A poor girl becomes pregnant by an Imam of a local mosque in Faridpur. The poor girl is now on her seven months pregnancy with high physical and mental risk of immature pregnancy.

Omar Faruk is an Imam and teacher of a “Maktab” (Islamic School) of remote village Padmar Char at the North Channel Union in Faridpur, a central district of Bangladesh.

Imam Omar Faruk misguided the minor and raped her for long time. The poor minor girl can not speak out in fear and shame. As the girl steps into her deep pregnancy the news spread out in the village.

Some local influential people called arbitration on July 18th. The arbitration council decides that the Imam Omar Faruk will marry the pregnant girl, said locals

On July 18th some local influential people called arbitration on this. The arbitration was chaired by Fazlur Rahman Fazal.

The arbitration body ordered a to cane to the Imam and the minor girl 101 times, also ordered the Imam to marry the girl, said locals

Both Imam and girl were canned 25 times said locals

Although the arbitration on cases of rape is illegal, the head of the arbitration committee Fazal said that I informed the matter of arbitration to the OC Kotwali Nur Alam,of Faridpur .

Oc Nur Alam said I donot know anything the arbitration.

This is the third time marriage of Imam Omar, said locals

Bangladesh intelligence has arrested Mufti Obaidullah, the most wanted militant of India and an operative of Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Bangladesh intelligence arrested him earlier on Thursday near the Babubazaar Bridge in capital and presented before the media on Friday. For last 14 years Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba had been carrying out its activities in Bangladesh, said intelligence officials

Mufti Obaidullah was working to organize terrorist networks with the help of Kashmir based Lashkar-e-Taiba, said Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner AKM Shahidul Hoque. Mufti Obaidullah has been living in Bangladesh with his wife, three sons and two daughters since 1995, to avoid Indian intelligence after the Indian government declared him the most wanted, said Police Commissioner

In last six years he lived in different regions of Bangladesh and taught in different madrasas of Madaripur, Jessore, Satkhira and Srimangal. I had planned to eliminate the Hindus and the enemies of the Muslims by forming a group said Mufti Obaidullah. In last 14 years in Bangladesh, he would train up people to be militants. Said Police Commissioner

Lashkar-e-Taiba is one of the largest and most active militant organizations in South Asia.

William Gomes: Bangladeshi Human Rights Activist

I am William Gomes a Human rights activist and a freelance journalist from Bangladesh. I do used to run a small human rights organization called “Christian Development Alternative (CDA). I am also a converted Christian. I was harassed by police many times.  we do work with our small effort to protect the rights of the minorities specially.

Today 8th July 2009 ,two police official form special Branch of police under the City SB came to my house around 6 o clock in the evening. One police official said, who is William Nicholas Gomes. They said we are looking for you. We are from city SB of police. Our senior official wants to talk to you. He ringed from his cell and gave me the
mobile phone, from other side a man, asked me what you was doing in India in February. Come to my office tomorrow, my high officials wants to know more.

I said to him that I will go to prime minister’s office tomorrow early in the morning and then I will go to UNDP local office for pre fixed meeting. Than the man from the other side to go to his office in Bialy road in Saturday.The man was the Additional Sp of city SB. I will go to his office on Saturday. I will give you update. What is going on.
For last two years, I have been harassed by police only for my religious identity and works for minorities.

The name and the celll number of the police officials came to my house:

1. Mohammed Abul Kaher
Sub Inspector

2. SM saha Alam
Sub Inspector of City SB

Child Prostitution in Bangladesh

Various organizations and individuals have been fighting for decades to ensure justice for women and children in Bangladesh. While progress has been nominal, violence continues to be notable.

Innocent souls are crying for justice. From January to March 2009, 73 women and children were the victims of rape or attempted rape; among those, 29 were gang raped and 13 were between ages 7 and 12. In May alone, 33 women and girls were the victims of rape. Among those, 16 were women and 17 were children under the age of 16. Out of the 16 women, five were victims of gang rape and three were killed after being raped. Out of the 17 girls, five were victims of gang rape and two were killed after being raped.

Between January and March 2009, six serious acts of violence against women were instigated by fatwas. When I discussed this issue with the law minister, he denied the necessity of introducing a specific law to ban fatwas. I repeatedly insisted on the necessity of a specific law to fight fatwa, as well as a law to identify the paternity of a child in cases where it is disputed.

Dowry is another social disease in Bangladesh. From January to March 2009, 44 women faced dowry-related violence; among these women, 23 died.

Bangladesh has the highest maternal mortality rate in the world: 440 per 100,000 live births, according to UNICEF, and more than 20,000 women in Bangladesh die annually from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth.

