Banner Advertiser

Saturday, August 27, 2011

[ALOCHONA] Digital Bangladesh ?



Digital Bangladesh ?




__._,_.___


[Disclaimer: ALOCHONA Management is not liable for information contained in this message. The author takes full responsibility.]
To unsubscribe/subscribe, send request to alochona-owner@egroups.com




Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___

[ALOCHONA] Humayun Ahmed on Rabindra puja...



Humayun Ahmed on Rabindra puja...

   

http://www.bd-pratidin.com/?view=details&type=gold&data=Sports&pub_no=482&cat_id=1&menu_id=1&news_type_id=1&index=1


__._,_.___


[Disclaimer: ALOCHONA Management is not liable for information contained in this message. The author takes full responsibility.]
To unsubscribe/subscribe, send request to alochona-owner@egroups.com




Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___

[ALOCHONA] No need for a fresh agreement on transit, it has been in the 1974 Indira-Mujib treaty



No need for a fresh agreement on transit, it has been in the 1974 Indira-Mujib treaty

Manmohan Singh's upcoming Dhaka visit will be a 'really memorable' one, prime minister Sheikh Hasina's international affairs advisor has said, asking critics to 'be far-sighted instead of being myopic''.

Gowher Rizvi said the Indian prime minister's visit with five neighbouring chief ministers, for the first time, would put an end to long disputed issues including border, and Teesta river water sharing, paving the way for transit of Indian goods through Bangladesh territory,

The extension of transit facilities to India will see 'Bangladesh's economy growing by another 4 to 6 percent', he said. Replying to journalists' questions at the Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Bangladesh (DCAB)'s Iftar party in the capital on Saturday, nine days ahead of the Indian premier's visit, the advisor termed the visit a 'comprehensive' one.

Manmohan will come to Dhaka on Sep 6 on a two-day visit, accompanied by his wife Gursharan Kaur and chief ministers of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee, Meghalaya's Mukul Sangma, Tripura's Manik Sarkar, Assam's Tarun Gogoi and Mizoram's Lal Thanhawla. Gowher briefly described the issues on the agenda during the high-profile visit, but elaborated on the much-talked about transit issue.

The internationally renowned political scientist termed prime minister Sheikh Hasina's Jan 2010 visit to India a 'defining moment' in Bangladesh-India relationship. Hasina had invited Manmohan during the visit. Referring to those who oppose transit, Rizvi said they are doing 'misguided' publicity.

"There is no need for a fresh agreement on transit since it has been in the 1974 Indira-Mujib treaty. We need to work out the modalities and operational details of the (transit) routes."

An expert on South Asia affairs, he explained there was transit among Bangladesh (then East Pakistan), India and Pakistan from 1947 to 1965, which collapsed during the India-Pak war in 1965. But, it was in 1974 Indira-Mujib treaty, there were provisions of using river, road, rail and air routes. It did not happen after Aug 15, 1975 assassination of Bangabndhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as there was no political will between the two countries after the changeover.

Prime minister Hasina expressed her desire to resume it during her visit. He said the transit activities will start once infra-structure is 'ready'. "First it starts with river route, then rail and road."

The advisor dismissed speculations that Bangladesh will not gain from the transit facility and said, "We must profit from the transit fee we set." "All estimates show there is a profit."  "But transit fee is a very small part of our gain. Our benefits will be in trade, investment and employment generation in the country."

He said Bangladesh's trade with India increased 33 percent in the last 12 months, only because of good relations. "We collected reviews from experts who studied good transit practices in the world and submitted a report to the government. "The government will review the report and set the best rate for Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Bhutan."

He insisted Bangladesh will determine the fee. "But, (it) must be set considering market competitiveness." "If we charge a prohibitive amount that will discourage transit access, then our infrastructure development will go in vain."

The advisor, however, could not specify how much profits Bangladesh can make out of transit. But he said the government would be able to recover infrastructure development costs within seven to 15 years. Replying a question, he said, Bangladesh would be able to use India's transit to trade with Nepal and Bhutan.

Advisor Gowher said they had closely monitored the joint communiqués signed during the Delhi visit in the last 20 months. "There will be a review on what we've achieved so far. But we will not stop here. We will take it forward." He said there were some ingrained problems between the neighbours since the partition of in 1947.

