture and religion and treat them better. Black are very few in India or China, even then they face a lot of hate and xenophobia there. I can tell you about Bangladesh, there are a few thousand Nigerians in Bangladesh, mostly in Dhaka, some of them involved in gang activities involved in kidnapping and extortion. For this reason, anti-Black racism is developing in Bangladesh. Rohingyas are visibly no different than us, they have similar language and same religion of the people of Bangladesh, yet many in Bangladesh consider Rohingyas to be scum and inferior and would never marry their daughter This is we do to the people who are indistinguishable to us. Now imagine we are treating millions of Black African migrants with respect and acting as a color blind or marrying our daughter to black African migrants. Will it happen?

White people in Europe and US, despite all of their racism, allowed 50-60 million Asian, African and Latin American in their previously overwhelming white countries in the last 50 years. Can Asians replicate that? Many of these non-white migrants are not that productive citizen. Black, Arab and South Asian gang violence is a reality in many of European cities driving up crimes and drugs. Muslim migrants are creating a parallel societies in Europe refusing to learn Western values. Tolerance is not a one way street where we only demand tolerance from the Whites but we acts in contrary. Even Sweden, the paradise of left-liberalism who generously accepted so many Black and Muslim refugees from far away countries in humanitarian sense of obligation, given citizenship and spending majority of welfare money to support them, finding it hard to contain migrant gang violence, crime and their other tantrums.Everything has a limit even the seemingly unexaustible tolerance level of the White liberals. This is why right-wing nationalism is gaining ground in many European countries. It is very hypocritical to cry racism to the generous host who if wanted could have curtailed immigration to bare minimum to keep them out in a first place to remain racially pure.

While its true that the west certainly wants to form the world in its own image and make it a better place place for all, there should be no doubt that the west like evey other civilization strive to keep its strategic advantages safe, at any cost. For global preeminence is not something that is gifted but rather something that has to be fought for.

In a world with finite resources, the west like the rest, will always work for keeping itself strong and the rest as weak as it can afford. The west would rather have a poor India, Middle East and Africa that it can give handouts to, than to have them become economically strong enough to challenge western hegemony.

Of course West want to preserve it's strategic interest like all other countries around the world. they are also human after all, not almighty God. But we have to see whether that wanting results in unjustified actions. If they wanted a poor China or India, then they would have prevented Western FDI in those countries and propagated protectionism and fought globalism. Accept or not, China and India are now seeing prosperity due to Western countries' relentless push for globalization, free market enterprise and their generous investment in Asia. Otherwise Communist China and Socialist India would have never broke the vicious cycle on their own. West showed us which model actually works. West have no problem if India and China become a prosperous and increasingly democratic and open society. The problem in Western perspective is not China becoming prosperous but it's stubborn resistance to democratic reforms and global expansion of it's variety of authoritarianism which if left unchecked will ultimately reach the Western shore and undermine all their democratic institutions and values. Remember, two genuine democratic countries never go to war against each other, they always find some diplomacy to mend their disputes. The current defining struggle is between democracy and authoritarianism.

 

[Wergeland]

Whites in Western countries are no more racist, xenophobic than the rest of the non white population in Asia, Africa or Latin America. It only looks so because like every other issues, racism is actively debated there mostly by White left libarals. I would say, due to many decades of cultivation of democracy and civil rights movement, Whites are actually more tolerant and accepting to other race, ethnicities and religion than the nations in Asia. Before we criticize White racism, we should open our door to immigration of millions of black African and other alien people with completely different culture and religion and treat them better. Black are very few in India or China, even then they face a lot of hate and xenophobia there. I can tell you about Bangladesh, there are a few thousand Nigerians in Bangladesh, mostly in Dhaka, some of them involved in gang activities involved in kidnapping and extortion. For this reason, anti-Black racism is developing in Bangladesh. Rohingyas are visibly no different than us, they have similar language and same religion of the people of Bangladesh, yet many in Bangladesh consider Rohingyas to be scum and inferior and would never marry their daughter This is we do to the people who are indistinguishable to us. Now imagine we are treating millions of Black African migrants with respect and acting as a color blind or marrying our daughter to black African migrants. Will it happen?

White people in Europe and US, despite all of their racism, allowed 50-60 million Asian, African and Latin American in their previously overwhelming white countries in the last 50 years. Can Asians replicate that? Many of these non-white migrants are not that productive citizen. Black, Arab and South Asian gang violence is a reality in many of European cities driving up crimes and drugs. Muslim migrants are creating a parallel societies in Europe refusing to learn Western values. Tolerance is not a one way street where we only demand tolerance from the Whites but we acts in contrary. Even Sweden, the paradise of left-liberalism who generously accepted so many Black and Muslim refugees from far away countries in humanitarian sense of obligation, given citizenship and spending majority of welfare money to support them, finding it hard to contain migrant gang violence, crime and their other tantrums.Everything has a limit even the seemingly unexaustible tolerance level of the White liberals. This is why right-wing nationalism is gaining ground in many European countries. It is very hypocritical to cry racism to the generous host who if wanted could have curtailed immigration to bare minimum to keep them out in a first place to remain racially pure.

Of course West want to preserve it's strategic interest like all other countries around the world. they are also human after all, not almighty God. But we have to see whether that wanting results in unjustified actions. If they wanted a poor China or India, then they would have prevented Western FDI in those countries and propagated protectionism and fought globalism. Accept or not, China and India are now seeing prosperity due to Western countries' relentless push for globalization, free market enterprise and their generous investment in Asia. Otherwise Communist China and Socialist India would have never broke the vicious cycle on their own. West showed us which model actually works. West have no problem if India and China become a prosperous and increasingly democratic and open society. The problem in Western perspective is not China becoming prosperous but it's stubborn resistance to democratic reforms and global expansion of it's variety of authoritarianism which if left unchecked will ultimately reach the Western shore and undermine all their democratic institutions and values. Remember, two genuine democratic countries never go to war against each other, they always find some diplomacy to mend their disputes. The current defining struggle is between democracy and authoritarianism.

I thought you were serious but now i cant differentiate your reasoning from any other right wing nut in my country Norway.

You think colonialism is a one way street? No!
When you trangress on someones land you are in fact opening yourself for transgression by some other culture. This is the reality of every interaction in nature. Any action is always a two way street.

As a western citizen i have no problem with defending or be proud of the great aspects of the my society. But i wont ever join the bandwagon of wright wing «west is the best, rest is shithole» rhetoric.

I have no wish to be the Blonde Prince Riding on A White Horse and save the innocent Blond princess that is the west. West for me has positives and negatives. It just happen to be at the peak of its civilization cycle or even what Spengler would say starting on the long autumn and winter phase.

Dont know what you mean by racist but Bangladesh has always been a mixture of African, Indo-Aryan, Aboriginal and Mongloid peoples. Its obsession with whiteness comes from Casteism that still linger on. If being non-racist is defined by accepting colored people, then any middle eastern Empire or Caliphate was multicultural and multiracial already 2000 years ago. So we should then welcome white people for finally coming out of barbarian mindset.

(Thank you white man for let us living in your country after you raped our countries for centuries. Thank you for not killing us for being non-white peoples.)

There are many immigrants who bow down to white man and see him and his action as of God. I am not one of those.

You think the west globalized in order to profit or help poor people? Its not the west , but its money and capital that moved to places where it could profit more. No one in the west decided to suddently help a bunch of colored people they have to relationship to othar than being their former colonial subjects.

Mind you blacks were still segregated in America until the 70s. It was the Soviet anti-colonialism that forced the west to become acceptable to non white people. It had to, if it was to defeat the Soviet.