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Thursday, July 15, 2010

[ALOCHONA] Pakistan bans India Osama Bin Laden comedy:The film has a "fake" Bin Laden



Pakistan bans India Osama Bin Laden comedy:The film has a "fake" Bin Laden
 
Tere Bin Laden

Pakistan has banned an Indian comedy called Tere Bin Laden (Without You Laden), about a lookalike of Osama Bin Laden.The country's film censor board has objected to the way the movie portrays Bin Laden and warned that it could trigger a "terrorist attack".

The film was due to have been released in Pakistan on Friday.Its main distributor told the BBC that an appeal has been filed against Thursday's decision.

In a statement the film board said that Tere Bin Laden was "unsuitable for public exhibition". They said it was a "controversial subject which depicted the character of Osama Bin Laden in a comic way... and contains vulgar and objectionable dialogue, abuses and derogatory remarks". The board said that the film also "portrayed a bad and negative image of law enforcing agencies of the country". Touchy subject .Correspondents say that it is not unprecedented for Pakistan to ban films, especially if they are linked to India - Islamabad's longtime regional arch rival.

But the impact of such censorship is likely to be limited, correspondents say, because DVDs are the most common means of watching movies in the country and pirated ones are easily secured.The BBC's Syed Shoaib Hasan says that although the announcement of the ban was unexpected, it was not altogether surprising as the country's government remains touchy on the subject of Bin Laden. His current whereabouts are unknown, with some US officials maintaining that the world's most wanted man is hiding in Pakistan.

The main distributor for the film, Nadeem Mandviwala, told the BBC that the the ministry of culture will announce its decision against the appeal on Friday."I find it quite disturbing that we cannot portray Osama Bin Laden and the law enforcement agencies," Mr Mandviwala told the BBC. "It's acceptable that we make comedies about the president and prime minister all the time, but not Osama."

Indian films are popular in Pakistan, though only some make it to the big screens.Tere Bin Laden is about a struggling Pakistani journalist who tries to sell an interview of a fake Bin Laden as a scoop who wants to move to the US to fulfil his American dream.

When he comes across a person who looks like Osama, he decides to sell his interview as a scoop to the international media, which results in a series of goof-ups.Though the film is a comedy, the director says they have been careful about the authenticity of locations in Karachi, facts about Osama Bin Laden and the context of the story.
 


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[ALOCHONA] BBC Bangla serial :Commercial and business activities of army



BBC Bangla serial :Commercial and business activities of army
 
 
 


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RE: [ALOCHONA] We have a long way to go - Democracy (2)



Dear Mr. Hoque:

Happy to hear your response. Happier still to learn that you make a decent living from Halal sources. That is so challenging these days and age. Your concern for other fellow human beings and your kith and kin is very much appreciated and justified.

We waste so much of our time in fruitless pursuits and we expect too much from our leaders and from the government, which is understood but the society will not change through the guidance or motivation of our leaders because we do not have many good leaders.

Instead we all can do small acts of goodness, kindness and service to others.

Small can indeed be beautiful.

Those who are capable of changing the society they should boldly go ahead and do that but for the rest of us we have to pick up small projects and make them successful. How long are we going to complain, expect, hope and do nothing? Let us start small.  There is so much to do yet so little time and such a small number of people. So much injustice, unfairness, inequality and cruelty. How can any one solve all the problems?

One of the major hallmark of our faith is to do good to others, serve others thus serve God. God Almighty does not need our service. He is all encompassing and self-sufficient.

 Show small genuine acts of kindness to the rickshaw-puller, the sweeper, the house servant, the butcher, the baker and the poor. Try to stop one unjust dowry based marriage and encourage the man to give the marriage gift of Meher to his wife and not the other way round which is injustice to women and is Haram in Islam.

Show respect and kindness to your wife and children. You may already be doing this. If so then continue to do so.

You can take on small projects locally. Organize the local population and set up a park where children could play and the elders could breathe fresh air. Go and visit an orphanage or if you have money or if you are a good organizer then go and set up an orphanage.

What ever small act of goodness you do, do that solely with the intention to please Allah subhanahu wa Taala and do not expect reward or appreciation from others. You will receive immense satisfaction and reward in the Hereafter from Allah, insha'Allah.

You might like to share your achievement in your service to humanity not for reward from man but to motivate others. Post your story in this forum.

In this forum like many others and groups and assembly of men hardly do we hear positive acts undertaken by ordinary people like most of us. This forum (Alochona) is one of the oldest and largest. Step by step this can become an engine of change if more people like you start thinking about the welfare of the society which is also the object of this moderated forum.

 

Aziz Huq

  
 

To: alochona@yahoogroups.com
From: haquetm83@yahoo.com
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2010 09:42:29 -0700
Subject: RE: [ALOCHONA] We have a long way to go - Democracy (2)

 
Dear Mr. Aziz Huq,
 
Thanks for nice words and encouragement.
 
I am not a hystorian not a scholar on the subjects I often deal with. It is, all out of living experiences and my focus in life.
I do have few books on hystory in my shelves but what I see everyday, what I made to understand, that always intrigues me and out of love of my people I spent time sharing my opinion, with the hope that this might encourage, unite us to a better understanding.
I did not try to write our hystory rather our common characteristics that affect us today on daily basis.
Glorifying Bengol or Bangalis does not do any good to their present deplorable conditions. For me 'today' is more important than yesterday.Allow me to tell you why.
 
Does any thing pains you when you retire at the end of a day. After reciting Ayatul Kursi what do you say or think. Alhamdulillah, less of persoanl- other than wish for my children, it is my people, often a big sigh then a prayer for a good leader who can change the plight of my people.
I am certain that we do share few common things including a wish for genuine well being of our people and closest of all we do not take our wisdom from Sh.Mujib or Zia.
 
I do not write well, yet I try honestly reflect on the reality. Let me repeat the issue of our "personality' that obscure our positioning in a competitive society. Many Pakistani or Indians I see them in a good positions, few of them I happen to know. I wonder how this guy secured such a position. Only to reflect on this I had to go back. Sonar Banglar treasure diye Shaesta khan or Warren Hesting ki koresilo it is only relevant to researchers, historians. Emperor Akbar allowed a land to East Inida company and that was the begining of great conquer and the rise of Akbar, what pains me at 11.Pm has nothing to do with Akbarer kirti or Zia's courtmarshal on often revolting majors or other officers.
 
At my childhood I have seen my grandfathers pakka building, roof to floor. What it implies, my father  had to ferry small marchandise from Kolkata on his shoulder before he made his fortune 60 years ago. today I walk on silk or wool carpet (with my 100% halal earnings). My  cousins, they are the majority, all barely make a living. Writing or describing my grandfathers buidling's architect how much would help? Ramadan is coming I need to help few of them (some at their late 60s) to eat two square meal. I also see hundreds of them in my village, they desperately need help and this is the history I always see. I do not think they are inferior they do have many good qualities which I do not possess but ignoring their plight is a great disrespect, aberration to my spirituality.
 
I only tried to make my point sighting a fraction of our history. No nation is inferior or far too great. I have been to Uzbekistan very rencently - imagine their past, central asia was the focal point of the world, see them today!
 
