Words & Bites

Several blog posts have been written in the recent months since the Sajek incident in CHT (Chittagong Hill Tracts) followed by two well-publicised fact finding reports. These reports also brought the Kalpana Chakma campaign in the forefront, once again, reviving her cause in the public domain. While activists are mobilising, organising, speaking for justice, the establishment decided to strike again. This week, five more activists including Alakesh Chakma and Ani Bikash Chakma have been picked up by “plain clothes” security personnel. No charges have been filed; no right to an attorney; no one even knows where they have been taken. They simply disappeared. [Update: according to one unverified report, they have been released after three days of detention in an undisclosed location]. Continue Reading »

This week we have seen the bizarre move of BSD (Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal) leadership sitting in dialogue (Sanglap) with the military-controlled Caretaker Government placing demands for Constitutional reforms. A thoroughly inappropriate move which can only be compared to something as ridiculous and grotesque as asking Nizami-Mujahid to write a treatise on secularism.

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[the post is written in first person as an open letter to the article author]

Dear Salahuddin,

I have recently read this Daily Star article of yours with interest. Otherwise an intriguing piece, I am somewhat at a loss on some of the points. I would only discuss three of them:

1.

You wrote about Generation-B enthusiastically but you did not tell us the values they actually stand for, or the kind of principles they adhere to. You see, “ideologies” or their “baggages” are not necessarily bad things. Nations moved, nations shaked, nations aspired–not always with mobile phones or laptops. For examples do please look at the emerging economies of the last few decades or you may want to go even a bit further back in the history. Just because someone carries a mobile phone and a laptop does not mean that you have a world leader in the making.
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“The High Court giveth and the Appellate Division taketh away.”

This week, we observed how another decision of the High Court got over turned by the Appellate Division. We hear, a number of “rogue” benches in the High Court Division of the Supreme Court have become a constant source of embarrassment for the present Caretaker Government. In several recent high profile cases we have noted this cat and mouse game of control versus independence of the higher judiciary. This is how, critics say, the highest court of the country consistently upheld the Caretaker Government’s wishes in the end, in case after case. They quip - ‘the High Court (serving the Law) giveth and the Appellate Division (serving the Caretaker) taketh away.’ The interesting factor common to all these over turned decisions is that in each of them, “the Government always wins in the end.” Statistically, that is very odd.
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“The injustices in the world are so overwhelming, so enraging, that it is unacceptable, indeed immoral, not to fight for justice with every bit of one’s strength.”

Today I have decided to write about the person who made the above statement. His name is Payam Akhavan, the renowned human rights lawyer representing Sheikh Hasina (former Prime Minister of Bangladesh). Last month, he was in Bangladesh on a five-day visit which attracted considerable media attention and controversy. His visit was followed by frantic PR campaigns orchestrated by the Caretaker Government and its civil society allies. Google the internet and you will find it replete with points, protests and spins involving this highly publicised visit. Incidentally, I am familiar with some of Dr Akhavan’s seminal works in the field of Genocide Prosecution and Prevention. I also had the opportunity to meet him in person. Today I would like to share some of my impressions about him and his work (including his involvement in Sheikh Hasina’s trial) which I hope would shed some helpful light on the controversies.
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The Chief Advisor of Bangladesh’s current Caretaker Government is worried as “cyber crime, drug addiction, terrorism and other serious crimes cast negative impact on a large section of juvenile and youths and often ruin their life”. He expressed these concerns to a spellbound audience in Dhaka this evening. Let’s not comment on the other issues, but “cyber crime”? Perhaps he was kidding. One of my friends just pointed out that in a country with such slow internet connection (thanks to our successive governments!), they must be some really special criminals! Mr Chief Advisor, please get real or at least consider firing your script writer.
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