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Thursday, March 11, 2010

RE: [ALOCHONA] Dhaka the second worst city




http://www.mercer.com/qualityofliving





 



To: alochona@yahoogroups.com
From: Ezajur@yahoo.com
Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:38:09 -0800
Subject: [ALOCHONA] Dhaka the second worst city

Dhaka, the second worst city
Courtesy Financial Express 10/3/10

Shamsul Huq Zahid

Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, has been rated by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) as the second worst city in the world in terms of living conditions. Surprise, surprise!

The Dhakaites even would not have been surprised had their city been placed at the very bottom of the table of the 140 global cities in the survey conducted by the EIU, the business information arm of the London-based Economist Group, elbowing out the Zimbabwean capital Harare.

The survey found Dhaka with a population of over 13 million scoring below the average marks in five broad categories that citizens of towns and cities most care about: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure. Bangladesh has found a companion in Algiers of African state of Algeria, each scoring 38.7 points. Harare scored 37.5 points.

The EIU survey finding has come at a time when many people are found expressing their deep resentment about the fast deteriorating living conditions in Dhaka city.

Harare has hit the bottom of the table because of unending social and political crises, mainly triggered by autocratic rule of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe. One can well imagine the situation in a country where rate of annual inflation is almost beyond counting. A cup of coffee and a bottle of mineral water now cost several million Zimbabwean dollars. One has to carry to the market a sack of currency notes to buy a chicken there. And Zimbabwe is yet to see a turnaround of its situation, following the political 'reconciliation process' and the assumption of office by a new prime minister.

But the situation in the case of Dhaka is totally different. The country has witnessed an average economic growth between 5.0 and 6.0 per cent over last two decades. The rate of annual average inflation only once reached the double digit during the year 2008 because of domestic and external factors. There were political crises, but mostly in transient nature.

Actually, Dhaka city has become un-livable mainly because of indifference, mismanagement and wrong planning, continuing over the years in an uninterrupted sequence. The authorities have failed to create a situation where the citizens can live in minimum comfort both within and outside their homes. They suffer most because of the lack of necessary infrastructures; power and gas supply is highly erratic, water crisis is most common during summer, drainage and swear system is extremely under-developed. Nearly one-third of the population lives in slums having no basic amenities of life.

Healthcare system is highly discriminatory. Health facilities mostly cater to the needs of the affluent section and middleclass people. The public sector health facilities that are generally visited by the poor and lower middle class people are inadequate. Many patients are accommodated on the floor or corridors of the government-run hospitals where supply of medicines is very scanty.

The quality of education imparted to students in educational institutions varies widely. The guardians, at the beginning of every academic year, are found engaged in a rat race to get their children admitted to a handful number of educational institutions providing quality education. The public universities cannot accommodate even a fraction of the seeking admission. The quality of education offered by a large number of private universities is being questioned very often and the tuition fees charged by these institutions are high.

The city's traffic system is in a total mess. The authorities concerned, apparently, have given up hope with regard to streamlining it. Commuters remain stuck up in traffic gridlock for hours together as it takes more than three hours to cross a distance of 10 to 12 kilometres. The government is talking about building cost-intensive expressways, flyovers and underground rail system. It would take several years to get those facilities in place. But in the meanwhile, city's traffic system is destined to turn worse.

The woes of Dhaka city are very much linked to wrong economic planning and reluctance of the successive governments to decentralize the decision-making powers.

Since the government failed to create enough employment opportunities in rural areas, unemployed people have been coming to Dhaka in particular in search of jobs. There is no going back, no matter whether they get jobs or not. The city is not in a position to take the load of an unending inflow of population from mufassil areas.

Moreover, the decision making process has been made so much centralized that even for a petty decision, the people concerned are forced to come to Dhaka for lobbying. Hundreds of people come to Dhaka everyday just for lobbying purpose.

The government would have to bring about radical changes in the decision- making process with delegation of more authorities to district and thana level officials.


 
Regards
 
Ezajur Rahman (Junel)
Kuwait



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[ALOCHONA] Law or Low Minister of Banglaesh!



Readers:

Please go to the following weblinkage and know how far a Law Minister and an Attorney General of Bangladesh can go in the USA. They are in the USA (spending poor tax payers money of Bangladesh) to observe court proceedings of a District Court and visit an Attorney's (lawyer's) office of Virginia State! Wow, what a great achievement of these top law or low enforcement officials of Bangladesh!

http://www.news-bangla.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4085&Itemid=26



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[ALOCHONA] Sounds interesting!!!! Might order it: New Urdu poetry translation



Sounds interesting!!!! Might order it.

Afzal Ahmed Syed holds a unique place among contemporary poets of the Urdu language, as a master of both the classical and modern Urdu poetic forms. The poems in "Rococo and Other Worlds" explore the mythology and historical realities of South Asia and the Middle East; their bold imagery creates narratives of voluptuous perfection, which remain inseparable from the political realities that Syed witnessed as a young observer of the violent separation of East Pakistan and emergence of Bangladesh in 1971 and of the Lebanese civil war in 1976. Musharraf Ali Farooqiís sensitive translations bring this extraordinary work to English readers for the first time.

