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Tuesday, March 13, 2012

[ALOCHONA] Re: India's water war



Mahmudur Rahman's article



http://amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2012/03/14/136034

On Sat, Mar 10, 2012 at 11:54 AM, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:
Weekly  BUDHBAR  report:

http://budhbar.com/?p=7843


On Sat, Mar 3, 2012 at 12:23 PM, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:


http://www.dailynayadiganta.com/details/32585



On Sat, Mar 3, 2012 at 12:07 PM, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:
River-linking on priority, says Indian water minister

The Indian water resources minister yesterday said the issue of interlinking of rivers was high on the ministry's agenda but maintained it could not move ahead before taking states on board.

"As far as the question of interlinking is concerned, the government is seized of the matter and it is a priority for us. When it comes to the feasibility reports, these were prepared because the government is eager to do it," said Pawan Kumar Bansal, the minister.

But he stressed that water being a state matter, the central government cannot move further without taking the states on board.

His remarks came close on the heels of the Indian Supreme Court asking the government to constitute a committee for implementing the interlinking of rivers.

"It is a very, very difficult project. It is a difficult task to arrive at a consensus among states. They [states] are reluctant to get into an immediate agreement on sharing of water. Also, water is a state subject and we cannot impose anything on anyone.

"But we try to take the concerned states on board. Wherever there is a possibility on those linkages, we try to take them on board," he told reporters.

He said that out of 30 possible links identified, five projects were flagged as priority projects.

"Out of those five projects, the detailed project report [DPR] of Ken-Betwa has been prepared. On others, there are talks between states. In one case, the chief ministers of Maharashtra and Gujarat states signed the MoU for preparing the DPR in the presence of the prime minister recently.... The government considers this to be an important thing," Bansal added.

Of the 30 possible links that were identified, 16 are in the Himalayan component and 14 are in the peninsular component.

Explaining the benefits of interlinking, which Bansal prefers to term transfer of water from surplus basins to deficit basins, the minister said the ultimate irrigation potential which can be created in the country is 140 million hectares, of which 110 million hectares have been created.

"If we are able to transfer water from surplus basins to deficit basins, then another 25 million hectares can be directly created in addition to 140 million hectares," he said, adding another 10 million hectares will be the result of improvement in ground water level.

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=224612

http://www.dailyjanakantha.com/news_view.php?nc=15&dd=2012-03-02&ni=88480

On Thu, Mar 1, 2012 at 11:22 AM, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:

Issue bilateral, action unilateral

Delhi assures Dhaka of discussion, continues to construct around 700 dams, many in line with river-linking project

Over the years India has been assuring Bangladesh of not making any unilateral decisions on its National River Linking Project but it is building around 700 dams on its rivers and many of them are for facilitating the mega project.

Experts say despite what India has been saying, it never stopped the implementation of the project. It went on with the projects that facilitate the mega project even though the matter was pending with Indian courts. The draft of its National Water Policy 2012 also encourages inter-basin transfer of water through river-linking.

According to the final report of World Commission on Dams (WCD) in 2000, an estimated 1,700 large dams were being built in the world and India accounted for 40 percent of those dams.

The report said out of the 45,000 large and small dams in the world, India has about 4,000, which makes it the fourth, after the USA, China and Japan, country to have that many dams.

A follow up report in 2010 named "WCD 2000+10" focused more on the lasting impacts of the report. It said countries such as India and China (which combined accounts for over half of the dams in the world) continues to reject "the report for the fear that it could bring dam construction to a halt".

No newer data was available at the World Commission on Dams website.

Many of the dams are on rivers that flow into Bangladesh.

Khalequzzaman, assistant prof of Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, in his publication titled "Dams in NE India Implications for Bangladesh" published in 2006, mentions that India has built dams on at least 30 common rivers.

The dams and barrages India has built are causing problems in Bangladesh as its agriculture and environment is largely dependent on those rivers especially the Ganges and the Brahmaputra, experts said. The two rivers are threatened by India's controversial project, they said.

"If they divert water from the Brahmaputra, even Dhaka would be affected by salinity," said Ainun Nishat, vice-chancellor of Brac University. "Now the most important thing is to think about what we should do if India really implements the project," he said.

According to Ainun Nishat, it would be disastrous if India made barrages on the Brahmaputra and diverted water of the river, which is known as Jamuna in Bangladesh.

Interestingly, India continues to build dams putting Bangladesh in difficulty but objects to China's dam-building on the Brahmaputra.

Experts said India has been building dams which it would have built anyway during implementation of its river-linking project. They said the river-linking project would not work if those dams were not in place and that the building of these dams was part of the mega project.

India has been constructing a barrage on the Mechi river in Bihar state for the last few years to divert the water of the Teesta towards the west to Fulhar through Mahananda-Mechi, which is visible with Google Earth.

Retired hydrologist M Inamul Haq, chairman of environment organisation Water and Environment, said, "India has been running a hydroelectric plant near Fanshideowa using diverted water of the Teesta."

He said the water used in the plant is diverted from the Teesta before it enters Bangladesh.

India plans to divert a large portion of water form the Brahmaputra and the Ganges rivers through 30 canals, depriving and ignoring outcries of Bangladesh and some of its own states.

The drafts of the proposed National Water Policy 2012 says that with the current strategy of India, it can only use about 1,123 billion cubic metres of water out of 1,869 billion cubic metres available, if large inter-basin transfers are not made. It emphasises India's need for inter-basin water transfer, which could put Bangladesh in serious trouble.

The river-linking project was commissioned in 1982. Bangladesh has been opposing the plan since 2002 when the then Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee formed a taskforce to get the project going.

The Indian Supreme Court has recently cleared the path for the implementation of the mega project. The court in its order said the central Indian government and the states concerned should participate for its "effective" implementation "in a time-bound manner".

Prior to the assurance of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last year, an Indian delegation in 2010 assured Bangladesh of not making any unilateral decisions on the Tipaimukh Dam and river-linking project during the Joint River Commission talks on the Teesta water-sharing deal.

Also in 2006 and 2005 India assured Bangladesh that it would not implement the river-linking project without discussion with Bangladesh.

KERALA OPPOSES RIVER LINKING
The Congress-led coalition government and CPI-M led opposition in southern Indian state of Kerala yesterday came out against the Supreme Court directive to the Indian central government for implementing the river-linking project, our correspondent in New Delhi reports.

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said Kerala would not agree to the river-linking scheme as it was "harmful" for the state.

He, however, said the Indian apex court order was not applicable to Kerala and it was relevant only to those states that had agreed on the river-linking scheme.

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=224514


Editorial

We are deeply concerned

India's river-linking project warrants detailed clarification

In the wake of a time-bound Supreme Court order, India will now actively consider implementing the controversial project to link 30 of its rivers and divert the waters of Brahmaputra and Ganges to irrigate its southern and western regions.