You talked about arsenic problem - one REB general manager who stayed at my place narrated this story - a news paper printing a series of stories on arsenic contamination from chemically treated electric poles imported from Philippine. REB investigated the soil around few poles in Chapai Nababgang and found no contamination. You know why his paid journalists run that story line - the newspaper owner has concrete electric pole factory in Thakurgao.
Today arsening contamination is far worse then before and so its reasons. Which is highly political, none of us can deal with the issue with full grasp, highly political water experts will provide you non relevant hypothesis, though it is a very serious issue for our own survival.
 
River that help developed our nation, our civilisation and our treasure, that attracted foreign bandits, today it is our local heroes submits our glory, our water, our treasures to foreign masters for their protection.
It is pertinent that we should write and narrate our current history in truth.  I hope I managed to made my point clear.
 
(on a different note - I wrote to two of our famous poets and novelists. one from the bank of Jamuna and the other from a nearby town of Padma, do you have any writings on these rivers - one politely replied - 'no sir' another did not reply - they are our 71's spirit bearers, write our history).
 
Haque
 
   

--- On Wed, 14/7/10, Aziz Huq <azizhuq@hotmail.com> wrote:

From: Aziz Huq <azizhuq@hotmail.com>
Subject: RE: [ALOCHONA] We have a long way to go - Democracy (2)
To: "alochona alochona" <alochona@yahoogroups.com>
Date: Wednesday, 14 July, 2010, 3:26 AM

 
Dear Mr. Haque:
 
Honest article on self evaluation.
 
Yes, Bangladesh has long ways to go but time is running out. One out of five people are infected with arsenic poinsoning (WHO report), one hundred sixty million people crammed in an ever shrinking land mass and the the evil of global warming is staring at the face of Bangladesh more than any other place on earth. 
 
You mention that if we take 20 best sellers from the sixties todate...
 
I will go one step further: take one thousand most popular books during the last hundred years and anlyze them and you will see a trend. The hallmark of our intellectualism is narrating social ills vividly, some times with exageration. Hardly do we see solutions to the problems in our literature. We seem to relish poverty, failure and childish behavior. Our culture fosters negativity, pessimism and a sense of helplessness.
 
Mr. Haque:  You seem to imply that we are genetically inferior. Which is not scientifically correct. All races have well distributred mixture of people. Also if you look at our history our forefathers were not all local Hindus. In our vein flows the blood of Arabs, Pathans, Afgans, Turks and Persian. For over a thousand years scholars, preachers, writers, artists, judges, soldiers and rulers have come to our land. They did not go back. We are the children of these people. If you look around, you will know what I am talking about. So, it is not a matter of genetics. 
 
We need to look around and find a source of moral values. We have to look around and find real leaders. We do not need to wait for our national leaders to give us leadership. This has to come from ordinary people doing small deeds of kindness and of noble value. Collectively that will generate the necessary force of change.
 
As people grow and mature each will come to his/her conclusion of the goal and objectivity of life. I have come to my own value of life. Travelling through time, reading, reflecting, seeing people, system and societies I have come to the realization that we have a great treasure which most Bangladeshis will never taste. I have been privileged to get a slight glimpse of that greatness and that is the reason I try to share my knowledge with others at any opportunity I get. But that is for other times.
 
Best of luck and never quit reflecting on life and what matters most. Sincerely look for solutions and you will find it.
 
Aziz Huq
 

To: alochona@yahoogroup s.com
From: haquetm83@yahoo. com
Date: Mon, 12 Jul 2010 08:02:56 -0700
Subject: [ALOCHONA] We have a long way to go - Democracy (2)

 
Democratic polity did not set it's root in our society for various reasons.
Since, we the people from this deltaic plain of Padma, Jamuna and Meghna always ruled by outsiders, feeling of freedom and equity was suppressed as lived under oppression and submission. In so doing developed and demonstrates submissive characteristics in general. One may disagree but that will be only distortion of reality out of sheer ego and exaggeration which can not be helpful for our progress. However, it does not mean that self respect and free thinkers were not there or no one emerged with strong voice and values.

Great majority of our population lived under poverty either under Mongols (Mughols), Turks or Panjabis. Shockingly it continues today under Sh. Hasina or Begum Khaleda who are native of this land.
The GDP in nominal or real term has increased many fold in last 60 years, yet it is far below than what achieved by our moderate neighbors, save those great achievers in our neighborhood.
Impoverishment chastised further our bodily and moral strength and values that, I am afraid, today runs into our blood and genre. Any Bangladeshi, everywhere demonstrates a personality that will bear this testimony. The same appears as deterrence to securing leading positions in competition with others, even with Pakistanis and Indians as main point of disqualification. This only excludes purely technical hands.

We usually shout at wrong time and in wrong place (out of passive characteristic) often with loud and noisy exaggeration, ineffectively.
'Bengalis could think ahead of Indians or Pakis', only on certain given circumstances but that also diminished in thin air long ago.

Take twenty most read novels from 60s to todate, find a character that effectively demonstrated and exercised good values that influenced our society effectively towards a positive dimension!

Take fifty articles of our popular columnists from the same period, you will notice inherent intellect, eloquence, objectivity and farsightedness all collapses in great inconsistency and often in great disarray representing there social positioning then and now. It does tell the same old tale.

Democracy, humanity and social justice in their perception changes along the line of their mentors (netris). What they vowed to fight yesterday against, today they accept and submit only to satisfy their masters. When they claim as scholars (budhijibi), can't be called free human.

Take example of Rab killings, custodial deaths, high court's inaction or misruling, injustice that taken place under BNP, you will notice how vehemently those scholars opposed and stood as symbol of a savior of democracy, justice and human rights. Today they are very silent on the same issues, accepts the crimes as committed by their Netris. It can not be from an independent mind that takes it's wisdom from its own values. But why we are so? Their submissive and criminal embedded psychology as we have seen our history books, repeats - only to safeguard and protect the 'dada babu, korta, mohajon and its equivalent today.

Today when we count on our GNP or literacy rate both explains the conditions of the majority. No one is ready to take responsibility and ownership of our sordid conditions and status, yet they plan for a life time rule.
It is a strange manifestation in our society, strange indeed to prove that we love freedom, we care for justice for our people.
We have a long way to go!




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[ALOCHONA] Soda consumption linked to pancreatic cancer



Soda consumption linked to pancreatic cancer
 
(NaturalNews) Drinking more than one sweetened soft drink per week may significantly increase your risk of pancreatic cancer, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Minnesota and published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

"The high levels of sugar in soft drinks may be increasing the level of insulin in the body, which we think contributes to pancreatic cancer cell growth," lead researcher Mark Pereira said.

The researchers followed 60,524 adult male and female participants in the Singapore Chinese Health Study for 14 years, monitoring their soda intake and pancreatic cancer risk. They found that participants who drank two or more sweetened soft drinks per week were 87 percent more likely to develop cancer of the pancreas than those who drank sodas less frequently.

This risk was not seen among those who drank non-sweetened fruit juices instead.

"Singapore is a wealthy country with excellent healthcare," Pereira said. "Favorite pastimes are eating and shopping, so the findings should apply to other western countries."

Researchers believe that excessive sugar consumption may cause damage to the pancreas, which produces the sugar-regulating hormone insulin. Some research also suggests that sugar may accelerate the growth of some tumors, which rely more heavily on glucose than other bodily cells.

Sugar may not be solely responsible for the observed effect, however.

"Soft drink consumption in Singapore was associated with several other adverse health behaviors such as smoking and red meat intake, which we can't accurately control for," said Susan Mayne of the Yale Cancer Center.