-----Forwarded Message-----
From: Wesleyan Press
Sent: Mar 11, 2010 4:01 PM
To: 
Subject: New Urdu poetry translation

We are pleased to announce a new book of poetry in translation, "Rococo and Other Worlds," by Afzal Ahmed Syed, translated by Musharraf Ali Farooqi. It is the first English language publication of Urduís greatest modern poet.

Here is a section from one poem in the book, "Tell Me a Story":

*******
Tell me a story
other than how from the museum
the witness table of the peace pact disappeared
other than that a continent is called by the wrong name

Tell me a story
other than that you do not like to kiss lips
other than that I was not the first man in your life
other than that it was not raining that day
*******

Afzal Ahmed Syed holds a unique place among contemporary poets of the Urdu language, as a master of both the classical and modern Urdu poetic forms. The poems in "Rococo and Other Worlds" explore the mythology and historical realities of South Asia and the Middle East; their bold imagery creates narratives of voluptuous perfection, which remain inseparable from the political realities that Syed witnessed as a young observer of the violent separation of East Pakistan and emergence of Bangladesh in 1971 and of the Lebanese civil war in 1976. Musharraf Ali Farooqiís sensitive translations bring this extraordinary work to English readers for the first time.

For more details, click http://www.upne.com/0-8195-6933-X.html

Click here to forward this e-mail to a friend!

This is one of five books in The Driftless Series, a publication award program established in 2010 and funded by the Beatrice Fox Auerbach Foundation Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. For more information about the series, visit: www.wesleyan.edu/wespress/driftless.

This project is also supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.


ORDERING DETAILS:

SAVE 30% if you order from the above web site and use discount code W301 . Use the link above. Or order through your favorite bookseller, or by calling University Press of New England at 1-800-421-1561 (or 603-448-1533, x255 or x256). US Shipping charges are $5.00 for the first book and $1.25 for each additional. In CANADA, order through the University of British Columbia Press at (800) 565-9523 or email mailto:utpbooks@utpress.utoronto.ca. In EUROPE, order through Eurospan at +44 (0) 207 240 0856 or email mailto:orders@edspubs.co.uk

Academic users may order an Examination Copy for potential course adoption. Please request a copy of the book in a letter on your institutional letterhead, and include the course title, estimated enrollment, and $5.00 for shipping (check, MasterCard, Visa, Discover, AmEx). Mail your request to: UPNE, Attn: Exam Copies, 1 Court Street, Suite 250, Lebanon, NH 03766-1358, USA or fax to (603) 448-9429.

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RE: [ALOCHONA] FW: Blow to Religion-based Politics in Bangladesh



      If you want to prove that I am an idiot then you have to do better than attributing to me statements I never made.
 
        Nothing I ever wrote could possibly be remotely construed as asuming "All things Islamic are bad."  I am an internationally acknowledged scholar on Islam and women.
 
       Unless, of course, you are making a mistake of equating Jamaat and Shibir with Islam, in which case I would accuse you of being a-dharmik.
 
         Let me ask you a question.  What do you know about secularism and its history in the Western world?  How much do you know of the history of your own birthplace, Bengal?
 
         It is the Jamaat who is falsely propagandizing about secularism being religion-less or dharma-heen.  Secularism is inclusive of religion, it only assures and protects freedom of religion for all. But Jamaat does not want protection of people of other faiths; it does not even want the protection of fellow Muslims if they do not agree with their political agenda or views. Witness how ruthlessly they slaughtered fellow Muslims and fellow-Bangalee during the 1971 genocide!
 
          Do you believe that use of "bismillah" should be justified for committing an illegal vandalizing act?
 
          I think it is an act of 'kufri' or outright blasphemy.
 
          I can provide support from the Qur'an and Sunnah against the blasphemous act of putting "bismillah" illegally at the beginning of the Preamble of the Constitution of Bangladesh by a Martial Law Proclamation of 1977.
 
        I have no personal problem with "bismillah", it is my constant companion. I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH MARTIAL LAW.  There is no such law in the Bangladesh Constitution. How many times do I have to say it?
 
         May Allah guide your mind towards rashada~!
 
         Farida Majid
 
 


To: alochona@yahoogroups.com
From: qrahman@netscape.net
Date: Sun, 28 Feb 2010 02:49:53 -0500
Subject: RE: [ALOCHONA] FW: Blow to Religion-based Politics in Bangladesh

 