In Bangladesh, women do their best to fulfill their duties and take care of all their men’s needs; yet, from January to March 2009 alone, 45 women were abused by their husbands or their husbands’ relatives. Very recently, a woman, Parul Akter, who was seven months pregnant, was killed and her body thrown in a river; her two other children are still missing. This is the reality that many women in Bangladesh face.

We can name thousands of ways that women and children are facing oppression and repression in Bangladesh. Confucius said, “We should feel sorrow, but not sink under its oppression.” I do agree with that. For almost two decades, Bangladesh’s prime ministers have been women. The number of people who oppose and oppress woman and children are larger than the number of people who are oppressed or suppressed.

Women’s empowerment alone will not solve the problem; we need to treat women as human beings first, rather than simply as women. We need to break the silence and stand up against religious and cultural traditions that encourage the repression of women and children. I dream of a day when a woman will be treated as a human being first, when women will really be empowered and lead the nation toward a more humane way, as they are the source of the human race.

The whole system in Bangladesh is male-dominated, inspired by common prophet religions that have a culture of suppressing woman historically. We need to deal with these oppressors first. Many aw and wonderful steps had taken to bring an end to the suppression to woman and children but hopefully none of them succeed.

A Woman is Harassed by Police in Bangladesh

Sometimes, a police officer who oppresses his wife in the home is used to investigate a case of oppression against a woman. In this case, the police officer should be brought to trial before anything else. Bangladesh even has cases where, after being raped, the woman gets raped again in the police station by police officers.

More than anything, the religion of Islam encourages the majority of people in Bangladesh in the historical cultural traditions of oppressing women. Laws can change, while religion inspires adherents through heaven and hell; in this light, how will jail or capital punishment be able to make any significant change?

The Prophet Mohammed said, “I was standing at the edge of the fire (hell) and the majority of the people going in were women.” When the Quran and the Prophet Mohammed guide the majority of people in Bangladesh, and the Quran (4:34) orders a man to beat his wife if she doesn’t obey him, how will the law prevent the beating of women? Laws and conventions contradict the holy sayings of the Prophet and Allah and will surely fail to ensure the rights of women.

I silently cry for justice for women like Parul, Rahima, Rebeka, Shima, who was raped in front of her father, and Mili Rani, a minority girl who was raped and later committed suicide. All this happened inside of the society before you and me.

We need to break the silence and step up a revival for humanity and justice.

William Gomes is an independent human rights activist ,Freelance Journalist and a political analyst. He can be reached at cda.exe@gmail.com .

Shiekh Hasina: PM of Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a flourishing country with a large Muslim population. Recently, Bangladesh has been called different things, due to its growing Islamic extremism. Different governments have played a mixed role in fighting Islamic extremism. Presently, the Awami League government, which won the parliamentary elections with a large majority, has given the highest priority to fighting Islamic extremism.

Local and international media is covering the activities of the government against Islamic extremist groups. The government is trying to prove that Islamic extremism is going to be uprooted soon.

But the reality is very different. The Islamic extremists are growing and gathering more strength as the government initiates operations to uproot extremism. The reality is that the Islamic extremists are better equipped and strategically stronger than ever.

There are 786 high profile people in important positions of power that are closely linked with different Islamic extremist groups. Among these 786, there are 200 high-ranking government officials, including 76 individuals from the different intelligence agencies of the Bangladesh government, 20 powerful parliamentarians, and 7 high profile media personalities in different news media to fight the intellectual battle and propagate news and views in favor of the Islamic extremist groups.

The government failed to trace these 786 people and their national and international links. These 786 are working to create a scenario like what happened in Bangladesh in 1975, with the assassination of the “father of the nation” Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. As Rahman was assassinated, so will Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina if the government fails to fight these 786. Through the masses, the liberation in 1971 came about, and through the assignation of Sheikh Hasina will we be able to triumph over the tragedy of 1975.

William Gomes is an independent human rights activist ,Freelance Journalist and a political analyst. He can be reached at cda.exe@gmail.com

Christian Science Monitor raises a very important question regarding the prevalence of terrorism in Bangladesh. They link to a series of reports, which show a violent surge of terrorism. This is a really dangerous news not just for minorities, who are the first targets of Muslim terrorism but also the whole concept of democracy itself. The recent election gained some new enthusiasm about the future of Bangladesh but the BDR mutiny and vibrant new evidence of increasing extremism and fascism put the future of this country into jeoperdy.

Osama bin Laden may be laying low in Pakistan. But many of South Asia’s terrorists have a new hideout: Bangladesh.

In recent days, Bangladeshi police have been hot on the trail of disturbing developments: they’ve uncovered a plot that used Bangladesh to transit thousands of weapons to an Indian separatist group, and followed up by arresting key members of that group in Dhaka, the Bangladeshi capital, reports The Times of India.

