BANGLADESH Rights Violations 2013
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
Odhikar's Fact Finding Report/5 and 6 May 2013/Hefazate Islam, Motijheel
Odhikar’s Fact Finding Report/5 and 6 May 2013/Hefazate Islam, Motijheel/Page-1 Summary of the incident Hefazate Islam Bangladesh, like any other non-political social and cultural organisation, claims to be a people’s platform to articulate the concerns of religious issues. According to the organisation, its aims are to take into consideration socio-economic, cultural, religious and political matters that affect values and practices of Islam. Moreover, protecting the rights of the Muslim people and promoting social dialogue to dispel prejudices that affect community harmony and relations are also their objectives. Instigated by some bloggers and activists that mobilised at the Shahbag movement, the organisation, since 19th February 2013, has been protesting against the vulgar, humiliating, insulting and provocative remarks in the social media sites and blogs against Islam, Allah and his Prophet Hazrat Mohammad (pbuh). In some cases the Prophet was portrayed as a pornographic character, which infuriated the people of all walks of life. There was a directive from the High Court to the government to take measures to prevent such blogs and defamatory comments, that not only provoke religious intolerance but jeopardise public order. This is an obligation of the government under Article 39 of the Constitution. Unfortunately the Government took no action on this. As a response to the Government’s inactions and its tacit support to the bloggers, Hefazate Islam came up with an elaborate 13 point demand and assembled peacefully to articulate their cause on 6th April 2013. Since then they have organised a series of meetings in different districts, peacefully and without any violence, despite provocations from the law enforcement agencies and armed Awami League activists. -
Bangladesh's Failed Election
April 2014, Volume 25, Number 2 $13.00 Democratic Parliamentary Monarchies Alfred Stepan, Juan J. Linz, and Juli F. Minoves Ethnic Power-Sharing and Democracy Donald L. Horowitz Nelson Mandela’s Legacy Princeton N. Lyman The Freedom House Survey for 2013 Arch Puddington A New Twilight in Zimbabwe? Adrienne LeBas Charles Mangongera Shifting Tides in South Asia Sumit Ganguly Maya Tudor Ali Riaz Mahendra Lawoti Jason Stone S.D. Muni Fathima Musthaq Shifting Tides in South Asia BANGLADESH’S FAILED ELECTION Ali Riaz Ali Riaz is professor of politics and government at Illinois State Univer- sity. In 2013, he was a Public Policy Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson In- ternational Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. His books include Political Islam and Governance in Bangladesh (2010). Is democracy in Bangladesh undergoing a reversal? This question must be asked in the wake of the country’s troubled tenth parliamentary elec- tion, which took place on 5 January 2014. Boycotted by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the rest of the opposition, the voting was marred by the lowest turnout and worst electoral violence in Bangla- desh’s 43-year history.1 The result is a Parliament in which the incum- bent Awami League (AL) and its allies control nearly all 300 elected seats.2 Owing to the boycott, more than half the races—or 154, to be exact—featured but a single candidate. Before the polls opened, BNP leader Khaleda Zia (who served as prime minister in 1991–96 and 2001–2006) had been placed under vir- tual house arrest while Jatiya Party (JP) head H.M. -
Amnesty International Public Statement
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC STATEMENT AI index: ASA 13/003/2013 22 February 2013 Bangladesh: Resist pressure to push for hasty death sentences at war crimes Tribunal Amnesty International is concerned that the government of Bangladesh may use new amendments to the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973 (ICT Act) to push for hasty death sentences to be imposed on individuals convicted by Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT). The amendments, passed by Parliament on 17 February, permit the prosecution to appeal against any decision of the ICT to impose a lesser sentence. The ICT is a national court established in 2010 to try people suspected of crimes under international law, including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, committed during Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence. The ICT Act governs the conduct of trials before the ICT. After opening its first trial in November 2011, the ICT delivered its first verdict – in absentia - on 21 January 2013. Abul Kalam Azad, associated with the opposition religious party Jamaat- e-Islami, was convicted of crimes against humanity and sentenced to death. On 5 February, the ICT delivered its second judgment and sentenced Abdul Quader Molla, a senior member of the same opposition party, to life imprisonment for crimes against humanity. Following that second verdict, members of the ruling Awami League government claimed that the sentence was not enough and that a death sentence should have been handed down. At the same time, a large-scale protest movement has erupted in Dhaka, demanding the death sentence for Abdul Quader Molla and any others convicted of crimes under international law by the ICT. -
Bangladesh Other Countries and Regions Monitored