 
Attached Message
From: qrahman@aim.com
To: alochona@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [ALOCHONA] FW: Blow to Religion-based Politics in Bangladesh
Date: Sat, 27 Feb 2010 01:04:40 +0600
Dear Alochok Farida,
 Secularism in Indian sub continent was very different and complex than what you  are projecting in this forum. Removing "Bismillah" will not ensure safe environment  for minorities. Rather we have to turn ourselves into a group that uphold law of  the land. 
Remember "Golden age of Jewish civilization" came when Muslims use to  follow sharia law in Spain. It is plain wrong to assume all things "Islamic" are  bad (Or all things Islamic automatically makes everything perfect!). Thomas Freedman of NY times coined the term "Islamist" as negetive and we  have been debating among ourselves without looking into this "Flawed" context.  We should stand united against violence and lawlessness. We should  not stand  against Islam.  Bangabandhu was a man of wisdom. During 47 he was part of Muslim League because  situation null such stance. During 71, he took up the cause of protecting  Bengalis. He NEVER stood up against Islam.
even communists from India understand religion is a big part of our culture and history. So they kept the right balance for India while 
promoting socialist system in many parts of India. 
---Quazi
  -original message- Subject: RE: [ALOCHONA] FW: Blow to Religion-based Politics in Bangladesh From: Farida Majid <farida_majid@hotmail.com> Date: 21/02/2010 1:07 pm      This tiresome practice of first citing the West for a model to look UP to,  and then looking DOWN upon the West as Godless because they are SECULAR seems  pointless. Actually, it points to an "inferiority complex" of both the deshi  Islamists and the secularists who never understood the complex historical  development of Secularism in the West. European secularism is a relatively  recent phenonmenon, and American secularim is only Constitutional.      Secularism in the Constitution of Bangladesh is more appropriate, and naturally  more fitting to its cultural and civilizational heritage than it is to the  Constitution of the United States of America.              It is us, nurtured in the great Indian Civilization, who enjoyed  secularism for all those gloriously prosperous centuries while Europe was mired  in religious strife and bigotry.              Finally, please stop citing Christian Democratic Party of Germany as an  IDEAL of religion-based political party.  In the European political party the  name indicates 'democrats' who happen to be Christians as opposed to being  communists or something else. But BD-Jamaat claims to be the SOLE purveyor of  Allah'r Ain and resorts to killing other Muslims if they don't agree with their  political agenda.              Farida Majid  =========================   To: alochona@yahoogroups.com From: azizhuq@hotmail.com Date: Sat, 13 Feb 2010 13:08:30 +0000 Subject: RE: [ALOCHONA] FW: Blow to Religion-based Politics in Bangladesh        Most European countries have religion based political parties (Christan  Democratic) yet Europe is most secular. While America has no major religion  based political parties (at least by name) still religion plays a great role in  America.    There are three Jamaths (Islamic groups) in Bangladesh (JMB, JIB and the TJ).  One is, most probably, banned. So, when one goes down the other will come up.    It will be interesting to see the direction Bangladesh takes.       farida_majid@hotmail.com Date: Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:30:03 -0500 Subject: [ALOCHONA] FW: Blow to Religion-based Politics in Bangladesh                A very good summing-up without any frills.            I would clarify only one thing.  The notorious Fifth Amendment did not  include the placement of "Bismillah" in the Preamble of the Consitution.   Therefore the repeal of the Amendment does not by itself remove "Bismillah".   There has to be another Parliamentary gesture to clean up the Constitution of  any sign of preference for a particular religion.                Farida Majid                         Blow to Religion-Based Politics in Bangladesh Friday 05 February 2010  by: J. Sri Raman, t r u t h o u t | Op-Ed       Here is some disconcerting news for all disciples of neocon gurus, who had  discovered Islam as the enemy of democracy and the successor to the "evil  empire" of the cold war era. An Islamic country of 160 million people, under an  elected government, is witnessing important but ill-noticed moves to abolish  religion-based politics.   On February 2, the Supreme Court of Bangladesh struck down a nearly 11-year-old  constitutional amendment that had allowed religion-based political parities to  function and flourish in the country. The ruling had the effect of restoring the  statutory secularism, which Bangladesh adopted in 1972 after liberation from  Pakistan and lost five years later following a series of military coups.   It may also have the effect of inspiring at least a debate on the issues in  Pakistan, the other Islamic country of South Asia. It may also have a ripple  effect, helping to raise the issues subsequently in sections of the rest of the  Islamic world.   This only carries forward an old battle. The logic of Bangladesh's liberation  war itself led the nation's founder, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, to place its  linguistic identity above the religious. The reverse of the same logic drove  religion-based groups in the the pre-liberation East Pakistan to side with  Islamabad in the war.   The first constitution of Bangladesh, under Article 38, placed a bar on  religion-based parties and politics. Mujib, as he was popularly known, and most  of his family were assassinated in a coup on August 25, 1975. A series of coups  since then culminated in the country's takeover by Maj.-Gen. Ziaur Rahman in  1977. In April 1979, the Zia regime enacted the infamous Fifth Amendment to the  constitution, paving the way for the return of religion-based parties and  politics.   Article 38 of the original constitution proclaimed: "Every citizen shall have  the right to form associations or unions, subject to any reasonable restrictions  imposed by law in the interests of morality or public order." But it clearly  added: "Provided that no person shall have the right to form, or be a member or  otherwise take part in the activities of, any communal or other association or  union which in the name or on the basis of any religion has for its object, or  pursues, a political purpose."   