We are taken aback by the court order and the manner in which the project has proceeded so far, completely ignoring Bangladesh, a co-riparian country with a vital stake in common rivers.

Sadly, we are now watching alarming developments on a matter that vitally affects our interest. At no stage of the process has Bangladesh been consulted, which runs counter to fundamental norms of good neighbourly relations and international custom of engaging with affected neighbours when diverting water that flows through more than one countries.

We would, therefore, emphatically urge India to come out with a full disclosure of its plans and engage Bangladesh and other states who share the common river basins.

As we understand, if implemented, the river-linking project will spell unprecedented ecological disaster for Bangladesh. Many rivers including Teesta will be severely affected, Rising salinity level will destroy farmlands, ground and surface water systems, the flora and fauna on either side of Padma and Meghna rivers affecting the livelihoods of some 30 million people. Existence of the world's largest mangrove forest, the Sundarbans, will also be under a grave threat

Given the enormity of the river linking project, it is clear that it will have a colossal impact on the ecology of the region and affect the lower riparian country tremendously. India cannot keep Bangladesh in the dark while it starts implementing this project.

We demand that all related studies and plans regarding those rivers that flow between our two countries be made available to us immediately. Let our experts study them and suggest ways to move forward on this project without harming our interest.

The spirit of good neighbourliness that now marks our bilateral relations demands the above. Ignoring our interest may prove disastrous for the future of our relations, as we had seen from the Farakka experience.

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=224418


On Tue, Feb 28, 2012 at 1:32 PM, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:
India to Link Rivers: Contentious project gets court green light

Environmentalists in Bangladesh fear it would spell disaster



The Indian Supreme Court yesterday ordered the government to implement an ambitious project to link the major rivers of the region in a "time-bound manner".

The court also appointed a high-powered committee to plan and put into action the Rs 5,00,000 crore scheme.

The river-linking project was first devised in 1980 and has been under discussion ever since, reports BBC.

Bangladesh has been opposing the plan since 2002 as the then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee formed a taskforce to get the project going against the backdrop of the acute drought that year.

Vajpayee then said the scheme would "free India from the curse of floods and droughts".

The project that aims to link 30 major rivers and divert the Ganges and the Brahmaputra rivers was also opposed by other neighbouring countries and environmentalists.

Bangladesh maintains that a diversion of water from these rivers will harm its interests while environmentalists say the project will cause an ecological disaster, BBC writes.

Ainun Nishat, a water expert, yesterday told The Daily Star the Bangladesh-India Joint Communiqué issued during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's New Delhi visit in 2010 called for mutual understanding in managing the common rivers.

But the river link project was initiated without any consent of Bangladesh.

The diversion of the Brahmaputra will have a serious impact on Bangladesh that gets about two-thirds of its dry season water from the river, he added.

The Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon, an environment organisation, handed over a memorandum to Hasina last September when Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Dhaka.

It expressed concern that under the river link plan the flows of the Brahmaputra and the Ganges will be redirected towards the southern and western parts of India, depriving Bangladesh of water.

The project requires the construction of large dams in India, Nepal and Bhutan, besides requiring international agreements with these countries.

Environmentalists say large dams would flood forests and cultivated areas, and cause compulsory resettlement of people, according to a BBC report.

The biodiversity of Bangladesh greatly depends on rivers. The country is already bearing the brunt of a diversion of water of the Ganges and Teesta rivers by India.

The taskforce that Vajpayee formed in October 2002 recommended dividing the project into Peninsular and Himalayan components.

The Peninsular component that involved rivers in southern India envisaged developing a "Southern Water Grid" with 16 linkages.

It included diversion of surplus water of Mahanadi and Godavari rivers to Pennar, Krishna, Vaigai and Cauvery rivers.

The taskforce also mooted a diversion of the rivers of Kerala and Karnataka to the east, and an interlinking of small rivers flowing along the west coast, south of Tapi and north of Mumbai and of the southern tributaries of Jamuna.

The Himalayan component envisaged building reservoirs on the Ganges and the Brahmaputra and their main tributaries in India and Nepal to conserve water during the monsoon for irrigation and hydro-power generation.

The taskforce had identified 14 links, including Kosi-Ghagra, Kosi-Mech, Ghagra-Jamuna, Gandak-Ganges, Jamuna-Rajasthan, Rajasthan-Sabarmati, Sarda-Jamuna, Farakka-Sundarbans, Brahmaputra-Ganges, Subernarekha-Mahanadi, and Ganges-Damodar-Subernarekha.

The taskforce said the linking of rivers in India would raise irrigation potential to 160 million hectares for all types of crops by 2050.

The project proposes linkages between the major rivers by the year 2016.

Yesterday, observing that the project had already been delayed, resulting in cost rise, a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice SH Kapadia said the central Indian government and the states concerned should participate for its "effective" implementation "in a time-bound manner".

The bench appointed a high-powered committee comprising Indian water resources minister, its secretary, secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) and four experts appointed by water resources ministry, finance ministry, planning commission and MoEF.

Representatives from state governments, two social activists and senior lawyer Ranjit Kumar, who has been assisting the court in the case, will also be in the committee as members.

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=224227








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[ALOCHONA] Re: Awami League's moral defeat: Govt holds Dhaka city hostage



'Bad example'

http://www.samakal.com.bd/details.php?news=13&action=main&option=single&news_id=244009&pub_no=991


http://www.amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2012/03/14/136039

On Tue, Mar 13, 2012 at 11:45 AM, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:
Commentary

Awami League's moral defeat: Government holds Dhaka city hostage

Mahfuz Anam



http://amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2012/03/13/135903

When does a government strangulate its capital city by preventing almost all modes of transport from reaching it? When does a government bring to a virtual halt almost all internal city movements? When does a government create such a panicky situation that traders do not open shops out of fear of vandalism? When does a government prevent its own citizens from carrying out their day to day activities? When do government leaders tell blatant lies on television while the truth is clearly the opposite? When does a ruling party let loose its goons upon normal citizens on suspicion that they might attend the opposition rally? When does an elected government adopt the most oppressive measure to prevent the opposition from holding a public rally?



http://www.thedailysangbad.com/?view=details&type=gold&data=News&pub_no=1007&menu_id=13&news_type_id=1&val=95083

Only when it is unsure of itself. A party confident of its popular base, sure of its public support, certain of the efficacy of its policies and surefooted about its public record would never have done what the ruling Awami League did yesterday to prevent the BNP from holding its public rally. What the ruling party did over the last two days to prevent mass participation in the opposition rally reveals a political party frightened of the strength of the opposition and loath to allow it to show it. In its massive show of strength the Awami League looked its weakest.


http://www.samakal.com.bd/details.php?news=13&action=main&option=single&news_id=243754&pub_no=990

