Media hypocrisy of Bdnews24.com

This five year old child had his wrist blown up, seriously injured and is in life threatening condition, due to excessive bleeding. The incident happened in Rajshahi Awamileague office today when Mahidul Islam, a five year old child crawled up stairs of the office and picked up a Molotov cocktail found there apparently believing it to be a toy to play with it. On touch it impacted with a loud blast that severed the child’s wrist and fingers of both feet and hand. He is alive, but the doctors said that he is not out of danger. Immediately after the blast, Awamileague blamed it on Bangladesh Jamat Shibir, though the Molotov cocktail was found in Awami Office. This is not surprising as quite often the Awamileague uses this strategy to blame their misdeeds on the opposition, and the Media plays an important part in this hypocrisy.

 

BDnews24 is said to be one of those Awami supported media that quite often either inflates or deflates news of Bangladesh in favour of Awamileague. If you look at today’s headline of this incident, one would clearly see from the title that they have away to deflate the seriousness of the incident. Instead of more striking headlines, they wrote, ‘Child hurt in Rajshahi blast’ this headline in itself is crafted to minimise the seriousness of the blast, although the child has lost his wrist, fingers and seriously has other burns all over his body. Even in their narrative of the story they found away to mitigate Awami criminality and create doubt in the mind of their readers that this could only have been the work of Jamat Shibir. This kind of yellow journalism is revoltingly rampant in Bangladesh that it is hard for a reader to distinguish from truth and false unless someone flips over number of other media to get an idea of the truth. It is sad to see that what should have been the eyes and ears of the nation has become a means by which the rulers find away to get away with their crimes.

Be ready to fight until oppression is no more.

If Pakistan resolution of condemning killing of an innocent man is so much insult to the Awami Shabagi’s , then what should be the punishment for India, when they directly tell our government to disrespect peoples opinion, and encourage them to conduct a one sided election which no body wants, and for which tens of people are dying each day at the hand of the government police thugs. Pakistan parliament resolution does not impact our lives directly, but what India is doing is affecting our personal, social, economic, and state life. The consequences of India’s naked interference in our internal affairs is destroying our unity, creating hatred, and civil war. If any body, it should be India with whom the Shabagis should be calling for severing of diplomatic ties. Bangladesh freedom and democracy is made hostage to one group of people supported by a blind section of media. Their audacity is increasing day by day, while making fun of our nation, showing two fingers to our nation’s demands, and to the demand of the international community for a free, fair and credible election. I have said many times before, that with the killings of Pilkhana officers, our Army has been politicised and severely compromised to the extent that it is no longer an Army of the nation. Today’s army deployment at various places to suppress people’s democratic right to protest is an indication of this notion.

While BNP and their allies slept for the last five years hoping for an election victory, Awamileague had been busy consolidating their power in all important section of the government by politicising them in their favour. Who needs to listen to the views of the people when the government has the machinery to suppress them? And now I am in pain to see that information Minister Hasanul Haque Inu, arrogantly showing to the press his five fingers for another five years in power. This is a show to further insult the nation that might is right, that the people can not do anything about it. Are the opposition so weak that they would allow this to happen while freedom fighters are among them? The people of the country need to act fast, we need all our people believing in democracy, justice, and right to choose to come together united and confront this evil. Our fervour must not be allowed to fade away in submission. Victory comes through striving and struggle. Fighting oppression is a legitimate Jihad, so be ready to fight until oppression is no more.

Some people’s nature can not be changed, even though at many times they have experienced examples of tyrannical rule. It is hard for me to believe that Sheikh Haasina, whose father Bongo Bondo Sheik Mujibur Rahman was killed due to his miscalculation of people’s mood, that she would do the same mistake as her father did almost forty years ago. People learns from history and their mistakes, but Sheikh Hasina is so blinded by power that she fails to understand that people of Bangladesh will never submit to tyranny or one party rule.