As revised under the Fifth Amendment, the Article said: "Every citizen shall  have the right to form associations or unions, subject to any reasonable  restrictions imposed by law in the interests of public order or public health."  The amendment scrapped the original Article 12, which enshrined "secularism" and  "freedom of religion" in the supreme law of the land.   Earlier, by a proclamation, the martial law regime made other major changes in  the constitution as well. The Preamble to the constitution was preceded by the  religious invocation, "Bismillah-ar-Rahman-ar-Rahim" (in the name of Allah, the  Beneficent, the Merciful). In the text of the Preamble, the words "a historic  struggle for national liberation" were replaced with "a historic war for  national independence." The phrase mentioning "nationalism, socialism, democracy  and secularism" as the "high ideals" in the second paragraph was replaced with  "absolute trust and faith in Almighty Allah, nationalism, democracy and  socialism meaning economic and social justice."   Article 8 of the original constitution - laying down nationalism, socialism,  democracy and secularism as the four fundamental principles of state policy -  was amended to omit "secularism" and replace it with "absolute trust and faith  in Almighty Allah." In repeated pronouncements, Zia also substituted  "Bangladeshi nationalism" for the "Bengali nationalism" of the Mujib days that  stressed a non-religious identity.   Lt.-Gen. Hussain Muhammad Ershad, who staged yet another coup and ruled  Bangladesh during 1982-86, carried Zia's initiative forward by making Islam the  "state religion" through the Eighth Amendment.   The battle between the secular and anti-secular camps continued through all  this, and became more open after the country's return to democracy in 1991. The  Awami League (AL), headed by Mujib's daughter Sheikh Hasina Wajed, has always  fought for abrogation of the Fifth Amendment. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party  (BNP), founded by Zia and now led by his widow Begum Khaleda Zia, and its allies  pursuing religion-based politics have remained uncompromising supporters of the  amendment.   The AL and its allies scored a legal victory in August 2005, when the country's  High Court held the amendment unconstitutional. The court said: "These changes  (made by the Fifth Amendment) were fundamental in nature and changed the very  basis of our war for liberation and also defaced the constitution altogether."  It added that the amendment transformed secular Bangladesh into a "theocratic  state" and "betrayed one of the dominant causes for the war of liberation."   The government in Dhaka, then a coalition of the BNP and the religion-based  Jamaat-i-Islami (JeI), moved a petition in the Supreme Court against the ruling.  The order was stayed and the issue of the amendment was put on the back burner,  where it stayed for four years.   Then came a major political change. A year ago, on January 6, 2009, Hasina  returned as prime minister after a landslide electoral victory. In early May  2009, the AL government withdrew the old, official petition for staying the 2005  court ruling. The BNP-JeI alliance was quick to react. BNP Secretary General  Khondker Delwar Hossain and three lawyers from the JeI rushed to the Supreme  Court with petitions seeking to protect the amendment. Their petitions have been  thrown out.   The JeI and other religion-based groups did not endear themselves to the  country, as the results of the last general election showed, with their violent  activities. The serial bombing they carried out across Bangladesh in 2005,  taking a heavy toll of human lives, did not help the BNP return to power through  the ballot box. The period 2001-06, when the BNP-led alliance wielded power,  witnessed "unprecedented" atrocities against religious and ethnic minorities,  according to Bangladeshi rights activist Shahriar Kabir. The victims included  Hindus, Ahmediyas and other communities and the atrocities ranged from killings  and rapes to destruction and desecration of places of worship.   After the Supreme Court's verdict, Law Minister Shafique Ahmed has said that all  religion-based parties should "drop the name of Islam from their name and stop  using religion during campaigning." He has also announced that religion-based  parties are going to be "banned." The government, however, has disavowed any  intention to remove the Islamic invocation from the Preamble of the  constitution.   All this has already drawn attention in Pakistan, which has continued to suffer  from religion-based politics despite its popular rejection in successive  elections. Veteran Pakistani columnist Babar Ayaz, in an article captioned  "Amendments for a secular constitution" in the Lahore-based Daily Times, talks  of the clauses in Pakistan's constitution, introduced by former dictator Zia  ul-Haq "who considered himself a kind of religious guardian of the country."   Noting the moves in Bangladesh, Ayaz adds: "Pakistan may not be able to ban  religion-based political parties in the near future, but it should move towards  expunging the ridiculous constitutional clauses mentioned above ... It would be  a long and hard struggle, but it is doable."   Bangladesh is in for a long and hard struggle, too. The BNP has threatened an  agitation against the changes. It is likely to combine this with a campaign  against India (under whose pressure Hasina is alleged to be acting), and New  Delhi can be counted upon to keep providing grist to Khaleda's political mill  with Big Brother-like actions widely resented in Bangladesh.   There are also limits to which a constitution alone can counter religion-based  politics. The far right's activities in India, proud of its staunchly secular  constitution, furnishes just one example.   The significance of what is happening in Bangladesh, however, cannot be  belittled either. It demonstrates the far greater role popular will can play in  combating religion-based politics than cluster bombs and drones.            Your Mail works best with the New Yahoo Optimized IE8. Get it NOW!.      Hotmail: Trusted email with Microsoft's powerful SPAM protection. Sign up now.      Hotmail: Trusted email with powerful SPAM protection. Sign up now.                            _________________________________________________________________ Your E-mail and More On-the-Go. Get Windows Live Hotmail Free. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/201469229/direct/01/ 