A party that only three and half years ago came to power with a massive four fifths majority in parliament should today be so frightened of a discredited (in the last election) opposition that it uses all, save the military, coercive machinery of the state to prevent its mass rally. What is it, if not a moral defeat?


http://jugantor.us/enews/issue/2012/03/13/news0706.htm

The tragedy for the AL is that in attempting to suppress the opposition it has suppressed the citizens. Ordinary people were subjected to indescribable sufferings just to prevent the BNP from holding its rally. People who had nothing to do with the opposition's programme were searched, harassed, verbally abused and prevented from coming to Dhaka for their personal work on suspicion that they might join the rally. We have reports of job seekers scheduled to reach the Middle East not allowed to travel to Dhaka even after showing their tickets and passports. We have eyewitnesses to the fact that most launches were stopped at the point of origin and the few arriving at Sadarghat were prevented from reaching the shore and forced to go to far away jetties to let their passengers disembark, who then were stranded without any means of reaching their destinations. And we are not even talking of people arrested on suspicion and held in jails all over the country.


http://amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2012/03/13/135899

We published photographs of stick wielding ruling party goons attacking passengers of buses and launches in order to prevent them from reaching Dhaka. What mindset, what myopia, what perverted logic, what disregard for ordinary people could have allowed a government party to permit its activists to attack ordinary passengers whose only "crime" was to want to come to Dhaka. Seldom can we find examples of such disrespect for the fundamental rights of the people. Is this the ruling party's example of democracy?


http://www.dailykalerkantho.com/?view=details&type=gold&data=Soccer&pub_no=820&cat_id=1&menu_id=13&news_type_id=1&index=5

We also condemn the fact that the mass media, especially the electronic media, were prevented from fully carrying out their professional duties during yesterday's opposition programme. Several TV stations were barred from airing uninterrupted live coverage of the rally. A few channels that were covering stories of public sufferings during the course of the day were visited by intelligence people and told to tone down their coverage. In other cases the cable operators were partially prevailed upon to take some channels off the air during the peak hours of the opposition's rally. Such blatant interference in the media's function amounts to suppression of the freedom of the media and public's inalienable right to know.


http://sonarbangladesh.com/blog/post/98962

The oppressive measures the ruling party resorted to in order to prevent the BNP rally has shocked us all. The use of police, the intelligence agencies, and late last night, the BGB stunned the ordinary citizens are to why such a massive show of states repressive machinery was necessary. The government's apology of an explanation that it was only trying to prevent the opposition from creating chaos was neither credible nor acceptable in the absence of any proof. The more the government leaders repeated this narrative the more they sounded hollow and more their real intention became clear.

The question today is not what BNP did or how big was its rally, but what the ruling Awami League did. It showed a most ugly repressive face. It demonstrated that it would not hesitate to take any measure, however harsh, use any coercive instrument of state, impose any amount of sufferings on ordinary people, tell their fibs regardless of what the truth is, impose needless restrictions on public movement to prevent the opposition from carrying out protest activities permitted in a democracy. It may not realize that by its actions of the last two days the AL's image as a party that believes in democracy stands seriously damaged and its claim that it wants the opposition to play its legitimate role stands questioned.

We are sorry that Khaleda Zia has called a hartal on the 29th of this month, which we are opposed to in principle. But the issue of some sort of neutral body presiding over the election period and allowing the Election Commission to function freely is a legitimate question that AL cannot wish away. Here the opposition is right and the ruling party is wrong. The latter will have to concede on this point if it wants an election participated by all parties. Terming all BNP's actions as attempts to subvert the war crimes trial is a misconceived strategy and may have the opposite effect than intended. It is true that the BNP's position on the war crimes trial is condemnable (we will write separately on it) but its demand for an interim government for free and fair elections is justified.

We want to say in clear terms that the AL's policy towards the opposition, as exhibited in the last two days, is fundamentally undemocratic, legally untenable and practically unsustainable. What if the opposition calls for a similar programme a few months later? Will the government strangulate the country again for days? Will the public accept such sufferings again and again? As a country that proudly tells the world of its democracy such behaviour from its ruling party is totally unacceptable. The quicker the AL learns it, the better it is for its prospects in the next polls.

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=226110

Further:
http://www.jjdin.com/?view=details&type=single&pub_no=66&cat_id=1&menu_id=13&news_type_id=1&index=5
http://www.samakal.com.bd/details.php?news=13&action=main&option=single&news_id=243754&pub_no=990
http://www.thedailysangbad.com/?view=details&type=gold&data=News&pub_no=1007&menu_id=13&news_type_id=1&val=95083
http://www.dailykalerkantho.com/?view=details&type=gold&data=Soccer&pub_no=820&cat_id=1&menu_id=13&news_type_id=1&index=5
http://sonarbangladesh.com/blog/post/98962



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Re: [mukto-mona] Awami League's moral defeat: Govt holds Dhaka city hostage



The word 'Anam' is Arabic.  It means cattle.  Would Mahfuj (the cattle) be happy if March 12 resulted in a blood bath?  I can't understand why Khaleda Zia chose this auspicious day on which M. K.Gandhi launched his 'Satyagraha' movement|?  Does she want Bangladesh to merge with India?

On Wed, Mar 14, 2012 at 6:07 AM, Jiten Roy <jnrsr53@yahoo.com> wrote:
 


My commentary on Awami League's moral defeat

 

Political violence is undemocratic process and should be denounced. Right way to avoid violence is not instigating it in the first place. BNP leader, Khaleda Zia, has been threatening the government, for a long time, with ultimatum to overthrow it through mass movement, and the Dhaka-March was supposed to be the starting point of that movement. Now, it will be naïve to expect that government will sit quiet and facilitate that opportunity for the BNP on that day.  It will not happen in any government anywhere in the world.

 

Mr. Mahfuz Anam has missed the point completely. I do not think it is a democratic right of any political party or parties to overthrow a democratically elected government. That right is only reserved for the people of the country. Such extreme measures are used in the extreme political situations, like cessation or independence movement, not to change the government power from one political party to another. That's an absurd democratic right, and no government should allow opposition party to organize such a movement.

 

The only democratic way for a political party to come to power is through the election. That's it.  Could some with neutral mindset (if there is any such thing in Bangladesh) tell me why opposition party has chosen such undemocratic way to go to the power? They have not attended the General Assembly almost from the beginning of their term. Whatever excuses they have been giving us are just excuses; they do not convince me for a moment; it seems like - it's a part of their political calculation to go to power quickly. This is nothing but a back-door illegal politics.

 

Caretaker government provision in any country tells us that the democratic institutions and people of that country are not trustworthy. So, caretaker system can only be justified as training wheels for a new democracy. It cannot go on forever. You have to take off the training wheels ASAP. From that point of view, I consider caretaker government system in Bangladesh is a national disgrace now.