Prior studies have linked consumption of red meat, especially burned or charred varieties, to a significantly increased risk of pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is one the most lethal forms of the disease, with a 5-year survival rate of only 5 percent. An estimated 37,680 people are diagnosed with the disease in the United States each year, and 34,290 die from it.

Sources for this story include:
www.reuters.com/article/idUSN07113352.

http://www.naturalnews.com/029206_soda_pancreatic_cancer.html



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[ALOCHONA] Connectivity stressed, little progress in tariff barriers



INDIAN TRADE DELEGATION'S VISIT

Connectivity stressed, little progress in tariff barriers

The visiting Indian trade delegation last week held comprehensive talks with government leaders and functionaries of the country's business community on Delhi's immediate plan to develop various connectivity network through Bangladesh to reach the Indian north-east.
   The talks entirely remained focused on new infrastructure building without revisiting contentious issues like trade impediments that India is creating on exports from Bangladesh at a time when its huge export surplus is only aggravating Dhaka's balance sheet.
  
   Tariff barriers
   India has promised duty-free access to Bangladesh exports and further reducing the negative list. But there is no visible progress in removing non-tariff and para-tariff barriers and negative attitude of the Indian bureaucracy at a time when Bangladesh is opening up without knowing much about its cost benefits.
   Influential Congress leader, parliamentarian and former minister responsible for development of north-eastern Indian states, Moni Sankar Iyar led the delegation. They visited Chittagong, Comilla, Ashuganj and other places of importance which held the key to opening the transit gateway initially from Kolkata to Agartala to expand the network in phases.
   Iyar said, in fact the tariff and non-tariff issues are not the biggest barriers; it is the ''psychological barrier which is at the root of non-cooperation''. It is time it must go, he said emphasizing the need for mutual collaboration to develop this sub-region. He sought the cooperation of Bangladesh in developing the Indian northeast saying it should be a two-way traffic meaning the hand of cooperation should also come from the Indian side to the development of Bangladesh.
  
   Limiting banking outlets
   Observers say India is still regulating Indian importers by withholding trade facilitation measures such as limiting banking outlets to open L/Cs for import of goods from Bangladesh.
   The major issue for discussion on the table this time was the implementation of the joint declaration made by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in last January relating to transit connectivity and how to build new infrastructure supportive to opening of the gateway.
   India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Kolkata-based Merchant Chamber organized the trip of the Indian trade delegation. Iyar especially held talks on improving the navigability of rivers by undertaking dredging to allow movement of Indian cargo ships from Kolkata to Ashuganj, now being earmarked as a port of call for Indian cargo vessals. He also discussed how to mobilize resources in the ground to widen the 40 km Ashuganj to Akhaura road to facilitate the movement of Indian heavy transport vehicles which will initially carry huge equipment for a 1000 MW power plant to be built in Tripura state.
   But political analysts infer, once the route will start operating it will assume the nature of permanent transit gateway to the northeast.
   Iyar also laid emphasis on Indian investment in Chittagong Port to make it more accommodative to Indian cargo handling to and from its northeastern states. The delegation talked about development of greater road infrastructure from Chittagong to Agartala and beyond to ensure quick connectivity with the port city. They have moreover, talked about developing port facility at Ashuganj and its accompanied cargo handling capacity.
   Development of Mongla Port and road connectivity to India and other business destinations came up for discussion in meetings at various levels. The Indian delegation has proposed the formation of a joint working group to advance the cause of the connectivity issues and take up initiatives to promote policies and implement projects at various levels to expedite the development of the transit network.
   During the four-day stay here the delegation met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, commerce minister Faruk Khan, shipping minister Shahjahan Khan, chairman of Board of Investment Dr S A Samad, FBCCI president AK Azad and other business leaders to forge closer cooperation in securing the Indian business and strategic objectives in Bangladesh.
  
   Working exclusively
   Some sources however said the trade delegation is working exclusively with some business groups here led by the Nitol Group. Its chairman Abdul Matlub Ahmed in his capacity as the president of India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and local agent of TATA group is playing the significant role in promoting the connectivity network.
   Ahmed told this scribe that this mutuality will bring greater socio-economic gains for Bangladesh and it is time to move with the comprehensive transit project. He said Bangladesh may be earning from US$ 3.0 to 3.5 billion annually from the connectivity related activities to bring boost to the country's economy and business.
   The visit ended in a joint statement followed by a press briefing. The joint statement said, "The India-Bangladesh delegation jointly declare their mutual commitment to intensive development of trade, investment, infrastructure and general economic cooperation between the two countries, particularly within the sub-region of South Asia comprising Bangladesh and its immediate Indian neighbours, including the seven states of northeast region.
   "It recognized and reaffirmed that the immediate Indian neighbourhood constitutes the natural economic hinterland of Bangladesh and vice versa. Hence, the lost opportunities of the past have to be recovered urgently with a view to re-establishing the economic integrity of this region in line with the vision expressed by the two prime ministers in their joint declaration issued at New Delhi in January 2010.
   "The overarching aim of such cooperation is to restore the sub-region to its position of economic eminence in the sub-continent which it enjoyed till a few decades ago.
   "To this end, this initiative will be carried forward by mutual visits from and to Bangladesh on the part of India's northeast states, organized by the Indo-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and associated chambers in Bangladesh and the Merchants' Chamber of Commerce, Kolkata in collaboration with the Federation of Industries of the Northeastern Region. It was agreed that the next plenary of business persons from Bangladesh and the neighbouring Indian states would be held in Agartala within next six months."
   The press release later said, the delegation visited chairman of the Chittagong Port Trust and assessed the present and future handling capacity of the port including connectivity with India, Bhutan and Nepal.
   The delegation expressed satisfaction with the port's handling capacity and feels more investment may be made in rail and road connectivity to take advantage of the huge transshipment business coming to Bangladesh in near future.
   It said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has advised the delegation to take initiative to develop all roads, rail and rivers to revive all connectivity with India so that Bangladesh can reap the benefits of a natural transit country. It said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has also showed keen interest to visit Agartala in near future. She has also asked them to invest in river dredging, road and bridge building, refixing railway and such other infrastructure building to make the transportation system functioning smoothly.
   The Prime minister has also asked the Indian side to provide 10,000 MW electricity from Sikkim and Arunachal which are building power plants having more than 40,000 MW capacity, the statement said.
   The Indian trade delegation also signed memorandum of understanding on 13 projects during their stay here with some Bangladeshi counterparts. It is indicative of growing business and investment that is slowly shaping up following the new turning point in relations between the two countries.

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[ALOCHONA] Confessions concocted



Confessions concocted

Saad Hammadi exposes the manner in which state law enforcement agencies implicate persons on criminal charges by forging confessions through torture, threat and financial benefits


photos by Al-Emrun Garjon
In April this year, sub-inspector Gautam Kumer Roy was allegedly murdered. Five days into his killing, two law enforcement agencies simultaneously began investigating the case. The outcome of their investigation was even more perplexing than the murder itself.

   The Detective Branch, on April 23, arrested two suspects while the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) captured two more in connection with the case, two days later. The twist in the case emerged when both the agencies claimed to have identified the main assassin. The agencies arrested two persons by the same name, Ali Haider, claiming responsibility for the murder of SI Gautam, raising further suspicion over the authenticity of state law enforcement agencies' investigation.

