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Saturday, February 5, 2011

[ALOCHONA] The decreasing remittance



The decreasing remittance
 
 


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[ALOCHONA] Low and disorder



Low and disorder
 

Bangladeshi girl, 14, dies after receiving 100 lashes

Four arrested and another 14 hunted by police, accused of taking part in lashing ordered by village court

Four people have been arrested in Bangladesh after the death of a 14-year-old girl who was given 100 lashes on the orders of a village cleric.

Mosammet Hena died in hospital on Sunday after being beaten with a bamboo cane for allegedly having an illicit relationship with a married cousin. A complaint had been made against her by the man's wife, Shilpi Begum, at a makeshift village court, or shalish, presided over by senior community members.

Shilpi has now been arrested on suspicion of murder alongside three villagers including imam Mofiz Uddin, who allegedly issued the edict. Another 14 villagers who are accused of taking part in the public lashing, or of being complicit in the girl's murder by failing to prevent her from being whipped, are still being hunted by police.

"What sort of justice is this? My daughter has been beaten to death in the name of justice," Mosammet's father, Dorbesh Khan, 60, told the BBC.

Mosammet was buried yesterday in her family graveyard in Naria, Shariatpur, about 40 miles south of the capital, Dhaka.

Police said Shilpi told the shalish she had seen Mosammet speaking to her husband, Mahbub, 40, near their home. The shalish ruled that Mosammet and Mahbub should each be flogged 100 times, according to Assistant Superintendent Talebur Rahman. Mosammet was dragged inside a house by about 20 to 25 people, including four women. She collapsed unconscious halfway through and was taken to hospital, where she died a week later. Mahbub, who was beaten by his father, is said by police to be on the run.

The case has sent shockwaves around Bangladesh, where punishments in the name of fatwa – a religious edict – have been outlawed since last year. Authorities were ordered by the high court to act to stop punishments, and told that a failure to do so breached their constitutional duties.

Since Mosammet's death lawyers have filed a case against the government at the court, and a team of investigators from a human rights organisation has travelled to the village. Its director of investigations, Nur Khan Liton, said: "This is an absolutely horrific crime. It shows that despite court judgments banning punishments in the name of fatwa, an aggressively religious group who are capable of committing such barbaric crimes of torture against women are still present in our society."

Local media have reported that Mosammet was raped by Mahbub and Shilpi heard her cries, then came out and began beating her. Police do not accept this.

• This article was amended on 4 February 2011. The original gave the name of one of the arrested as Shilpi Begum, and Begum thereafter. In Bangladesh, Begum is a title that is roughly equivalent to Mrs and so should not have been mistaken as the woman's surname. This has been corrected.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/03/bangladeshi-girl-100-lashes

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Bangladesh girl 'lashed to death'

Crowd outside Hena Begum's house A crowd gathered outside the teenager's house after news of her death emerged

Related Stories

Four people including a Muslim cleric have been arrested in Bangladesh in connection with the death of 14-year-old girl who was publicly lashed.The teenager was accused of having an affair with a married man, police say, and the punishment was given under Islamic Sharia law. Hena Begum's family members said a village court consisting of elders and clerics passed the sentence.She was alleged to have had the affair with her cousin and received 80 lashes.

Punishment received

The family members of the married man also allegedly beat the girl up a day before the village court passed the sentence in the district of Shariatpur.

Hena Begum Hena Begum died after being taken to hospital

"Her family members said she was admitted to a hospital after the incident and she died six days later. The village elders also asked the girl's father to pay a fine of about 50,000 Taka (£430; $700)," district superintendent of police, AKM Shahidur Rahman, told the BBC.

He said it had not been established yet whether she died because of the punishment she received or another reason."We are still waiting for the post-mortem report. In the meantime, we are also looking for another 14 people including a teacher from a local madrassa in connection with this case," Mr Rahman said.

Activists say dozens of fatwas - or religious rulings - are issued under Sharia law each year by village clergy in Bangladesh."What sort of justice is this? My daughter has been beaten to death in the name of justice. If it had been a proper court then my daughter would not have died," Dorbesh Khan, the father of Hena Begum, told the BBC.He said those responsible for the death should be punished.A group of people held a rally on Wednesday in the town of Shariatpur in protest against those who gave the fatwa and demanded action against them.