Around the same time, police arrested a fugitive hit man working for Daud Ibrahim, one of South Asia’s most notorious terrorists. While in custody, the assassin divulged that 150 of Mr. Ibrahim’s operatives are stationed in Bangladesh, according to The Daily Star, a leading English-language newspaper based in Dhaka.

Source: CSMonitor

Religious freedom takes a back seat in Pakistan. A man refusing to convert to Islam was brutally sexually abused and then killed by Islamic extremists. This is not the first time that it’s happening. Most of the atrocities against minorities in Pakistan and Bangladesh go unnoticed. A few of them is only picked up by the media. Our expectation is Pakistani authority will take strong actions to make sure the rights of the minorities are protected.

Pakistani police reportedly found the body of Tariq “Litto” Mashi Ghauri — a 28-year-old university student in Sargodha, Pakistan — lying dead in a canal outside a rural village in Punjab Province on May 15. He had been raped and stabbed at least five times.

“They have sexually abuse him, torture him with a knife on his testicle and genitals,” Ghauri’s brother, 24-year-old Salman Nabil Ghauri, said. “They have tortured him very badly, and after that they have stabbed five times with a knife and killed him.”

The family believes Litto Ghauri was murdered by the brothers of his Muslim girlfriend, Shazi Cheema, after they found him in a compromising sexual position with their sister.

The Rev. Haroon Bhatti, a Christian clergyman in the village and a friend of the Ghauri family, said Cheema’s three brothers came to Litto Ghauri’s house on May 11 and gave him an ultimatum: Marry their sister and convert to Islam.

Source

A Muslim mother of four was brutally attacked by villagers because she simply talked to a Hindu. This incident is the example of Bangladesh fast moving towards degrading Islamic Shariah law and also the vibrant rise of support for Islamic fascist ideologies as claimed by the article.

This also rises questions about the rights of women in Bangladesh. I hope government takes proper actions to help the mother rehabilitate.

DHAKA (AFP) — A Muslim mother has been caned for talking to a Hindu man in Bangladesh, police said Saturday, prompting fresh concerns about a rise in cases of harsh treatment of women under strict Islamic law.

The punishment was carried out in a remote village in Muslim-majority Bangladesh on the orders of village elders, local police chief Enamul Monowar told AFP by telephone.

The village elders found Kamala Begum, 38, a mother of four, guilty under Islamic sharia law of chatting with an unidentified Hindu man, Monowar said. Hindus make up around 10 percent of Bangladesh’s population.

“The villagers got bundles of 25 sticks and hit her four times on the back. They claimed it was a symbolic punishment. But she’s humiliated and has been in great mental pain,” Monowar said.

It was the third such reported case in two weeks in the country and stirred concern among women’s groups in Muslim-majority but officially secular Bangladesh, about what they say is a rise in the brutal treatment of women under locally applied Islamic laws.

Source: AFP

International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), a Hindu organization, fear attacks by Islamic militants after helping rescuedminor Hindu boy from madrasa.

Bangladesh government has failed to protect and promote human rightsof the minorities of Bangladesh over the years. Rape, gang-rape,kidnap and forceful conversion of members of the ethnic and religious minorities has turned Bangladesh into a land of human rights violation, opposed to the demand of UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The rising Islamic militancy threatens the existence of the minorities in Bangladesh. Many Hindus were forced to leave the country because of communal violence.

Recently, a minor Hindu boy, 13-year-old Poresh Chandra Sarkar, was traced out of his long disappearance. The boy from poor family took up job as child labour in a restaurant in the capital. Dhaka. Far from his village, there a Muslim man, named Hamdu Mia, came to know about the boy’s helpless condition, and with the help of some Maolanas (Muslim clerics) of a madrasa, they illegally converted this immature boy to a Islam from Hinduism and confined him in madrasa, away from all contact with his parents.

After lots of frantic searching for the boy, a clue came from a letter with $58 sent by Poresh to his father on 25.04.2008 through Genera Post Office (GPO) in Dhaka. Based on the clue, the boy’s father Krishna Chandra Sarker contacted a Muslim officer at the GPO. The officer informed Krishna Sarker that he knew of his son’s whereabouts and that he might get back his son if his family converted to Islam.

Failing to make contact with his beloved son, Mr. Sarker filed a police report (GD # 1498) with the Paltan Police Station, Dhaka.

The police then called in Hamdu Mia along with the Maulans to the Police Station. The parents, along with the relatives, beg to the police to hand over their son to them until late at night, but they were forced out of the Police Station with getting custody of the boy.