 

But, BNP has made the 'Caretaker government' issue as their primary campaign issue. No one can forget about 1/11, when a virtual military government took over the power from a caretaker government. Therefore, do not pretend, for a second, that a caretaker government system is the most fail-safe democratic system in the world, because it is not. You have seen many perfectly peaceful democratic elections already under this government, and the opposition candidates won in many of those critically important electorates. What that tells you?

 

The problem is not there; the major problem with BNP is that it is without a clear political philosophy, which makes it ideologically bankrupt political party. Tell me what is it? Is it a progressive party or a religious fundamentalist party or a moderate Islamic party? I can't say, because it has not made it clear. But, I know, it needs a political chaos to go to the power. 

 

BNP is now using everything such as, caretaker government issue, political agitations, non-cooperation movement, communal agitations, subversive activities, etc., for mobilizing its power-base. They have tried everything from road-march to military coup to go to power. Everything failed to do the trick for BNP. But, they have succeeded to sustain substantial damage to the economy of the country. That's an achievement for the BNP, but a failure for the country.  I don't understand how anybody with fair mind could support such destructive political agenda of the opposition party. Therefore, I shed no tears for what happened during the Dhaka-March.

 

In my opinion, certain political programs, such as strike, road-march, procession, etc., which can hamper country's economic progress should be reserved for national interest only, not for party political interests. The country cannot afford such destructive political campaigns by opposition parties.

 

Political parties should have only right to hold public meeting to present their cases to the public. Labor organizations should have rights to strike and hold meeting to mitigate their demands. That's it. Everything else is just destructive political agenda, should be reserved for critical circumstances only.

 

Don't tell me that - that critical time is here already, and BNP/Jamat is here to save us.

 

Jiten Roy 
--- On Tue, 3/13/12, Captain Chowdhury <captchowdhury@yahoo.ca> wrote:


From: Captain Chowdhury <captchowdhury@yahoo.ca>
Subject: [mukto-mona] Awami League's moral defeat: Govt holds Dhaka city hostage
To: khabor@yahoogroups.com, mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com, Chetona71@yahoogroups.com
Cc: editor@thedailystar.net, editor@prothom-alo.com, editor@amadershomoy.com, news@daily-dinkal.com, news@akhonshomoi.com, "news-deshbangla" <desdeshbangla@dekko.net.bd>, news@dailyjanakantha.com, news@prothom-alo.com, news@rtvbd.tv
Date: Tuesday, March 13, 2012, 8:28 AM


 
VERY WELL CONTROL (RISK MANAGEMENT) BY SHAHARA KHATUN BEING A LADY. THIS IS THE DIFFERENCE FROM BNP REGIME.
MR MAHMUZ ANAM WANTED TO SEE ANOTHER 21st AUG GRENADE ATTACKS, WHERE LAST ALIVE BLOOD OF BANGABANDHU NARROW LY SURVIVED OR LIKE TO SEE KASHEM MASTER / INNOCENT N THINK TANK/HIGHLY EDUCATED  KIBRIA LIKE KILLINGS WITHIN PARTY RALLIES !!!!
WHY CAN'T MR MAHFUZ ANAM AND THEIR FRIENDS TRY TO REQUEST BNP/ALLIES TO GO TO PARLIAMENT AND DEMAND FOR CTG /PENDING ISSUES !!!
THERE WAS ALL OVER RUMOUR (8TH NIGHT TILL 10TH)  THAT ANOTHER 21ST AUG MIGHT BE HAPPENED OR SOME-WHAT SABOTAGE, SIMILAR TO  ARAB SPRING IN AFRICA  TO FOIL THE WAR CRIMINAL ISSUES  AND MAKING FOOL TO JOURNALISTS LIKE MR MAHFUZ ANAM !!!
FOR SELLING PAPERS FOR HIS BUSINESS, MR MAHFUZ CUD HAVE MASTERMIND   
TO QUOTE MANY THINGS IN CASE SOMETHING CUD HAVE BEEN COOKED UP!!
I DID MY OFFICE VERY WELL, PEACEFULLY, SHIFTED FM CHITTAGONG WELL BEFORE TO AVOID ANY DELAYS. HOW ABOUT MR MAHFUZ : WAS HE AT HOME OR IN THE OFFICE..NORMALLY THE JOURNALISTS WORK LATE NIGHT TO COOK UP MANY THINGS (AS USUAL PICTURE IN BANGLADESH LIKE MIDNIGHT COUP ), LATER PROCEED TO OFFICE N THUS DIDIN'T SEE DHAKA AS A WHOLE DURIING SUBSEQUENT DAY!!!
BRAVO SHAHARA !!!!!
DEFINITELY WHOLE ACTION HAVE BEEN TAKEN CONCEPT FROM USA OR OTHER NATO ALLIES  AS MANY ANTI-MOBBED POLICES HAVE BEEN TRAINED RECENTLY (CALLED SWAT TRAINING), EVENTUALLY I AM LITTLE LUCKY TO HAD SAME EXPERIENCE WHILE DEALING A PROJECT WITH US MARINES!!
THIS IS SOPHISTICATED RISK MANAGEMENT !!!! MR MAHFUZ NEEDS MORE TIME TO GET SUCH CONCEPT !!!! HE MUST APPRECIATE GOVT THAT SERIOUS ACCIDENTS HAVE BEEN AVOIDED AND POLICE DEPT ARE WELL EQUIPPED WITH ACCIDENT PREVENTION SCHEME. DOES HE AWARE AS JOURNALIST REGARDING THESE TECHNICAL WORDS DURING MODERN ERA !!!

--- On Tue, 3/13/12, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:

From: Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com>
Subject: [KHABOR] Awami League's moral defeat: Govt holds Dhaka city hostage
To:
Received: Tuesday, March 13, 2012, 1:45 AM

 
Commentary

Awami League's moral defeat: Government holds Dhaka city hostage

Mahfuz Anam



http://amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2012/03/13/135903

When does a government strangulate its capital city by preventing almost all modes of transport from reaching it? When does a government bring to a virtual halt almost all internal city movements? When does a government create such a panicky situation that traders do not open shops out of fear of vandalism? When does a government prevent its own citizens from carrying out their day to day activities? When do government leaders tell blatant lies on television while the truth is clearly the opposite? When does a ruling party let loose its goons upon normal citizens on suspicion that they might attend the opposition rally? When does an elected government adopt the most oppressive measure to prevent the opposition from holding a public rally?



http://www.thedailysangbad.com/?view=details&type=gold&data=News&pub_no=1007&menu_id=13&news_type_id=1&val=95083

Only when it is unsure of itself. A party confident of its popular base, sure of its public support, certain of the efficacy of its policies and surefooted about its public record would never have done what the ruling Awami League did yesterday to prevent the BNP from holding its public rally. What the ruling party did over the last two days to prevent mass participation in the opposition rally reveals a political party frightened of the strength of the opposition and loath to allow it to show it. In its massive show of strength the Awami League looked its weakest.


