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Saturday, December 22, 2007

[mukto-mona] An article on Sanjeeb Chowdhury

http://www.mukto-mona.com/Articles/anwarul_kabir/Sanjeeb_Choudhury.pdf


Md. Anwarul Kabir
Assistant Professor & Research Coordinator
Department of Computer Science
American International University-Bangladesh
Kemal Ataturk Avenue
Banani, Dhaka
Dhaka 1213
Bangladesh

9890415, 8815386 Fax 00 88 02 8813233
url: http://www.aiub.edu
alternative email: kabiranwar@yahoo.com

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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

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Daily Star publishes an interview with Mukto-Mona
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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.

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Mukto-Mona Celebrates 5th Anniversary

http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/5_yrs_anniv/index.htm

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Mukto-Mona Celebrates Earth Day:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Earth_day2006/index.htm

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Kansat Uprising : A Special Page from Mukto-Mona

http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/kansat2006/members/


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MM Project : Grand assembly of local freedom fighters at Raumari

http://www.mukto-mona.com/project/Roumari/freedom_fighters_union300306.htm

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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


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[mukto-mona] Govt. initiative needs to start prosecutions

Dear Sir/Mam,
 
Eid Mubarak
 
Hope, you have been blessed with Almighty's attention and enjoyed the festival with Eid's inspiration.
 
Thanks for publishing my previous write ups
 
This is an article about "Govt. initiative needs to start prosecutions". I will be highly honoured if you publish this article. I apprecite your time to read this article.
 
Thanks
 
Have a nice time
 
With Best Regards
 
Ripan Kumar Biswas
New York, U.S.A
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Govt. initiative needs to start prosecutions
 
Ripan Kumar Biswas
 
The term "war crimes" evokes a litany of horrific images. Although war crimes are basically violations of the laws of war that cover atrocities during armed conflict or International Humanitarian Law (IHL) that incur individual criminal responsibility, but the worst abuses of this century such as Stalin's purges and destruction of the kulaks or Mao's forced collectivization's are not war crimes only. These atrocities are international crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity.
 
The world has suffered much genocide in human history, but the worst genocide in the annals of history in 1971 was not simply possible by the state-sponsored Pakistani army against Bangladesh. People suffered such attempted extermination with the help of local allies. What weren't happened with general Bangladeshis-murder, ill-treatment, torture, mutilation, corporal punishment, rape, enforced prostitution, indecent assault, summary executions, hostage taking, collective punishment, or pillage?
 
Observing the mass demand, though not as a collective groups, different political parties in Bangladesh have now committed themselves to undertake the trial and punishment of axis war criminals. They had the power to do so, whether as victors unrestrained by law, or through the application of law of war, or through the country's existing law. But neither any past government nor others political parties looked with favor upon arbitrary and ex post facto punishments.
 
So much is certain, that no civilized society, any more than a society at peace, can allow unpunished criminal activities. There are, in fact, enough precedents in the law of war and enough general principles of law recognized by civilized nations to provide a just and proper legal procedure against war criminals.
 
Whereas they were in the government, Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, senior leader of the BNP's (Bangladesh Nationalist Party) reformist group and former minister, asked the present military backed interim government to prosecute war criminals. Although Jamat-e-Islami was held responsible for its anti-liberation role in 1971, BNP was allied with them during Awami League rule in the movement against the then government and formed a coalition government after the 2001 general elections. Bhuiyan admitted that there were a lot of supporting documents to bring war criminals under trail, but all the previous governments failed to do it.
 
Awami League (AL), the major political party in Bangladesh which is supposed to associate closely with the issues of liberation war and its spirit and aspirations of independence, freely did include, within their folds, persons with serious questionable roles in the liberation war. Although AL moved several times jointly with questionable political parties and persons to win the political battle, it also demanded immediate trial of the war criminals and pledged that the party would never form any sort of alliance with or seek any support from Jamaat-e-Islami or any other anti-liberation forces to go to power.
 
Although freedom fighter is a relativistic term for those engaged in rebellion against an established government or regime that they consider to be oppressive, the literal meaning of the words could include anyone who fights for the cause of freedom from political, economical or religious suppression.

This is not quite the Bangladesh where lives were sacrificed; blood was shed for in 1971. Freedom fighters had fought gallantly with the enemies to free the motherland and to establish democracy, secularism and Bengali nationalism.
 
While millions of Bangladeshis are paying their heartiest gratitude to those freedom fighters and expecting that each and everyone, who fought in the complex and challenging situation and sacrificed their lives, should be highly respected and taken care of when they need, very often it is regular to see the sufferings, humiliation and deprivation of freedom fighters. Some of them are rickshaw-pullers, slum dwellers or even beggars. Most of the countries in the world respect their freedom fighters and senior citizens for their great contribution towards the country. Government has special priorities for those great heroes.
 
