Anti-militancy rally Nov 12

Source: The Daily Star News

Shamprodaikota, Jongibad Birodhi Mancha (SJBM), a citizens' platform against militancy and communalism, will hold a mass procession and rally in the city on November 12 demanding stern actions against religious extremism.

They also demanded ban on other religious extremist parties like Hizb ut-Tahrir who have been involved in promoting militancy in the country.

The demands came from a press conference at Liberation War Museum in the city.

The speakers at the press conference blamed Jamaat-e-Islami for promoting militant activities in the county saying most of the arrested militants were involved in the politics of Jamaat in the past.

Ajoy Roy, president of Sammilito Samajik Andolan, presided over the press conference. Prof Syed Anwar Hossain of Dhaka University read out a written statement at the press conference.

Scrap decision to conduct CHT land survey

Source: The Daily Star News

Speakers at a dialogue yesterday urged the CHT Land Commission to scrap its decision to conduct a land survey in Chittagong Hill Tracts without resolving the prevailing land disputes.

Conducting land survey before resolving the disputes stands against the spirit of the CHT peace accord and the traditional land ownership system in the hills, they added.

They also demanded amendment to the CHT Land Dispute Resolution Commission Act 2001, terming it inconsistent with the CHT peace accord.

They also called for immediate cancellation of lease on lands in the CHT and rehabilitation of Bengali settlers.

The Association for Land Reform and Development (ALRD) and Chittagong Hill Tracts Forest and Land Rights Protection Movement organised the dialogue at the ALRD auditorium in the capital.

The speakers also pointed out that the decision to complete the land survey within five months is unrealistic.

They said the administration in the hills arbitrarily taking decisions on the land management. But as per the CHT accord, they were supposed to hand over the responsibility to the district council members and Circle chiefs.

Justice Ghulam Rabbani said the existing land disputes must be settled in line with the CHT accord before any survey.

Dr Abul Barakat presented a study conducted by UNDP. According to the study, about 38 percent of Adivasi households in the Chittagong Hill Tracts were forced to relocate at least once during the period from 1977 to 2007.

About 22 percent of households were forcefully evicted from their homestead at least once during this period, it added.

The research also shows that in 82 percent of cases, the land grabbers were Bangali.

On average, every household in CHT lost at least 115 decimals of land during this period.

Dr Abul Barakat also stressed the need to resolve the land disputes before conducting any survey.

Prof Sadeka Halim, a commissioner of the Land Commission, said the land survey guidelines for the plain land cannot be applied to the hills.

Khushi Kabir, chairperson of ALRD, Samsul Huda, executive director of ALRD, Prof Amena Mohsin, Dr Swapan Adnan, member of CHT Commission, Sudatta Bikash Tanchangya and Mangal Kumar Chakma also spoke.

Garo people celebrate 'Wangala'

Source: The Daily star News

The indigenous Garo people at Madhupur in Tangail yesterday celebrated their largest annual festival Wangala/Onegala, a festival for dedicating crops to the goods.

Thousands of indigenous Garo people of Madhupur Garh region and other guests, including representatives of different NGOs and foreigners, joined the daylong programmes on Pirgachha Cent Paul High School premises at Pirgachha Dharmopalli in Madhupur.

With singing songs and giving wreaths to guests by the student of the school the celebration began.

Prof Mesbah Kamal, Philip Gain, Rakhi Mrong attended the programme among many others as guest.

Babul D Nokrake, Mrigen Hagidak, Monalisa Daru and Graner Nokrake also addressed the function.

After completion of all traditional formalities to dedicate crops to gods, Garo people performed an eye-catching cultural event on the same stage.

They performed their traditional dances, including Gorirua, Grikka, Nanggory, Dellang Mangpina, Amak Balanga Malla, Serenging and Bi Sa Dimdima dances on the stage.

Portrait of Jihad: A documentary by Shahriar Kabir

CEMS at SOAS invites you to the premiere

of

Portrait of Jihad

A documentary by Shahriar Kabir

on the rise of Islamic militancy in Bangladesh and its regional network

The show is followed by an academic discussion on War Crimes 1971 and the impact of the culture of impunity

Monday 2 November 2009, 7pm @ G2 (Lecture Theatre)

SOAS Main Building, University of London

Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG

Nearest Tube: Russell Square. http://www.soas.ac.uk/visitors/location/travel/travel-advice.html

Panel members

Lord Avebury

House of Lords; Chair of International Bangladesh Foundation

Dr. Irfan Ahmed Al Alawi

International Director, Centre for Islamic Pluralism

Martin Bright

Presenter of Channel 4’s film - Who Speaks For Muslims? & the author of When Progressives Treat with Reactionaries: The British state's flirtation with radical Islamism