It appears that the police were connected to the extremists. The lawyers, representing the boy’s father, suspect that the innocent boy might have undergone terror-training in a camp somewhere like Bagmara, as the boy shout to his father over a cell-phone that, “I have sacrifice my life to establish the law of Allah in the world, and don’t try to find out me…..” (Allahar Ain Prothistha Korar Jonno ejibon utshorga koriachi Amar Khoj Korio na). He has been trained to keep shut himself under any circumstances.

Later on, the father and the son was brought before a court in Dhaka, chaired by magistrate Ms. Shamima Parvin on 07 April 2009. Unfortunately, ignoring the age of the victim and submission of Mr. Sarker’s lawyer, the magistrate ordered that the boy be sent to the Madrasa, instead of handing him over to his parents. But, faced with objection of the lawyers, she sent the boy to Jail Hajat (Safe Custody).

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Secularism in Danger in Bangladesh

The Islamic terrorist activities resulting in death of uncounted innocent and spreading the message of hearted and violence. Bangladesh have had failed to deal with the Islamic terrorism by the years. The root of Islamic terrorism was rooted historically by defining the Islam as a “state religion”. The historical rotten root of political Islam and Islamic extremism was rooted by the long absence of secular parliament democracy.

By knocking down the secular ascent of the constitution of Bangladesh the dirty politicians characterized Bangladesh from secular to Islamic Bangladesh.

Many nations all around the world have already successfully introduced anti terrorism legalization including Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, and United States. It’s the need of time for Bangladesh to introduce and well and constructive Anti terrorism legislation

It’s ironically truth that the law alone will not be able to deter Islamic terrorism in Bangladesh. Before introducing anti terror law the government should first should first kick out the “bloody bismillah” and the root of Islamic extremism the state religion “Islam”. The nation and nationals should be indoctrinated with spirit of secularism and step forward to a better and progressive Bangladesh.

The anti terrorism law should be extra ordinary law that fits with the pure democratic standard and distinct from the laws of Bangladesh penal code. In drafting the law the government should keep in mind that in implementing the law no one should be able to use the law as political instrument.

In drafting the law government should keep in mind that the law should not only focus on the present or past activities of any Islamic extremist group but should focus on with a manner to curb the root of Islamic extremities from the society.

We have experienced the Islamic extremist are recruiting new members inside of the prisons of Bangladesh during their imprisonment. The Islamic extremist indoctrinated the ill fated the Muslims inside of the prisons of Bangladesh. In a situation like this Bangladesh government should start a new prison only for the Islamic extremists and insure the proper correction and teaching towards justice and peace.

Hindu Temple in Pakistan

I just returned from a month in India during which time an incredible number of significant events were occurring. My primary mission in going was to document and raise awareness of the ethnic cleansing of Bangladeshi Hindus. I found plenty, including evidence of ongoing attacks on them both in Bangladesh and in West Bengal, India. The border between the two is so porous that terrorists and contraband move freely with and without the help of India’s Border Security Force or West Bengal police. But I also witnessed the tragic beginning of the end for Pakistan’s Hindus. Once one in five Pakistanis, they have been reduced to one percent of the population.

But as the Taliban take over ever larger chunks of that country, that remnant of a people is streaming across the border into Indian Punjab. The stream became a torrent with the Taliban’s seizure of the Swat Valley earlier this year. Hindu refugees report attacks and threats by the Taliban, as well as officials telling them to leave the country “or else.” The February agreement between the Taliban and the Zardari government ceded the area to the former and allowed Sharia law to be imposed on Swat’s 1.2 million inhabitants.

President Obama has used this agreement as a model in his stated quest for “moderate Taliban.” But not only does the agreement countersign ethnic cleansing, it also failed even before Obama’s anticipated speech on US policy in the region. Just hours before the President spoke, one of the Taliban parties to the agreement, Tehrik e Taliban, abrogated it with a terror attack on a mosque in Pakistan’s Northwest Frontier Province, and has engaged in other terrorist attacks subsequently.

One Hindi language channel quoted a Taliban spokesman confirming that his group was pulling out of the agreement not to attack elsewhere in Pakistan because, he said, it would be contrary to Allah’s wishes to limit Sharia to the Swat Valley. Yet, no major media in India, the US, or elsewhere made this connection.

Even more shameful, no media or government has protested the ethnic cleansing of Pakistan’s Hindus, who are being finished off by the Taliban. All governments involved in the region are just allowing it to happen,too. What kind of a world do we live in when India will not defend Hindus attacked for being Hindus; when the US ignores the atrocity; when not a single human rights group or the UN utters a word of protest?

What is happening to Pakistan’s Hindus is a crime, but a crime that is largely accomplished. There remain 13,000,000 Hindus in Bangladesh subject to the same attacks, the same racist laws, and the same intention to eradicate them. Worse, the battle is spilling across the open border into India, and it is changing the demographic balance in the region. It is also allowing terrorists into the country whose intention is to undermine the very nation of Hindustan.