"We wish to resolve all the problems," he said, 'both the countries have power and water problems.' The prime minister's advisor said they saw a 'future' through the visit. "There will be an interim agreement on Teesta water-sharing, apart from discussion on trade and investment during Manmohan's visit. "We will discuss how to augment (our share of) water in future as we share at least 50 rivers."

Gowher said there will be a 'framework agreement' on wide-ranging issues that will give "us direction about what will better for the relationship between the two countries". "The whole area of cooperation will be included in the framework agreement."

The advisor said there would be no hiding any agreement or memorandum of understanding. "Everything will be made public," he said and added those "who say we are making 'secret' deals are propagating misinformation to confuse people".

Replying a question, the advisor said, "No sane person should say Bangladesh will give corridor to India." "They (who say this) don't know the meaning of the word (corridor)," he said, "corridor means giving away the sovereignty of the area".

"We are an independent and confident nation," he asserted. "We are negotiating from a position of strength. There will be no agreement sacrificing national interest."

http://www.bdnews24.com/details.php?id=204491&cid=2

__._,_.___


[Disclaimer: ALOCHONA Management is not liable for information contained in this message. The author takes full responsibility.]
To unsubscribe/subscribe, send request to alochona-owner@egroups.com




Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___

[ALOCHONA] World Bank backs 'ineligible' firm



World Bank backs 'ineligible' firm

The World Bank has recommended that a foreign firm build Siddhirganj power plant breaching tender conditions for a project worth no less than $ 300 million to cut peak-hour electricity deficits.

According to a bdnews24.com investigation, the tender valuation committee and a fuel expert of the World Bank have thrown their weight behind a joint venture of Isolux Ingenieria SA of Spain and Samsung C&T Corporation of South Korea to get the project, financed by the World Bank and the government of Bangladesh.

Sahco International Limited, of which communications minister Syed Abul Hossain is a former managing director, is the representative of the joint venture in Bangladesh. Ruling Awami League MP Mostafa Faruque Mohammed is now the managing director of the company. The communication minister's wife and two daughters are directors of the firm.

Even as the joint venture of Isolux-Samsung has had no previous experience in such construction, which is a must to get the job in line with the conditions mentioned in tender, senior fuel expert of WB's South Asia Sustainable Development Unit Mohammad Iqbal has recommended giving the work to the firm. Iqbal is the task team manager of the project to construct the Siddhirganj plant.

The tender evaluation committee says it was working in line with the WB recommendations. The Electricity Generation Company of Bangladesh Limited (EGCB) called the tender for the construction of the 450-megawatt power plant.

On Dec 23 last year, Cobra SA and Isolux-Samsung submitted tenders with offers to build the facility at $300 million and $342 million respectively. The two companies, however, offered to supply equipment from the same company.

But, the tender valuation committee had initially thrown out the lowest bid from Cobra on the ground that it had provided 'unnecessary' information in the documents and Isolux-Samsung had not built any such plant before. Then, on Jan 13, it sought views of the bank.

Several letters and meetings later, the bank wrote to the power secretary on Mar 31 asking him to explain what 'previous experience meant and give necessary orders.

And, when the assessment committee wrote to the highest bidder, Isolux-Samsung, for an explanation of their offer, Cobra, the lowest bidder, said they also be given opportunity to explain their offer.

But in a June 24 letter to the power secretary the WB took a stance against allowing the lowest bidder an opportunity and recommended considering the highest bidder's offer. The evaluation committee got back to WB with the opinion that the highest bidder's offer might be considered if the highest bidder having no previous experience was ignored.

On Jul 5, Cobra filed a written compliant to finance minister A M A Muhith alleging irregularities in the appraisal, and sought his intervention for an impartial evaluation. The finance minister asked the power secretary to make a report on the developments but he has yet to submit one. Instead, fuel expert Iqbal in another letter on Aug 10 informed the tender evaluation committee that their report had been accepted and that the WB had no reservations about the job being given to Isolux-Samsung.

Pressed for comment on the allegations of irregularities, EGCB director (technical) Shanti Ram Roy, who heads the evaluation committee, told bdnews24.com: Everything is being done as per the committee's decision." Asked why the highest bidder was being picked for the job even though both the firms were 'disqualified', he said, "We are working following recommendation from the financier (World Bank)."

The EGCB director declined comment when asked whether anyone was influencing the decision to contract the highest bidder. EGCB managing director Mohammad Mostafa Kamal said, "The matter of implementing the project is under process, it's not been finalised yet." He said they would sit with Isolux-Samsung on Sept 7 to close the deal on the appointment of contractor.