BANGLADESH OTHER COUNTRIES AND REGIONS MONITORED KEY FINDINGS RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE U.S. GOVERNMENT In 2016, the frequency of violent and deadly attacks against religious minorities, secular bloggers, intellec- USCIRF recommends that the U.S. government should: tuals, and foreigners by domestic and transnational provide technical assistance and encourage the Ban- extremist groups increased. Although the government, gladeshi government to further develop its national led by the ruling Awami League, has taken steps to inves- counterterrorism strategy; urge Prime Minister Sheikh tigate, arrest, and prosecute perpetrators and increase Hasina and all government officials to frequently and publicly denounce religiously divisive language and acts protection for likely targets, the threats and violence of religiously motivated violence and harassment; assist have heightened the sense of fear among Bangladeshi the Bangladeshi government in providing local govern- citizens of all religious groups. In addition, illegal land ment officials, police officers, and judges with training on appropriations—commonly referred to as land-grab- international human rights standards, as well as how to bing—and ownership disputes remain widespread, investigate and adjudicate religiously motivated violent particularly against Hindus and Christians. Other con- acts; urge the Bangladeshi government to investigate cerns include issues related to property returns and the claims of land-grabbing and to repeal its blasphemy law; situation of Rohingya Muslims. In March 2016, a USCIRF and encourage the Bangladeshi government to continue staff member traveled to Bangladesh to assess the reli- to provide humanitarian assistance and a safe haven for gious freedom situation. Rohingya Muslims fleeing persecution in Burma. BACKGROUND the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). -
Researched and Compiled by the Refugee Documentation Centre of Ireland on Monday 26 May 2014
Bangladesh - Researched and compiled by the Refugee Documentation Centre of Ireland on Monday 26 May 2014 Information on the activities of Taliban & Muslim extremists including interaction with society In May 2014 a publication released by Jane’s Intelligence Review notes that: “Bangladesh faces growing security threats from a range of radical Islamist interests, including entrenched Deobandi militants, newly emergent jihadist groups, and even transnational operations such as Al-Qaeda” (Jane’s Intelligence Review (1 May 2014) Radical thinking - Transnational jihadists eye Bangladesh). This report also notes: “A message from Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in January 2014, the first specifically directed at Bangladesh, will resonate with a number of radical groups aiming to spread jihad within the country. Despite not having established a cell within Bangladesh to date, Al-Qaeda's apparently rising interest in the country will galvanise local groups that pose a more immediate security threat. Bangladesh, the fourth largest Muslim majority country in the world, has experienced resurgent religious confrontations since 2013, with moderate and radical Islamist forces taking to the streets for intermittently violent confrontations that have undermined the country's secular credentials…Within this troubled atmosphere, latent Islamist militancy also exists in the form of well-entrenched Deobandi militant groups such as Jamaat ul- Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and Harakat-ul-Jihad-ul-Islami-Bangladesh (HUJI-B), both of which can trace their lineage to JeI and are now attempting to regain some of their past influence. Other newly founded militant Islamist groups, such as the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), are also finding the resources and opportunities to mark their presence on the Jihadist landscape of Bangladesh. -
CIFORB Country Profile – Bangladesh
CIFORB Country Profile – Bangladesh Demographics • Obtained independence from Pakistan (East Pakistan) in 1971 following a nine month civil uprising • Bangladesh is bordered by India and Myanmar. • It is the third most populous Muslim-majority country in the world. • Population: 168,957,745 (July 2015 est.) • Capital: Dhaka, which has a population of over 15 million people. • Bangladesh's government recognises 27 ethnic groups under the 2010 Cultural Institution for Small Anthropological Groups Act. • Bangladesh has eight divisions: Barisal, Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Sylhet (responsible for administrative decisions). • Language: Bangla 98.8% (official, also known as Bengali), other 1.2% (2011 est.). • Religious Demographics: Muslim 89.1% (majority is Sunni Muslim), Hindu 10%, other 0.9% (includes Buddhist, Christian) (2013 est.). • Christians account for approximately 0.3% of the total population, and they are mostly based in urban areas. Roman Catholicism is predominant among the Bengali Christians, while the remaining few are mostly Protestants. • Most of the followers of Buddhism in Bangladesh live in the Chittagong division. • Bengali and ethnic minority Christians live in communities across the country, with relatively high concentrations in Barisal City, Gournadi in Barisal district, Baniarchar in Gopalganj, Monipuripara and Christianpara in Dhaka, Nagori in Gazipur, and Khulna City. • The largest noncitizen population in Bangladesh, the Rohingya, practices Islam. There are approximately 32,000 registered Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, and between 200,000 and 500,000 unregistered Rohingya, practicing Islam in the southeast around Cox’s Bazar. https://www.justice.gov/eoir/file/882896/download) • The Hindu American Foundation has observed: ‘Discrimination towards the Hindu community in Bangladesh is both visible and hidden. -
