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Bangladesh and Bangladesh-U.S. Relations
Bangladesh and Bangladesh-U.S. Relations Updated October 17, 2017 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R44094 Bangladesh and Bangladesh-U.S. Relations Summary Bangladesh (the former East Pakistan) is a Muslim-majority nation in South Asia, bordering India, Burma, and the Bay of Bengal. It is the world’s eighth most populous country with nearly 160 million people living in a land area about the size of Iowa. It is an economically poor nation, and it suffers from high levels of corruption. In recent years, its democratic system has faced an array of challenges, including political violence, weak governance, poverty, demographic and environmental strains, and Islamist militancy. The United States has a long-standing and supportive relationship with Bangladesh, and it views Bangladesh as a moderate voice in the Islamic world. In relations with Dhaka, Bangladesh’s capital, the U.S. government, along with Members of Congress, has focused on a range of issues, especially those relating to economic development, humanitarian concerns, labor rights, human rights, good governance, and counterterrorism. The Awami League (AL) and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) dominate Bangladeshi politics. When in opposition, both parties have at times sought to regain control of the government through demonstrations, labor strikes, and transport blockades, as well as at the ballot box. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been in office since 2009, and her AL party was reelected in January 2014 with an overwhelming majority in parliament—in part because the BNP, led by Khaleda Zia, boycotted the vote. The BNP has called for new elections, and in recent years, it has organized a series of blockades and strikes. -
Supplementary Information on the Situation of Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran*
A/HRC/31/CRP.5 Advance Version Distr.: General 10 March 2016 English only Human Rights Council Thirty-first session Agenda item 4 Human rights situations that require the Council’s attention Supplementary information on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran* Summary The present document contains supplementary information provided by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran. It should be read in conjunction with the report of the Special Rapporteur submitted to the Human Rights Council at its thirty-first session (A/HRC/31/69). * Reproduced as received. A/HRC/31/CRP.5 I. Introduction 1. The following information reflects details conveyed during 128 interviews on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran submitted to the Special Rapporteur between October 2015 and 1 February 2016. While this information comprises credible claims about rights abuses in the country, the Special Rapporteur presents them without prejudice, and looks forward to additional engagement with Iranian officials to further assess the veracity of these allegations. II. Reprisals against activists 2. On 19 January 2016 unknown agents arrested Mr. Alireza Mansouri in his office in Tehran. Mr. Mansouri is the son of Mr. Mohammad Ali Mansouri who is currently serving a 17 year sentence in Rajai Shahr Prison for his alleged support of the opposition Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization. Security and intelligence agents reportedly also searched Mr. Alireza Mansouri’s home and confiscated some of his personal belongings. Mr. Alireza Mansouri did not contact his family for several days after the arrest. -
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. -
Network of Concerned Historians NCH Annual Report 2011 Http
Network of Concerned Historians NCH Annual Report 2011 http://www.concernedhistorians.org INTRODUCTION The seventeenth Annual Report of the Network of Concerned Historians (NCH) contains news about the domain where history and human rights intersect, especially about the censorship of history and the persecution of historians, archivists, and archaeologists around the globe, as reported by various human rights organizations and other sources. It covers events and developments of 2010 and 2011. The fact that NCH presents this news does not imply that it shares the views and beliefs of the historians and others mentioned in it. The complete set of Annual Reports (1995–2011) was compiled by Antoon De Baets. Please send any comments to: <[email protected]>. Please cite as: Network of Concerned Historians, Annual Report 2011 (http://www.concernedhistorians.org). Network