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[ALOCHONA] Of a warrior



Of a warrior

Ravaged over and over, she fights on for justice

Courtesy Daily Star 8/3/10

 

Nasima Akhtar in a blurred photo.

They raped her daughter, ruined her husband's business and ravaged her face with acid but they couldn't silence her. In the face of overwhelming odds, Nasima Akhtar has steadfastly demanded one thing: justice. Armed with nothing but an iron will, Nasima has been waging a lonely war against influential opponents and an apathetic system, refusing to be silenced by the traditional taboos that say rape is too shameful for a woman to speak of. "Jiddi," her husband calls her -- "stubborn."

Nasima vividly remembers the night her daughter was attacked. It was barely a year after she and her husband Yousuf, a marine spare parts dealer, had moved to Cox's Bazar in search of a better future. That evening, Nasima had taken her five-year-old daughter Tumpa to the doctor, leaving 11-year-old mentally challenged Jhumur alone at home. With her husband away on business, Nasima had no alternative.

The round trip to the doctor's surgery took almost two hours. When Nasima returned, she saw a knot of people outside her door. "Fear gripped my heart," recalls Nasima. "My first thought was, 'Something has happened to my daughter!'"

Jhumur lay in a foetal position on the bed, crying her eyes out. The neighbours gathered round the bed and told Nasima what had happened. The electricity had gone out around 7.30pm when they heard a single scream from Jhumur.

"We tried to open the door but it was bolted from inside," said Nasima's neighbour Mariam, in a statement to police. "We called Jhumur but heard nothing. About half an hour later, the door opened and out walked Yousuf's business partner, Aziz. He walked away quickly, pressing the keypad on his mobile phone. We rushed inside and found Jhumur bleeding and barely conscious, her clothes in disarray."

The rape occurred on August 4, 2006. The next day Nasima lodged a case with Cox's Bazar Model Police Station. After investigating, the police filed a charge sheet implicating Aziz. The case went to trial a couple of months later.

But for Nasima and her family, the ordeal had just begun. Inexplicably, the alleged child molester Aziz was never arrested. "They are locals -- wealthy and influential," said Nasima. "We were from another district and were poor. We were no match for them."

Nasima was about to discover how prejudice, government inactivity and deficiencies in the criminal justice system throw up formidable obstacles for women who try to obtain justice following sexual offences. From the very beginning, Aziz's family pressured Nasima to withdraw the allegations. But when faced by a stream of threats, Nasima remained determined. "I want justice for my daughter," she said repeatedly. She was to pay a high price for her defiance.

September 1, 2008 is a date that will live with Nasima forever -- it is burnt into her memory and her face. She had gone to court with her sister and brother-in-law to testify in the case. Before she did so, the defendant's brother, Hakim, approached her with a settlement offer. He insisted that she talk to him privately, so Nasima accompanied him to a secluded corner of the court premises. Hakim gave Nasima a stark choice. Take some cash and drop the case -- or face vengeance.

"He had a wad of cash in his right hand," says Nasima. "When I refused, he took a bottle out of his left pocket and poured its contents over my body. I felt like I was on fire. I saw flesh melting before my eyes. I fell to the ground and screamed and screamed…"

Hakim was nabbed on the spot and turned over to the police. But astonishingly, he was soon back on the streets. The police found no case against him. In his final report, Inspector Mohiuddin, Officer-in-Charge of Cox's Bazar police station wrote, "It appears the plaintiff poured acid on herself in an attempt to frame the defendant, against whom she had a prior grievance…"

For Nasima, incarcerated in the burns unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, it was an insult heaped on injury. The acid had burnt the left side of her face, neck and breasts. She had difficulty eating and was in constant pain. "I was burnt for demanding justice," she mumbled through her tears.

Three long months and two operations later, Nasima was discharged from hospital. Her family had long ago fled Cox's Bazar and returned to their hometown in Khulna.

"The acid destroyed the skin on my neck," laments Nasima. "I have trouble swallowing or talking. My breasts have almost melted away. I avoid looking in the mirror these days."

The story of Nasima's plight and her unrelenting courage in the face of adversity has drawn the attention of human rights campaigners. BRAC has come to her aid. Through the NGO's human rights and legal aid services programme, BRAC lawyers have given the family legal assistance -- help that the financially crippled Nasima desperately needs. The Acid Survivors Foundation (ASF), another NGO that campaigns against acid violence, helped pay for Nasima's surgery. BRAC and ASF both contributed to the cost of buying a dairy cow for the family.

Aside from the disfigurement, the psychological damage is enormous. It has taken months for Nasima to work up the courage to go outside. She keeps all the doors and windows locked, is terrified by unexpected callers and is frightened to make hot drinks because of the memories it revives. For months she couldn't bear to have a shower because the feeling of liquid moving across her body revolted her.

But she is determined not to give up. "I want others to learn from this and to refrain from committing these crimes. I believe that rape is a crime against the whole society, not just a crime against my mentally challenged daughter."