My mission is to prevent that, to prevent the murders and other atrocities, even if I am the only voice of protest to cry out about this crime against humanity.

Bangladeshi Parliament Building

Abraham Lincoln said, “Democracy is the government of the people, by the people, for the people,” while Karl Marx said, “Democracy is the road to socialism.” The people of Bangladesh are wondering where they are headed. The country was born out of a long democratic movement coming out of civil war against the Pakistani junta. It’s been almost four decades since independence.

Bangladesh may become the greatest threat to peace and security in South Asia. While it was the focus of concern for activists back in 1971, and still remains so, the scenario has totally changed. Back in 1971, the situation was that activists and humanitarians in Bangladesh were being threatened, but now those outside of Bangladesh who desire peace may be threatened by Bangladesh. In the absence of democracy, the nation has been hijacked by military dictatorship and Islamic extremism. The country remains under the pressure of these two non-democratic groups.

Bangladesh has fully failed to establish democracy as an institution. In Bangladesh, every person, whether in a position of power or not, is very vocal about the idea of democracy, but the nation has failed to become democratic in a substantial way. Parties voted into power for the purpose of institutionalizing democracy bring their own version of democracy. The country today is plagued by a variety of problems threatening the peace and security of the South Asia region.

The requisites of democracy are absent in the democratic practice of Bangladesh. From liberty to equality, fraternity to sovereignty, an independent judiciary to the rights of the people, all are denied and demonized by the defective democratic system in Bangladesh.

In the absence of democracy, a sort of theocracy is taking its place and is being institutionalized into the sociopolitical system of Bangladesh. Islamic extremists have formed a shadow government in Bangladesh, while failing to gain support for an Islamic theocracy from the masses.

In 2009, there are 78,000 NGOs registered with different government institutions. NGOs play a vital role in the development of Bangladesh. The Islamic extremists successfully raised foreign donations during the term of the BNP-led alliance government in an amount nearly equal to Bangladesh’s 2009 financial budget.

In fostering democracy, poverty is a challenge before the nation, while Islamic extremists are trying to take the opportunity to take control of the areas of economy and development in Bangladesh, with Islamic institutions being able to control politics in Bangladesh.

Robert M. Hutchins said, “The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference, and undernourishment.” In a very different way, the Islamic extremists have formed a shadow government here in Bangladesh, so that the death of democracy is certain.

Benjamin Franklin said, “Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!” When the wolves fight for the lamb, democracy, they are fighting to kill it. Democracy is death here in Bangladesh. The Islamic theocracy has triumphed.

William Gomes is an independent human rights activist, a Catholic ecumenical activist, and a political analyst. He is also the Executive Director of the Christian Development Alternative (CDA), a national organization against torture and human rights violations.

Minority Hindu farmer Shri Norandoy Nath Roy(62) in Bangladesh become the target of the Islamic fascist Muslims and the local political syndicate at the district of Dinajpur in Bangladesh . Recently on 16th march 2009, Mr. Roy filed case against the local school committee as he was not given the democratic right to vote in the election of the school committee where  his younger son Ranjit Kumar Roy .

In that case the 2nd accused is the brother of general secretary of local Awami league. On 30th April 2009 , a group 7 unknown young men forcefully took him to Ranigonj Market by Motor Cycle .On the way they gave him bag and they took him to police station. Next day the police send the poor Hindu Minority in court filing a case of revering 20 “Fensidel” from this poor farmer.

Rising Muslim Extremism in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is terrorized by Islamic terrorism. Islamic terrorism has created a culture of fear in Bangladesh. Our main objective is to bring out the nation from this culture of fear. Afghanistan is noted with the notion that “a nation at war and some time a nation engulfed by the “Taliban”.

In 1990s, 70,000 to 120,000 Muslim youth trained to fight in Asia, Africa, and in Middle East in different Al-Qaeda and Taliban camps in Afghanistan. Al-Qaeda highly trained a notable number of Islamic groups and indoctrinated them with the mission of “Jihad” that influx all over the world the message of fear and violence.

Arakan Rohingya Nationalist Organization (ARNO) and Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO) were among the groups who were trained in Afghanistan camps and were and are active in Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Every single Islamic terrorist attack from 9/11 to Bangladesh or else where in world is direct or indirect curse of the mushroom growth of Islamic terrorism. Harkat-ul-Jehad Islami-Bangladesh (HuJI-B) and Jamaat-ul-Mujaihdeen Bangladesh (JMB) have had a strong relation with the Afghanistan based Islamic terrorist networks. Bangladesh witnessed a mass bloodshed in the name of bloody Islam. Roads of Bangladesh were shacked with the slogan “We are Taliban and Bangla Will be Afghan”.