of Concerned Historians, Annual Report 2011 (June 2011) 2 ____________________________________________________________ AFGHANISTAN Last Annual Report entry: 2010. In early 2010, the National Stability and Reconciliation bill was officially promulgated, granting immunity from criminal prosecution to people who committed serious human rights violations and war crimes over the past thirty years. In March 2007, a coalition of powerful warlords in parliament pushed through the amnesty law to prevent prosecution of individuals responsible for large-scale human rights abuses in the preceding decades. It was not publicized and promulgated until early 2010. It was revived in 2010 to facilitate amnesties for reconciliation and reintegration of the Taliban and the islamist political party Hezb-i Islami Gulbuddin. In the absence of a practical justice system to address the lack of accountability by the warring parties, the government was urged to ask the International Criminal Court to investigate allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by all parties to the conflict. -
Non-Retroactivity in Prosecuting Crimes Against Humanity and International Crimes Tribunal Bangladesh
Journal of Politics and Law; Vol. 13, No. 3; 2020 ISSN 1913-9047 E-ISSN 1913-9055 Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education Non-retroactivity in Prosecuting Crimes against Humanity and International Crimes Tribunal Bangladesh Maruf Billah1 1 Graduate School of International Development, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan Correspondence: Maruf Billah, Graduate School of International Development, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Furo- Cho, Chikusa-Ku, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan. E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] Received: July 18, 2020 Accepted: August 10, 2020 Online Published: August 30, 2020 doi:10.5539/jpl.v13n3p180 URL: https://doi.org/10.5539/jpl.v13n3p180 Abstract The International Crimes Tribunal Bangladesh (ICTB) was set up by Bangladesh through the adaptation of the International Crimes Tribunal Act 1973, as an internal mechanism trying to prosecute and punish Bangladeshi perpetrators who committed international crimes in Bangladesh liberation war in 1971. After a long disappearance from the public eye, the Tribunal was reemerged in 2010. The recent cases decided by the Tribunal have revealed that the international crimes; namely, crimes against humanity, were allegedly committed in 1971, while the relevant Statute was enacted in 1973, and was implemented in 2010. Recently, the ICTB is prosecuting crimes against humanity retroactively, which might have violated the prohibition of penalizing certain conducts committed by the perpetrators before the enforcement of such conduct as a law banning such demeanor as an offense. Therefore, this study firstly analyzes the rule against retroactivity in international criminal law. Secondly, it investigates the justification of the retroactive criminalization of crimes against humanity at the first International Military Tribunal, Nuremberg, and its crystallization into the regional and international legal instruments. -
Bangladesh: Political and Strategic Developments and U.S
Bangladesh: Political and Strategic Developments and U.S. Interests /name redacted/ Specialist in Asian Affairs June 8, 2015 Congressional Research Service 7-.... www.crs.gov R44094 Bangladesh: Political and Strategic Developments and U.S. Interests Summary Bangladesh (the former East Pakistan) is a Muslim-majority nation in South Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, dominated by low-lying riparian zones. It is the world’s eighth most populous country, with approximately 160 million people housed in a land mass about the size of Iowa. It is a poor nation and suffers from high levels of corruption and a faltering democratic system that has been subject to an array of pressures in recent years. These pressures include a combination of political violence, corruption, weak governance, poverty, demographic and environmental stress, and Islamist militancy. The United States has long-standing supportive relations with Bangladesh and views Bangladesh as a moderate voice in the Islamic world. The U.S. government and Members of Congress have focused on issues related to economic development, humanitarian concerns, labor rights, human rights, good governance, and counterterrorism among other issues as part of the United States’ bilateral relationship with Bangladesh. The Awami League (AL) and the Bangladesh National Party (BNP) dominate Bangladeshi politics. When in opposition, both parties have sought to regain control of the government through demonstrations, labor strikes, and transport blockades. Such mass protests are known as hartals in South Asia. The current AL government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was reelected in January 2014 with an overwhelming majority in parliament. Hasina has been in office since 2009. -