We need to do a few things to internationalize the human rights violation in Bangladesh committed by the ruling Awami Government of Sheikh Hasina. These could be by writing to head of states for condemnation, we could ask for travel ban for Awami leaders committing war crimes, their asset freeze in foreign banks, and get OIC on our side to condemn killings of innocent protesters and demand a fair trial for the rest of the leaders that are waiting trial at the ICT. The UN could cancel further deployment of Bangladeshi soldiers as peace keepers. It is absurd to think that Bangladeshi Army could not stop its government violating human rights and be called to uphold Human Rights in other countries. The USA and European Union is our strong economic partner and they must act strongly against Hasina’s government.   The likelihood of a peaceful solution very soon is unlikely. I can see the dark and ugly side of Sheikh Hasina. She will not go easily. People of Bangladesh have to make a stand and say no to tyranny. The international community must wake up and help us to establish rule of law, human rights, and democracy in our country which is hostage to the whims of Sheikh Hasina.

 

 

Shohid Abdul Kader Mollah was hanged based on contradictory testimony of a single witness. His last letter to his wife details his innocence.

The evidence on which the country’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) convicted Mr Mollah was flimsy. It was based on the testimony of a single witness, Momeena Begum, who was 13 at the time and was apparently hiding under a bed nearby. She gave 3 contradictory staements at 3 different times. Her first statement is more credible which was given to the researchers of Mukit Juddo museum in Mir Pur and this can be colloborated by anyone going there to look at the written statement. She testified to reseracher on 28 September 2007 working for sector commander forum, who were collecting evidence for war crimes during the 1971 war of liberation. She said that she had gone to her in-laws two days before the murder of her family, in that statement she never mentioned  the name of Abdul Kader Mollah, but only said that Biharis killed her family. This statement was given long before Abdul Kader Mollah was arrested or any mention of his name related to war crimes was ever published.

Her 2^nd statement was given to the government investigators after Abdul Kader Mollah was arrested after 2008, so there was no fear of any reprisal  from Kader Mollah. In that statement she had said that her family were killed by Biharis assisted by Pakistani soldiers. There was no direct mention of the accused by his full name Abdul Kader Mollah.

However, her 3^rd statement given to the  ICT on 17 July 2012, contradicted the previous two statements. She was ushered in to the court wearing full burka and Niqab, so the public and the journalists did not have a chance to see her face other than the courts judges, prosecution and defense. She said to court that when the killing of her family took place, she was apparently hiding under a bed, and she saw Abdul Kader Mollah killing her parents, raping her sister and then her self. The defense at that time produced a copy of her original statement made to Mukti Juddo museum in 2007, and handed this to the judges, but the presiding judge told the defense that they will consider this statement during their verdict. But this was never taken in to consideration. The question is, there was only one crime, but three different statements from a 13 year girl, for a crime that had been committed 42 years ago. What statement of her should we believe? Later, the defense was shown a picture of Momeena Begum held in Mukti Judo museum by the family, to their surprise, they could not believe that Momena Begum, who gave the statement in the court, did not match in resemblance with the Momena in the picture. The family then strongly protested about this new evidence and had demanded that this should be collaborated with the courts video recordings of Momena, but this was ignored by the government, and they hurriedly hanged Kader Mollah without accepting a review petition. Before his death, Shohid Abdul Kader Mollah wrote a letter to his wife, the following is a translation of his letter in English as close as possible.

Shaheed Abdul Quader Mullah’s last letter from jail to his wife: [Page 1] Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

 Dearest life-partner Peyari

Assalamu alikum wa rahmatullah.

