2009 Failed State Index

Fund for peace has decided to rank Bangladesh 19 out of 177 states putting it into “alert” state. The higher the ranking, more vulnerability exists in that nation and more likely that nation to spiral into a state-wide crisis. The bad ranking for Bangladesh has to do with corrupted government, social unrest and bad human rights record.  Although new government was able to gain some momentum initially, BDR mutiny and rising cost of living while sliding quality of life has contributed to a high vulnerability within the state.

Pakistan has been ranked 10th putting it into a highly critical category. Somalia ranks 1 in the index.

Among the top 10 ranked states, 7 of them are Muslim majority states.

Somalia (1)
Sudan (3)
Chad (4)
Iraq (6)
Afghanistan (7)
Guinea (9)
Pakistan (10)

This shows the high uncertainty that exists on most of the Muslim states. Corrupted government, rise of Islamic fascism and fundamentalism are tearing these countries apart.

Other than the Muslim states, the South-Asian states have also performed very poorly except India. Among other South-Asian states Sri Lanka has ranked 22 and Nepal 25. Unfortunately Bangladesh has ranked worse than both of these nations even though these countries are recovering from the civil war and unrest.

Click here to look at the original list.

Here is an interactive map.

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 .

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.

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.

Hindu-Jewish Collaboration

Hindus and Jews have asked the United Kingdom to re-evaluate the matrix of opening prayers in its Parliament, which probably date back from 17th century.

Rajan Zed, acclaimed Hindu statesman; and Rabbi Jonathan B. Freirich, prominent Jewish leader in Nevada and California in USA; in a joint statement, stressed that either these prayers should be more universal in nature encompassing various religions or leaders of various faiths should take turns to read their prayers.

Zed and Freirich said that Parliament was the representative body of all people of United Kingdom, who besides various denominations of Christianity, now included substantial number of Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Jews, Neopagans, Buddhists, Bahais, etc., in addition to a considerable number of non-believers and Jedi Knights. Prayers in Parliament should also reflect and respect these demographics.

The practice of prayers, which “follow the Christian faith”, started in about 1558 and the present form of prayers probably dates from the reign of Charles II (1660-1685). Members of the public are not allowed into the public galleries during prayers.

In the House of Commons, Speaker’s Chaplain usually reads the prayers, which talk of “…laying aside all private interests and prejudices keep in mind their responsibility to seek to improve the condition of all mankind…”

In the House of Lords, a senior Bishop (Lord Spiritual) who sits in the Lords usually reads the prayers. The text of the Prayers includes the words  “…laying aside all private interests, prejudices, and partial affections…”. MPs and Peers stand for prayers facing the wall behind them, “due to the difficulty Members would historically have faced of kneeling to pray while wearing a sword”.

Rajan Zed and Rabbi Jonathan B. Freirich argued that although they prayed regularly to “improve the condition of all mankind” and “laying aside all…prejudices”, yet their prayers reflected only a section of the public and not the society in its entirety.

Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, said that presence of different religions was an evident symbol of God’s generosity and munificence. We should quest for a unity that hailed diversity,

The origins of Parliament, which now has 1,388 members and is located in London, goes back to 12th century. Its main roles include examining/challenging the work of the government, debating/ passing laws, and enabling the government to raise taxes. Baroness Hayman is Speaker of House of Lords, while Michael Martin is Speaker of House of Commons.

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.

Peace - is what I want!!

Peace is a state of mutual harmony between people or groups, especially in personal relations. It is true that this definition goes beyond personal relations and holds good for relations between nations, groups, races and sects of people living in this world. It is aptly symbolized by a white dove or pigeon. A flying bird, which is not easy to catch hold of; however, we never stop running after it. Only a clean and saintly mind would be able to catch hold of peace in its true sense. Peace is defined by different people in different ways. Some say if they have lots and lots of money, they will be at peace. Some think if they are famous, they will attain peace. There is another group of people who thinks that peace lay in God. They work towards meeting and unite with God and that is the way they choose to conquer peace. There are still different types of people who have defined peace in still different ways. All of us move in a direction we think will give us peace and we move on until affected by an external force which shatters our faith and we take on a different route – again to arrive at peace! Almost like Newton’s law of motion, is not it? But, this is how it has been. Some search for peace in earthly belongings, some search for it in love and some search for it in their work (Karma)… A few attain peace, by the last breath of their lives. For some, even that is not so – peace elude them throughout!