http://www.samakal.com.bd/details.php?news=13&action=main&option=single&news_id=243754&pub_no=990

A party that only three and half years ago came to power with a massive four fifths majority in parliament should today be so frightened of a discredited (in the last election) opposition that it uses all, save the military, coercive machinery of the state to prevent its mass rally. What is it, if not a moral defeat?


http://jugantor.us/enews/issue/2012/03/13/news0706.htm

The tragedy for the AL is that in attempting to suppress the opposition it has suppressed the citizens. Ordinary people were subjected to indescribable sufferings just to prevent the BNP from holding its rally. People who had nothing to do with the opposition's programme were searched, harassed, verbally abused and prevented from coming to Dhaka for their personal work on suspicion that they might join the rally. We have reports of job seekers scheduled to reach the Middle East not allowed to travel to Dhaka even after showing their tickets and passports. We have eyewitnesses to the fact that most launches were stopped at the point of origin and the few arriving at Sadarghat were prevented from reaching the shore and forced to go to far away jetties to let their passengers disembark, who then were stranded without any means of reaching their destinations. And we are not even talking of people arrested on suspicion and held in jails all over the country.


http://amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2012/03/13/135899

We published photographs of stick wielding ruling party goons attacking passengers of buses and launches in order to prevent them from reaching Dhaka. What mindset, what myopia, what perverted logic, what disregard for ordinary people could have allowed a government party to permit its activists to attack ordinary passengers whose only "crime" was to want to come to Dhaka. Seldom can we find examples of such disrespect for the fundamental rights of the people. Is this the ruling party's example of democracy?


http://www.dailykalerkantho.com/?view=details&type=gold&data=Soccer&pub_no=820&cat_id=1&menu_id=13&news_type_id=1&index=5

We also condemn the fact that the mass media, especially the electronic media, were prevented from fully carrying out their professional duties during yesterday's opposition programme. Several TV stations were barred from airing uninterrupted live coverage of the rally. A few channels that were covering stories of public sufferings during the course of the day were visited by intelligence people and told to tone down their coverage. In other cases the cable operators were partially prevailed upon to take some channels off the air during the peak hours of the opposition's rally. Such blatant interference in the media's function amounts to suppression of the freedom of the media and public's inalienable right to know.


http://sonarbangladesh.com/blog/post/98962

The oppressive measures the ruling party resorted to in order to prevent the BNP rally has shocked us all. The use of police, the intelligence agencies, and late last night, the BGB stunned the ordinary citizens are to why such a massive show of states repressive machinery was necessary. The government's apology of an explanation that it was only trying to prevent the opposition from creating chaos was neither credible nor acceptable in the absence of any proof. The more the government leaders repeated this narrative the more they sounded hollow and more their real intention became clear.

The question today is not what BNP did or how big was its rally, but what the ruling Awami League did. It showed a most ugly repressive face. It demonstrated that it would not hesitate to take any measure, however harsh, use any coercive instrument of state, impose any amount of sufferings on ordinary people, tell their fibs regardless of what the truth is, impose needless restrictions on public movement to prevent the opposition from carrying out protest activities permitted in a democracy. It may not realize that by its actions of the last two days the AL's image as a party that believes in democracy stands seriously damaged and its claim that it wants the opposition to play its legitimate role stands questioned.

We are sorry that Khaleda Zia has called a hartal on the 29th of this month, which we are opposed to in principle. But the issue of some sort of neutral body presiding over the election period and allowing the Election Commission to function freely is a legitimate question that AL cannot wish away. Here the opposition is right and the ruling party is wrong. The latter will have to concede on this point if it wants an election participated by all parties. Terming all BNP's actions as attempts to subvert the war crimes trial is a misconceived strategy and may have the opposite effect than intended. It is true that the BNP's position on the war crimes trial is condemnable (we will write separately on it) but its demand for an interim government for free and fair elections is justified.

We want to say in clear terms that the AL's policy towards the opposition, as exhibited in the last two days, is fundamentally undemocratic, legally untenable and practically unsustainable. What if the opposition calls for a similar programme a few months later? Will the government strangulate the country again for days? Will the public accept such sufferings again and again? As a country that proudly tells the world of its democracy such behaviour from its ruling party is totally unacceptable. The quicker the AL learns it, the better it is for its prospects in the next polls.

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=226110

Further:
http://www.jjdin.com/?view=details&type=single&pub_no=66&cat_id=1&menu_id=13&news_type_id=1&index=5
http://www.samakal.com.bd/details.php?news=13&action=main&option=single&news_id=243754&pub_no=990
http://www.thedailysangbad.com/?view=details&type=gold&data=News&pub_no=1007&menu_id=13&news_type_id=1&val=95083
http://www.dailykalerkantho.com/?view=details&type=gold&data=Soccer&pub_no=820&cat_id=1&menu_id=13&news_type_id=1&index=5
http://sonarbangladesh.com/blog/post/98962




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Re: [mukto-mona] Burqa banning after RAJUK, now Syedpur's Lions school and college: Minority Islam in Muslim majority Bangladesh



Ahadith by Bukhari is the most acceptable there is.  Any half wit not appreciating Bukhari, Tabari, Waquidi, Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Kathir etc. should read the gibberish 'holy verses' and try to interpret in his own way.  Read the verse CXI.  It is a short one.  "Perish the hands of Abu Lahab, and perish he!/  .... He shall roast at a flaming fire/ and his wife,..., upon her neck a rope of palm-fiber."  Abu Lahab was an uncle of the prophet, and two of his sons were married to two of the prophets daughters before the advent of Islam.

On Tue, Mar 13, 2012 at 10:00 AM, Subimal Chakrabarty <subimal@yahoo.com> wrote:
 

In this account from WikiIslam the prophet (maharishi in Ranindranath's term) has been shown to be most open minded. This account even seems to be 
dubious. I did a little google search to discover that the account by Ibn Ishak who on time scale was closest to prophet as a biographer has not been ununimously accepted. Acceptance of Bukhari seems to be less. 
It is really almost impossible to come up with the real truth. Research should continue. 

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 11, 2012, at 9:29 PM, Kamal Das <kamalctgu@gmail.com> wrote:

 

 The holy Koran has 'revelations' from earlier sources as well, e.g., Oracles of Delphi and other temples, the Old and New Testaments etc.  Other literature on Islam cites to Umar being proud on receiving the revelation on hijab before the Prophet.

Now, may I add from WikiIslam,

"The reason that Muslim women wear the hijab today is not a spiritual one, nor is it a matter of piety. Covering the hair/face cannot be considered an act of modesty because Muslim men are not required to cover theirs. The sole reason they do it is because Umar bin Al-Khattab, a companion of Muhammad, wished that Muhammad would reveal verses from Allah requiring women to wear it. When Muhammad did not oblige, Umar did not pray to Allah for assistance. Umar knew he had to make it personal for Muhammad himself in order to bring the revelation down. He followed Muhammad's wives out when they went to go to the toilet and made his presence known. When Muhammad heard of this, the revelation that Umar had so wanted was sent down from Allah. Umar knew where these revelations were really coming from, which is why he pestered Muhammad and harassed his wives instead of asking Allah.