   The Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner AKM Shahidul Haque, on May 21, said at a press conference that the two arrested by RAB were not the actual killers and that they made their confessions 'out of fear' of the agency, much criticised for its extrajudicial killings. Haque's statement clearly indicates how law enforcement agencies extract confessions or have people confess to something they have not committed.

   While the actual Haider, who committed the murder, is yet to be identified, it is certain that one of the two is not involved in the murder and has still confessed out of fear or coercion.

   The instance however, is not an isolated case. In the grenade attack on the Awami League rally, on August 21, 2004, Joj Miah, a petty criminal, was set up by the investigators of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to claim the responsibility for the deadly attack. In exchange of his confession, the investigators ensured Joj Miah's family a monthly Tk 2,500 during the period he spent behind bars.

   Joj Miah in his confessional statement implicated an underworld gang, Seven-Star behind the attack. In spite of admitting his guilt, inconsistency in his statement led to widespread criticism. Joj Miah could not tell the difference between a grenade and an ordinary bomb to the magistrate he confessed his guilt to, for carrying out the attack.

   The CID on March 29, last year, filed a case against three of its former investigators for misleading the investigations on the August 21 grenade attack.

   The investigation of the grenade attack which claimed 25 lives and injured hundreds, proved to be based purely on a 'confession', reportedly obtained under duress, mentions the Geneva based Inter-Parliamentary Union, in its 2008 session of the governing council.

   According to a 2008-report by the Human Rights Watch, torture remains widespread in Bangladesh and is frequently used by law enforcement officials to coerce confessions in criminal investigations and to extort money. It is also used for politically motivated purposes against perceived government critics and alleged national security suspects.



   After their release in 2008, businesspersons and politicians, targeted in the government's anti-corruption campaign alleged that an intelligence agency illegally detained them at its offices inside the military cantonment in Dhaka for days or weeks and subjected them to physical torture, harsh interrogation methods, and sleep deprivation. Former detainees also allege that the agency used threats and extortion to force suspects to transfer arbitrary sums of money to state coffers and individual accounts.

   'Our investigations nowadays are mostly based on confessions,' says ASM Shahjahan, a former inspector general of police. 'Almost 50 per cent of the confessions are later challenged in the courts.'

   Incompetence in investigation and interrogation tactics, and poor use of forensics are mainly the reasons why the police and other law enforcers most often resort to confessional statements, which in many cases are concocted, say experts in law and order and human rights.

   While the constitution of the country mentions that a person may not be forced to become a witness against himself in court, curiously, it is frequently the offenders themselves who confess their guilt over committing heinous acts, to the extent of murders, before judicial magistrates under section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

   'Section 164 is a section whereby an accused confesses his guilt,' explains senior advocate, Anisul Huq, also an eminent criminal lawyer of the country. 'To make this confession above suspicion, to make it conform to the constitution and the Evidence Act, this confession is made to a judicial magistrate and he is given exclusive control over the accused so that it is understood by the offender that the confession that he is going to make is not coerced but on his free will.'

   However, as sources mention, the circumstances are not always as ideal as it is prescribed. A police official on condition of anonymity says, the fear and insecurity that a detained is sometimes acquainted with while in custody of law enforcing agencies, means that he or she finds it better to admit his guilt and serve sentence than face electric shock or die in crossfire.

   Unwilling to be quoted, a senior lawyer also says that there are also times when a magistrate notes down statements directly from the confessional statement derived by the police under section 161 of CrPC, instead of recording what the accused had to say.

   'Such cases are usually politically influenced,' he says. Under this section, the police records the confession of an accused for the purposes of investigation, which however, has little significance to the proceedings in court.

   Eighty per cent of the confessional statements under section 164 are later retracted, says Huq, also the principal state counsel in the Sheikh Mujib murder case. 'The constitution says that an offender cannot be forced to become a witness against himself.'

   Advocate Shahdeen Malik, a Supreme Court lawyer, explains the different purposes of seeking confessional statements. Under general circumstances, police show their evidences to the accused. They show how they have nailed the person. After they complete their investigation, they request the person to confess.

   A confessional statement is sought, usually to save a lengthy investigation and trial process as well as man-hour loss, he says. However, in Bangladesh, due to law enforcers' incompetence at proving someone's guilt and also due to political intervention, most often, the accused is threatened to confess his guilt in front of the court, facing dire consequences otherwise.



   In 2006, Ekhlasur Rahman was implicated for the murder of journalist Shaikh Belaluddin, Khulna bureau chief of a Bengali daily, Sangram. Ekhlas, one of the six charge sheeted accused in the murder, confessed to the metropolitan magistrate under section 164 about his involvement in the murder on July 13, 2006. However, while in jail, Ekhlas submitted a petition to the chief metropolitan magistrate through the jail superintendent to retract his judicial confession. In his petition, Ekhlas mentioned that the investigation officer of the case forced him to make the confession under section 164, threatening him with crossfire.

   Given the dependency of law enforcers on confessions as their prime evidences, the circumstances under which these confessions are derived naturally come under question. While the confession of the two Ali Haiders shrouds mystery over the actual assassin and the false implication of Joj Miah puts the state's law enforcement agencies under utter distrust, there are many similar cases that go unreported.

   According to a quarterly report prepared by human rights organisation Odhikar, between January and March this year, at least 80 members of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), accused in the Peelkhana BDR mutiny trial have retracted their confessional statements. Their applications for retraction stated that they were tortured and forced to provide confessional statements.

   'There are always ways in which the accused is threatened of further torture if he discloses to the judge that he was tortured,' says Malik. There was a judgement in the case of Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust vs Bangladesh, where the High Court directed that an accused be remanded only in the presence of a lawyer or a friend. Malik regrets that the directive of the High Court is hardly ever followed.

   Not just section 161 or 164, but the state's law enforcement agencies in the past have also been found to exercise unlawful means to extract confessions to use against a person.

   Odhikar believes that extracting confessional statements by application of torture is a severe violation of human rights and of prevalent criminal laws in the country. Although Bangladesh ratified the United Nations Convention against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, on October 5, 1998, its provisions are not being followed. According to this Convention, a person shall not be physically or mentally tortured or subjected to any form of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. This provision is also endorsed in Article 35(5) of the Bangladesh Constitution.

   On July 14, 2009, Md Liakot Ali Babul was picked up by members of RAB-10 from the 'Milu Auto' shop on the Ponchayet Koborsthan Road near Bangshal. Babul was tortured by one Major Abu Mohammad Siddique Alam, for demanding dues from Alam's father ABM Shah Alam for a grill work he rendered. An Odhikar fact finding report reveals severe physical torture used on Babul, who was later forced to sign on a 150 taka stamp document, which read: 'I am a criminal. I lead the narcotics trade in the area I live.' Later on, the forces set him free.

   While incidents of torture and coerced confessions continue right under the radars of law and order observers, the inspector general (IG) of police, Noor Mohammad in reference to the case of SI Gautam says, 'mistakes can happen when they (law enforcement agencies) are trying to claim credit for arrests.'


Taken blindfolded

Saad Hammadi reveals the horrors of remand and interrogations carried out by members of the law enforcement and certain other intelligence agencies


photos by Al-Emrun Garjon

Every time his remand is about to expire, Mahmudur Rahman, the acting editor of the Bengali daily Amar Desh, is taken to an unknown location for interrogation from the custody of his investigating officer. Rahman, who faces sedition charges along with 33 other cases implicated on him so far, was taken on remand for the second time on June 20, for three days.