Happiness and peace are two different states. One may be happy but not in peace; however, one in peace is happy – almost always. Happiness is with you and peace is a mutual state of thought. If you are at peace with yourself, with your soul you ought to be happy. We will talk about it later. Let me tell you a short story here that I heard yesterday which prompted me to write this. You will enjoy this.

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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

Era of Hope

By William Gomes

“Be aware of Bangladesh” this is how the Honkong based magazine “The Economic Review” titled on Bangladesh. This is the same Bangladesh which comes out of sacrificial 9 months long of liberation war against the Islamic fascist and brutal Junta of Pakistan in 1971. The new born nation was inspired by fully by non communal spirit. But the joy of liberation was struggling with the left inner vested quarter of Pakistani Junta “Al –Badar” and “Al- Shamas”. Slowly the vested quarter entered into the root of the policy making. The country faced horrible tragedy during 1975 and afterward. The father of the nation was killed by the army officials and the nation steps into new tragedy. That was beginning of new era in the history of Bangladesh. The constitution was amended many times afterward and the agenda of vested quarter was fulfilled. The secular entity of Bangladesh was removed and it was titled with “Bloody Bismillah”. That was main base of entering the slow poison of Political Islam in the land of peace. I want to recall the saying of great Italian philosopher Sonko “Religion is regarded by the common men as true, by the wise as false and by the rulers as useful”.

In Bangladesh Religion is highly useful for all forms left –right politicians indeed. The secular writer Taslima Nasrin was forced to leave the country for the Islamic fascist. The free thinker Dr.Goni Gomez was killed by the JMB and nation was shacked by the bomb blast in almost all districts by the Islamic fascist and this is the result of Islamization of Bangladesh.

In Bangladesh the minorities are under threat all the time in the name of Islam. We want to dream for a day, when we will be able to worship in the Christmas day without the police security and without any fear of Bomb Blast. We want to dream for a day when Bangladesh will be corruption free and when we will be free from poverty.  We want to dream for a day when the people of all religion will sing the song of peace and harmony together and work together for a better Bangladesh. We want to dream for a better Bangladesh. We don’t want to see any title “Be aware of Bangladesh” but we want to see the “Bangladesh the unique example of peace and prosperity”.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 1, 2009

CONTACT: Richard L. Benkin, Ph.D.; +1-847-922-6426;

drrbenkin@comcast.net; http://www.InterfaithStrength.com

Sydney, Australia—A conference that was to “debate” charging Israel with war crimes was canceled, as reported in the Sydney Morning Herald, after “revelations the convener had made anti-Semitic remarks.” Maqsood Alshams, a reputed human rights activist made inflammatory and highly derogatory anti-Semitic statements to Dr. Richard L. Benkin of Chicago in emails and over the telephone. Alshams had previously asserted that his passionate anti-Israeli animus was based on his commitment to human rights for all people. When Benkin asked him why he had no sympathy for the children of Sderot and other Jewish communities facing Hamas rocket fire, Alshams said it was because “you Jews are m**herf****ng b**t*rds.” Alshams repeated these comments to Benkin and had made similarly revealing statements to others.

Benkin revealed Alshams’ underlying motives to several members of Australia’s Jewish community. They got the information to the Jewish Board of Deputies who got it to the press. Two days later, the conference (which was to be held at an official building) was canceled after several participants withdrew and distanced themselves from Alshams.

Benkin, Founder of Interfaith Strength, is an anti-terrorist and human rights activist. Like many others, he is committed to unmasking the anti-Jewish hatred that is the real basis for many Israel-bashers, who cloak themselves in disingenuous human rights language—a ruse that, unfortunately, many in the media and elsewhere reinforce.