This is the second reported fatality linked to a Sharia law punishment since the practice was outlawed last year by the High Court. A 40-year-old woman in the district of Rajshahi died in December, days after she was publicly caned for allegedly having an affair with her stepson.Nearly 90% of Bangladesh's estimated 160 million population are Muslims, most of whom practise a moderate version of Islam.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12344959

Bangladeshi family tells of grief over girl whipped to death

Activists call for end to use of religious justice after teenager dies

It was a chance meeting next to the palm tree just yards from her bedroom that led to a 14-year-old girl being whipped to death in this tiny village about 40 miles south of the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka.In the early evening Hena Akhter had gone out to use the bathroom when she was met by her cousin and neighbour, Mahbub, who gagged her with a cloth before beating her.

The assault left her on the brink of consciousness, unable to walk or talk. But instead of punishing Hena's attacker, local elders called a shalish – a village meeting – where she was accused of having an illicit relationship with a married man.

Mahbub's wife, Shilpi, complained that he had secretly been meeting Hena. Village elders found both cousins guilty."I was called to the meeting, in Mahbub's home, and I cried when they said what her punishment was going to be," Hena's father, Darbesh Khan said. "They said she would be given 101 lashes, and Mahbub would get 201."

It was up to Darbesh to take his daughter to receive her punishment last week. He and his wife, Akleema, carried Hena to the verandah of the house where the meeting had been held. Barely able to stand, she was whipped with a cloth twisted into a rope until she fell unconscious.

The following day, Hena – who was named as Mosammet Hena in some local press reports – was taken to hospital. Six days later, she was pronounced dead. "I hardly wish I was alive," Darbesh said. "I didn't think my daughter would die before me. I can't think; my life is ruined."

Last July, the Bangladesh high court ruled that extrajudicial punishments in the name of fatwas – religious edicts under Sharia law – were illegal. Local officials were instructed to take active measures to prevent them.

Sara Hossain, a barrister involved in the high court case, said: "We have no Sharia law in Bangladesh except when it comes to family matters. Elders who find a woman guilty of something which they believe to be a social or immoral offence have no authority to do so."

The death has provoked outrage in the country, with human rights activists demanding justice for Hena and an end to the use of religion to deliver justice. Yesterday, rallies and human chains were formed in support of her.But seven months after the high court ruling, Hena's case has raised uncomfortable truths over the authorities' ability to prevent abuses. Hena's parents were not even aware her whipping was illegal.

"I'm not educated," Darbesh said. "I don't know what the court laws are. But I know that if I don't listen to the elders, we would be outcast. None of my daughters could marry, no one would even look at us. If I had known that it would be them who would be punished, not me, then I would have tried to stop it."

Makeshift shalish courts, in which village elders and religious clerics hold a trial based on traditional, often religious norms, have been an age-old tradition in rural Bangladesh.But human rights activists warn that a disturbing development is the use of extreme violence to resolve disputes.

According to villagers, Mahbub was also ordered to marry Shilpi following a shalish 15 years ago. It was claimed that he had raped her, and the only solution left was for them to marry.At the shalish in Chamta, Hena and her alleged affair were discussed at length by Mahbub's family. Darbesh was not given the opportunity to speak. Hena lay ill in bed throughout, unaware of the sentence being passed on her.

Meanwhile, Shilpi also used the meeting as an opportunity to file legal papers laying claim to Mahbub's land and assets."Mahbub was a bad character," Hena's sister, Rehana said. "He had been following Hena on her way to school, trying to get her to go and meet him. But she wasn't interested. Even still, Shilpi got jealous. She was worried he would yet to marry her. That's why she went to the shalish."

Mahbub was sentenced to be lashed by his father. But he escaped after the first few blows, according to Hena's family. His village home – just opposite from Hena's – is now empty. He and his family fled after police became involved.

Shilpi and three others have been arrested on suspicion of murder. Police are hunting another 14 accused of failing to prevent Hena from being killed.Senior officers in Shariatpur have also been ordered by the high court to explain why they failed to prevent her death.Hena was buried in her family graveyard on Wednesday. The whole village attended.

"I told the police everything they want to know," Darbesh said. "I want a proper investigation, and I want justice. What happened in Mahbub's home – what sort of justice is this?"My daughter was just a young girl, and these people said she had to be whipped, and there was nobody stopping them."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/04/bangladeshi-girl-whipping-fatwa



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[ALOCHONA] Naming/Renamaing



Naming/Renamaing

The never ending rivalry between AL and BNP is very much detrimental for the peace and progress of the nation. Many think that the issue may be greatly solved by naming/renaming the following as suggested:

Bangladesh           (Banga )Bandhudesh

Dhaka                   Mujibnagar

ShahJalal  airport   Zia airport

Arialbeel               Airportbeel

Feni                     Khaledaganj

Gopalganj             Hasinaganj

Bogura                  Tarekpur

Rangpur                Joypur

Khulna                  Nasserganj

Dinajpur                Kokopur
 


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