"My wife is strong-willed," says Yousuf. "There were times when I weakened and wanted to settle, but she wouldn't allow it. 'We want justice, not handouts', she kept saying."

Nasima's courage may be extraordinary, but the facts of the case -- the rape, the vengeful defendants, the cup of industrial-strength sulphuric acid -- are all too familiar in a country that sees upward of 150 acid attacks and 400 rapes every year.

Nasima wants to encourage other women to fight for justice. But she acknowledges that her own battle has been harder than she ever imagined.

"We are cowering in fear. My husband has lost his business and I have lost everything. Meanwhile the culprits are still going about their daily lives."

The details of how she lost her dreams, her identity and almost her life will stay with Nasima forever. While her attackers walk free, Nasima has nothing but her scars.

Some names have been changed to protect the privacy of victims.

 

 

 

 



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[ALOCHONA] Re: War Crime by Mukti Bahini

Dear Shafiq

I'll please you again by being quick. Yes you guessed correctly :) I tried to guess where you were but gave up quickly because I realised I couldn't be bothered about where you were writing from :) Yes, I agree with you, proof reading is always good. I'll try harder.

As you say a crime is a crime then I have no issue you with at all. Its just that almost all who talk most about the crimes of 1971 also talk least about the crimes of the last 10 years. And those who will judge the criminal actions of 1971 are the same people committing criminal actions in 2010?! Well. I guess you could argue that this makes sense as we are talking about Bangladesh.

I was just making a neutral point when saying your nearest and dearest were Mujib and Co. You should feel elevated. No problem with that.

I have enough self respect and love for my country. My love is not defined by whitewash, delusion, pretence, flattery and lies. There are good reasons why you don't want to talk about the reasons for the condition of Bangladeshis in Kuwait. Its just too damn uncomfortable for a start. But forget about Kuwait - look at Bangladesh. The entire political and social establishment is bursting with self congratulatory pride. It is they who are arrogant, selfish and callous. I offend, at my own expense, to hit them. You think that comment about the china shop was offensive?! Brother, if I let rip about the condition of Bangladesh I would break your heart. On the other hand why don't you try and write about the condition of our Motherland since 1971? Try it and apply context to murder.

By what measures would you like to measure my love for Bangladesh? My politeness when discussing politcial issues? Are you kidding me? And what about AL and BNP.? Do you measure them by their politeness or their lies and their killings?

Your comment on self praise is misguided. I used self praise tongue in cheek to offend others. My arrogance and effrontery is directly proportionate to the arrogance and effrontery of those who have run our country since 1971 till date.

You have lived with it for so long from AL and BNP governmnets. You can also live with it with nutcases like me.

Of course scum rises to the top. I didn't know that cream rises to the top. I am from Bangladesh.