Benkin is available for interviews and commentary and can be contacted at the telephone or email above.

Mr. Thakur Das Mondol a Minority Hindu  Union Member and Chairman Of Magur Khali Union Jubo Dal in Khulna . On 24th of January 2009 this brutal attack was took placed in Chandipur of Magur Khali union . As he was returning from kanchan Nagar Bazar a group of 5-6 perpetrators attacked him suddenly and beat him brutally until he was senseless.

The  Perpetrators leave him in a senseless condition .Later on the local people rescued him and took him to Khulna Medical College Hospital .Until now no case was filed regarding this brutal attack on Hindu Minority Political Leader.

We are worried about the siutaion of this Hindu Minority political leader. we urge to the Bangladesh government to insure the security of this Hindu Minority political leader and his family . We do appeal to Mr,Sitangshu Guha of Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council USA) to talk to the international community to insure the situation in Bangladesh ,where any one can prctise his own religion and take part in any poilitcal activity freely and without any fear.We urge to the concerned person of USCRIF Mr.Steven Snow to take a note on this brutal attack . We demand to Home minister Of Bangladesh government to take necessary actions to secure the security and rights of this Hindu Minority political leader .

With thanks

William gomes

www.persecutionbd.org

A group of armed and drunked supporters of Bangladesh Awamileague attacked a Hindu minority BNP supporter Nitto Lal Das (55) at around 2:30 am in 30^th December 2008 . The Younger brother of local Awamileague leader Abul Mansur Rubel lead a team of 7-8 perpetrators and they knocked at the door of Nitto Lal Das and as they opened the door the perpetrators start beating Nitto Lal Das in KuliarChar ,Kisohergonj . During beating Nitto Lal become naked. . The brutal attackers did not forsake the women and old aged mother of Nitto Lal. As the family members try to save Nitto Lal they were also attacked by the perpetrators the perpetrators finally hurt Nitto Lal Das with sharp arms. The brutal attackers even hurt the aged mother of Nitto with Sharp arms. During this attack several others relatives of Nitto were hurt ,including Provati Rani Das (40),Raju Das (17),Shiuli Rani Das (35),Montu Das (40),Sujata Das(26) .

Nitto Lal das was severly injured and first taken to local hospital. Then Nitto Lal was brought to Dhaka Truma Hospital in Shamoli and as the situation of Nitto Lal was decreasing he was taken to Apollo Hospital for better treatment in 31^st December 2008.

The Regional Co Coordinator of “Justice Foundatioan” and the Executive Director of Christian Development Alternative (CDA) William Gomes immediate rushed to the Trauma Hospital and talked to relatives of the victim. They expressed their great shock in this incident and they are demanding for their security.

In 1^st of January 2009, William Gomes meet with the Chairman of National Human Rights Commission and officially urged to them to take necessary initiative to secure the minority family as soon as possible.

Till the report written no police case was filed regarding this incident. The minorities of that locality are in fear of communal violence like 2001 .

Please Call the IG Police and call or mail your friends to take urgent actions .

[William Gomes is a Catholic Human rights activist, freelance journalist and the executive director of the Human rights organization “Christian Development Alternative(CDA). Visit:www.persecutionbd.org Email:CDA.exe@gmail.com, Cell:+8801912342809]

Muslim & Jewish Conflict

On Saturday, December 27, 2008, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) carried out a massive air strike on Hamas targets throughout the Gaza Strip in retaliation for the terrorist group’s continued rocket fire on Israeli civilians. The attack, dubbed “Cast Lead” was directed at Hamas security installations, training camp, weapons manufacturing plants, and other Hamas military facilities. Sources from both sides of the conflict admit that there was not a single Hamas facility that did not suffer major damage. A report by Israel National News said that experts called it “the most lethal single day of bombing in the region in at least 41 years.” The casualty count is 282 dead (including several top Hamas commanders) and 330 wounded, but that should rise as more bodies are recovered from the rubble. Even Arab sources are admitting that Israel managed to keep the casualties almost entirely to Hamas fighters. All Israeli planes and pilots returned home unharmed.