After the full verdict has been published today, it is very likely that, tomorrow night or tomorrow after the order reaches the jail gate, I might be taken to the condemn cell. This is the rule. Probably this is the last moment of the government. Hence, at the last moment they might proceed hurriedly to commit this heinous act. I suspect that they will not accept the review petition. Even if they accept it, there is no possibility, from the worldly point of view, to change their verdict. It is a different matter if Almighty Allah himself intervenes against the conspiracy of implementing this verdict. But, according to the eternal law, Allah does not do like that (intervene) all the time. [Page 2] The unbelievers killed unjustly even many of the prophets. Many honourable companions of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), even female companions, were murdered barbarically. In exchange of those martyrdoms, Indeed Allah has utilized those [sacrifices] in the way of making the truth and Islam victorious. There is no way to know what Allah might [ultimately] do in my case. Yesterday, the foreign secretary of India, Sujota Singh, not only encouraged the Awamileague, but also pressurized Hussain Muhammad Ershad. She even warned him about the possibility of Jamaat-Shibir coming into the power. This shows that the phobia and the hatred towards Jamaat-Shibir have spread within every blood-cells of India. I have been saying it from the beginning that, [Page 3] whatever actions are being taken against us, all of these have been designed by India. The Awamileague cannot back away from it even if it wants to. Because this time they [the Awamileague] came into the power only by surrendering to India. There are many people talking about principles and ethics. The way all of Jamaat including me were framed and the way almost all of the press in our country have assisted the government in its unjust actions, then what is the point of [talking about] principles and ethics by the government? While the judiciary/trial itself has taken the role of the hangman and has become intoxicated with a desire to kill innocent people, it is not right in any way to expect the natural fair trial and justice from them. I only have one regret- I am not able to explain it to the nation of the [unjust] way we, especially I, have been given the death penalty. [Page 4] It is not entirely possible as the whole media is hostile towards us. But the nation and the just people of the world will definitely know the [truth]; and my death will be a cause for the downfall of this oppressive regime; and the Islamic movement will advance a long way [because of this injustice], InshaAllah. Yesterday I read again from verse 17 to verse 24 of Surah At Tawbah. In verse 19, it is mentioned that the fighting [jihad] in the cause of Allah with one’s life and wealth is far more superior in rewards than serving the house of Allah [Ka’ba] and giving drinks to the pilgrims. This means that, Allah himself mentioned about the far higher status near to Allah for those giving their lives in the cause of Allah [Jihad] in order to establish a just society of Islam, fighting against injustice, than those who die naturally. If Allah himself wants to place me in such an honourable position in Jannah/paradise then [Page 5] I should be ready to embrace such a death. Because dying unjustly in the hands of the oppressors is a ‘confirm ticket’ to the Jannah/paradise. Probably in 1966, the tyrant ruler of Egypt, Colonel Nasser, put to death Saiyed Qutub, Dr Abdul Quader Awdah and many others. I have listened to many lectures titled such as ‘Trials/Tribulations in the way of Islamic Movement’. More than once after such lectures, Professor Gulam Azam used to say by touching my neck with his left hand that, the rope of gallows might fall onto this neck too! My hands also went near to the neck [thinking about it]. If this time Allah truly implements his decision as a mean to advance the Islamic movement, and [raise in honour] myself further, and as a cause for the downfall of the oppressive regime, then what is the loss in that? While speaking about the high status for the martyrs, [Page 6] the Holy Prophet [PBUH] expressed his desire to ‘come back to life repetitively in order to die as a martyr again and again’. Those who die as martyrs will also express their desire in the Jannah/paradise for coming back to life and dying again as martyrs. The word of Allah is indeed the truth. The word of the Holy Prophet [PBUH] is indeed the truth. There is no Imaan/faith if one doubts in them. If they [the government] do implement their decision [to hang me] then they may not allow for my funeral to take place in Dhaka. If possible then try to arrange for my funeral at my village mosque and my house. If the people living at the other side of the Padma [river] want to attend the funeral then they should come to the area near my house. They must be informed about that. [Page 7] I have already told you about the grave; it should be at my mother’s feet. There must not be any expensive/wasteful function or any innovative practices like walling the grave. Give donations to orphanage as much as possible. Take care of those families suffering losses while involved in the Islamic movement, especially those martyred during protests against my arrest and verdict. Give priorities to those families suffering any hardships. Arrange for the marriage of Hasan Moudud soon after finishing the studies. Same goes for Nazneen. [Page 8] Peyari, O Peyari, I have not been able to fulfil many rights of you and of the children. Please forgive me with the intention of getting rewards from Allah. I pray especially for you that, Allah arrange for your meeting with me again soon after you will have completed your duties towards the children and the religion of Allah. Now you pray so that, Allah takes away all love, [feelings] and attractions for this world from my mind, and instead fill my whole heart only with the love for Allah and His Prophet (PBUH). InshaAllah, see you again on the steps of Jannah/paradise. Always advise the children for lawful earnings. All of you be careful about the Fard and Wajib duties, especially about the prayers. Give same counsel to the relatives as well. Give condolence/comfort to my father if he is still alive until then.