   At 6:35am in the morning, on June 23, he was taken out of the custody of the Detective Branch of Police, investigating his sedition charge. Human rights organisation, Odhikar, received information that he was taken to the office of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) for interrogation, at Dhaka Cantonment.

   The police arrested Rahman from his newspaper office at 4:00am in the morning on June 2. The magistrate court, on June 9, ordered that he be taken on remand to the Tejgaon Police Station. However, in contravention to these orders, Rahman was kept in the Cantonment Police Station.

   When produced in court on June 12, he appealed to the court for the safety of his life and gave an account of the inhuman and degrading treatment he went through in remand. The magistrate at the court allowed for him to be seated due to his inability to stand, mentions a human rights report.

   The lawyers representing Rahman held a press conference on June 23, at the National Press Club, expressing their concern regarding the physical and mental torture and ill- treatment of their client and to demand his release.

   Advocate Sanaullah Mian, president of the Dhaka District Bar Association and Advocate Masud Ahmed Talukder, both representing Rahman, mentioned how he was taken to an unknown destination on June 23, by a two-vehicle contingent, where the vehicles had no license plates. They also stated that when they contacted the DB office about his whereabouts, the officers informed them that he was not in their custody.

   Altogether, 34 cases (28 of which are defamation cases) have been filed against Mahmudur Rahman, reports Odhikar.

   According to the report, 'in Bangladesh, most of the torture carried out by law enforcement agencies is when they have the accused in "remand" for "interrogation".'

   Several high-profile corruption suspects, mostly politicians, arrested by the army­led joint forces since the declaration of emergency on January 11, 2007, alleged that they were tortured in custody. Some of them, including former minister Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim and businessman, Giasuddin Al Mamun, told the courts that they were tortured and even threatened with death in 'crossfire' by the law enforcers grilling them in custody.

   Tarique Rahman, currently the senior vice president of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was first to make a formal allegation of torture against law enforcers. Later on, allegations of harassment and torture were also made by a Dhaka University (DU) teacher, who had been detained following the campus protests in August 2007. Detained former prime minister, Khaleda Zia on June 24, 2008, said in a special court that torture in custody led to the worsening health conditions of her two detained sons – Tarique Rahman and Arafat Rahman. The BNP demanded international investigation under the United Nations (UN) into the allegations of torture on Tarique and Arafat.




   Harkat­ul­Jihad al­Islami Bangladesh leader Mufti Hannan told a Dhaka court in August 2008, that he was inhumanly tortured in custody in the name of interrogation. Filing a petition to retract his 'confessional statement' in the August 21 grade attack case, Hannan told the court that he had been inhumanly tortured to sign a statement that was dictated and written by the law enforcers and not voluntarily given by him. According to him, he was given electric shocks on sensitive parts of his body. Hannan's case was one of the many incidents of torture in custody.

   During the regime of the military backed interim government, the joint forces arrested Awami League leader, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim on the night of May 21, without any warrant, and took him away after a four-hour search in his residence.

   Selim was blindfolded and taken to an unknown place, instead of a police station; he claimed in a retraction petition that he submitted to a Dhaka court on December 3, 2007.

   Selim is among the many politicians who divulged about the brutalities and torture they underwent during the interrogation by lawmen.

   The Awami League lawmaker in his retraction petition told the court that intolerable physical and mental torture and threats to kill him in 'crossfire' forced him to give a judicial statement in connection with a Tk 2.99 crore extortion case.

   Selim later submitted the petition to the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court, set up in a special arrangement at the MP Hostel on the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises.

   He was produced before the court on May 30, with a three-day remand prayer.

   Nonetheless, with every grant of remand, Selim was blindfolded and taken to an unknown area for interrogation. Similarly on May 30, the court granted his remand, and he was again blindfolded and taken to an unknown place.

   After a fortnight on June 17, two persons identifying themselves as members of the government met Selim and asked him to give a confessional statement before a court. They also told him that he would be acquitted if he made deposition as approver in the case, the petition said.




   The AL leader was produced before a court on June 18, with a two-day remand prayer. Blindfolded, he was once again taken to an unknown place where some persons interrogated him on different issues, misbehaved with him and tortured him physically and mentally.

   The interrogators also threatened to implicate Selim on charges of recovering firearms from his possession, unless he agreed to make confessional statements in line with their interests. However, seven months later, in December 2007, Selim filed a petition stating, 'I am withdrawing the confessional statement I have given in the case.'

   While in the cases of Rahman and Selim, the interrogations were harsh and the places they were taken to for interrogation were never disclosed, former FBCCI president, Abdul Awal Mintoo had a rather different experience with the lawmen.

   Mintoo described the call as: 'The room had no window except a small hole. An 800-watt bulb hanging from the ceiling kept the room heated up. Thick grills from inside the room secured the exit with a wooden door from outside.'

   'Our laws have the provision to take one on remand,' he says. According to a Supreme Court (SC) directive, even in remand, one is supposed to be questioned in front of lawyers.

   However, during the emergency rule, certain parts of the constitution were infringed. 'I was granted remand from the court and the court granted the remand on request of Cantonment Police Station. But I do not know where I was taken,' says Mintoo. 'I know that a policeman did not interrogate me,' he adds.

   'Throughout the time, my eyes were blindfolded. I do not know where I was taken. Under such circumstance, where does my protection remain?'

   In an interview with Xtra, he says, 'the lawmen wanted to find out my relations with the leader of the opposition and the current prime minister as well as other politicians. Based on my confession, they tried to implicate people but they could not do it.'

   The interrogators identified themselves to Mintoo as members of the defence, police and tax authority. 'Although I was officially remanded for three days, I was actually kept in custody for seven days.'
 


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[ALOCHONA] A bit of REAL history of Bengal



 
             It has come down to this: No one really knows what he is talking about, and yet everyone WANTS to cite the rotten history of Bengal to support his or her personal negative opinion on the current state of affairs. This 'Fakirer jaat' deserves the kind of low level governace since it has been elected in place. 
 
              I have been steadfastly doing the opposite. I want to reach out to the HISTORY in order to show how brilliantly sagacious the pre-colonial administrations of Bengal were. Please read my column published in the New Nation during the days of CTG:
 
http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2008/03/14/news0129.htm
 
                Hope you find the comments and factual elements mentioned in the piece still accurate and relevant.
 
                Farida Majid


The New Busy think 9 to 5 is a cute idea. Combine multiple calendars with Hotmail. Get busy.

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[ALOCHONA] Fw: US Official meets with BJI Leaders, Report and others [10 Attachments]

[Attachment(s) from kazi Mohammad Ismail included below]


salam

pls see the attachment. there have an English briefing, four press releases in which one says a meeting with US officials of Bangladesh Embassy and Acting Jamaat Secretary General, three procession rally picture and a compiled news headlines of 2-14 july in BD English media.

see also the video link.

http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=cpay3Q51NS0

see this link

rally at Australia
http://www.dailynayadiganta.com/fullnews.asp?News_ID=222361&sec=2

rally at Dhaka
http://www.dailynayadiganta.com/fullnews.asp?News_ID=222332&sec=3

Kazi Mohammad Ismail



--- On Thu, 7/15/10, shameem bari <shameem_bari@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: shameem bari <shameem_bari@yahoo.com>
Subject: Fw: Bd english media sumary 2 June- 14 July 2010
To: kazimohammadismail@yahoo.com, akandabd@yahoo.com
Date: Thursday, July 15, 2010, 12:37 AM



--- On Wed, 7/14/10, adm younus <adm_younus@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: adm younus <adm_younus@yahoo.com>
Subject: Bd english media sumary 2 June- 14 July 2010
To:
Date: Wednesday, July 14, 2010, 3:02 PM




 




Attachment(s) from kazi Mohammad Ismail

4 of 4 Photo(s)

6 of 6 File(s)


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[ALOCHONA] Re: Who is Sattyobadi Nagorik ????????



