An appeal to all concerned: Please raise voices against the army led caretaker government to free our teachers and scholars. Our teachers are our prides not conspirators or criminals.Please go thru the letter of Mr. Sanjeeb Hossain, son of the detained Dr. A. Hossain. Please help ourselves to bring back all teachers to campus with honor and dignity.
Gopal Sengupta
Dear All,
Todays events at the Court were no different from that of yesterday. The Judge once again framed charges and the four Dhaka University Professors were accused of violating the Emergency Power Rules 2007. At the end of the proceedings the Professors were asked if they pleaded guilty. They did not. The Government yet again missed out on a golden opportunity to drop the case against the academics.
As you can quite clearly see, nothing new. However something did happen today. Something which has rarely happened to me over the past three months. My father after the submissions of the lawyers seeked permission from the Judge to say a few words. His few words ended up as a what I would term it as one of the most historic speeches made in a Court of law. I do not remember all of it but here is what I remember of it of it in English:
"In my 33 years as a teacher of the Dhaka University, I have always held my head up high. There not a single incident which will indicate that I failed as a teacher or as a human being. However, it would not not appropriate to say that there not a 'single' incident. In 1976, I along with my brother Colonel Abu Taher (Bir Uttam) and others were tried by a Special Military Tribunal. My brother was hanged and I was sentenced to jail along with others. That possible because the Special Military Tribunal was not independent one and everyone knew that what was going on was a sham in the name of the law. Well, here I am again before a Court of law another facing trial. The conditions however are very much different. The judiciary of Bangladesh is independent now after years of struggle. The Judge that's stand before me has the opportunity to do what is right. He has been given the independence to give his verdict without intimidation or pressure.
I swear with my hand across my heart that I have not done anything wrong during the incident that sparked off from the Dhaka University. It was my moral duty to extend my hand of support to my distressed students and if if I ever get the opportunity to do it again will. I did it in 1990 during the fall of Ershad, I did it in 2001 when the Police entered Shamshunnahar Hall and beat up our female students. I did it again on August 20, 21, 22 and 23.
Honourable Judge before you make you decision, you cannot forget that not all laws are laws, not not trials are trials. I would like to conclude reciting a poem of Jibanananda Das ( At this point he recited a poem)
The teachers and students of the Dhaka University will not be fed to the vultures and hyenas. (Dhaka Bisshobiddyaloyer kono shikkhok othoba kono chattra shokun or sheyal er khaddo hobe nah) May you do the rightful."
I began to cry after hearring that speech. My tears were not out of weakness, they were from the immense strength that I now possess. I urge you to stay strong. Victory will be ours.
Sanjeeb Hossain
(Courtesy: Mr. Sanjeeb Hossain, son of the detained scholar Dr. A.Hossain wrote this mail to me and some others on December 11, 2007. I sincerely acknowledge the contribution of Mr.Sanjeeb Hossain)
This email message (including attachments, if any) is intended for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, proprietary, confidential and exempt from disclosures.If you are not the intended recipient, you are notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender and erase this E-mail message immediately.
Ce message d'email/courriel (attachements y compris, si quel) est prévu pour l'usage de l'individu ou de l'entité auxquels ils sont adressés et peuvent contenir l'information dont est privilégié, de propriété industrielle, confidentiel et exempt
révélations. Si vous n'êtes pas le destinataire prévu, on vous annonce que toute diffusion,la distribution ou copier de cette communication est strictement interdite. Si vous avez reçu cette communication par erreur, informez svp l'expéditeur et effacer ce message d'E-mail/courriel immédiatement.
__._,_.___
*****************************************
Sign the Petition : Release the Arrested University Teachers Immediately : An Appeal to the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh
http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/university_teachers_arrest.htm
*****************************************
Daily Star publishes an interview with Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/news/daily_star/daily_star_MM.pdf
*****************************************
MM site is blocked in Islamic countries such as UAE. Members of those theocratic states, kindly use any proxy (such as http://proxy.org/) to access mukto-mona.
*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates 5th Anniversary
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/5_yrs_anniv/index.htm
*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates Earth Day:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Earth_day2006/index.htm
*****************************************
Kansat Uprising : A Special Page from Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/kansat2006/members/
*****************************************
MM Project : Grand assembly of local freedom fighters at Raumari
http://www.mukto-mona.com/project/Roumari/freedom_fighters_union300306.htm
*****************************************
German Bangla Radio Interviews Mukto-Mona Members:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/german_radio/
Mukto-Mona Celebrates Darwin Day:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/index.htm
*****************************************
Some FAQ's about Mukto-Mona:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/new_site/mukto-mona/faq_mm.htm
****************************************************
VISIT MUKTO-MONA WEB-SITE : http://www.mukto-mona.com/
****************************************************
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
-Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190
__,_._,___