Bangladesh is experiencing the highest challenge in controlling political Islam and Islamic terrorism. The scenario has changed now Bangladesh becomes the highest threat before world peace and security.

As a multifaceted phenomenon, terrorism is a reason to fight regionally and jointly.

The experience of Afghanistan in fighting the Islamic terrorism has been pivotal. Afghanistan can lead the south Asia in fighting the Islamic terrorism with their all experience.

Present Afghanistan Government and the people of Afghanistan is major ally of the International community in fighting the Islamic terrorist. The articulation and pursuit of Afghan foreign policy had made it clear the intention and ability to defend the Islamic Terrorism in or by Afghanistan. However, in a world of diversity, the solution we are looking forward to bring an end to the culture of fear and violence does demand a regional united effort.

International community should guide to bridge the gap between inadequate aspirations of Afghanistan’s foreign policy in fighting the Islamic Terrorist with People and government of Bangladesh based on the spirit of friendship and co operation.

International community should inspire the politicians and policy makers to mobilize the people of the south Asian region to make an open platform that the normal people can lead the movement against the culture of violence and fear that the movements become people’s movement against Islamic Terrorism and a vibrant campaign for Justice and peace. This initiative will play a central role in helping the people and government of Afghanistan and Bangladesh in their mission towards insuring stability of the south Asian region and the world.

Fascism Funded by Islamic NGOs

Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) play a vital role in a developing country like Bangladesh. The number of NGOs in Bangladesh is in excess of 78,000 by the midst of the year 2009 registered with five different government instruments.  

The news that Islamic NGOs with foreign funds are fueling the Islamic militancy was bubbling all over Bangladesh. The Daily Star said that suspected NGOs include Rabita Al-Alam Al-Islami, Al-Muntada Al- Islami, Society of Social Reforms, Qatar Charitable Society, Islamic Relief Agency, Al-Forkan Foundation, International Relief Organisation, Kuwait Joint Relief Committee, Muslim Aid Bangladesh, Dar Al-Khair, Hayatul Igachha, and Tawheed-e-Noor.  

The daily New Age of Bangladesh wrote, “During the previous BNP-led alliance government, some 473 local and 25 foreign NGOs were enlisted with the NGO Affairs Bureau. One hundred and twenty-nine of them are local and eight foreign NGOs who were enlisted in the financial year 2006-07. Since 1990, the NGO Bureau has approved 2,367 local and foreign NGOs who run on foreign funding.” 

When the Bangladesh National Party-led alliance government was in power, 90,000 core taka (approx. US$1,300) in foreign donations, in the name of 11,000 NGOs, came into Bangladesh. That amount is nearly equal to the government’s financial budget for the year 2009, which is 99,962 core taka (approx. US$1,450).  

The main process of registering an NGO and funding its operations is highly dependent upon the bureaucracy. That was and is the main reason that NGO activities in Bangladesh have become politicized. As a result of this, during the term of the BNP-led alliance government, the institutional outfit of the Islamic fascist interest triumphed. 

The NGO registration process involves some powerful intelligence instruments of the government, such as the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), the National Security Intelligence (NSI), and the Special Branch of the Bangladesh Police. 

There is clear evidence of corruption and political interference in the NGO registration process. The government’s policy is tricky on the issue of NGO registration, especially the NGO affairs bureau, which is under the prime minister’s office in name, but is mainly controlled by intelligence instruments like the DGFI and the NSI. It is notable that there are several Islamic fascist proponents placed in various important government instruments, including intelligence organizations, during the term of the BNP alliance government. 

We have had a past record of 34 foreign funded major Islamic non-governmental organizations (NGO) and 15 are very active ngo’s back in year 2005. In 1999, the intelligence agencies tracked an NGO named Suffering Humanity International, which had vibrant relations with Islamic fascists to establish an Islamic dictatorship in Bangladesh.  

The Islamic fascists have fully succeeded in forming a shadow government in Bangladesh. The Islamic fascist outfit Ngo turned the money in several long time investments such as in Banking, health and hospital and education sector. In the time of need they will control the market and destabilize country. Even the same quarter has engulfed in the print and media sector with an ulterior motive to play ideological propaganda.  

The same quarter is nursing to bring new crisis before the government where the treatment of government is very poor. After the pilkahan revolt the prisons are the next target of the vested quarter to destabilize the country. The vested quarter is using prisons as recruiting office to strengthen their terrorist activities. The young people come out from the prison and join the source outside and take part in destructive works.  

The government should make it very clear to make the whole ngo activities free from the influence of the Intelligence and politics to safe the country from further massive failure. The Islamic ngos has turned into shadow government in Bangladesh and the highest threat before Bangladesh as well as to the security of south Asian region.