Although the revelational circumstances for the hijab were ridiculous, the consequences that we can see to this day, are not. The requirement for the hijab has had the effect of placing full responsibility for Muslim-male self control onto the females - freeing the men of responsibility for their actions if they see an unveiled woman. Lack of self control is not an inherent attribute to men, because men in non-Islamic societies do not have such self control issues; when it is rare to see a woman covered so in these societies. The hijab's purpose, as revealed and to this day, is designed to protect Muslim females from the now acceptable behavior of Muslim males; behavior which has been deemed socially acceptable precisely because of the requirement of Muslim females to wear the hijab."

One may notice that the Prophet did not prevent Umar from stalking his wives even to the place of defecation.  It might so happen that he actually instructed to spy on them.


 

Thank you for sharing the source of your post. We can learn from it as well.

However do note that, ALL revelations in the holy Qur'an were revealed to prophet Muhammad (PBUH) NOT anyone else. Hazrat Omar (RA) might have wished for the clearer direction about the level of modesty required and that is acceptable to me. Revelations only came to messengers of Allah (SWT) not to anyone else. It would be a mistake to think Allah revealed any verse to Omar (RA).

A complete body cover excluding the eyes

Also note that, the covering the whole body but eyes is not part of the revelation. It is an assumption and there are differences of opinions among scholars of Islam. Generally some scholars feel women are required to cover whole body ( Including face except eyes) but majority of Islamic scholars feel just covering head and rest of the body is required. So you may see Muslim women with face veil (Niqaab) and others cover their heads and body (Hijab). So there are differences of opinions about "Levels of modesty" among scholars.


Shalom!


-----Original Message-----
From: Kamal Das <kamalctgu@gmail.com>
To: mukto-mona <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sun, Mar 11, 2012 7:42 am
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] Burqa banning after RAJUK, now Syedpur's Lions school and college: Minority Islam in Muslim majority Bangladesh

 
Narrated 'Aisha: The wives of the Prophet used to go to Al-Manasi, a vast open place (near Baqia at Medina) to answer the call of nature at night. 'Umar used to say to the Prophet "Let your wives be veiled," but Allah's Apostle did not do so. One night Sauda bint Zam'a the wife of the Prophet went out at 'Isha' time and she was a tall lady. 'Umar addressed her and said, "I have recognized you, O Sauda." He said so, as he desired eagerly that the verses of Al-Hijab (the observing of veils by the Muslim women) may be revealed. So Allah revealed the verses of "Al-Hijab" (A complete body cover excluding the eyes).
Sahih Bukhari 1:4:148

The quotation above is one of the versions of the story.


2012/3/10 Subimal Chakrabarty <subimal@yahoo.com>
 
I read somewhere (maybe K, Armstrong) that veil was a sign of aristocracy and that's why prophet's wives and other women had to wear it. I believe every sura has to be analyzed in the light of the given context. 

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 9, 2012, at 10:44 AM, qar <qrahman@netscape.net> wrote:

 

The 'wahi' on the imposition of 'Burkha' came to Umar (RA), not to the prophet (pbuh). 

>>>>>>> You are wrong AGAIN! Get a grip on yourself.....


"O; Prophet (Muhammad)! Tell thy wives and thy daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks close round them (when they go outside)........

[ Source: Al Qur'an 33:59 ]



For basic info on this topic, click on the link below..

By: Prof. Maqsood Jafri


Shalom!

-----Original Message-----
From: Kamal Das <kamalctgu@gmail.com>
To: mukto-mona <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Fri, Mar 9, 2012 6:10 am
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] Burqa banning after RAJUK, now Syedpur's Lions school and college: Minority Islam in Muslim majority Bangladesh

 
The 'wahi' on the imposition of 'Burkha' came to Umar (RA), not to the prophet (pbuh).  Across the history of Islam, the use of burkha or other versions of purdah by Muslim women was never universal.

2012/3/8 Nayan Khan <udarakash08@yahoo.com>
 
What is going on in Bangladesh one after another?
 
 

Wed 7 Mar 2012 10:30 PM BdST

rtnnনীলফামারী, ৭ মার্চ (আরটিএনএন ডটনেট)-- সৈয়দপুরে লায়ন্স স্কুল অ্যান্ড কলেজে বোরকা ও স্কার্ফ পরিধান নিষিদ্ধ করা হয়েছে। ড্রেসকোড পালনের অজুহাতে এ মৌখিক নিষেধাজ্ঞা জারি করায় ছাত্রী ও অভিভাবকদের মধ্যে তীব্র ক্ষোভের সৃষ্টি হয়েছে।


এ অবস্থায় বিপাকে পড়েছে পর্দা পালনে আগ্রহী শিক্ষার্থীরা। অভিভাবকার প্রতিবাদে সোচ্চার হলেও স্কুল কর্তৃপক্ষ তাদের সিদ্ধান্তে অনড় থাকায় দিন দিন ক্ষোভ দানা বাঁধছে।

জানা গেছে, গত ২৯ ফেব্রুয়ারি ওই বিদ্যালয়ে অ্যাসেম্বিলি চলাকালে কর্তৃপক্ষ উপস্থিত শিক্ষার্থী ও শিক্ষকদের মৌখিকভাবে জানিয়ে দেয় যে, আজ থেকে স্কুলে আসতে হলে বোরকা বা স্কার্ফ পরা চলবে না। এরপরও কেউ তা পরে তাকে ট্রান্সফার সার্টিফিকেট (টিসি) নিয়ে অন্যত্র চলে যাওয়ার পরামর্শ দেয়া হয়।

পরদিন কিছু শিক্ষার্থী বোরকা ও স্কার্ফ পরে স্কুলে গেলে তাদের বোরকা ও স্কার্ফ ক্লাসে গিয়ে খুলে ফেলার নির্দেশ দেয়া হয়। কিন্তু অনেকে না খোলার কারণে তাদেরকে ক্লাসে অপমান করা হয় এবং সিন্ধান্ত অনুসরণে কঠোরভাবে পুনরায় নির্দেশ দেয়া হয়।

এরপরও গত শনিবার কোনো কোনো ছাত্রী বোরকা ও স্কার্ফ পরে গেলে তাদের অ্যাসেম্বিলির সময় সবার সামনে তা খুলতে বাধ্য করা হয়। এর পর বিষয়টি ছাত্রীদের মাধ্যমে অভিভাবকসহ সৈয়দপুরের সচেতন মহলে জানাজানি হলে ক্ষোভের সৃষ্টি হয়।

স্কুল কর্তৃপক্ষ তাদের সিদ্ধান্তে অনড় থাকায় �=A


=




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Re: [mukto-mona] Awami League's moral defeat: Govt holds Dhaka city hostage




My commentary on Awami League's moral defeat

 

Political violence is undemocratic process and should be denounced. Right way to avoid violence is not instigating it in the first place. BNP leader, Khaleda Zia, has been threatening the government, for a long time, with ultimatum to overthrow it through mass movement, and the Dhaka-March was supposed to be the starting point of that movement. Now, it will be naïve to expect that government will sit quiet and facilitate that opportunity for the BNP on that day.  It will not happen in any government anywhere in the world.