It mightn't be proper way according to the many critics while the sector commanders of eleven areas of Bangladesh during the liberation war and other political parties didn't attend the 36th Victory Day reception hosted by the president, Dr. Iajuddin Ahmed, on Sunday December 16, 2007 as part of the heartiest gratitude towards freedom fighters and the decision not to attend any state functions in which anti-liberation forces, including leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, would be present and the demand of the state sponsor investigations against them, but those critics may not ignore that the non political government of Dr. Fakhruddin Ahemd can bring the war criminals under prosecutions rather  following the same footsteps of its predecessors.
 
In addition to come across the different recent comments of the anti-liberation forces about whether they were involved in 1971 tragedy or not, it is important to ensure them that the spirit of independence is still alive in the heart of millions of Bangladeshis.
 
Referring a response to a recent article ("Guilty at birth?", December 6, 2007) in the London based newspaper the Economist where Jamaat-e-Islami in Bangladesh were pledged guilty for their atrocities during the war of independence in 1971, its supremo Motiur Rahman Nizami, strongly denied any such link and reminded everyone that in the past 36 years, no one, not even the relatives of the victims' families, has taken any step to institute legal proceedings against the alleged perpetrators of war crimes.
 
Among many other individual initiatives, commander of Dhaka district freedom fighters' unit, Mozaffar Ahmed Khan, recently filed a case with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court in Dhaka against four top leaders of the Jamaat-e-Islami – its ameer Matiur Rahman Nizami, secretary general Ali Ahsan Mujahid, assistant secretary generals Abdul Kader Molla and Qamaruzzaman and five others on charge of killing two freedom fighters at Keraniganj on the outskirts of Dhaka city during the independence war in 1971. But the case may be meritless as at the beginning it was not even registered with Tejgaon police station because the government didn't sanction the plaintiff in this case.
 
Of course the main agenda of the caretaker government is to hold a free and fair election, but this is high time to initiate legal actions against the war criminals and the trial is more important than the ongoing crackdown on corruption. If these criminals go unpunished, there would be recurrence of such crimes in the country and no political government will be able to bring them back under trail as because they will be obviously associated with such groups or persons.
 
December 23, 2007, New York
Ripan Kumar Biswas is a freelance writer based in New York
 


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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

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Daily Star publishes an interview with Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/news/daily_star/daily_star_MM.pdf

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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.

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Mukto-Mona Celebrates 5th Anniversary
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/5_yrs_anniv/index.htm

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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

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[vinnomot] Election victory for Narendra Modi-what does that mean for India

 
Despite the video of gruesome cruelty on minority in Gujrat, Narendra Modi just won the election-and defeating congress to the ground. Termed as merchant of death, Modi's election victory needs to be analyzed in the microscope or else, so called secularist parties of India, will suffer even major defeat in coming central election due next year.
 
 Just think of this. Right now Congress has best leadership I have ever seen-- Dr Singh, Chidambaram, Pranab Mukherjee are very well established professional and no-nonsense personality. Compared to that BJP is void in leadership--Bajpai is too old--Advani's professional quality is no way comparable with any big three-- yet Congress is losing......well Modi was successful in economic upliftment of Gujrat but human right violation during his regime does not seem to have affected the Hindu voters at all.
 
This is ominous sign. For long time, I told Congress & UPA will lose bitterly against BJP unless they stop the game of minority appeasement. Over last three months, what happened with Taslima, clearly exposed CPM or Congress can not be considered as secular party--but just as another party that works for vote bank by appeasement--so what's wrong with BJP if they start playing the same game of Hindu appeasement?
 
I have repeatedly wrote Hinduvta is a very weak political philosophy -and it survives only as a counter-reaction against Islamic fundamentalism. There is no existence of Hinuvta without Islamic fundamentalism. Hindu religion is a very personal religion. In 1984, BJP won only 2 out of 542! Mark what happened next--secular mask of Congress was exposed bitterly in Shah Banu case in 1986-faced with a allegation of Islamist cap, Rajiv tried to appease Hinduvta as well by playing soft ball on Babri Mosque. Result is utter disaster-- Hinduvta came to power in 1989 and in 1996 they consolidated 200 seat base--100 fold increase in 10 years? What made it possible?  Notice that only each and every incident that asks for litmus test on secularism, Congress and CPM failed miserably by shameful submission to the Islamists. So Indian people know very well they are either voting for Hinduvta or Islamists--there is no true secular force in India now. Azijul Hoque predicted this long time ago--secularism can not work in democracy unless religion is banned from the politics and strict  codes of laws for secular politics are imposed.  But who is listening in these days of appeasement game and mockery of secularism in India?
 
Thanks
Biplab
Editor
 
 
 
 
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[vinnomot] Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] Fwd: Nizami's challange!

Sir - The letter of Mr.Motiur Rahman Nizami of Jamaat-e-Islami published in the Economist on December 19th, 2007 (" Guilty at birth?", December 8th) again brought tears to my eyes and evoked growing sense of rage after reading the false and fabricated letter written by him. Indeed, the Pakistan army could not have committed heinous atrocities at such scale without the active help of Jamat - e - Islami and their Al-badr and Razakar war criminal slaves.
 