Friends


The BALIST are expert in concocting falsehood and make hue and cry with the aim to establish the untruth over the truth in Goebbels fashion. When some truth comes forward tainting the already tainted BAL stalwarts and activists then resort to filthy language or other false stories as their leaders uses in the Shangshad and try to stop the tide against them.

I do not see any reason of taking false name for a person like Anis Ahmed who is holding a public office of honour in USA and detractor and zelous buddies are out to taint him. The  detractors are requested to visit his office in Maryland and see for themselves the truth which they practiced. 

TRUTH IS VERY  HARSH  AND IT AILS THE PEOPLE WITH VICIOUS MIND .

Faruque Alamgir

On Thu, Jul 15, 2010 at 4:54 PM, Syed Aslam <syed.aslam3@gmail.com> wrote:
Who is this Sattyobadi Nagorik ????????
  
Anis Ahmed
Office Service Coordinator
Montgomery County, Maryland

 
[A clean shaven Jamaat disguised as Sattabadi Nagarik..... ???]
 
"Time has come now to unmask your fake faces and expose you ......."
Remember, you can cover your face in different masks, but never can
change your actual face.........
 
On May 28, 2010 Mr. Anis Ahmed wrote:

"Khabor.com, a Bengali web newspaper launched from Virginia, USA carry out the agenda of RAW and KGB  to destroy Islam from Bangladesh ....................

"Time has come now to identify Khabor.com and Khabor@yahoogroups.com as media outlets of the interested groups who tirelessly working to demean "Islam" from the hearts of Bangladeshi people of Islam faith, harass law abiding US citizens, and destroy political parties based on democratic and human rights ideologies in Bangladesh." ---- Anis Ahmed

 Ref: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/notun_bangladesh/message/23610

On July 14,  2010 Sattyabadi Nagorik wrote:

"To: Syed Aslam aka Arif Ahmed, aka Anu Ahmed aka Orpi Ahmed aka Ahmed Ahmed aka Shibbir Ahmed aka male moderator of Khabor@yahoogroups.com with female identity from Springfield, Virginia and his cohorts:

 ...............................................................................

Time has come now to unmask your fake faces and expose your RAW and KGB's activities to destroy Bangladesh and erase Islam from the hearts and minds of Bangladeshi people in the name of war crimes. Remember, you can cover your face in different masks, but never can change your actual face. --- Sattabadi Nagarik"

 
 Ref:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/notun_bangladesh/message/23979

 

Also read:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/notun_bangladesh/message/23651

Dear All

Now judge for yourself , who is who!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Syed Aslam

 

 

 

 
 
 
 



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Re: [ALOCHONA] Re: Assaulting Mahmud & Daily Amar Desh



I intended to read the whole article of Muntasir Mamun, but my culture did not allow to read more than 60% left few paragraphs in between to see the conclusion.
Amar dukhyo era (er moto aro koyekjon acheyn) kader jonno ei duniay beggar khatey nijer srom ebong medha nosto korey ami bujhi na - আমার দুঃখ এরা কাদের জন্ন এই দুনিয়ায় বেগার খাটে নিজের শ্রম মেধা নষ্ট করে আমি বুঝি না। As  a historian he could have produced more value addition for this nation and for himself.
 
To belittle BNP he is only belittling himself. He said he is against turture in remand then he started narrating how all the AL's (they can not be called batmen then what are they- lathial?) men were tortured. He says he is against remand and torture and what not, but then strongly justified by narrating the horrific stories of his comrades remands during BNP's rule. Directly he supported and justified all along the kirti of current government.
If MR's writing is full of lies, I do not think MM writes any thing that goes with the reality.
 
He will not do anything for Bangladesh, all along will defend his life guard and life buoy AL.
ইতিহাস এদের বেগার খাটাই লিখে রাখবে যার কোনই মুল্য নেই, আর পারিস্রমিকও নেই। আর এই অমুল্যবাণ রতনরা যদি আ লি কেও মুল্যবান উপদেশ দিত তাহলে আ লিগ থেকে আমরা কিছু ভাল আশা করতাম।   
এদের উচিত কলকাতায় গিয়ে পরাধিন বাংগালিদের কাছে আরও দিক্ষা নেয়া।
As a fellow human being I feel sorry for these guys! I even can't pray for him as he does not have a creator (as I know him).
 
Haque
 
 


--- On Thu, 15/7/10, ezajur <Ezajur@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: ezajur <Ezajur@yahoo.com>
Subject: [ALOCHONA] Re: Assaulting Mahmud & Daily Amar Desh
To: alochona@yahoogroups.com
Date: Thursday, 15 July, 2010, 11:34 AM

 
Dear Alochok J Chowdhury

He deserves to have his clothes torn off him and beaten with pipes.

Unlike Chatra League which needs additional support from the government.