Shahriar Kabir

Bangladeshi journalist, filmmaker, author & human rights activist

Chair

Prof Werner Menski

Chair, CEMS, SOAS

This is a FREE event

Please note that seats are limited and will be offered on a first come first served basis

RSVP: Ms Anna Dugoni (245552@soas.ac.uk)

A seminar on "Bangladesh: Accountability and Human Rights violations" at UK

From Lord Avebury

ph: 020-7274 4617 (UK)

ericavebury@gmail.com

ericavebury.blogspot.com


October 19, 2009


Dear Colleague,

Bangladesh: Accountability and human rights violations

As Chair of the International Bangladesh Foundation I have the pleasure of inviting you to a seminar on Bangladesh: Accountability and human rights violations with Shahriar Kabir, Human Rights Activist, from Bangladesh to be held on Tuesday 3 Nov 2009, 11am-1pm, Committee Room 4A, Houses of Parliament.

Shahriar Kabir, Acting President of International Forum for Secular Bangladesh, will talk about Bangladesh’s failure to bring the perpetrators of gross human rights violation, committed at the very founding of the state, to justice, which has encouraged a culture of impunity and also led to institutionalizing of violence in Bangladesh. We hope you will join us for what promises to be an important and useful discussion.

Hundreds of Aila-hit families in Dakope still under open sky

Picture (Dailystar news): Rendered homeless by cyclone Aila on May 25 this year, people of Kamarkhola village in Dakope upazila under Khulna district are still living miserably in awful makeshift shelters on a road. Photo: STAR

Source: The Daily Star News

Many victims of cyclone Aila-hit unions in Dakope upazila of Khulna district have alleged irregularities and malpractices in distribution of the government fund allocated for reconstruction of their damaged houses.

Over a lakh people of about 35,000 families of Sutarkhali, Kamarkhola, Tildanga and Banishanta unions under Dakope upazila are still staying under the open sky and in makeshift camps at high places as the Aila on May 25 this year rendered them homeless.

"Aila fully damaged 22 kilometres of embankments in these four unions. We hope to start work for reconstructing the damaged embankments by the last week of next month," said engineer Abdur Rob Howlader of Water Development Board.

Nani Gopal Mandol, lawmaker elected from Khulna-1 constituency (Dakope and Batiaghata upazilas) said the government had responded to his request for allocation of fund required to reconstruct the damaged embankments as early as possible.

Meanwhile, there are allegations of corruption and malpractice in distribution of government fund allocated particularly for reconstruction of houses damaged by Aila.

According to the UNO's office, Aila fully damaged 25,167 houses and partly damaged 8,349 houses in nine unions under the upazila.

Each of the affected 7,530 families of Sutarkhali and 3,533 families of Kamarkhola union received Tk 3,000 for reconstruction of their damaged houses while victims of other unions are yet to get it.

There are allegations of irregularities, malpractices and nepotism in distribution of Tk 3 crore 31 lakh and 89,000 allocated by the government for reconstruction of damaged houses of Aila victims.

Many Aila victims did not get money although their houses were fully damaged, said Mahabubur Rahman of Kalabogi village of Sutarkhali union.

"I did not get money for reconstruction of my house fully damaged by Aila as I did not offer a certain amount from Tk 3,000 to the UP chairman as tip," said Khokon Bawali of Satghoria village in Kamarkhola union.

As this correspondent talked separately with the upazila chairman, the UNO and police officials, they said that none of the Aila victims had so far submitted any written complaint against anyone committing such grave offence of misappropriation.

They, however, did not rule out the possibility of such malpractices.

"Sutarkhali union parishad member Abdul Hossain Sana was arrested on October 12 on charge of corruption in distributing fund meant for reconstruction of damaged houses," the UNO said.

Bangladesh: Abducted and gang raped minority housewife fighting for life

Source: Manabzamin.net


A group of armed criminals wearing mask abducted a minority Hindu woman while she was sleeping with her husband and later gang-raped her. The victim is now fighting for her life at the hospital.

Two criminals are now under arrest in this incident.

Police informs the reporter that, on Friday night, a group of six criminals wearing masked burst into the house of Sagar Das cutting through tin shed hedge of his house at Madhupur upazilla.

They attacked and forcefully abducted the housewife (25), mother of two children and gang raped her in a nearby paddy field. Husband of the victim, Sagar Das sustained several stab wounds while trying to save his wife.

According to report, criminals snatched the housewife dragging her through fileds and brought the victim at Taila Kupi open field while gang raped her there.

The victim was found unconsciously lying in the open field and rescued by family members who admitted her at Pabna Sadar Hospital.

Mr. Sagar Das, the husband of the victim filed a case against the perpetrators of crime at Ataikula police station.