Bangladesh became independent in December 1971, after a nine-month war that pitted Bengali-dominated East Pakistan against West Pakistan. The West's army, with it's appeal to Islamic unity, had the support of many of East Pakistan's fundamentalist parties. The most extreme of these was the Jamaat-e-Islami, whose student wing became the main source of a pro-army paramilitary body called Al Badr, which was led by Mr Nizami. It's members are alleged, among other atrocities, to have abducted and murdered dozens of senior journalists and academics.

Frequent calls for war-crimes trials have been ignored. This time, the unelected government's hand may be forced by the new unity among the big parties, and by support for the demands among parts of the army. Many witnesses, and accused, have died. The head of the interim administration, Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed, has said that the government would welcome prosecutions initiated by private citizens. But citizens' groups insist that the state must act as prosecutor in crimes of such magnitude.

 
The legal experts said reports and statements, which were published in the Daily Sangram, the official voice of Jamaat-e-Islami, during the liberation war of Bangladesh, about the activities of the anti-liberation forces, might be sufficient to try the collaborators of the Pakistan occupation forces. Other national and international newspapers published during the liberation war also ran news and photographs about the activities of the anti-liberation local forces, which are also admissible in courts according to the law, said the experts. Two cases are now in the court against Mr. Nizami and his associates for trial.
On the other hand, Mr. Nizami through his letter created the 'eighth wonder of the world' by refusing his activities. A snake always remains a snake even though it sheds skin.
 
Gopal Sengupta
CANADA
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Economist thanks you for your letter, which will be edited if it is chosen for publication.

We run a wider selection of letters in addition to those appearing in The Economist newspaper at "The inbox" on our website: www.economist.com/debate/theinbox.

Letters published at "The inbox" carry the name of the writer, but
no return address.

Publication of a letter at "The inbox" in no way affects the
likelihood that it will be published in The Economist newspaper.

If you would prefer not to have your letter published please send an e-mail promptly to letters@economist.com.

The Economist's offices will be closed from December 19th to January 2nd.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Bangladesh's past
SIR – Regarding your recent article on Bangladesh ("Guilty at birth?", December 8th). The party I lead, Jamaat-e-Islami, strongly denies any link with the atrocities committed during the war of independence in 1971. It also denies any involvement whatsoever with the abduction and murder of journalists and academics. I would also point out that I was never a member of Al Badr nor did I ever lead that organisation. Furthermore, I ceased to become the head of Jamaat's student wing from October 1971 and did not hold any post in Jamaat until long after Bangladesh's liberation.
Jamaat is a moderate Islamic party that believes in democracy and human rights and is strongly committed to upholding the rule of law. Jamaat's position has always been that if any allegations made by a future war-crimes tribunal against a member of Jamaat are proved to be true in a court of law, then we are ready to face the consequences. In the past 36 years, no one, not even the relatives of the victims' families, has taken any step to institute legal proceedings against the alleged perpetrators of war crimes.
Motiur Rahman Nizami
Jamaat-e-Islami
Dhaka
 
 
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Re: [mukto-mona] Fwd: Nizami's challange!

WRT: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mukto-mona/message/45645


Sir - The letter of Mr.Motiur Rahman Nizami of Jamaat-e-Islami published in
the Economist on December 19th, 2007 ("_Guilty at birth?_
(http://economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10254574) ", December 8th) again brought
tears to my eyes and evoked growing sense of rage after reading the false and
fabricated letter written by him. Indeed, the Pakistan army could not have
committed heinous atrocities at such scale without the active help of Jamat -
e - Islami and their Al-badr and Razakar war criminal slaves.

Bangladesh became independent in December 1971, after a nine-month war that
pitted Bengali-dominated East Pakistan against West Pakistan. The West's
army, with it's appeal to Islamic unity, had the support of many of East
Pakistan's fundamentalist parties. The most extreme of these was the Jamaat-e-Islami,
whose student wing became the main source of a pro-army paramilitary body
called Al Badr, which was led by Mr Nizami. It's members are alleged, among
other atrocities, to have abducted and murdered dozens of senior journalists and
academics.
Frequent calls for war-crimes trials have been ignored. This time, the
unelected government's hand may be forced by the new unity among the big parties,
and by support for the demands among parts of the army. Many witnesses, and
accused, have died. The head of the interim administration, Dr. Fakhruddin
Ahmed, has said that the government would welcome prosecutions initiated by
private citizens. But citizens' groups insist that the state must act as
prosecutor in crimes of such magnitude.

The legal experts said reports and statements, which were published in the
Daily Sangram, the official voice of Jamaat-e-Islami, during the liberation
war of Bangladesh, about the activities of the anti-liberation forces, might be
sufficient to try the collaborators of the Pakistan occupation forces. Other
national and international newspapers published during the liberation war
also ran news and photographs about the activities of the anti-liberation local
forces, which are also admissible in courts according to the law, said the
experts. Two cases are now in the court against Mr. Nizami and his associates
for trial.

On the other hand, Mr. Nizami through his letter created the 'eighth wonder
of the world' by refusing his activities. A snake always remains a snake even
though it sheds skin.