 

Mr. Mahfuz Anam has missed the point completely. I do not think it is a democratic right of any political party or parties to overthrow a democratically elected government. That right is only reserved for the people of the country. Such extreme measures are used in the extreme political situations, like cessation or independence movement, not to change the government power from one political party to another. That's an absurd democratic right, and no government should allow opposition party to organize such a movement.

 

The only democratic way for a political party to come to power is through the election. That's it.  Could some with neutral mindset (if there is any such thing in Bangladesh) tell me why opposition party has chosen such undemocratic way to go to the power? They have not attended the General Assembly almost from the beginning of their term. Whatever excuses they have been giving us are just excuses; they do not convince me for a moment; it seems like - it's a part of their political calculation to go to power quickly. This is nothing but a back-door illegal politics.

 

Caretaker government provision in any country tells us that the democratic institutions and people of that country are not trustworthy. So, caretaker system can only be justified as training wheels for a new democracy. It cannot go on forever. You have to take off the training wheels ASAP. From that point of view, I consider caretaker government system in Bangladesh is a national disgrace now.

 

But, BNP has made the 'Caretaker government' issue as their primary campaign issue. No one can forget about 1/11, when a virtual military government took over the power from a caretaker government. Therefore, do not pretend, for a second, that a caretaker government system is the most fail-safe democratic system in the world, because it is not. You have seen many perfectly peaceful democratic elections already under this government, and the opposition candidates won in many of those critically important electorates. What that tells you?

 

The problem is not there; the major problem with BNP is that it is without a clear political philosophy, which makes it ideologically bankrupt political party. Tell me what is it? Is it a progressive party or a religious fundamentalist party or a moderate Islamic party? I can't say, because it has not made it clear. But, I know, it needs a political chaos to go to the power. 

 

BNP is now using everything such as, caretaker government issue, political agitations, non-cooperation movement, communal agitations, subversive activities, etc., for mobilizing its power-base. They have tried everything from road-march to military coup to go to power. Everything failed to do the trick for BNP. But, they have succeeded to sustain substantial damage to the economy of the country. That's an achievement for the BNP, but a failure for the country.  I don't understand how anybody with fair mind could support such destructive political agenda of the opposition party. Therefore, I shed no tears for what happened during the Dhaka-March.

 

In my opinion, certain political programs, such as strike, road-march, procession, etc., which can hamper country's economic progress should be reserved for national interest only, not for party political interests. The country cannot afford such destructive political campaigns by opposition parties.

 

Political parties should have only right to hold public meeting to present their cases to the public. Labor organizations should have rights to strike and hold meeting to mitigate their demands. That's it. Everything else is just destructive political agenda, should be reserved for critical circumstances only.

 

Don't tell me that - that critical time is here already, and BNP/Jamat is here to save us.

 

Jiten Roy 
--- On Tue, 3/13/12, Captain Chowdhury <captchowdhury@yahoo.ca> wrote:


From: Captain Chowdhury <captchowdhury@yahoo.ca>
Subject: [mukto-mona] Awami League's moral defeat: Govt holds Dhaka city hostage
To: khabor@yahoogroups.com, mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com, Chetona71@yahoogroups.com
Cc: editor@thedailystar.net, editor@prothom-alo.com, editor@amadershomoy.com, news@daily-dinkal.com, news@akhonshomoi.com, "news-deshbangla" <desdeshbangla@dekko.net.bd>, news@dailyjanakantha.com, news@prothom-alo.com, news@rtvbd.tv
Date: Tuesday, March 13, 2012, 8:28 AM

 
VERY WELL CONTROL (RISK MANAGEMENT) BY SHAHARA KHATUN BEING A LADY. THIS IS THE DIFFERENCE FROM BNP REGIME.
MR MAHMUZ ANAM WANTED TO SEE ANOTHER 21st AUG GRENADE ATTACKS, WHERE LAST ALIVE BLOOD OF BANGABANDHU NARROW LY SURVIVED OR LIKE TO SEE KASHEM MASTER / INNOCENT N THINK TANK/HIGHLY EDUCATED  KIBRIA LIKE KILLINGS WITHIN PARTY RALLIES !!!!
WHY CAN'T MR MAHFUZ ANAM AND THEIR FRIENDS TRY TO REQUEST BNP/ALLIES TO GO TO PARLIAMENT AND DEMAND FOR CTG /PENDING ISSUES !!!
THERE WAS ALL OVER RUMOUR (8TH NIGHT TILL 10TH)  THAT ANOTHER 21ST AUG MIGHT BE HAPPENED OR SOME-WHAT SABOTAGE, SIMILAR TO  ARAB SPRING IN AFRICA  TO FOIL THE WAR CRIMINAL ISSUES  AND MAKING FOOL TO JOURNALISTS LIKE MR MAHFUZ ANAM !!!
FOR SELLING PAPERS FOR HIS BUSINESS, MR MAHFUZ CUD HAVE MASTERMIND   
TO QUOTE MANY THINGS IN CASE SOMETHING CUD HAVE BEEN COOKED UP!!
I DID MY OFFICE VERY WELL, PEACEFULLY, SHIFTED FM CHITTAGONG WELL BEFORE TO AVOID ANY DELAYS. HOW ABOUT MR MAHFUZ : WAS HE AT HOME OR IN THE OFFICE..NORMALLY THE JOURNALISTS WORK LATE NIGHT TO COOK UP MANY THINGS (AS USUAL PICTURE IN BANGLADESH LIKE MIDNIGHT COUP ), LATER PROCEED TO OFFICE N THUS DIDIN'T SEE DHAKA AS A WHOLE DURIING SUBSEQUENT DAY!!!
BRAVO SHAHARA !!!!!
DEFINITELY WHOLE ACTION HAVE BEEN TAKEN CONCEPT FROM USA OR OTHER NATO ALLIES  AS MANY ANTI-MOBBED POLICES HAVE BEEN TRAINED RECENTLY (CALLED SWAT TRAINING), EVENTUALLY I AM LITTLE LUCKY TO HAD SAME EXPERIENCE WHILE DEALING A PROJECT WITH US MARINES!!
THIS IS SOPHISTICATED RISK MANAGEMENT !!!! MR MAHFUZ NEEDS MORE TIME TO GET SUCH CONCEPT !!!! HE MUST APPRECIATE GOVT THAT SERIOUS ACCIDENTS HAVE BEEN AVOIDED AND POLICE DEPT ARE WELL EQUIPPED WITH ACCIDENT PREVENTION SCHEME. DOES HE AWARE AS JOURNALIST REGARDING THESE TECHNICAL WORDS DURING MODERN ERA !!!