William Gomes is an independent human rights activist, a Catholic ecumenical activist, and a political analyst. He is also the Executive Director of the Christian Development Alternative (CDA), a national organization against torture and human rights violations.

Human Rights in Bangladesh

Humanize the Human Rights are the people’s demand of the time in Bangladesh. Some time in many issues we have experienced the raising voice against the factual human rights violations. Same time we do experienced the political partisanship and demoralization of human rights groups as well as individual Human Rights defenders. As a example human rights organizations are divided in the name and favor of politics, religion and donor orientated agenda and propaganda. Recently in the partition in the filed of Human Rights was focused in the argument on the issue of election monitoring of Bangladesh Ninth Parliamentary Elections. The two main political parties gave objection to the election commission objecting the partisanship of the selected NGO’s in the 34 members Election Working Group donated by international donor agencies . 

The major print and electronic media of Bangladesh has covered the facts widely. The said fact obviously brings in light the facts about the division and demoralization based on politics among the human rights group in Bangladesh. The democratic frame was stumbled by the demoralization of Human rights in Bangladesh.

I don’t oppose the practice of politics of individual or community. I do not wish the rule of military regime or dictatorship indeed. In the same time I do also don’t want to see the Human Rights of the peoples would be delimited and the rights of the people will be violated for the sake of political opinion or practice by the Human Rights instruments.  

The other division is very vocal and that creates a vital crucial division in the filed of Human Rights and also a great hindrance in the way to promote communal harmony and equip Human rights. There area certain Human Rights groups those who are working namely protecting the Human Rights of the peoples. But they only armed with hearted slogan in mind for others to protect the rights of the certain Religious groups with an ultra communal attitude.  

Among the irrational groups there are also highly inner divisions. Some are of them extensively working for the Hindus while others are highly sensitize for the Christian or others own faith .By these groups the Human Rights of the peoples are highly violated with high profile communal attitude.  

While the atheist groups are blaming the all religion in general as the root cause of all human rights violations and highly propagating to convince the people not to believe in Religion. 

Bangladesh is a poor developing country; the NGO’s mainly depends on foreign fund. The Ngo’s always tried to gain the foreign fund and the donor agency crucially enforces their propaganda related agenda with an ulterior motive. And that cause another highly diplomatic defect in the filed of Human Rights.  

 As an example the Arab based donor organizations donate the faith based Islamic fascist Ngo’s to Islamize the country. In past days Bangladesh government’s Intelligence agency like National Securities of Intelligence (NSI) and Directorate General of Intelligence (DGFI) has traced a bunch of Ngo’s who are patronizing the Islamic extremist and their Slogan for Islamization of the country. The Arab based facilitation influx the Islamic fascism and farm communal hatred that ends with a grenade attack or suicide bomb attack that’s kills thousands of innocent peoples and progressive peoples. Bangladesh’s present Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed, progressive British diplomat Anwar chowdhury was also among target who was targeted by the Islamic fascist to kill. 

 Any kind of division is a high hindrance in protecting the Human Rights of the people and equipping the peace and justice in the Human family. As all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights, the Human rights groups or individual shouldn’t deny protecting the rights violated people of any belief or disbelief or for any political opinion indeed. It’s time to think locally but act globally to enroll the justice and peace. 

[William Gomes is an independent human rights activist, a Catholic ecumenical activist, and a political analyst. He is also the Executive Director of the Christian Development Alternative (CDA), a national organization against torture and human rights violations. He  can be contacted by email at cda.exe@gmail.com.]

Violence on Hindu Women in Bangladesh. Picture: William Gomes

United Nation has titled “Women and men united to end violence against women and girls” the theme for International women’s day 2009.  International women’s day was started as a political event and blended in the culture in many countries of the world. Only 24 women have been elected heads of state or government in this century.  It’s a matter of virtual achievement that Bangladesh has honored with two women leader Sheikh Hasina Wazed and Begum Khaleda Zia.

After 35 years of independence of Bangladesh and Begum Khaleda Zia has ruled the country for about 10 years (longest period). She has been elected to five separate parliamentary constituencies in the general elections of 1991, 1996, and 2001, a feat unachieved by any other politician in Bangladeshi history.

Sheikh Hasina’s party defeated Begum Khaleda Zia’s BNP in the 2008 Parliamentary Elections. Her party achieved a landslide victory reminiscent to the 1971 elections of Pakistan. Under her leadership, the party has achieved a supermajority in parliament, controlling 230 seats out of 299. Sheikh Hasina Wazed is the present prime minister of Bangladesh.  Both of them have served as the head of the state for different period. If you look at the other side of coin you will easily realize the situation of the women’s in Bangladesh.