Ezajur Rahman
Kuwait

--- In alochona@yahoogroups.com, "J.A. Chowdhury" <Chwdhury@...> wrote:
>
>
> Dear Azajur,
>
> Read this article then it will be clear to you What is it that Mahmudur rahman deserves.
>
>
> http://www.dailyjanakantha.com/news_view.php?nc=16&dd=2010-06-16&ni=21944
>
>
>
> Kind Regards
>
>
>
> J.A.Chowdhury
>
> > To: alochona@yahoogroups.com
> > From: Ezajur@...
> > Date: Mon, 14 Jun 2010 17:45:42 +0000
> > Subject: [ALOCHONA] Re: Assaulting Mahmud & Daily Amar Desh
> >
> > Sorry - but your email was not clear. What is it that Mahmudur rahman deserves?
> >
> > --- In alochona@yahoogroups.com, "J.A. Chowdhury" <Chwdhury@> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > I don't understand why some of our forum friends are crying for Mahmudur Rahman. Who is Mahmudur Rahman? 2 takar so called Editor? Mahmudur Rahman is not a Jurnalist. Professionally he is an Engineer and a BNP Jaamati activist. Any body can buy a Editor post with money????
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Well he is an (jobordost) editor. An Editor can write anything in his newspaper without any prove? Especially against some one? If answer is no, Govt. doing nothing wrong with Mahmudur Rahman.He is associated with Jongi Prof.Mohiuddin. Hijbut Tahri use to print all their lift-let in Amar Desh press. So Mahmudur Rahman deserve it.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Kind Regards
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > J.A.Chowdhury
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > To: alochona@yahoogroups.com; WideMinds@yahoogroups.com; dahuk@yahoogroups.com; abidbahar@; delwar98@; sonarbangladesh@yahoogroups.com; history_islam@yahoogroups.com; Bangladesh-Zindabad@yahoogroups.com; amra-bangladesi@yahoogroups.com; zoglul@; mmk3k@; aminul_islam_raj@; udarakash08@; mahmudurart@; farhadmazhar@
> > > From: faruquealamgir@
> > > Date: Mon, 7 Jun 2010 23:41:28 +0600
> > > Subject: Re: [ALOCHONA] Assaulting Mahmud & Daily Amar Desh
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Friends
> > >
> > >
> > > Please be assured that the courageous of all time in the History of Bangladesh journalism "Mahmudur Rahman" will survive the fascist BAL's tricks of Remand n might meet the fate of Tareq Rahaman surly. As the BAL always fear the people so, they always coerce the people n keep them under continuous threat of concocted stories of "Jongibad"(like Bagh ailo Bagh Ailo of the Rakhal balak) so they fear the Manush Rupi Bagh the Mahmudur Rahman.
> > > Be it sure that anything otherwise happens with this "OKUTO BHOI NIR BHIK KOLOM SOINIK" will have long long effect on the politics of BAKSAL strangulating the freedom of expression etc etc.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Let the heroic sacrifice of the Martyrs remain ever glowing in the "Akash Batash Nodi Prantor" of BANGLADESH n the Lal Sabuj Pataka to fly high with right dignity n honour forever n ever.
> > >
> > > BANGLADESH ZINDABAD
> > > ZINDABAD BANGLADESH ZINDABAD
> > >
> > >
> > > Faruque Alamgir
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On Mon, Jun 7, 2010 at 5:54 PM, Isha Khan <bdmailer@> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Assaulting Mahmud & Daily Amar Desh
> > > http://www.chintaa.com/index.php/campaigndetails/index/5/english
> > >
> > > Punishing the dissenter
> > >
> > > Chintaa Report
> > > Sunday 06 June 10
> > >
> > > Concerns about Safety of Mahmudur RahmanThe chronology of events that lead to the arrest of Acting Editor of Amar Desh is scandalous by the very nature by which government has abused executive power and misused legal instruments. This will create serious problem in the efforts of the people to go by the rule of law and create a reasonable space within the present nature of power to practice democratic values. Silencing the dissenting voice is also embarrassing for Bangladesh development partners who often sermon on human rights, freedom of thought, conscience and press. As we could notice, from the media the diplomatic community has expressed their concerns within the paradigm of their foreign policy objective in Bangladesh. But it is also clear that the blatant interventions that we used to the see during the past regime for wrong causes, of which Mahmudur Rahman was critical and vocal, is now pathetically timid and shy.
> > > The government is filing one case after another against Mahmudur Rahman in order to keep him in the jail. A transparent judicial process free from the manipulation of the ruling regime could definitely conclude that all these allegations are simply fabricated, nasty tricks of politics. Nevertheless, what concerns us gravely is the repeated attempt to take Mahmudur Rahman for remand. Human Rights Defenders of Bangladesh are worried, because there was series of attempts on his life on several occasion. There is a culture of custodial torture and death in Bangladesh. In its latest update on Mahmudur Rahman the internationally acclaimed human rights organisation Odhikar in a statement issued on 6 June 2010 expressed their concern about the safety and life of Mahmudur Rahman. The Statement says:
> > >
> > > Mahmudur Rahman, the Acting Editor of the Bengali Daily Amar Desh, was arrested under sections 419, 420 and 500 of the Code of Criminal Procedure under the Tejgaon Industrial Area Police Station Case No. 1(6)2010 and again under sections 143, 342, 332, 353, 186, 506, 114 of the Code of Criminal Procedure under the Tejgaon Police Station Case No 2(6)2010 on June 2, 2010. Mahmudur Rahman got bail in the first case but in the second case, which was filed after his arrest, he was not granted bail and sent to prison. However, today on June 6, 2010, a third case has been filed against him, Case No.5 (6)2010 at the Kotwali Police Station. He was charged for obstructing government officials in their function, while he was already in custody. The prosecution prayed for seven days remand. On top of this, according to newspaper reports, the government is preparing a sedation case against him. The chain of events is very alarming. It is to be noted that Mahmudur Rahman has been physically attacked a couple of times. Heavy stones and bricks have been thrown at his car in Bangladesh and he was also attacked with a sharp object during his visit to London, which could have fatally injured him. Given this history the repeated attempts by the government to take him to remand is of grave concern to us.
> > >
> > > Odhikar has always fought against custodial torture and death. Despite the fact that the government has made repeated promises to the international community regarding upholding human rights, gross violations of human rights have not abated in the country. In this context, Odhikar is deeply concerned about the life and safety of Mahmudur Rahman. We therefore, appeal to all the human rights defenders to write to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh to ensure the safety of Mahmudur Rahman and to stop all attempts to take him into remand, against the fundamental principles of human rights and international norms.
> > >
> > > Ms. Sheikh Hasina
> > >
> > > Honorable Prime Minister
> > >
> > > Prime Minister's Office
> > >
> > > Old Sangsad Bhaban
> > >
> > > Tejgaon, Dhaka-1215, Bangladesh
> > >
> > > Tel:  +880 2 8151157  +880 2 8151157 (PS-I to PM)
> > >
> > > Fax: +880 2 8153846
> > >
> > > Email: info@
> > > According to the reports published in today's newspapers, another case has been filed against Mahmudur Rahman in Uttara police station, and the petitioner asked to take him to remand for 10 days. The repeated attempts to take Mahmudur Rahman to 'remand' is a very bad sign Unless human rights defenders mobilise opinion and protests we might be guilty of allowing a repressive government to indulge in grave human rights violation.
> > > We have below recall the chronology of events that led to the arrest of Mahmudur Rahman to dispel government's claim that Amardesh has violated existing law regarding press and publications.
> > >
> > > Chronology of Events
> > >
> > > 26 April, 2009: Amar Desh Publications Ltd informed the District Commissioner of Dhaka by a written letter stating that according to the decision of the Board of Directors the chairman of the Company Mahmudur Rahman is appointed as the Acting Editor of Amar Desh. It may be mentioned here that according to the Printing Press and Publication Act, 1973 the Ditrict Commissioner must be informed about appointing – withdrawal of Editor of Newspaper.
> > > 16 June, 2009: The Special Police- Super of Dhaka on behalf of District Commissioner informed Amar Desh Publications Ltd. that the District Commissioner has No Objection to the appointment of the Acting Editor.
> > > 3 September, 2009: The Amar Desh Publications Ltd applied to the District Commissioner to change of the name of Publisher, as per the Printing Press and Publication Act, 1973 and declared that in the court. At the same time, the replacement of the old publisher with the name of Mahmudur Rahman as the new publisher was formally notified to the District Commissioner in accordance with the law.
> > > 11 October, 2009: The Publisher Hasmat Ali Hashu went to the District Commissioner's office and signed the appropriate form stating his resignation as the publisher. This information was given by the District Commissioner in BBC interview.
> > > 5 November, 2009: The Film and Publications Directorate gave a No Objection Certificate for the change of publisher. The letter signed by Deputy Director Masuda Khatun stated, "The name of Alhaj. Hashmat Ali, publisher of Daily Amar Desh can be replaced with the name of Mahmudur Rahman".