“Crossfire:” Continued Human Rights Abuses by Bangladesh's Rapid
Bangladesh HUMAN “Crossfire” RIGHTS Continued Human Rights Abuses by Bangladesh’s Rapid Action Battalion WATCH “Crossfire” Continued Human Rights Abuses by Bangladesh’s Rapid Action Battalion Copyright © 2011 Human Rights Watch All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America ISBN: 1-56432-767-1 Cover design by Rafael Jimenez Human Rights Watch 350 Fifth Avenue, 34th floor New York, NY 10118-3299 USA Tel: +1 212 290 4700, Fax: +1 212 736 1300 [email protected] Poststraße 4-5 10178 Berlin, Germany Tel: +49 30 2593 06-10, Fax: +49 30 2593 0629 [email protected] Avenue des Gaulois, 7 1040 Brussels, Belgium Tel: + 32 (2) 732 2009, Fax: + 32 (2) 732 0471 [email protected] 64-66 Rue de Lausanne 1202 Geneva, Switzerland Tel: +41 22 738 0481, Fax: +41 22 738 1791 [email protected] 2-12 Pentonville Road, 2nd Floor London N1 9HF, UK Tel: +44 20 7713 1995, Fax: +44 20 7713 1800 [email protected] 27 Rue de Lisbonne 75008 Paris, France Tel: +33 (1)43 59 55 35, Fax: +33 (1) 43 59 55 22 [email protected] 1630 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 500 Washington, DC 20009 USA Tel: +1 202 612 4321, Fax: +1 202 612 4333 [email protected] Web Site Address: http://www.hrw.org May 2011 ISBN 1-56432-767-1 “Crossfire” Continued Human Rights Abuses by Bangladesh’s Rapid Action Battalion Map of Bangladesh ........................................................................................................................... ii Summary ........................................................................................................................................... 1 Key Recommendations: .............................................................................................................. 9 Methodology ................................................................................................................................... 11 I. Killings and Other Cases of Abuse by RAB Since the Awami League Government Came to Power in 2009 ................................................................................................................................. -
Bangladesh: Extremism & Counter-Extremism
Bangladesh: Extremism & Counter-Extremism On July 1, 2016, at least five Islamist militants stormed into Holey Artisan Bakery, an upscale restaurant in the Gulshan neighborhood of Dhaka, and detonated explosives before separating the Muslim and local Bangladeshi hostages from the non-Muslims and foreigners. After a 12-hour siege, Bangladeshi security forces stormed the restaurant in the early hours of July 2 and freed 13 hostages. The officials found 20 hostages hacked and stabbed to death, including Italian, Japanese, Indian, and U.S. citizens. Four militants and two police officers were killed over the course of the incident, and one militant was arrested. (Sources: Reuters, Dhaka Tribune, CNN, BBC News, BBC News) The July 1 restaurant attack reportedly was the 24th ISIS attack in Bangladesh since September 2015, and the most deadly in a spate of terror attacks in Bangladesh in 2016. Though ISIS claimed responsibility, some U.S. officials said that the assault bore the hallmark of al-Qaeda’s regional affiliate, al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent. In October 2016, ISIS released an article reiterating its claim of responsibility and providing its own narrative of the attacks. Bangladeshi authorities reportedly have evidence of communications between the architect of the attack and Abu Terek Mohammad Tajuddin Kausar, an ISIS militant born in Bangladesh but living in Australia. Kausar is said to have approved the attack and ordered the assailants to specifically target non-Muslim foreigners and expatriates. (Sources: Guardian, Dhaka Tribune, NPR, Times of India, CNN, Hindu BusinessLine, Dhaka Tribune, Reuters, Reuters, New York Times) Bangladeshi officials nonetheless claim that ISIS does not maintain a presence in the country. -
9781137542540.Pdf
Governance for Development Governance for Development Political and Administrative Reforms in Bangladesh S. Nazrul Islam GOVERNANCE FOR DEVELOPMENT Copyright © S. Nazrul Islam 2016 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2016 978-1-137-54253-3 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission. In accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, Saffron House, 6-10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. First published 2016 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN The author has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Palgrave Macmillan in the UK is an imprint of Macmillan Publishers Limited, registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 6XS. Palgrave Macmillan in the US is a division of Nature America, Inc., One New York Plaza, Suite 4500, New York, NY 10004-1562. Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies and has companies and representatives throughout the world. ISBN: 978-1-349-71292-2 E-PDF ISBN: 978-1-137-54254-0 DOI: 10.1057/9781137542540 Distribution in the UK, Europe and the rest of the world is by Palgrave Macmillan®, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited, registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS. -