The managing director of the Sahco International Limited, the Bangladeshi associates of Isolux-Samsung, told bdnews24.com: "I don't know anything about this matter." Power secretary Abul Kalam Azad said, "Nothing that can cause irregularity will be done." He also said they would submit a report on Cobra's complaint as per the finance minister's instruction.

WB's South Asia Sustainable Development Unit's fuel expert Mohammad Iqbal was not available for comment. World Bank's country director Ellen Goldstein told bdnews24.com the tender evaluation committee has told the World Bank Cobra's proposal was not considered despite their being the lowest bidder for failing to meet the tender conditions. The bank gave its no-objection certificate for Isolux's proposal since it meets international standards for procurement.

"The World Bank will have no objection if the Bangladesh government enters into a contract in line with the recommendations of EGCB's evaluation committee," he added. On Sept 8 2009, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) cleared the project to build the state-of-the-art 300-MW gas turbine peaking power plant at Siddhirganj at an estimated cost of Tk 27.743 billion. Later the government decided to raise the capacity of the plant to 450 MW. The estimated cost was doubled, too.

According to the amended proposal, a total of Tk 41.65 billion would be needed to implement the project. The WB would lend Tk 30.4119 billion while the government would fund the remaining.

http://www.bdnews24.com/details.php?cid=2&id=204514&hb=top


__._,_.___


[Disclaimer: ALOCHONA Management is not liable for information contained in this message. The author takes full responsibility.]
To unsubscribe/subscribe, send request to alochona-owner@egroups.com




Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___

[ALOCHONA] Funny - Fair & Lovely in Bangla



http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=MIqPhX6VHu0#!


__._,_.___


[Disclaimer: ALOCHONA Management is not liable for information contained in this message. The author takes full responsibility.]
To unsubscribe/subscribe, send request to alochona-owner@egroups.com




Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___

[ALOCHONA] AL men attack human chain for road repair



AL men attack human chain for road repair

50 BNP activists, journos hurt

At least 50 BNP activists and journalists were injured yesterday when Jubo League men attacked a human chain formed demanding urgent repairs to the Sakhipur-Taktarchala road in the district.The attack was made around 11:00am when Sakhipur unit of BNP was holding a human chain at the upazila headquarters at Taltala, locals said.

Jubo League men also beat up journalists including Nasir Uddin, Tangail correspondent of private TV channel ATN Bangla; Channel I correspondent Muslim Uddin Ahmed and Anwar Kabir, Sakhipur correspondent of daily Amardesh, when they were taking pictures of the attack.

Some BNP leaders and workers were attacked for the second and third time when they took shelter at the party office and local hospitals, said local BNP leader Ahmed Azam Khan. He also said the ruling party cadres foiled their peaceful human chain without any instigation and police remained inactive at that time.Saiful Islam Shamim, president of the upazila unit Jubo League, however, blamed another faction of BNP for the attack.

The injured BNP workers were admitted to different private hospitals and clinics, party sources said. Mozammel Haque Mamun, officer-in-charge of Sakhipur Police Station, said he talked to leaders of both the parties before the programme and also deployed 30 policemen to prevent any untoward incident.

But the attack was so sudden that police could not take any immediate action. The police, however, rescued the BNP activists and took them to local hospitals, said the OC. Meanwhile, a meeting was held at Tangail Press Club in the afternoon protesting the attack on journalists and demanding immediate steps against the culprits.

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=200386

__._,_.___


[Disclaimer: ALOCHONA Management is not liable for information contained in this message. The author takes full responsibility.]
To unsubscribe/subscribe, send request to alochona-owner@egroups.com




Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___

[ALOCHONA] Fwd: Bangladesh allows India to erect 35 military structures within 150 yard of the border



-------- Forwarded message ----------

From: Zoglul Husain <zoglul@hotmail.co.uk>
Date: Thu, Aug 25, 2011 at 4:17 PM
Subject: RE: Bangladesh allows India to erect 35 military structures within 150 yard of the border
To: Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com>


The way it is going, given an opportunity, Hasina will erect a flagpole and hoist the national flag of India in front of Gono Bhaban, as her ambassador in Nepal already displayed Indian flag on his official car!! The patriots must deny her the opportunity. But, the way some sections of the opposition are competing with her in appeasing Manmohan, the task may be more difficult than normally it would have been!!

The ordinary patriots like us will of course keep on campaigning and will make it difficult for the appeasers, whatever hue that they may assume. We will certainly win in the end!