Gopal Sengupta

CANADA

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

The Economist thanks you for your letter, which will be edited if it is
chosen for publication.

We run a wider selection of letters in addition to those appearing in The
Economist newspaper at "The inbox" on our website:

www.economist.com/debate/theinbox.

Letters published at "The inbox" carry the name of the writer, but
no return address.

Publication of a letter at "The inbox" in no way affects the
likelihood that it will be published in The Economist newspaper.

If you would prefer not to have your letter published please send an e-mail
promptly to letters@economist.com.

The Economist's offices will be closed from December 19th to January 2nd.


*****************************************
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


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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/


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"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
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[mukto-mona] An Untold Story-The History of our National Flag

Here is  the Link :
http://amadershomoy.com/online/news.php?id=220234&sys=3

From several authentic & reliable sources I too learned that Mr. Sibnarayaon
Dash designed the original flag but we didn't give him his credit. It is very
much unfortunate but true that we are erasing our history continuously.

Another person in the planning of the original national flag which this report
of Amadershomoy did not mention was Choudhury Helalur Rahman Chisty, member &
activist of the Shwadhin Bangla nucleus (Chatro League). Mr. Helal was killed by
the Pak Army on March 25, 1971 but his name was not included in the list of th
martyred students of DU!


Nuruzzaman Manik, Freelance Journalist
Pls vist my article page: http://www.mukto-mona.com/Articles/n_manik/index.htm
                                    http://www.satrong.org/Nuruzzaman%20Manik.htm
A life unexamined is not worthliving.-Socrates


__._,_.___

*****************************************
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




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[vinnomot] An Untold Story-The History of our National Flag

Here is  the Link :
http://amadershomoy.com/online/news.php?id=220234&sys=3

From several authentic & reliable sources I too learned that Mr. Sibnarayaon
Dash designed the original flag but we didn't give him his credit. It is very
much unfortunate but true that we are erasing our history continuously.

Another person in the planning of the original national flag which this report
of Amadershomoy did not mention was Choudhury Helalur Rahman Chisty, member &
activist of the Shwadhin Bangla nucleus (Chatro League). Mr. Helal was killed by
the Pak Army on March 25, 1971 but his name was not included in the list of th
martyred students of DU!


Nuruzzaman Manik, Freelance Journalist
Pls vist my article page: http://www.mukto-mona.com/Articles/n_manik/index.htm
                                    http://www.satrong.org/Nuruzzaman%20Manik.htm
A life unexamined is not worthliving.-Socrates


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[mukto-mona] An interview of Deputy Chief in Command Air Vice Marshal A.K.Khondaker Biruttam

Here is the link:

http://www.the-editor.net/bangla/special.php


Fwd by


Nuruzzaman Manik, Freelance Journalist
Pls vist my article page: http://www.mukto-mona.com/Articles/n_manik/index.htm
                                    http://www.satrong.org/Nuruzzaman%20Manik.htm
A life unexamined is not worthliving.-Socrates


__._,_.___

*****************************************
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

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[vinnomot] An interview of Deputy Chief in Command Air Vice Marshal A.K.Khondaker Biruttam

Here is the link:

http://www.the-editor.net/bangla/special.php


Fwd by


Nuruzzaman Manik, Freelance Journalist
Pls vist my article page: http://www.mukto-mona.com/Articles/n_manik/index.htm
                                    http://www.satrong.org/Nuruzzaman%20Manik.htm
A life unexamined is not worthliving.-Socrates


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[mukto-mona] FW: Letter to the Editor (Re: Taslima Nasreen)

 

I just sent the following letter to The Hindu. I urge all like minded people
to do so by modifying the letter suitably and send to: thehindu@vsnl.com
Thanks.
======================================================
Sir,
   This is in response to West Bengal state assembly speaker Mr. Halim's 
comments regarding the recent Ms. Taslima Nasreen controversy
('Halim: Taslima can't hurt others' sentiments',
The Hindu, December 22, 2007). The communists are at the best of their
hypocricy now to keep their vote-bank politics going by pandering to the
minority fundamentalism. If Mr. Halim is so sensitive about the sentiments
of others then why didn't he criticise M. F. Hussain's paintings of Hindu
Goddesses? If Mr. Halim, hailing from an avowed atheist party, is so
sympathetic toward others' sentiments, then would he stand up and defend
the Hindu organisations who feel offended by the Christian evangelists'
attempts to converts poor hindus under financial allurements and
inducements? One can recall the near hysterical reactions of our 'secular'
CPM public figures just a few years ago when Bajrang Dal and VHP protested
against the shooting of the movie 'The Water' in Varanasi depicting the sorry
state of condition of some Hindu widows. These 'secular' characters were out
on the street at that time to defend the film director's freedom of expression and
creativity. How come Mr. Halim is now suffering from that selective amnesia?
 
   Yours truly,
 
   Partha Roy
   Jadavpur, Kolkata 32
===================================================================


 
.