Human Rights Monitoring Report of July 2017, Despite Facing Persecution and Continuous Harassment and Threats to Its Existence Since August 10, 2013
August 1, 2017 Human Rights Monitoring Report July 1 – 31, 2017 Extrajudicial killings Death in jail Torture, inhuman treatment and lack of accountability of law enforcement agencies Enforced disappearances Public lynching Political violence Election Commission and future elections Hindrance to freedom of assembly Interference on freedom of expression and the media Situation of workers’ rights Indian government’s aggressive policy towards Bangladesh Violence against Women Activities of Odhikar hindered Odhikar believes that democracy is not merely a process of electing a ruler; it is the result of the peoples’ struggle for inalienable rights, which become the fundamental premise to constitute the State. Therefore, the individual freedoms and democratic aspirations of the citizens – and consequently, peoples’ collective rights and responsibilities - must be the foundational principles of the State. The democratic legitimacy of the State is directly related to its willingness, commitment and capacity to ensure human rights, dignity and integrity of citizens. If the state does not ensure full participation in the decision making process at all levels – from the lowest level of administration to the highest level – it cannot be called a ‘democratic’ state. Citizens realise their rights and responsibilities through participation and decision making processes. The awareness about the rights of others and collective benefits and responsibilities, can be ensured and implemented through this process as well. The Parliament, Judiciary and Executive cannot and should not, have any power to abrogate fundamental civil and political rights 1 through any means, as such rights are inviolable and are the foundational principles of the State. Odhikar, being an organisation of human rights defenders in Bangladesh, has been struggling to ensure internationally recognised civil and political rights of citizens. -
Bangladesh: Human Rights Report 2015
BANGLADESH: HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2015 Odhikar Report 1 Contents Odhikar Report .................................................................................................................................. 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................... 4 Detailed Report ............................................................................................................................... 12 A. Political Situation ....................................................................................................................... 13 On average, 16 persons were killed in political violence every month .......................................... 13 Examples of political violence ..................................................................................................... 14 B. Elections ..................................................................................................................................... 17 City Corporation Elections 2015 .................................................................................................. 17 By-election in Dohar Upazila ....................................................................................................... 18 Municipality Elections 2015 ........................................................................................................ 18 Pre-election violence .................................................................................................................. -
Caught Between Fear and Repression
CAUGHT BETWEEN FEAR AND REPRESSION ATTACKS ON FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN BANGLADESH Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 7 million people who campaign for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all. Our vision is for every person to enjoy all the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards. We are independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion and are funded mainly by our membership and public donations. © Amnesty International 2017 Cover design and illustration: © Colin Foo Except where otherwise noted, content in this document is licensed under a Creative Commons (attribution, non-commercial, no derivatives, international 4.0) licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode For more information please visit the permissions page on our website: www.amnesty.org Where material is attributed to a copyright owner other than Amnesty International this material is not subject to the Creative Commons licence. First published in 2017 by Amnesty International Ltd Peter Benenson House, 1 Easton Street, London WC1X 0DW, UK Index: ASA 13/6114/2017 Original language: English amnesty.org CONTENTS FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION TIMELINE 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY & METHODOLOGY 6 1. ACTIVISTS LIVING IN FEAR WITHOUT PROTECTION 13 2. A MEDIA UNDER SIEGE 27 3. BANGLADESH’S OBLIGATIONS UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW 42 4. BANGLADESH’S LEGAL FRAMEWORK 44 5. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 57 Glossary AQIS - al-Qa’ida in the Indian Subcontinent