Date: Thu, 25 Aug 2011 12:59:19 +0600
Subject: Bangladesh allows India to erect 35 military structures within 150 yard of the border
From: bdmailer@gmail.com
To:

Bangladesh allows India to erect 35 military structures within 150 yard of the border



http://www.amadershomoy1.com/content/2011/08/25/news0309.htm





__._,_.___


[Disclaimer: ALOCHONA Management is not liable for information contained in this message. The author takes full responsibility.]
To unsubscribe/subscribe, send request to alochona-owner@egroups.com




Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___

[ALOCHONA] Pof Dr Asif Nazrul on successful ministers... http://www.prothom-alo.com/detail/date/2011-08-27/news/181403



Pof Dr Asif Nazrul on successful ministers...



http://www.prothom-alo.com/detail/date/2011-08-27/news/181403

__._,_.___


[Disclaimer: ALOCHONA Management is not liable for information contained in this message. The author takes full responsibility.]
To unsubscribe/subscribe, send request to alochona-owner@egroups.com




Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___

[ALOCHONA] Re: Amnesty: No arms for Bangladesh



Crimes unseen: Extrajudicial executions in Bangladesh


Bangladeshi journalist Masum Fakir was arrested and tortured by the RAB © Masum Fakir

24 August 2011

The Bangladesh authorities must honour their pledge to stop extrajudicial executions by a special police force accused of involvement in hundreds of killings, Amnesty International said today in a new report.

Crimes unseen: Extrajudicial executions in Bangladesh also documents how the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) justify these killings as accidental or as a result of officers acting in self-defence, although in reality many victims are killed following their arrest.

"Hardly a week goes by in Bangladesh without someone being shot by RAB with the authorities saying they were killed or injured in 'crossfire' or a 'gun-fight'. However the authorities choose to describe such incidents, the fact remains that they are suspected unlawful killings," said Abbas Faiz, Amnesty International's Bangladesh Researcher.

The RAB has been implicated in the killing of at least 700 people since its inception in 2004. Any investigations that have been carried out into those killed have either been handled by RAB or by a government-appointed judicial body but the details of their methodology or findings have remained secret. They have never resulted in judicial prosecution. RAB has consistently denied responsibility for unlawful killings and the authorities have accepted RAB claims.

"It is appalling that virtually all alleged instances of illegal RAB killings have gone unchallenged or unpunished. There can be no justice if the force is the chief investigator of its own wrong-doings. Such investigations cannot be impartial. There is nothing to stop the RAB from destroying the evidence and engineering the outcome," said Abbas Faiz.

Former detainees also told Amnesty International how they were routinely tortured in custody, suffering beatings, food and sleep deprivation, and electric shocks.

At least 200 alleged RAB killings have occurred since January 2009 when the current Awami League government came to power, despite the Prime Minister's pledge to end extrajudicial executions and claims by the authorities that no extrajudicial executions were carried out in the country in this period.

In addition, at least 30 people have been killed in other police operations since early 2010, with the police also portraying them as deaths in "shoot-outs" or "gun-fights".

"By failing to take proper judicial action against RAB, successive Bangladeshi governments have effectively endorsed the force's claims and conduct and given it carte blanche to act with impunity. All we have seen from the current government are broken promises or worse, outright denial," said Abbas Faiz.

In many cases the investigations blamed the victims, calling them criminals and portraying their deaths as justified even though available public evidence refuted that.

"The Bangladesh authorities must act now and take concrete steps to protect people from the alleged unlawful killings by their security forces .The government must ensure independent and impartial investigations into all suspected cases of extrajudicial executions and bring those responsible to justice."

Bangladesh's police and RAB continue to receive a wide range of military and police equipment from overseas, including from Austria, Belgium, China, Czech Republic, Italy, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Turkey and USA. In addition, diplomatic cables from the US Embassy in Dhaka, obtained and released by Wikileaks in December 2010 alleged that UK police had been training RAB officers.

Amnesty International calls upon these countries to refrain from supplying arms to Bangladesh that will be used by RAB and other security forces to commit extrajudicial executions and other human rights violations. Any country that knowingly sends arms or other supplies to equip a force which systematically violates human rights may itself bear some responsibility for those violations.

RAB was created in March 2004, to much public acclaim, as the government's response to a breakdown in law and order, particularly in western and central Bangladesh.