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*****************************************
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:
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Mukto-Mona Celebrates Darwin Day:

http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/index.htm

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****************************************************

"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




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[vinnomot] FW: Letter to the Editor (Re: Taslima Nasreen)

 

I just sent the following letter to The Hindu. I urge all like minded people
to do so by modifying the letter suitably and send to: thehindu@vsnl.com
Thanks.
======================================================
Sir,
   This is in response to West Bengal state assembly speaker Mr. Halim's 
comments regarding the recent Ms. Taslima Nasreen controversy
('Halim: Taslima can't hurt others' sentiments',
The Hindu, December 22, 2007). The communists are at the best of their
hypocricy now to keep their vote-bank politics going by pandering to the
minority fundamentalism. If Mr. Halim is so sensitive about the sentiments
of others then why didn't he criticise M. F. Hussain's paintings of Hindu
Goddesses? If Mr. Halim, hailing from an avowed atheist party, is so
sympathetic toward others' sentiments, then would he stand up and defend
the Hindu organisations who feel offended by the Christian evangelists'
attempts to converts poor hindus under financial allurements and
inducements? One can recall the near hysterical reactions of our 'secular'
CPM public figures just a few years ago when Bajrang Dal and VHP protested
against the shooting of the movie 'The Water' in Varanasi depicting the sorry
state of condition of some Hindu widows. These 'secular' characters were out
on the street at that time to defend the film director's freedom of expression and
creativity. How come Mr. Halim is now suffering from that selective amnesia?
 
   Yours truly,
 
   Partha Roy
   Jadavpur, Kolkata 32
===================================================================


 
.

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[vinnomot] Will there be a Indian or Pakistani equivalent of Gorvachev?

Will there be a Indian or Pakistani equivalent of Gorvachev?

Both the countries need a Gorvachev like personality, to free their people from the stupidity of their leaderships that takes their inspiration from early 20th century

Let it be made clear that the human civilization that we, people in the eastern and western parts of South Asia, represent great civilizations that rival any of the worlds other civilizations. However, this area has built its civilization during thousands of years through a distributed scale. History do not indicate a monolithic existance of national or supra-national identity among ourselves. This is also true that going forward, civilizations around the world are working tirelessly to build mechanisms that facilitate more uniform development in a certain region. European Union and ASEAN are two such effort which have been most recognized as successful model.

Behind the success of these two mechanisms are certainly the recognition of national indentities that reside within them. Their division within themselves has become a source of strength, since they have blended a number of socio-politico-economic factors.

In recent history, there have also been a big example which was also seen as a very successful effort for the time being. Yes, we are talking about Soviet Union (a.k.a. USSR) which no longer exists on the political map of the globe. The model that USSR used helped them envious development and progress for several decades. Arguably, USSR is the reason that the so-called competiton model (which many would like to identify as free model or the so-called free world) had something to compete with. Why did it eventually fail? Among many, the one relevant for our today's article would be the not recognizing the national identities within itself. So, while the model helped all the identities to reach a certain level of meeting physical needs (food, shelter, etc), however, the mechanism through which USSR worked did not provide enough room for the differences among themselves to act in a way that it become strength. Before being too late, luckily the USSR produced a leader like Gorvachev - who recognized the underlying weakness of the mechanism. That recognition resulted in something that we all know - Russian Federation and many other states. Over time, there proximity may encourage them to build something similar to EU. Or if there are other groupings that are natuaral, those may arise. Only time will dictate that. But our point is not what future hold - rather we want to point to the fact that Gorvachev prevented a big blunder which may have resulted from USSR. Great leaders not only builds, they sometimes destroy - though with a long-term constructive view.

There are few other similar blunders in the making - as we speak. The biggest of those is the nation state called India. Don't be suspicous. We are not trying to ignite instability within India, rather we want to point to certain analytical aspects of the state - addressing of which may help avert a blunder in near future.

The biggest blunder was the concept of political India - the Brits were leaving - but those who were making them leave, including the greats like Mahatma Gandhi, they did not realize the fact that opposition of Brits can not be a basis of a nation state. We, all the people, were united then - not because we are alike, but because we had a common enemy. This was more true since the enemy was there for a long time - two centuries. Yet, two centuries can not blend the thousands of years of differences. The differences had to be recognized - both in political and economic terms - if those differences were to become strength. A mechanism had to be built. But we did not had the time, since the Brits were not here to govern, they were the bandits. Ooh, the British Raj was not the only blunder, it was also complicated by another twist - Pakistan.

So, in 1947, two odd cousin were given birth in the political map of the globe. Even though, there should have been several tens of separate identities within British Raj, the opposition of it made us think there is one identity. And some other stupids thought its a good time to get a country to rule - if they push religion into the politics. The rest is history. Hundreds of peoples lives and displacement, yet no peace, no development, no viable model for long term stability.

Pakistani rulers were more stupid than the Indians - back in the early days. So, they started to feel the stupidity earlier than the Indians. But India is also feeling that every day - every second. Until recently, however, there was not a single leader in who recognized or had the moral strength to publicly say that fact.