In 2005, Israel unilaterally evacuated the Gaza Strip after 38 year there with to give the Palestinian Arabs a chance to run their own area. Jewish groups purchased the hot houses previously used by evacuating Israelis to successfully grow vegetables in the arid Gaza soil; and they donated the hot houses to the Palestinians. It was hoped that the agricultural bounty provided by the hot houses, along with the extensive Gazan employment in Israel would be the basis for a successful Gaza economy. Almost immediately, however, the plans started to unfurl. Video footage showed Arabs triumphantly desecrating evacuated synagogues and destroying infrastructure left for them by the evacuating Israelis. The hot houses were destroy or misused by Arabs and never produced the product that had produced earlier. Moreover, in January 2006, Hamas won an electoral victory in Gaza and in June 2007, ousted all Fatah forces in a military takeover. Soon after that, Hamas turned Gaza into a base for terrorist attacks on Israel, forcing the latter to close the crossings that brought both terrorists and workers into Israel. Since 2005, Palestinian Arabs have fired over 6,000 missiles onto Israeli civilians, according to Israeli and Arab sources.

Israeli defensive efforts put an end to Hamas’ suicide bombers and terror attacks on the Jewish state and so Hamas and its surrogates began firing rockets and missiles indiscriminately into Israeli civilian areas located in the Negev region in Israel’s south. After the Hamas-Hezbollah War in the summer of 2006, the Israel and Hamas agreed to a truce. Every Hamas truce—or hudna–is temporary and engaged in only until the terror group believes it might have the strength to fight Israel. That war was started by an unprovoked raid by Hamas into Israeli territory and its kidnapping of Israeli, Gilad Shalit. Hamas has refused to allow the Red Cross or other international bodies see Shalit, and his fate remains unclear to this day. Despite the hudna, there were regular rocket attacks on Israeli civilians by Hamas until Israeli efforts forced a temporary halt. But on December 19, Hamas unilaterally voided continuation of the truce and resumed regular rocket attacks on Israeli civilians. In the week that followed, the terror group launched over 200 rockets onto Israeli civilian areas. Ultimately, that is what forced Israel’s hand.

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Struggle of Hindus in Bangladesh

With the scheduled date for national elections fast approaching, the Awami League (AL) continues its decades-long courtship of Bangladesh’s minorities. Its 2008 “election manifesto” identifies five “priority issues” and buried as one of seven points under the fifth priority is:

“Use of religion and communalism in politics will be banned. Security and rights of religious and ethnic minorities will be ensured. Courtesy and tolerance will be inculcated in the political culture of the country. Militancy and extortion will be banned. Awami League will take initiative to formulate a consensual and unanimous charter of political behavior.”

To be sure, the AL is on solid ground when it urges minorities to reject the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) with its long history of coddling Islamist radicals. There is nonetheless a real question of the AL’s commitment to these ideals aside from the total befuddlement among all observers about how it would implement these high-sounding principles. AL has yet to say how it will ban “use of religion and communalism in politics.” How does it propose to stop such things as leaflets being distributed in districts with minority candidates, as reported in The Daily Star? The paper notes that leaflets distributed in the Thakurgaon-I district urges voters to reject AL candidate Ramesh Chandra Sen because he is a Hindu and uses verses from the Quran to try and convince voters. Another leaflet was entitled “Al-Quraner-Bani” and asks Muslims not to vote for any non-Muslim candidate. According to an election officer, however, these things already are legal. How the AL would make sure these things do not happen is something they never have spelled out.

Moreover, the AL’s history should not encourage religious minorities. By now, all Bangladeshis recall the AL’s shameful agreement with Khelafat Majlis (KM) in December 2006. In that MOU, the AL discarded all pretense of being a party committed to minority rights when it agreed not only to let the Islamist party into its coalition if it won the election, but it would all the KM to proceed with implementing Sharia Law on all citizens. Fortunately, the elections scheduled for the following month were postponed, but the AL’s action revealed that its members are far more concerned about winning an election no matter what it means for millions of Bangladeshi citizen.