In Rajshahi, Khulna and Dhaka districts, armed criminal groups or powerful mercenary gangs colluded with local politicians to run smuggling rings or extort money from local people. Within months of its creation, RAB's operations were characterized by a pattern of killings portrayed by the authorities as 'deaths in crossfire', many of which had the hallmarks of extrajudicial executions.

They usually occurred in deserted locations after a suspect's arrest. In some cases, there were witnesses to the arrests, but RAB authorities maintained that victims had been killed by 'crossfire', or in 'shoot-outs' or 'gunfights'.

Bangladesh's two main political parties – the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the Awami League – have shown no commitment to limiting the powers of RAB.

In the first couple of months of coming to office, the Prime Minister spoke of a "zero tolerance" policy toward extrajudicial executions. Other government authorities repeated her pledge. These hopes were dashed in late 2009 when the authorities, including the Home Minister, began to claim that there were no extrajudicial executions in the country.

Related links:

An exhibition on extra judicial killings by Shahidul Alam

Guardian report on torture by MI5 in collaboration with RAB

Rahnuma Ahmed's column on the shooting of Limon Hossain by RAB

Amensty's Abbas Faiz on RAB impunity

Rahnuma Ahmed's column on militarisation and the women's movement

Rahnuma Ahmed's column on the 'death squad'

Guardian article on 'death squad' being trained by UK Government

Guardian claim of Briton being tortured in Bangladesh

Representing "Crossfire": Politics, Art and Photography



On Wed, Aug 24, 2011 at 12:32 PM, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:
No arms for Bangladesh



Amnesty Int'l urges arms supplying countries over extra-judicial killing

Amnesty International has called upon all countries to stop supplying arms to Bangladesh citing that they will be used by Rapid Action Battalion and other law enforcement agencies to commit extrajudicial killings.

An AI report yesterday said since inception in 2004, Rab has been implicated in the unlawful killing of at least 700 people including about 200 after the Awami League-led government assumed power. It said the party had pledged before elections that it would bring the extrajudicial executions to an end.

The UK-based human rights watchdog in the report released last night, titled "Crimes Unseen: Extrajudicial executions in Bangladesh", made the recommendation to the international community as the government reportedly refuses to stop extrajudicial killings. It claimed the government consistently denies stopping this despite repeated appeals from national and international rights bodies including AI.

"In Amnesty International's view, any country that knowingly sends arms or other supplies to equip a force which systematically violates human rights may itself bear some responsibility for those violations," read the last lines of the report.

AI mentioned 11 countries that continue to supply Bangladesh a wide range of police and military equipment including pistols, machine guns, toxic agents (like teargas), grenade launchers and helicopters. The countries include Austria, Belgium, China, Czech Republic, Italy, Poland, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Turkey and the USA.

As an example of foreign assistance to Rab, the report mentioned the Wikileaks leak of US diplomatic cables that divulged training of Rab by UK police.

On different occasions, the AI urged the government to stop extrajudicial killings while the New York-based Human Rights Watch in May asked the government to have Rab reformed in six months or disband it altogether.

The report said all hopes of extrajudicial executions coming to an end vanished in late 2009 when the government, including its home minister, denied that there were extrajudicial killings going on in the country.

"This denial has shielded Rab from justice, and released the prime minister from her pledge. It amounts to a renewed lease of impunity for Rab," said the report.

Impunity for Rab seems to have created an environment in which other security agencies, such as the police, found the scope to follow Rab's footsteps knowing that accountability can be avoided, observed the report. It said since early 2010 police killed 30 people, portraying them as "shootouts", "gunfights" or "crossfire" just like Rab does.

However, these remain suspected extrajudicial executions, said the report which was made following AI interviews of 20 victims in June.

The report also blamed police for helping Rab distort records, covering up the human rights violations, biased investigations of such killings and not letting victims file cases against Rab.

Rab is a unit of police.

Instead of blaming even a single Rab personnel, investigations conducted by Rab and the government always end up calling the victims criminals and portraying the deaths as justified, said the report.

"By failing to take proper judicial action against Rab, successive Bangladeshi governments have effectively endorsed the force's claims and conduct and given it carte blanche to act with impunity. All we have seen from the current government are broken promises or worse, outright denial," said Amnesty International's Bangladesh researcher in Dhaka Abbas Faiz in a press release.

Inspector General of Police Hassan Mahmood Khandker told The Daily Star last night that he is unable to comment on the AI report since he has not read it or seen it.

