Sadeq Khan
In quiet diplomatic suggestions, overt comments in the media and in demi-official diplomatic messages, our big power neighbour India, with the compliance and cooperation of the ruling party in Bangladesh, are spreading the word that Bangladesh remains “a cradle of Islamic terrorism”, a threat to regional security, its mainstream politics poisoned by abetment of Northeast Indian separatism, and hence a drive to ruthlessly suppress its mainstream opposition alliance, isolating its Islamist members, combing out “ferocious” activists, and carrying out extrajudicial operations as well as quasi-judicial trials to eliminate and/or “hang” suspects is justified.
That propaganda is not holding, and indeed rampant abuses of the coercive powers of the state by the ruling government (and criminal violence of ruling party men) is increasingly projecting the image of this country as that of a police state prone to extra-judicial, judicial and reprisal killings, and of trial judges too inclined to “hang to death” convicted public leaders and public office-holders remotely implicated in “criminal conspiracies” or “violent acts.”
The latest testimony of such-lynching propensity came in the verdict against 14 persons including two former ministers, two former director generals of National Security Intelligence and Defence Forces’ Intelligence respectively, some members of the security establishment who simply obeyed orders, and an absentee military-wing chief of Northeast India’s separatist United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA).
On January 16, 2014, a European Parliament resolution “on recent elections in Bangladesh” criticised such lynching propensity as follows: “The European Parliament acknowledges that, despite its considerable shortcomings, the International Crimes Tribunal has played an important role in providing redress and closure for victims of and those affected by the Bangladeshi war of independence; (and) expresses concern, however, at the increasing number of people on death row in Bangladesh, besides the six individuals sentenced by the ICT, and in particular at the sentencing to death of 152 soldiers over a bloody mutiny in 2009 and the recent execution of Abdul Quader Molla; calls on the government and the parliament to abolish the death penalty and to commute all death sentences; calls also on the authorities to urgently set up an effective mechanism to protect witnesses in cases before the ICT.”
The European Parliament “– having regard to the Statement by the Spokesperson of High Representative Catherine Ashton on EU Election Observation Mission in Bangladesh of 20 December 2013 – having regard to the press release of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, entitled ‘Political brinkmanship driving Bangladesh to the edge’ of 1 December 2013; – having regard to Rules 122(5) and 110(4) of its Rules of Procedure,” also resolved that the European Union “Calls on the Government of Bangladesh to immediately halt all repressive methods used by the security forces, including indiscriminate firing with live ammunition and torture in custody, and to release the opposition politicians who have been subjected to arbitrary arrest; urges that prompt, independent and transparent investigations be carried out into the recent cases of violent deaths before and after the elections, and that the perpetrators, including those in the security services, be brought to justice; underlines Bangladesh’s reputation as a tolerant society within a secular state, and calls on the Bangladeshi authorities to provide increased protection for ethnic and religious minorities at risk and to ensure effective prosecution of all instigators of intercommoned violence; sincerely regrets the fact that the Bangladeshi Parliament and the political parties did not manage to agree on an inclusive mechanism for the elections, and calls on the government and the opposition to put the best interests of Bangladesh first as a matter of urgency and to find a compromise which would give the Bangladeshi people a chance to express their democratic choice in a representative way; believes that all options should be considered, including an early election if all legitimate political parties are willing to stand and offer voters a choice; Calls on the EU to use all the means at its disposal to assist such a process if requested and to make full use of its resources, in particular the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights and the Instrument for stability; calls also on its Directorate for Democracy Support to make Bangladesh a focal point for activities of the Office for Promotion of Parliamentary Democracy (OPPD).”
On January 27, the Human Rights Watch by a statement on its website called on the government of Bangladesh to “End Spate of Extra-judicial Killing”, and “Joint Forces consisting of the Bangladesh Police, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and the Border Guards Bangladesh continue to arrest opposition supporters, some of whom are accused of involvement in violent protests before and during the January 5, 2014 elections which were boycotted by opposition parties. Security forces claim that the deaths after arrest occurred during ‘crossfire,’ which Human Rights Watch has previously documented is used by security forces as a common euphemism to describe what they claim to be shootouts, but which in reality appears to be the killing of people already in detention. We are seeing a frightening pattern of supposed ‘crossfire’ killings of opposition members in Bangladesh. The Bangladeshi government needs to ensure proper control of the security forces and order an independent and credible investigation into these deaths.”
Brad Adams, Asia Director of HRW further commented: “The situation in Bangladesh is spiralling into a human rights crisis, with the possible return of suspicious killings by security forces, which we haven’t seen in recent years. The governing Awami League complained bitterly about crossfire killings while in opposition, but it doesn’t seem to be doing anything to stop them now that it’s in power. It’s time for the prime minister to make a public statement condemning killings and torture, and hold the security forces accountable.”
Khaleda Zia, leader of the mainstream opposition alliance held a press conference to reiterate her demand for fresh polls under a neutral caretaker government. She threatened resumption of disruptive movement if that demand was not met, saying: “We are calling them (the ruling party) again and again to start dialogue for an understanding. It’s their own decision whether they will respond to our call or not… We will not continue to call for dialogue indefinitely: People want a free and fair election under a non-party government. The election will have to be held very soon.” She also claimed that in pre-polls and post-poll police actions 276 leaders and activists of her 19-party alliance have been killed, 34 fell victims to extrajudicial killings and 29,262 arrested since early January. She demanded an independent inquiry into the killings.
Ruling government leaders have simply ridiculed her by saying her demands were whining cries of a defeated commander, and she will have to wait for five years to gather opposition strength and defeat the ruling coterie in the polls after completion of the tenure of the 10th parliament. People in the country, long-suffering under year long violent unrest of 2013, wonder what more hellish misery they may have to go through in the days ahead.
Source: Weekly Holiday