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Less than a week after the Mumbai terror attacks, United States Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice was in South Asia trying to “reduce tensions” between India and Pakistan. (Funny, we did not see her flying around the United States with the same message after the Islamists’ 9/11 attacks.) By the time she arrived in the area, Pakistani support for the Deccan Mujahadeen and their parent Lashkar-i-Taiba was a well-known and accepted fact. Rice’s goal was to convince Pakistan to take some obvious actions to defuse Indian anger over its involvement in the attacks. It worked, too. Pakistan did go after Lashkar-i-Taiba and made some arrests, but it would surprise no one if the arrests are short-lived and the terrorist group is not back in business soon. The real upshot of the effort was a bevy of calls for US President-elect Barack Obama to find a “regional solution” to the conflicts in South Asia. And that should scare the heck out of everyone.

The notion of a regional solution entails throwing the many “regional” conflicts and issues in one pot and trying to determine which ones have priority for the major parties in the way of “solutions.” In a very broad way, it makes sense; but when it comes down to specifics, these approaches always fail. (Just look at their record in the Middle East.) Moreover, the solutions involve satisfying some of the combatants while ignoring others; securing rights for some in the region, while ignoring those of others; then assuming that the unsatisfied parties will decide to play nice. Given the recent focus on Kashmir and US interests in Afghanistan, that area will be the subject of these efforts. Deeper conflicts between India and Pakistan and between Hindus and Muslims in the area will be ignored. Moreover, is there anyone who believes a regional solution will address the ethnic cleansing of the Bangladeshi Hindus? This is no small matter, and the results of ignoring the carnage should feel all too familiar.

Dr. Richard Benkin with Refugees

Our history of responding to genocide and ethnic cleansing is a sad one. The international community response seems to respond only after the bodies are piled too high to ignore. Pious statements of condemnation, memorials for the victims, and studied outrage are indeed the order of the day—but onlyafter our inaction allowed far too many deaths, most of them brutal. European Nazis murdered six million Jews in the 1940s. In the 1960s, Fulani-led Nigerians slaughtered around a million ethnic Ibos who formed the Republic of Biafra. Three decades later, majority Hutus murdered almost a million Tutsis in Rwanda; and Serbs did the same to about 10,000 ethnic Albanians in Kosovo. And the humiliating saga continues without end. Ethnic Arabs are still killing non-Arab Sudanese; so far over half a million. While there have been smaller mass killings, too, these crimes grabbed the world’s attention—albeit too late for the victims. The United Nations (UN) issued proclamations and sent aid through its human rights and refugee organizations. Amnesty International (AI), Human Rights Watch, and others loudly condemned the perpetrators, documenting the atrocities and raising money for their aid programs. Several international celebrities took on highly visible roles, and massive protests worldwide gave vent to peoples’ outrage.

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Liberation has been following the procedures and events unfolding in Bangladesh, particularly relating to the forthcoming election.   

In considering the previous electoral violence in Bangladesh, we note with concern that an evident repetition of violence is taking place. The world community does not want to see the scenario of Oct 2001 election attacks on the religious minorities during this election. Liberation demands the safety of the religious minorities. All the political parties should clarify their policy against any discriminations and persecutions on the religious minorities. 

A further point of concern is regarding the Chittagong Hill Tracts.  Since the signing of the Peace Accords in 1997, it is clear that insignificant action has been taken to implement the commitments of this agreement.  We are aware that military bases remain in the area and that the transfer of settlers to this region continues unabated.  

As a Human Rights organisation and an NGO we condemn these atrocities and urge the government and political parties to reach an agreement which ensures the prevention and curtailment of the harassment and intimidation of religious minorities and women if the emergency is withdrawn. 

MAGGIE BOWDEN