Different false extortion and murder case was filed by politically motivated the Bangladesh police during the military backed interim government against Sheikh Hasina Wazed. The military backed interim government subsequently prevents Hasina and issued ban to return to her own motherland.

The military backed interim government arrested Sheikh Hasina wazed with ulterior motive to draw portrait of

Helpless Hindu Women; Picture: William Gomes

Pakistan to force her to into political exile. The progressive concern all over the world protested on her arrest.

On June 11, 2008 Hasina was released on parole for medical reasons and the next day she flew to the United States to be treated for hearing impairment, eye problems and high blood pressure. Prof. Syed Modasser Ali, her personal physician, threatened to sue the caretaker government over negligence regarding Hasina’s treatment during her detention.

On September 2, 2007, a case was filed against Zia by the interim government for corruption regarding the awarding of contracts to Global Agro Trade Company in 2003, and on September 3, 2007 she was arrested. On government’s executive order Zia was released later .

Although the Islam always pritirize women and give honor to women that is  cleraifed in  Sura Al-Baqarah, verse.282 in the Holy Quran  the Islamic facist has questioned the  women leadership and manily targeted Sheikh Hasina Wazed.

On August 21, 2004, a murderous attack took place on Sheikh Hasina while she was addressing a public rally in Dhaka. In this incident 23 people were killed. One of the victims was Ivy Rahman, a close associate of Sheikh Hasina. Sheikh Hasina herself narrowly escaped with some injuries. Until now she is carryuing the injuries in her body and she become nearly deaf.

In past election campaign Hsian and Khaleda Zia campaign under foolproof security arrangements and moved with the high security of Special Security Force (SSF) with fear of beign of targeted by the Islamic fascist. The top women leaders are paying the price of Islamization of Bangladesh indeed. The transition to democracy is always jeopardized by Islamic fascists with a demand of Islamic theocracy.

Violence on Women

On year 2008, country wide 518 cases of Violence against women claimed according to a survey report released by Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK), a human rights organisation, reported by “The daily star “on 2009-01-01.

Of the victims, 172 women were killed over dowry and 246 in domestic violence while 83 killed after rape. The list also includes 17 female domestic helps. Besides, 367 more women were raped and eight of them committed suicide during the one-year period. Two domestic helps also committed suicide. Also, 20 women fell victim to fatwa (religious edict).

Violence against women is becoming more and more of a common and widespread issue across the country. The legal process to combat gender-based violence is complicated. Some of the major ones are: physical violence, sexual harassment, trafficking/kidnapping, acid attack, dowry, wife battering, fatwa, eve teasing, murder, rape, gang rape and many more. State intervention towards preventing violence against women is inadequate till date. The minority women and children are always victimized by the Islamic fascist where the government has failed to secure the rights of minority women and children. Although government has signed different International convention and introduce special law to protect the women and children the government always failed to secure the women and children. As a result we saw the women and children become victim of brutality in Bangladesh. When two begums were victimized, uncounted ill fated are crying for justice.

Khaleda Zia: Accused of Various Corruptions and Attacks on Minority Communities

Muslim Violence in Bangladesh

Dhaka, Bangladesh—At 10am today, local time, internationally-acclaimed journalist Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, was attacked as he was working in the office of his newspaper, Weekly Blitz, by “a gang of thugs” claiming to be from Bangladesh’s ruling Awami League.  I spoke by telephone with Choudhury as he awaited medical treatment for eye, neck, and other injuries suffered in the attack.  The renewed violence marks the first against him since he was abducted by Bangladesh’s dreaded Rapid Action Battalion a year ago.

A large group stormed Blitz premises and attacked newspaper staff until they found Choudhury.  At that point, he said, “they dragged me [and two staff] into the street” where they beat them “in broad daylight…They looted my office and stole my laptop” with “all my sensitive information.  As of this writing, the attackers continue to occupy the Blitz office.

According to Choudhury, the police were impassive and seemed intimidated when the attackers emphasized their party membership and accused him of being an agent of the Israeli Mossad.  They later threatened to attack his home should Choudhury go to the police again.

Choudhury was arrested in 2003 by government agents, in cooperation with Islamist forces, because of his advocacy of relations with Israel and religious equality, and his articles exposing the rise of radical Islam in Bangladesh.  He was tortured and held for seventeen months and only released after strong pressure by human rights activist Dr. Richard Benkin and US Congressman Mark Kirk (R-IL).  In 2007, the US Congress passed a Kirk-introduced resolution 409-1 calling on Bangladesh to stop harassing Choudhury and drop capital charges against him after extensive evidence confirmed them to be false, contrary to Bangladeshi law, and as admitted by successive Bangladeshi officials, maintained only to appease Islamists.  The Bangladeshi government continues to remain in defiance of that resolution and its provisions.