> > > 15 March, 2010: The District Commissioner of Dhaka enquired to Amar Desh Publications Limited why the name of Hashmat Ali Hashu is still on the printer's line of the newspaper? In reply, Amar Desh informed that they were still waiting for the reply from the District Commissioner's office for their letter of notification to the District Commissioner. So they were compelled to continue the name of the earlier publisher according to the Printing Press and Publication Act, 1973. Accordingly, the company requested the DC office to expedite their decision.
> > > 1 June, 2010: The Tejgaon Thana Officer-in-Charge (OC) raided the press of the daily Amar Desh with armed forces and declared its closure by sealing the Press. They reported to the news media that since there was no legal publisher of the newspaper the declaration has been cancelled by the District Commissioner. However, they could not produce any paper in this regard. The papers were not even received by Amar Desh authorities from 1 June to 2nd June.
> > > BBC (Bangla) Radio interview of the District Commissioner Mr. Muhibul Haque on 2nd June, 2010 is the only government version on the government action regarding the cancellation of the Declaration of Amar Desh.
> > > The english translation of the transcript of the BBC interview
> > > DC: Actually there is no publisher of Amar Desh at present. It means, there is no legal publisher. According to the Article 5 of the Press and Publication Act, 1973, any news paper must have a publisher and according to article 7, he must sign a declaration in our office. The publisher of this newspaper has signed a paper about his resignation as the publisher.
> > > BBC: when did he do that?
> > > DC: He signed on 11 October, 2009. The publisher was Alhaj Md. Hashmat Ali.
> > > BBC: 11 October, 2009 ... and now it is 2010. So what happened all these days. Did you ask the Amar Desh the reason ......
> > > DC: Yes, we wanted to know; we have given an official letter. They responded to us. They informed that there was no publisher; so this newspaper cannot be allowed ...... So I cancelled the declaration. I have done that.
> > > BBC: So when you sent a letter to Amar Desh, did they agree in writing that that they did not have any publisher?
> > > DC: yes, they did not have any publisher; they told us that they did not have a publisher.
> > > BBC: And when did they inform you?
> > > DC: They have informed us few days before
> > > BBC: But who responded to your letter on behalf of Amar Desh. If they did not have a publisher?
> > > DC: The Acting Editor
> > > BBC: Amar Desh has told us that they sent a letter to you for your approval of the change of the publisher's name. Then what happened?
> > > DC: Not for the change of publisher. The earlier publisher signed a form of resignation. Then another person wanted to become the publisher, but it did not fit into our criteria, therefore was refused. So now there is no publisher of Amar Desh.
> > > BBC: What does it mean that it did not fit into your criteria? If you could explain the process of your refusal of the request for change of publisher's name...
> > > DC: The process is that according to the Act, they have applied for approval, then we gave it for investigation. There was a negative response from the investigation. So we could not give approval to the publisher who has applied. Mahmudur Rahman has applied, but we could not appoint him...
> > > BBC: Why was his application rejected? Can you please tell us, what was the problem found against him in the investigation...
> > > DC: We have given an official letter regarding this. There are many issues here. This cannot be explained in such a short time....
> > > BBC: When did you let him know about it?
> > > DC: Today, we informed him....
> > > ..........................................
> > > Amar Desh's communication with DC
> > > We have the letters that Amar Desh provided to the district administration to go by the existing Press and Publication Act. Till today, 7 June 2010, the interview given by the District Commissioner to BBC Bangla is the only position one could guess as government's position, that could hardly stand the court of law. This is the reason why government is desperate to fabricate various other cases against him.
> > > In response to BBC's 1st question the DC admitted that in 11th October 2009 the ex-publisher resigned formally. But what he hided is, 3 months before the resignation of ex-publisher, in 3rd September 2009 the authority of the Amar Desh Publications Ltd. formally informed district administration by written letter that, the company has changed the publisher and it is applying for the no-objection letter from the administration in this regard. The Deputy Commissioner is conspicuously silent on this matter in order to justify fabricated charge against Mahmudur Rahman. The claim that Amar Desh dos not have a publisher implies that through administrative inaction the District Commissioner intended to efface the existence of an editor as well as the on going administrative and legal process to regularise the change of ownership and appoinment of editoror other matters. The DC should either have clearly notified to the authorities of Amar Desh that Mahmudur Rahman is not acceptable. In that case the Amar Desh could come up with different name.
> > > The DC said, "They informed that they (Amar Desh) have no publisher". Nevertheless, in response of administrations 15th march's letter there is no such word in Amar Desh's letter. Furthermore, the newspaper authority reminded the administration that as they did not say anything at all about Amar Desh's 3rd September 2009 letter regarding the alteration of publisher, they are writing the name of their old publisher. According to the Press and Publication Acts this was the only option available to Amar Desh.
> > > The farce of the whole drama reaches the apex when DC told that, "we informed today (1st June)". What it implies? It means by sending riot police into newspapers office to shut down the press and illegally breaking and entering into newspapers office without any warrant, beating journalists and later snatching the editor, the govt. indeed brutally communicated to Amar Desh authority that, "we could not approve Mahmudur Rahman to be the publisher".
> > > Reporters from Chintaa were present throughout the night along with other reporters from various media to witness the midnight raid and the brutality with which a dissent voice has been silenced. There was no official letter sent to Amar Desh's office. It was blatantly an operation to demonstrate that government does not care about the rule of law, and have absolutely no hesitation to violate human rights, particularly the violation of the constitutional guarantee of freedom of thought, conscious and expression.
> > > Prime Minister took charge of District Deputy Commissioner!
> > > The information minister told parliament in 2 June, "It is the duty of DC to postpone newspapers declaration". According to 1973 Printing Press and Publications act it is the duty of DC indeed. But, after the application of Amar Desh to the Film and Publication office of the government, although the intelligence agency gave clearance, the DC office was not giving clearance on the ground that Prime Ministers office did not give clearance. Off the record, the DC office officials admitted the fact that this issue was under judgment in prime ministers office. Our question is that when did the Prime Minister take the charge of Deputy Commissioner?
> > > The fact might be that exclusively in the case of Mahmudur Rahman the prime minister has degraded her to the office of District Commissioner, a shame for both the government and the country. As if that was not enough she had to finally send police, disconnect satellite TV connection and escalator, create blockade, refuse food and water to be supplied to the people in the Amar Desh office, beat the journalists by batons, and vilently snatch the editor Mahmudur Rahman without any papers or warrant. Defiance of all constitutional rights, law and international norms of human rights the act of the government is hardly different from any armed criminals or terrorists. Proving again, that the state terrorism is the first and foremost evil people must confront if they are determined to create a democratic polity.
> > > Whereas the police was supposed to be tried because of breaking and entering into a private establishment of newspaper illegally, the police filed new case against Mahmudur Rahman on the ground, what they call preventing police from their duties.
> > > The closure of Amadesh and arresting Mahmudur Rahman signals the rapidly deteriorating political scenario of Bangladesh. It is urgent that the grievous threat to democracy and freedom of speech and media is condemned globally. It happened in a row of the closure of 2 TV channels and Facebook for so called sensitive reasons. This govt. did ban YouTube in the February 2009 as well.
> > > Arresting the editor of Amar Desh by Riot Police and trying to take him to remand for the so called 'interrogation' at any cost demonstrate elements of virulence within certain section of the government and it is urgent that government is warned of this move. The remand system is notorious for inhuman torture and sometimes it makes lifetime trauma. The journalists and other democratic activists fear that the repeated remand application by a section of the people in the government is only to brutally assault Mr. Mahmudur Rahman, rsponsibility of which consequently will have to be shoulderd by the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her government as a whole.
> > > Government should come to its senses.
> > >
> > > http://www.chintaa.com/index.php/campaigndetails/index/5/english
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
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