--- On Tue, 3/13/12, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:

From: Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com>
Subject: [KHABOR] Awami League's moral defeat: Govt holds Dhaka city hostage
To:
Received: Tuesday, March 13, 2012, 1:45 AM

 
Commentary

Awami League's moral defeat: Government holds Dhaka city hostage

Mahfuz Anam



http://amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2012/03/13/135903

When does a government strangulate its capital city by preventing almost all modes of transport from reaching it? When does a government bring to a virtual halt almost all internal city movements? When does a government create such a panicky situation that traders do not open shops out of fear of vandalism? When does a government prevent its own citizens from carrying out their day to day activities? When do government leaders tell blatant lies on television while the truth is clearly the opposite? When does a ruling party let loose its goons upon normal citizens on suspicion that they might attend the opposition rally? When does an elected government adopt the most oppressive measure to prevent the opposition from holding a public rally?



http://www.thedailysangbad.com/?view=details&type=gold&data=News&pub_no=1007&menu_id=13&news_type_id=1&val=95083

Only when it is unsure of itself. A party confident of its popular base, sure of its public support, certain of the efficacy of its policies and surefooted about its public record would never have done what the ruling Awami League did yesterday to prevent the BNP from holding its public rally. What the ruling party did over the last two days to prevent mass participation in the opposition rally reveals a political party frightened of the strength of the opposition and loath to allow it to show it. In its massive show of strength the Awami League looked its weakest.


http://www.samakal.com.bd/details.php?news=13&action=main&option=single&news_id=243754&pub_no=990

A party that only three and half years ago came to power with a massive four fifths majority in parliament should today be so frightened of a discredited (in the last election) opposition that it uses all, save the military, coercive machinery of the state to prevent its mass rally. What is it, if not a moral defeat?


http://jugantor.us/enews/issue/2012/03/13/news0706.htm

The tragedy for the AL is that in attempting to suppress the opposition it has suppressed the citizens. Ordinary people were subjected to indescribable sufferings just to prevent the BNP from holding its rally. People who had nothing to do with the opposition's programme were searched, harassed, verbally abused and prevented from coming to Dhaka for their personal work on suspicion that they might join the rally. We have reports of job seekers scheduled to reach the Middle East not allowed to travel to Dhaka even after showing their tickets and passports. We have eyewitnesses to the fact that most launches were stopped at the point of origin and the few arriving at Sadarghat were prevented from reaching the shore and forced to go to far away jetties to let their passengers disembark, who then were stranded without any means of reaching their destinations. And we are not even talking of people arrested on suspicion and held in jails all over the country.


http://amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2012/03/13/135899

We published photographs of stick wielding ruling party goons attacking passengers of buses and launches in order to prevent them from reaching Dhaka. What mindset, what myopia, what perverted logic, what disregard for ordinary people could have allowed a government party to permit its activists to attack ordinary passengers whose only "crime" was to want to come to Dhaka. Seldom can we find examples of such disrespect for the fundamental rights of the people. Is this the ruling party's example of democracy?


http://www.dailykalerkantho.com/?view=details&type=gold&data=Soccer&pub_no=820&cat_id=1&menu_id=13&news_type_id=1&index=5

We also condemn the fact that the mass media, especially the electronic media, were prevented from fully carrying out their professional duties during yesterday's opposition programme. Several TV stations were barred from airing uninterrupted live coverage of the rally. A few channels that were covering stories of public sufferings during the course of the day were visited by intelligence people and told to tone down their coverage. In other cases the cable operators were partially prevailed upon to take some channels off the air during the peak hours of the opposition's rally. Such blatant interference in the media's function amounts to suppression of the freedom of the media and public's inalienable right to know.


http://sonarbangladesh.com/blog/post/98962

The oppressive measures the ruling party resorted to in order to prevent the BNP rally has shocked us all. The use of police, the intelligence agencies, and late last night, the BGB stunned the ordinary citizens are to why such a massive show of states repressive machinery was necessary. The government's apology of an explanation that it was only trying to prevent the opposition from creating chaos was neither credible nor acceptable in the absence of any proof. The more the government leaders repeated this narrative the more they sounded hollow and more their real intention became clear.

The question today is not what BNP did or how big was its rally, but what the ruling Awami League did. It showed a most ugly repressive face. It demonstrated that it would not hesitate to take any measure, however harsh, use any coercive instrument of state, impose any amount of sufferings on ordinary people, tell their fibs regardless of what the truth is, impose needless restrictions on public movement to prevent the opposition from carrying out protest activities permitted in a democracy. It may not realize that by its actions of the last two days the AL's image as a party that believes in democracy stands seriously damaged and its claim that it wants the opposition to play its legitimate role stands questioned.

We are sorry that Khaleda Zia has called a hartal on the 29th of this month, which we are opposed to in principle. But the issue of some sort of neutral body presiding over the election period and allowing the Election Commission to function freely is a legitimate question that AL cannot wish away. Here the opposition is right and the ruling party is wrong. The latter will have to concede on this point if it wants an election participated by all parties. Terming all BNP's actions as attempts to subvert the war crimes trial is a misconceived strategy and may have the opposite effect than intended. It is true that the BNP's position on the war crimes trial is condemnable (we will write separately on it) but its demand for an interim government for free and fair elections is justified.

We want to say in clear terms that the AL's policy towards the opposition, as exhibited in the last two days, is fundamentally undemocratic, legally untenable and practically unsustainable. What if the opposition calls for a similar programme a few months later? Will the government strangulate the country again for days? Will the public accept such sufferings again and again? As a country that proudly tells the world of its democracy such behaviour from its ruling party is totally unacceptable. The quicker the AL learns it, the better it is for its prospects in the next polls.

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=226110

Further:
http://www.jjdin.com/?view=details&type=single&pub_no=66&cat_id=1&menu_id=13&news_type_id=1&index=5
http://www.samakal.com.bd/details.php?news=13&action=main&option=single&news_id=243754&pub_no=990
http://www.thedailysangbad.com/?view=details&type=gold&data=News&pub_no=1007&menu_id=13&news_type_id=1&val=95083
http://www.dailykalerkantho.com/?view=details&type=gold&data=Soccer&pub_no=820&cat_id=1&menu_id=13&news_type_id=1&index=5
http://sonarbangladesh.com/blog/post/98962


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http://mukto-mona.com/banga_blog/?p=585

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"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
               -Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190




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