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=200002
--------
Government must act now to stop police unlawful killings

The Bangladesh authorities must honour their pledge to stop extrajudicial executions by a special police force accused of involvement in hundreds of killings, Amnesty International said today in a new report.

Crimes unseen: Extrajudicial executions in Bangladesh also documents how the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) justify these killings as accidental or as a result of officers acting in self-defence, although in reality many victims are killed following their arrest.

"Hardly a week goes by in Bangladesh without someone being shot by RAB with the authorities saying they were killed or injured in 'crossfire' or a 'gun-fight'. However the authorities choose to describe such incidents, the fact remains that they are suspected unlawful killings," said Abbas Faiz, Amnesty International's Bangladesh Researcher.

The RAB has been implicated in the killing of at least 700 people since its inception in 2004. Any investigations that have been carried out into those killed have either been handled by RAB or by a government-appointed judicial body but the details of their methodology or findings have remained secret. They have never resulted in judicial prosecution. RAB has consistently denied responsibility for unlawful killings and the authorities have accepted RAB claims.

"It is appalling that virtually all alleged instances of illegal RAB killings have gone unchallenged or unpunished. There can be no justice if the force is the chief investigator of its own wrong-doings. Such investigations cannot be impartial. There is nothing to stop the RAB from destroying the evidence and engineering the outcome," said Abbas Faiz. 

Former detainees also told Amnesty International how they were routinely tortured in custody, suffering beatings, food and sleep deprivation, and electric shocks.

At least 200 alleged RAB killings have occurred since January 2009 when the current Awami League government came to power, despite the Prime Minister's pledge to end extrajudicial executions and claims by the authorities that no extrajudicial executions were carried out in the country in this period. 

In addition, at least 30 people have been killed in other police operations since early 2010, with the police also portraying them as deaths in "shoot-outs" or "gun-fights".

"By failing to take proper judicial action against RAB, successive Bangladeshi governments have effectively endorsed the force's claims and conduct and given it carte blanche to act with impunity. All we have seen from the current government are broken promises or worse, outright denial," said Abbas Faiz.

In many cases the investigations blamed the victims, calling them criminals and portraying their deaths as justified even though available public evidence refuted that.

"The Bangladesh authorities must act now and take concrete steps to protect people from the alleged unlawful killings by their security forces .The government must ensure independent and impartial investigations into all suspected cases of extrajudicial executions and bring those responsible to justice."

Bangladesh's police and RAB continue to receive a wide range of military and police equipment from overseas, including from Austria, Belgium, China, Czech Republic, Italy, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Turkey and USA. In addition, diplomatic cables from the US Embassy in Dhaka, obtained and released by Wikileaks in December 2010 alleged that UK police had been training RAB officers.

Amnesty International calls upon these countries to refrain from supplying arms to Bangladesh that will be used by RAB and other security forces to commit extrajudicial executions and other human rights violations. Any country that knowingly sends arms or other supplies to equip a force which systematically violates human rights may itself bear some responsibility for those violations.

RAB was created in March 2004, to much public acclaim, as the government's response to a breakdown in law and order, particularly in western and central Bangladesh.

Rajshahi, Khulna and Dhaka districts, armed criminal groups or powerful mercenary gangs colluded with local politicians to run smuggling rings or extort money from local people. Within months of its creation, RAB's operations were characterized by a pattern of killings portrayed by the authorities as 'deaths in crossfire', many of which had the hallmarks of extrajudicial executions.

They usually occurred in deserted locations after a suspect's arrest. In some cases, there were witnesses to the arrests, but RAB authorities maintained that victims had been killed by 'crossfire', or in 'shoot-outs' or 'gunfights'.

Bangladesh's two main political parties – the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the Awami League – have shown no commitment to limiting the powers of RAB.

In the first couple of months of coming to office, the Prime Minister spoke of a "zero tolerance" policy toward extrajudicial executions. Other government authorities repeated her pledge. These hopes were dashed in late 2009 when the authorities, including the Home Minister, began to claim that there were no extrajudicial executions in the country.

Crimes unseen: Extrajudicial executions in Bangladesh:  http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA13/005/2011/en/c18ad74b-75fe-4b15-b043-5982eebdb27d/asa130052011en.pdf



__._,_.___


[Disclaimer: ALOCHONA Management is not liable for information contained in this message. The author takes full responsibility.]
To unsubscribe/subscribe, send request to alochona-owner@egroups.com




Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___