Your beloved,

Abdul Keder Mollah

 

 

Sheikh Hasina shows no respect to people of Bangladesh or to the world.

A brother in facebook has asked me to write to UN, and human rights organization highlighting the dire human rights abuses that we are currently witnessing in Bangladesh. His concern is shared by 160 million local Bangladeshi as well as many millions of Bangladeshi living all over the world. But my respond to him out of frustration was that, Jamat has been lobbying Human Rights Organization, UN, European Parliament, British Parliament and numerous heads of state to stop the unfair, biased ICT in Bangladesh for the last five years. In spite of so many reports, so many interventions from world leaders, Sheikh Hasina damn cared any of them. She did what she wanted to do, because she had her mind fixed since 2007, and in all this her only trusted accomplice is her big brother India. So writing to UN and others at this stage will have no positive effect on the ground. Nor UN or USA is going to come physically to help us and no meaningful pressure will be applied. BNP is in dismal state with its leaders divided. Many of them are in jail for wrong reasons, and many of them maybe self imprisoned like Hussain Muhammad Ershad.  Who knows, Ershad could be doing the biggest deception of the century. It is absurd to believe that a person would be forcefully arrested, and yet he is able to send statements, and be allowed to have his senior party members visiting him, and surprisingly, he has been seen having a good laugh with Prime Ministers advisor Gohor Rizbi today. When I looked at their picture, I thought to myself that one of them maybe saying to the other, “Look how fool the people are! They seem to believe that I have been arrested, brother Rizbi, give me five!”  This perception could be due to my frustration, and I hope I am wrong, but my instinct tells me that Gen, Ershad is a very shrewd man; impossible is not in his dictionary.

However, I suggested my friend to take some practical step nearer to home, that he can advice Begum Zia to come out open to the press, and make a live statement to the public saying the following: “Dear country men, as you know I have tried my level best to come to a compromise with the Prime Minister, I even accepted election under premiership of the President, the speaker or their party man AK Khondokar for the sake of democracy, but the Prime Minister would not listen to any of our proposal. She is adamant to conduct a one sided election on the advice of a particular country. I would vehemently make it clear that any election without the opposition will mean an invalid, illegitimate government without people’s mandate, and as such, we reserve the right to cancel any international agreement made by this illegitimate Awami government. When we will come to power all these agreements will be null and void.” This statement will send a strong signal to India that winner takes all will not happen in Bangladesh. She should make it known that people of Bangladesh will not recognize this government and therefore, she should call on the people to go for an indefinite strike until the government falls. Even if she is not able to give any further statement, the people should follow her orders until she makes another live statement in front of the people. She should also speak like Sheikh Hasina often speaks, that force will be used against force. Deaths will be answered with appropriately means. Either Bangladesh will be free from oppression and tyranny or no peace for anyone trying to hijack our democratic rights.