Iran 2018 International Religious Freedom Report
IRAN 2018 INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM REPORT Executive Summary The constitution defines the country as an Islamic republic, and specifies Twelver Ja’afari Shia Islam as the official state religion. It states all laws and regulations must be based on “Islamic criteria” and an official interpretation of sharia. The constitution states citizens shall enjoy human, political, economic, and other rights, “in conformity with Islamic criteria.” The penal code specifies the death sentence for proselytizing and attempts by non-Muslims to convert Muslims, as well as for moharebeh (“enmity against God”) and sabb al-nabi (“insulting the Prophet”). According to the penal code, the application of the death penalty varies depending on the religion of both the perpetrator and the victim. The law prohibits Muslim citizens from changing or renouncing their religious beliefs. The constitution also stipulates five non-Ja’afari Islamic schools shall be “accorded full respect” and official status in matters of religious education and certain personal affairs. The constitution states Zoroastrians, Jews, and Christians (excluding converts from Islam) are the only recognized religious minorities permitted to worship and to form religious societies “within the limits of the law.” The government continued to execute individuals on charges of moharebeh, including two Kurdish minority prisoners at Rajai Shahr Prison on September 8. Human rights groups raised concerns regarding the use of torture, forced confessions, and denials of access to legal counsel. On June 18, the government executed Mohammad Salas, a member of the minority Gonabadi Sufi Dervish Order, for allegedly killing three police officers during clashes between Gonabadi Sufis and security forces in February. -
International Crimes Tribunal-2 (ICT-2) ICT-BD Case No. 04 Of
ICT-BD[ICT-2] Case No. 04 of 2012: Judgment Chief Prosecutor v. Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mujahid 1 71,264 International Crimes Tribunal-2 (ICT-2) [Tribunal constituted under section 6 (1) of the Act No. XIX of 1973] Old High Court Building, Dhaka, Bangladesh ICT-BD Case No. 04 of 2012 [Charges: crimes against Humanity and aiding & complicity to commit such crimes as specified in section 3(2)(a)(g)(h) of the Act No. XIX of 1973] The Chief Prosecutor Vs Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mujahid Before Justice Obaidul Hassan, Chairman Justice Md. Mozibur Rahman Miah, Member Judge Md. Shahinur Islam, Member For the Prosecution: Mr. Golam Arief Tipoo, Chief Prosecutor Mr. Mokhlesur Rahman Badal, Prosecutor Ms. Tureen Afroz, Prosecutor Mr. Abul Kalam, Prosecutor Ms. Sabina Yesmin Khan, Prosecutor Mr. Tapas Kanti Baul, Prosecutor For the Accused: Mr. Abdur Razzak, Senior Advocate, Bangladesh Supreme Court Mr. Syed Mizanr Rahman, Advocate, Bangladesh Supreme Court Mr. Munshi Ahsanul Kabir, Advocate, Bangladesh Supreme Court Mr. Emran Siddique, Advocate, Bangladesh Supreme Court Mr. Gazi M.H Tamim, Advocate, Date of delivery of Judgment: 17 July 2013 JUDGEMENT [Under section 20(1) of the Act XIX of 1973] I. Opening words Before we render our verdict we should not be failing to recall the efforts extended by both sides, at all stages of proceedings. We extend our website: www.ict-bd.org ICT-BD[ICT-2] Case No. 04 of 2012: Judgment Chief Prosecutor v. Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mujahid 2 appreciation to the commendable performance presented particularly on legal issues advanced by both sides. -
Human Rights Without Frontiers Forb Newsletter | Iran