Most recently, Sardarji has alluded to it. But he only goes so far. Meeting the economic needs the very basic reason for a state or a mechanism to exist. When that phisical need is not realized, the differences become promient - if there are differences. That means, India is yet to touch the achievments of USSR. And it does not look like it would. But he does not see beyond economics - after all he is not a politician. So, its not surprising. But the point is - there is no need to re-invent the wheel and waste time and resources and human lives. It has been tested in USSR already - isn't it? Why do the wait? Off course, to understand that and at the sametime to have the capacity and courage, India will have to give birth of a Gorvachev. That is the way to avoid a blunder. So, is the case for Pakistan. But it seems its too late for them. Hopefully not. The world do not need any more blunders, while there is the biggest unresolved blunder which we call Global Warming or Climate Change.

Given the current mechanism that exists within the both artificial monoliths that was created due to the stupidity of some and falliability of otheres, it is very unlikely that a single Gorvachev-like figure will evolve to rescue them. So, it is upto progressive thinkers and intellectuals to figure out reforms that are done on the political sphere and the result goes directly to the individual people and national identities. In a sense, these progressive thinkers will have to fill in the shoes of Gorvachev, if blunder-like situations are to be avoided.

One more important thing to emphasize. Before we make that point, it should be made clear that this is an outsiders' view of what is happening both the countries, albeit at a two different scale and different perspective. Yet, both the countries traces back their origin in the opposition of the Brits - a wrong one to build nations on. Both the nation competes to build tools to destroy each other while millions of their own people go to bed hungry. Yet, the brains of these two nations do not recognize the inherent problem since they are still emerged into the psedo nationalism, as was the case for USSR leadership.

If this analysis is true, the main thrust in this regard has to come from the intelligentia of those embedded nationalitites who are relatively well-off. Otherwise, if the mainstream intelligentia joins hands with the stray forces in the underdeveloped regions ( e.g. eastern provinces, norther provinces, disputed provinces in both entities), that could be dangerous. Mistakes in the centre might make such development inevitable. However, a better scenario would be if the centre do not make any mistakes, people who are relatively well-off realizes the importance of recognition of embedded indentities within the recognitions of being Indians or Pakistanis. In order to make the transition smooth, forces of thought has to take control. If the forces of economics and the forces of physical needs takes over, that could be problematic.

That is exactly why we are asking the question that we asked in the title. Will there be a Indian or Pakistani equivalent of Gorvachev? If so, who are those? Are those individual personalities or groups? Are those driven by forces of thought or are those forces of physical needs? Do those individuals and forces recognizes the need for stability and peaceful transition - at the for the sake of humanity and world peace or are those whimsical? Answers to those questions are important for the world polity to consider. It is more important for the countries within the vicinity.

If you thought some of the ideas are worth of your reading time, please forward it to others. If you have an ear to the columinsts in regular traditional media, please forward it to them. If you have an ear to the journalists and news editors of the electronic media, discuss it with them. Hope they would look at the suggestions and give due diligence.

Thanks for your time,
Innovation Line

==================================================================================================
Note: This is a freelance column, published mainly in different internet based forums. This column is open for contribution by the members of new generation, sometimes referred to as Gen 71. If you identify yourself as someone from that age-group and want to contribute to this column, please feel free to contact. Thanks to the group moderator for publishing the article.
===================================================================================================

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[vinnomot] Fwd: Nizami's challange!

Dear Friends:
Please read the following letter of "protest" from Razakar Motiur Rahman Nizami, written to the Economist in response to the article "Guilty at Birth?" which lately appeared in Economist. The Razakars once again denies any charge and personal involvement with the heinous war crimes committed during 1971. As the saying goes, a lie repeated hundred times may become a truth some day; hence I urge all the secular and pro-1971 persons/forces to send a counter-letter to the Economist exposing the hypocrisy and lies of this Razakar. Please keep in mind, regardless of whether Economist publishes your letter, it is important that we raise our voices and let the Economist know--Nizami indeed is a war criminal and a pathetic liar. International media must hear, demand for the trials of '71 criminals is not any political gimmick. It is a serious issue.   
 
You may also refer to some of the articles on MM 1971 archive.
 
 
Here is the e-mail of Economist: letters@economist.com
 
Regards,
J.A.
New York
 
** This is the new URL of MM archive on 1971.
 
 
   

ahmed zia <ahmed.zia@hotmail.com> wrote:
From: ahmed zia <ahmed.zia@hotmail.com>
To: Jahed Ahmed <worldcitizen73@yahoo.com>
Subject: Nizami's challange!
Date: Sun, 23 Dec 2007 01:10:15 +0000