Begum Zia should also make it clear to Bangladesh Arm forces, BGB, RAB and police that they should work in the interest of the people and not against them, They should not carry out killings on the order of the illegitimate government. She should follow on her statement with the argument that how can government orders be carried out by the Army when almost 154 parliamentary seats have been won without any votes. There is clearly no mandate from the overwhelming majority of the people to have any legitimacy to rule our country. She should also make it clear that any attempt to marginalize Bangladeshi Jamati Islam will be detrimental to peaceful co-existence in our society, as they are an inclusive part of our society, whose supporters are born and brought up in the same land as we. Therefore, politics of hate based on religious and political prejudice should not be supported or adhered to. Bangladesh freedom came for all and not for a few.

Sheikh Hasina and her Indian agent are doing the biggest deception to our people by playing the war crimes card. Some opposition politicians have already fallen in to this trap, and in many ways in the past have supported Awami Government to cling on to power to the disadvantage, and harm of their own party’s interest. There had been wide rumours in the air that Awamileague had brought many BNP leaders to work for them from within the party and in many instances provided confidential party decisions to Sheikh Hasina before it was announced. So this leakage helped Sheikh Hasina to forestall many opposition programs before it could initiate. War crimes Tribunal should have been a separate issue from any other issue. The two things should not have been mixed. The government successfully played with people’s mind that opposing the government is like opposing war crime tribunal. When Begum Zia gave call to respond to Hifazot Dhaka siege on the night of 6^th May 2013, it was the duplicity of BNP leader Sadek Hussain Khuka, who held back BNP’s supporters from engaging, because he had fallen to the same trap that helping Hifazot would mean tarnishing himself with helping Jamat Shibir. Mr. Khuka will regret the rest of his life for the damage he had done to his party and innocent people of Hifazot.

At many times, I have noticed that many talk show pundit would hesitate to speak about the process and unfairness of the war crime Tribunal collusion between the judges, prosecution and the government, they fear being accused of supporting Jamat Shibir, even though they themselves know that the whole process is a government concocted drama only for political gains. Now we are seeing the same lacklustre agitation program from BNP. At a time when the movement should have been at its pinnacle in the capital, but we are seeing a free space is given to the government in the capital while valuable lives are lost in the politically insignificant border districts around Bangladesh. It is a very simple maths that capital city is the nerve centre of the government. When you cut the head, or make it giddy, the rest of the body is bound to fall in no time. Now we are hearing something very peculiar, and absurd from the government to BNP. They are saying that give us a month after 5^th of January before we give you power. Firstly, this should not be believed, rather they are using it to gain time, and pre-empt any effective agitation program from the opposition. What does staying in power have to do with concluding the war crimes judgement? If awamileague believes in rule of law, then whoever comes to power should not make any difference. Doesn’t this goes to prove that Awamileague is not after justice but in name of justice they are hell-bent on eliminating their political opponent Jamat.

In a recent report carried out in USA based newspaper Tikana, it is believed from a source that Sheikh Hasina has been given assurance from India that in case her holding on to power becomes untenable, India would rescue her to safety. Meanwhile their prescription is to continue with one sided election without giving BNP any chance to compromise. Once government is formed after 5^th January, India hopes to conclude all agreements with Bangladesh government including transit facility before they would give in to any outside pressure. If that is not selling the country then what is called sedition? Sheikh Hasina should be tried for numerous crimes and above all for sedition against the state. Time is not on Shekh Hasina’s side, today or tomorrow all injustices will be answered. She only needs to look at the past, and see what the result of tyrants and oppressor were. She need not look beyond Bangladesh borders; in fact, her own family history should be a reminder for her.

 

 

 

42 years after independence, victors have become killers. 36 killed in 72 hours.