Table of Contents • News about Baha’is and Christians in Iran in December • European government ministers and parliamentarians condemn denial of higher education to Baha’is in Iran • News about Baha’is and Christians in Iran in November • UN passes resolution condemning human rights violations in Iran • House-church leaders acquitted of ‘acting against national security’ • Four Christians given combined 35 years in prison • Second Christian convert flogged for drinking Communion wine • Christian convert’s third plea for retrial rejected • Christian homes targeted in coordinated Fardis raids • Tehran church with giant cross demolished • News about Baha’is in Iran in October • Iranian Christian convert lashed 80 times for drinking Communion wine • Christian convert among women prisoners of conscience to describe ‘white torture’ • News about Baha’is in Iran in September • Christian converts’ adopted child to be removed from their care • Christian convert released on bail after two months in prison • Iran’s secular shift: new survey reveals huge changes in religious beliefs • Christian converts leave Iran, facing combined 35 years in prison • Iranian church leaders condemn UK bishops’ endorsement of opposition group • ‘First movie ever to address underground Christian movement in Iran’ • Survey supports claims of 1 million Christian converts in Iran • News about Baha’is in Iran in August • Joseph Shahbazian released on bail after 54 days • Iran’s religious minority representatives: surrender to survive • Iranian-Armenian Christian prisoner’s -
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 -
Conflicting Interests: Islamic Fundamentalism and Militant
NES-12 PAKISTAN Nicholas Schmidle is a Phillips Talbot Fellow of the Institute studying identity and politics in Pakistan. ICWA Conflicting Interests: LETTERS Islamic Fundamentalism and Militant Secularism in Bangladesh Since 1925 the Institute of Current World Affairs (the Crane- By Nicholas Schmidle Rogers Foundation) has provided MARCH, 2007 long-term fellowships to enable outstanding young professionals THE HEAD OFFICE OF AL-MARKAZUL ISLAMI, a single tower, with frosted, to live outside the United States emerald-green windows, rises several stories above the coconut trees and rooftops and write about international in Muhammadpur, a neighborhood in central Dhaka. Down below, the streets of Bangladesh’s capital city of seven million emit an orchestra of teeming urbanity. areas and issues. An exempt Bicycle rickshaws ding-ding-ding along, decorated with handlebar tassels, tin wheel operating foundation endowed covers, and passenger carriages painted with faces of Bengali film stars. Cars, by the late Charles R. Crane, dump trucks, and passenger buses blast horns that play a four- or five-note jingle, the Institute is also supported by while ambulance sirens wail unnoticed. But none of the commotion reaches Mufti contributions from like-minded Shahidul Islam, the founder and director of Al-Markazul Islami, through the thick, individuals and foundations. Oz-colored windows of his fifth-story office. Al-Markazul Islami is an Islamic NGO providing free healthcare and ambu- lance services. Many Bangladeshis think it is just a cover. They say Shahidul’s real TRUSTEES business is jihad. In fact, he admits that some of the funds are used to build mosques Bryn Barnard and madrassas, or Islamic seminaries. -
Judgement 3 Chief Prosecutor V Muhammad Kamaruzzaman
ICT-BD [ICT-2] Case No. 03 of 2012: Judgement 1 Chief Prosecutor v Muhammad Kamaruzzaman International Crimes Tribunal-2 (ICT-2) [Tribunal constituted under section 6 (1) of the Act No. XIX of 1973] Old High Court Building, Dhaka, Bangladesh ICT-BD Case No. 03 of 2012 [Charges: crimes against Humanity and aiding & complicity to commit such crimes as specified in section 3(2)(a)(g)(h) of the Act No. XIX of 1973] The Chief Prosecutor Vs Muhammad Kamaruzzaman Before Justice Obaidul Hassan, Chairman Justice Md. Mozibur Rahman Miah, Member Judge Md. Shahinur Islam, Member For the Prosecution: Mr. Ghulam Arieff Tipoo, Chief Prosecutor Mr. Syed Haidar Ali, Prosecutor Mr. Mohammad Ali, Prosecutor Mr. A.K.M Saiful Islam, Prosecutor Ms. Nurjahan Mukta, Prosecutor Ms. Tureen Afroz, Prosecutor For the Accused: Mr. Abdur Razzak, Senior Advocate, Bangladesh Supreme Court Mr. Kafil Uddin Chowdhury, Advocate, Bangladesh Supreme Court Mr. Ehsan Siddique, Advocate, Bangladesh Supreme Court Date of delivery of Judgment: 09 May 2013 JUDGEMENT [Under section 20(1) of the Act XIX of 1973] I. Opening words Following wrapping up of trial that took place in presence of Muhammad Kamaruzzaman who has been arraigned of internationally recognized crimes i.e. crimes against humanity perpetrated in 1971 in the territory of Bangladesh, ICT-BD [ICT-2] Case No. 03 of 2012: Judgement 2 Chief Prosecutor v Muhammad Kamaruzzaman during the War of Liberation, this Tribunal (ICT-2) [a domestic judicial forum constituted on 22 March 2012 under the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973] is sitting today to render its unanimous Judgement.