Economist.com

Dec 19th 2007
From The Economist print edition

Bangladesh's past

SIR – Regarding your recent article on Bangladesh ("Guilty at birth?", December 8th). The party I lead, Jamaat-e-Islami, strongly denies any link with the atrocities committed during the war of independence in 1971. It also denies any involvement whatsoever with the abduction and murder of journalists and academics. I would also point out that I was never a member of Al Badr nor did I ever lead that organisation. Furthermore, I ceased to become the head of Jamaat's student wing from October 1971 and did not hold any post in Jamaat until long after Bangladesh's liberation.
Jamaat is a moderate Islamic party that believes in democracy and human rights and is strongly committed to upholding the rule of law. Jamaat's position has always been that if any allegations made by a future war-crimes tribunal against a member of Jamaat are proved to be true in a court of law, then we are ready to face the consequences. In the past 36 years, no one, not even the relatives of the victims' families, has taken any step to institute legal proceedings against the alleged perpetrators of war crimes.
Motiur Rahman Nizami
Jamaat-e-Islami
Dhaka
http://economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10320741

Ahmed Ziauddin
Tel: + 32 9 237 0567
Fax: + 32 9 237 0568



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[mukto-mona] Taslima Exclusive

 
Cover Story 8th Day : BANISHED WITHIN & WITHOUT 23 Dec 07 (http://thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=30&theme=&usrsess=1&id=1820590

In an exclusive, Taslima Nasreen recounts her origins, her longing to belong and the will to face opposition to her place in the scheme of things