‘The prison that is Bangladesh’ This was the title of a Guardian report published on Sunday 15^th December on the eve of Bangladesh independence. The guardian reports highlights the present day Bangladesh after 42 years of independence. Barrister Moudud Ahmed defended the independence leader, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, against Pakistani tyranny and oppression, however, the present Prime Minister of Bangladesh whom is his daughter puts him in jail. John Pilger writes, “On a moonless night in 1971 Moudud Ahmed led me clandestinely into what was then East Pakistan – and is now Bangladesh – past villages that the Pakistani army had raped and razed. The war of liberation was under way; Moudud was a young lawyer who had defended the Bengali independence leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. When Bangladesh was declared that year, Moudud brought a rally to its feet when he held up the front page of the Daily Mirror, which carried my report beneath the headline: BIRTH OF A NATION. "We are alive, but we are not yet free," he said, prophetically.

"Once in power, Sheikh Mujib turned on his own democrats and held show trials at which Moudud was their indefatigable defender until he himself was arrested. Assassination, coup and counter-coup have since seen Moudud revolve between prison and parliament. He once won a parliamentary seat from prison. In the 1980s he was prime minister. It is fair to say that Bangladesh's short life has been blighted by almost perpetual conflict between feudalists and democrats, and more recently, fundemantalists."

 

National elections have been called for 5 January. The prime minister since 2009, Sheik Hasina – the daughter of Sheik Mujib – has been accused of manipulating the electoral process to establish a one-party state. Sheikh Hasina recently appointed herself law minister and home minister. This means that the final decision on whether the leadership of the parliamentary opposition stands against her Awami League or languishes in prison is hers. Most recently Jamat leader, Abdul Kader Mollah was executed on the false premise of killing innocent Bangladeshi during the liberation war of 1971. War crimes trial set up by Sheikh Hasina is marred by accusation of government collusion in framing politically motivated charges, biased judges, and a below standard process that does not meet international standards. Human rights organizations, United Nations special envoy on war crimes, head of states have raised concern on the intention and process of war crimes Tribunal. John Kerry, the USA secretaries of state, United Nation secretary general Banki Moon, Prime Minister of Turkey Erdogan have personally phoned Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to stop the execution, but their entire request fell on deaf ears. Sheikh Hasina has become untouchable due to direct support of India in her criminality. With the National Election boycotted by the opposition, her Awami Party has already won more than half of the parliamentary seats uncontested, and the rest are there for grab when election takes place on 5^th of January against some independence candidates and her insignificant allies of one or two smaller party’s that are contesting with her party symbol. Many politician and civic leaders have termed this uncontested election as the world biggest farce, disgrace, and preposterous.

The opposition have been demanding a fair, free, and credible election under a caretaker government that had been a constitutional process since 1996, however when Sheikh Hasina came to power, she removed it from the constitution to suit her party seeing that her party has lost support due to myriads of corruptions, abduction, and political killings. Recently UN Banki Moons special envoy Taranaco was sent to mediate between the parties’s to come to a compromise, but in spite of his best effort, Sheikh Hasina refused to climb down from her position for a free election under a neutral administration. USA secretary of state John Kerry’s recent phone call for her to step down was mocked by her in meeting on Saturday. Recent report in Indian Newspaper Annondo Bazar states that Sheikh Hasina has refused Begum Zia’s offer of election under her party’s President, or parliamentary speaker Shirin Shermin. In fact, Sheikh Hasina has become so bold and hungry for power that she has ordered a country wide crackdown on opposition activists and leaders, even if it means turning the whole country in to a mass graves and prison full with opposition activists.

Today’s Independence Day has left us nothing to celebrate other than to dig graves for Bangladesh opposition killed at the hands of Sheikh Hasina’s state killing machine. The world in 2013 can not allow this to happen to people of Bangladesh. While I am writing this piece, operation of government killings are going on in various parts of Bangladesh. Many newspapers have been reporting that every hour two person are being killed by government thugs and law enforcement agency. Indiscriminate killings have to stop, and Indian hegemony must be stop before the whole country falls apart. The united state and the European Union are Bangladesh biggest export market, it is high time that for the security of the region those countries bear pressure on Sheikh Hasina by announcing sanctions, or support an Army take over to save the country from the brink.