Ezajur Rahman
Kuwait


--- In alochona@yahoogroups.com, "shafiq013" <shafiq013@...> wrote:
>
>
> Dear Ejazur
>
> I like your quick response. If I have guessed the timing properly, I
> think you wrote it while you were in your office. However, I shall
> suggest to proof read your writing before posting. Sometimes a minor
> error can change the meaning altogether. You can use simpler words also.
>
> Mr. Ejazur, may I remind you, very humbly, that crime is a crime is a
> crime is a crime. Every crime, whenever it was committed, irrespective
> of its timing, demands justice. I strongly disagree when you say,
> "The murdered of 1971 don't want justice at the expense of those
> murdered in 2010". Also I failed to understand why you are relating
> the war crimes committed in 1971 to extortion, rape and murder of the
> cadres of the ruling party. The crimes committed in 1971 were against a
> nation in the name of religion and need more attention. That does not
> mean at all that the crimes committed in 2010 should be ignored. Each of
> it has its own worth, should not be mixed and should be dealt
> accordingly. Bottom line, everyone should be punished for his/her
> crimes, be it be 1971 or be it be 2010.
>
> I feel elevated when you say, "I referred to your nearest and
> dearest meaning Mujib and Co." I wish it was true also.
>
> I understand that you are living in Kuwait for quite some time. I heard
> that Bangladeshis, in general, are treated not very decently in Kuwait.
> I don't go for the reason or reasons. But man, that does not mean
> that you should lose your self-respect and respect for your country. I
> was rather saddened when you wrote, "I am so used to being a bull in
> a second hand china shop called Bangladesh that I forget there might be
> real porcelain around."
>
> One last thing Ejazur, there is saying that Self-Praise is not a
> Recommendation. Not you yourself but let others say that you are on top
> 1%. Remember one thing more, not only cream but scum also goes to the
> top.
>
> My apologies if I have annoyed you.
>
> With lot of regards
>
> Shafiq
>
>
>
>
>
> --- In alochona@yahoogroups.com, "ezajur" <Ezajur@> wrote:
> >
> > Dear Shafiq
> >
> > Thank you for a courteous and refreshingly robust reply.
> >
> > It did not seem to me at all that you apprehended anything - rather
> you
> > enthusiastically relished Ramjan's nearest and dearest (Nizami & Co)
> > being on the list.
> >
> > I did read Rokhi Bahini instead of Mukti Bahini. A genuine, though I
> > believe rare, mistake. My apologies. Thanks for reminding me to be
> > cautious. Though judging by our present condition I doubt that all was
> > beautiful only 40 years ago.
> >
> > You are completely mistaken about me being one of those who dilute the
> > truth. I don't. I have sado masochistic orgies in it.
> >
> > I referred to your nearest and dearest meaning Mujib and Co. Guns
> > pointing referred to real guns pointed by all parties at all sides. My
> > apologies if I was unclear.
> >
> > I am so used to being a bull in a second hand china shop called
> > Bangladesh that I forget there might be real porcelain around.
> >
> > I personally find it more immediately troubling that the cadres of the
> > ruling party are engaged in extortion, rape and murder. The murdered
> of
> > 1971 don't want justice at the expense of those murdered in 2010.
> >
> > Yes it may be possible that I am a smart guy. Probably. Likely. Hold
> on!
> > We are talking about Deshi politics right? Well then I am definitely
> in
> > the top 1% smartest people on this subject! Its not like there's a lot
> > of competition! After all, if you just open your nose a little bit you
> > too can effortlessly smell Deshi style democratically excreted
> political
> > crap.
> >
> > And I, like any village idiot, am indeed a man if compared only to
> most
> > stakeholders in Bangladeshi politics.
> >
> > I heard the government would be arresting war criminals from the 7th
> of
> > March. Now its the 10th and AL is talking about a 'show trial'! Lets
> > hope, or apprehend, that real war criminals are dealt with swiftly.
> >
> > You have a good day now.
> >
> > Ezajur Rahman
> >
> > Kuwait
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --- In alochona@yahoogroups.com, "shafiq013" shafiq013@ wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > Dear Ezajur
> > >
> > > That is the difference. You are very hopeful that some of Ramjan's
> > > nearest and dearest ones are on the list. I only apprehend that. You
> > may
> > > be a very smart guy and may have a very good command on History of
> > > Bangladesh but we are talking the era of 1971 and the liberation war
> > of
> > > Bangladesh. Today you and people like you will try to dilute the
> > gravity
> > > of the situation by citing Rokhi Bahini though Rokhi Bahini did not
> > > exist at that time. Tomorrow you may and you will also bring the
> > rising
> > > price of essentials in this context.
> > >
> > > I am not very clear what justice you are obliged to serve. However,
> I
> > > urge you to "serve" justice to English language. Thanks for
> > > reminding me that some of my nearest and dearest ones have already
> > been
> > > ticked off the list a while back. I was ignorant about it but how
> you
> > > know this? You must be a man. Hats off to you
> > >
> > > You are right. There are enough guns pointing in all directions.
> > >
> > > Regards
> > >
> > > Shafiq
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --- In alochona@yahoogroups.com, "ezajur" Ezajur@ wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Shafiq
> > > >
> > > > I hope some of Ramjan's nearest and dearest are on the list. But
> the
> > > glibness with which you ignore the crimes of the rokhi bahini
> obliges
> > me
> > > to serve justice and remind you that some of your nearest and
> dearest
> > > have already been ticked off the list a while back.
> > > >
> > > > There are enough guns pointing in all directions.
> > > >
> > > > Ezajur Rahman
> > > > Kuwait
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > --- In alochona@yahoogroups.com, "shafiq013" shafiq013@ wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Mr. Mohammed Ramjan
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Even 100 thousand clips this will not deter nation's desire and
> > > > > will to try the war criminals. I can really feel pity for you
> for
> > > all
> > > > > your futile efforts. All attempt by you and people like you
> cannot
> > > and
> > > > > will not dissuade people of Bangladesh determination to try
> these
> > so
> > > > > called guardians of Islam. Sorry son, but it seems some of your
> > > nearest
> > > > > and dearest ones are in the list.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Shafiq Ahmad
> > > > >
> > > > > @yahoogroups.com, Mohammed Ramjan <mramjan@> wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > War Crime by Mukti Bahini
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0hSH5ctyk0&feature=related
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > _________________________________________________________________
> > > > > > Hotmail: Trusted email with powerful SPAM protection.
> > > > > > http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/201469227/direct/01/
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
>


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

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[ALOCHONA] Re: War Crime by Mukti Bahini



Dear Ejazur

I like your quick response. If I have guessed the timing properly, I think you wrote it while you were in your office. However, I shall suggest to proof read your writing before posting. Sometimes a minor error can change the meaning altogether. You can use simpler words also.

Mr. Ejazur, may I remind you, very humbly, that crime is a crime is a crime is a crime. Every crime, whenever it was committed, irrespective of its timing, demands justice.  I strongly disagree when you say, "The murdered of 1971 don't want justice at the expense of those murdered in 2010". Also I failed to understand why you are relating the war crimes committed in 1971 to extortion, rape and murder of the cadres of the ruling party. The crimes committed in 1971 were against a nation in the name of religion and need more attention. That does not mean at all that the crimes committed in 2010 should be ignored. Each of it has its own worth, should not be mixed and should be dealt accordingly. Bottom line, everyone should be punished for his/her crimes, be it be 1971 or be it be 2010.