ALTHOUGH I was not born an Indian, there is very little about my appearance, my tastes, my habits and my traditions to distinguish me from a daughter of the soil. Had I been born some years earlier than I was, I would have been an Indian in every sense of the term. My father was born before Partition; the strange history of this subcontinent made him a citizen of three states, his daughter a national of two. In a village in what was then East Bengal, there once lived a poor farmer by the name of Haradhan Sarkar, one of whose sons, Komol, driven to fury by zamindari oppression, converted to Islam and became Kamal. I belong to this family.
Haradhan Sarkar was my great-grandfather's father. Haradhan's other descendants obviously moved to India either during or after Partition and became citizens of this country. My grandfather, a Muslim, did not. When I was a child, the notion of the once fashionable theory of pan-Islamic had been exploded by East Pakistani Muslims fighting their West Pakistani coreligionists. Our struggle was for Bengali nationalism and secularism.
Even though I was born well after Partition, the notion of undivided India held me in thrall. I wrote a number of poems and stories lamenting the loss of undivided Bengal, indeed undivided India, even before I visited this country. I simply could not bring myself to accept the bit of barbed wire that kept families and friends apart even though they shared a common language and culture. What hurt most was that this wire had been secured by religion.
By my early teens I had forsaken religion and turned towards secular humanism and feminism which sprang from within me and were in no way artificially imposed. My father, a man with a modern scientific outlook, encouraged me to introspect and as I grew older I broke away not just from religion but also from all the traditions and customs, indeed the very culture, which constantly oppressed, suppressed and denigrated women. When I first visited India, specifically West Bengal, in 1989, I did not for an instant think I was in a foreign land. From the moment I set foot on Indian soil, I knew I belonged here and that it was, in some fundamental way, inseparable from the land I called my own.
The reason for this was not my Hindu forebear. The reason was not that one of India's many cultures is my own or that I speak one of its many languages or that I look Indian. It is because the values and traditions of India are embedded deeply within me. These values and traditions are a manifestation of the history of the subcontinent. I am a victim of that history. Then again, I have been enriched and enlivened by it, if one can call it so. I am a victim of its poverty, colonial legacy, faiths, communalism, violence, bloodshed, partition, migrations, exodus, riots, wars and even theories of nationhood. I have been hardened further by my life and experiences in a dirty, poverty- and famine-stricken, ill-governed theocracy called Bangladesh.
The intolerance, fanaticism and bigotry of Islamic fundamentalists forced me to leave Bangladesh, itself a victim of the subcontinent's history. I was forced to go into exile; the doors of my own country slammed shut in my face for good. Since that moment I sought refuge in India. When I was finally allowed entry, not for an instant did I think I was in an alien land. Why did I not think so, especially when every other country in Asia, Europe and America felt alien to me? Even after spending 12 years in Europe I could not think of it as my home. It took less than a year to think of India as my home. Is it because we, India and I, share a common history? Had East Bengal remained a province of undivided India, would the state have tolerated an attack on basic human freedoms and values and the call for the death by hanging of a secular writer by the proponents of fundamentalist Islam and self-seeking politicians? How would a secular democracy have reacted to this threat against one of its own? Or is the burden of defending human and democratic values solely a European or American concern? The gates of India remained firmly shut when I needed its shelter the most. The Europeans welcomed me with open arms. Yet, in Europe I always considered myself a stranger, an outsider. After 12 long years in exile when I arrived in India it felt as though I had been resurrected from some lonely grave. I knew this land, I knew the people, I had grown up somewhere very similar, almost indistinguishable. I felt the need to do something for this land and its people. There was a burning desire within me to see that women become educated and independent, that they stand up for and demand their rights and freedom. I wanted my writing to invigorate and contribute in some way to the empowerment of these women who had always been oppressed and suppressed.
In the meanwhile, a few Islamic fundamentalists in Hyderabad chose to launch a physical attack upon me. The decision to attack me was motivated by the desire to gain popularity among the local masses. "A woman by the name of Taslima Nasrin has launched a vicious attack upon Islam and is all set to destroy the tenets of the faith. Therefore, Islam must be protected from this woman and the only way to do so is to kill her. Her death will bring many rewards: millions as fatwa bounty in this world, salvation and unparalleled delights in the next." This is the manner in which Islamic fundamentalists in secular India are attempting to entice poor, uneducated, uninformed Muslims while simultaneously looking to solidify their vote bank within the community.
After hearing of the incident in Hyderabad, fundamentalist leaders in West Bengal, where I live, became so excited that they wasted no time in issuing fatwas against me and calling for my head. Students from madrasas who did not even know of my existence joined the fray. They knew of my blasphemy without having read a single one of my books. How did they know? Because their leaders had assured them that I had made it my mission to destroy Islam. Therefore, it was their individual and collective responsibility to protect and preserve their faith. Can one find a more perfect example of brainwashing? While their knowledge of my work may be infinitesimal, their knowledge of Islam is equally so and they have turned their faith into a commodity for their own base ends.
Almost twenty per cent of India's population is Muslim and, unfortunately, the most vocal representatives of this considerable community are fundamentalists. Educated, civilised, cultured and secular people from the Muslim community are not regarded as representative of the community. What can be a greater tragedy than this?
A greater tragedy, arguably, is that I may have to endure in progressive India, indeed in West Bengal, what I had to endure in Bangladesh. I live practically under house arrest. No public place is allegedly safe for me any longer. Not even the homes of friends are above suspicion, nothing is above suspicion. Even stepping out for a walk is considered unsafe. It is felt that I should spend my days in a poorly lit room grappling with shadows.
Those who threaten to kill me are allowed by the state to spew their venom. They have tacitly been given the right to do whatever they desire, from disturbing the peace with their demonstrations to terrorising the common man in the name of their faith. Those that oppose them and their unholy brand of communalism, those who take a stance against injustice and untruth, are silenced in invidious ways. I am warned both implicitly and explicitly that, for example, a fundamentalists' demonstration is about to take place and it would be best for all concerned if I quietly left the city. Of course, do return by all means, but only when the situation has calmed down, I am advised. But will the situation ever calm down? For the last 13 years I have been waiting for the situation to calm down.
I was told the same thing when I left Bangladesh to go into exile. I refuse to leave because to leave would be to accept defeat and hand the fundamentalists the victory they have always desired. It would spell defeat for the freedom of expression, independence of thought, democracy and secularism. I simply refuse to allow them this victory. If they are eventually victorious, the loss will be as much mine as India's. If India gives in to the fundamentalists' demand to deport me, the list of demands will become an endless one. A deportation today, a ban tomorrow, an execution the day after. Where will it cease? They will pursue their agenda with boundless enthusiasm, knowing that victory is certain. And, of course, the secular state and its secular custodians will bow down to every fundamentalist's every whim and fancy. Giving in to their demands is not a solution and any attempt to appease them makes them even more dangerous and pernicious.
Even in my worst nightmares I had not imagined that I would be persecuted in India as I was in Bangladesh. Persecuted by the majority in one and a minority in another, but persecuted just the same. The bigotry, the intolerance, the death threats, the terror: all the same. I often wonder what good it would do them to kill me. The fundamentalists are very well aware that it may bring them some benefit but will do nothing for the cause of Islam. Islam will remain as it has always remained. Neither I nor any other individual has the ability to destabilise Islam. The face of fundamentalism, its language and its intentions are the same the world over: to grab civilisation by the scruff of its neck and drag it back a few millennia, kicking and screaming.
My world is gradually shrinking. I, who once roamed the streets without a care in the world, am now shackled. Always outspoken, I am now silenced, unable to demonstrate, left without the means of protesting for what I hold dear. Film festivals, concerts and plays all continue around me but I cannot participate. I spend my existence surrounded by walls: a prisoner. But I refuse to acknowledge this as my destiny. I still believe that one day I will be able to resume the life I once enjoyed. I still believe that India, unlike Bangladesh, will triumph over fundamentalism. I still believe that I will find shelter and solace here. The love and affection of Indians is my true shelter and solace. I still believe I will be able to spend the rest of my life here, free of cares and worries. I love this country. I treat this land as my own. If I were to be ejected from this country it would amount to the cold-blooded murder of my most cherished ideals, perhaps a fate far worse than I could meet at the hands of any fundamentalist.
I have nowhere to go, no country or home to return to. India is my country, India is my home. How much more will I have to endure at the hands of fundamentalists and their vote-grabbing political allies for the cardinal sin of daring to articulate the truth? If the subcontinent turns its back on me I have nowhere to go, no means to survive. Even after all that has happened, I still believe, I still dream, that for a sincere, honest, secular writer, India is the safest refuge, the only refuge.

__._,_.___

*****************************************
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

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Some FAQ's about Mukto-Mona:

http://www.mukto-mona.com/new_site/mukto-mona/faq_mm.htm

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VISIT MUKTO-MONA WEB-SITE : http://www.mukto-mona.com/

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"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




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