I feel elevated when you say, "I referred to your nearest and dearest meaning Mujib and Co." I wish it was true also.

I understand that you are living in Kuwait for quite some time. I heard that Bangladeshis, in general, are treated not very decently in Kuwait. I don't go for the reason or reasons. But man, that does not mean that you should lose your self-respect and respect for your country. I was rather saddened when you wrote, "I am so used to being a bull in a second hand china shop called Bangladesh that I forget there might be real porcelain around."

One last thing Ejazur, there is saying that Self-Praise is not a Recommendation. Not you yourself but let others say that you are on top 1%. Remember one thing more, not only cream but scum also goes to the top.

My apologies if I have annoyed you.

With lot of regards

Shafiq  

 


--- In alochona@yahoogroups.com, "ezajur" <Ezajur@...> wrote:
>
> Dear Shafiq
>
> Thank you for a courteous and refreshingly robust reply.
>
> It did not seem to me at all that you apprehended anything - rather you
> enthusiastically relished Ramjan's nearest and dearest (Nizami & Co)
> being on the list.
>
> I did read Rokhi Bahini instead of Mukti Bahini. A genuine, though I
> believe rare, mistake. My apologies. Thanks for reminding me to be
> cautious. Though judging by our present condition I doubt that all was
> beautiful only 40 years ago.
>
> You are completely mistaken about me being one of those who dilute the
> truth. I don't. I have sado masochistic orgies in it.
>
> I referred to your nearest and dearest meaning Mujib and Co. Guns
> pointing referred to real guns pointed by all parties at all sides. My
> apologies if I was unclear.
>
> I am so used to being a bull in a second hand china shop called
> Bangladesh that I forget there might be real porcelain around.
>
> I personally find it more immediately troubling that the cadres of the
> ruling party are engaged in extortion, rape and murder. The murdered of
> 1971 don't want justice at the expense of those murdered in 2010.
>
> Yes it may be possible that I am a smart guy. Probably. Likely. Hold on!
> We are talking about Deshi politics right? Well then I am definitely in
> the top 1% smartest people on this subject! Its not like there's a lot
> of competition! After all, if you just open your nose a little bit you
> too can effortlessly smell Deshi style democratically excreted political
> crap.
>
> And I, like any village idiot, am indeed a man if compared only to most
> stakeholders in Bangladeshi politics.
>
> I heard the government would be arresting war criminals from the 7th of
> March. Now its the 10th and AL is talking about a 'show trial'! Lets
> hope, or apprehend, that real war criminals are dealt with swiftly.
>
> You have a good day now.
>
> Ezajur Rahman
>
> Kuwait
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --- In alochona@yahoogroups.com, "shafiq013" shafiq013@ wrote:
> >
> >
> > Dear Ezajur
> >
> > That is the difference. You are very hopeful that some of Ramjan's
> > nearest and dearest ones are on the list. I only apprehend that. You
> may
> > be a very smart guy and may have a very good command on History of
> > Bangladesh but we are talking the era of 1971 and the liberation war
> of
> > Bangladesh. Today you and people like you will try to dilute the
> gravity
> > of the situation by citing Rokhi Bahini though Rokhi Bahini did not
> > exist at that time. Tomorrow you may and you will also bring the
> rising
> > price of essentials in this context.
> >
> > I am not very clear what justice you are obliged to serve. However, I
> > urge you to "serve" justice to English language. Thanks for
> > reminding me that some of my nearest and dearest ones have already
> been
> > ticked off the list a while back. I was ignorant about it but how you
> > know this? You must be a man. Hats off to you
> >
> > You are right. There are enough guns pointing in all directions.
> >
> > Regards
> >
> > Shafiq
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --- In alochona@yahoogroups.com, "ezajur" Ezajur@ wrote:
> > >
> > > Shafiq
> > >
> > > I hope some of Ramjan's nearest and dearest are on the list. But the
> > glibness with which you ignore the crimes of the rokhi bahini obliges
> me
> > to serve justice and remind you that some of your nearest and dearest
> > have already been ticked off the list a while back.
> > >
> > > There are enough guns pointing in all directions.
> > >
> > > Ezajur Rahman
> > > Kuwait
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --- In alochona@yahoogroups.com, "shafiq013" shafiq013@ wrote:
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Mr. Mohammed Ramjan
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Even 100 thousand clips this will not deter nation's desire and
> > > > will to try the war criminals. I can really feel pity for you for
> > all
> > > > your futile efforts. All attempt by you and people like you cannot
> > and
> > > > will not dissuade people of Bangladesh determination to try these
> so
> > > > called guardians of Islam. Sorry son, but it seems some of your
> > nearest
> > > > and dearest ones are in the list.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Shafiq Ahmad
> > > >
> > > > @yahoogroups.com, Mohammed Ramjan <mramjan@> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > War Crime by Mukti Bahini
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0hSH5ctyk0&feature=related
> > > > >
> > > > >
> _________________________________________________________________
> > > > > Hotmail: Trusted email with powerful SPAM protection.
> > > > > http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/201469227/direct/01/
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
>



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