The Bangkok-based Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), a regional human rights group with 47 member organisations from 16 countries across Asia, urged the government of Bangladesh to rescind the proposed amendment to the Information and Communication Technology Act 2006 (ICT Act).
The proposed ICT Act is “riddled with legal irregularities and poses a serious threat to the exercise of the right to freedom of opinion and expression in the country,” according to a FORUM-ASIA press release received here on Thursday.
It said a cabinet meeting on 19 August 2013 has hastily cleared the amendments to the ICT Act by citing the need for the provisions to be urgently implemented in the form of an ordinance. Under the present ICT Act, offences are non-cognizable and bailable.
The amendment, however, aims to classify some offenses as cognizable and non-bailable, thereby allowing law enforcement officials to arrest without obtaining a warrant. The amendment also sets a minimum punishment of seven years imprisonment for all such offences without taking into consideration the nature and gravity of the violation. Maximum punishment under the ICT Act has also been increased from ten years to fourteen years imprisonment.
“Despite the parliament session being scheduled shortly in September 2013, the government of Bangladesh, having approved this ordinance, disregarded constitutional norms,” the media release said.
“The government has thus stripped the people’s representatives of their legitimate right to discuss and debate the proposed provisions of the amendment. Reports suggest that the ordinance is likely to receive the assent of the President soon, after which it will come into effect.”
It said the proposed amendment by way of an ordinance to the ICT Act comes at a time when the government of Bangladesh has become increasingly intolerant towards voices of dissent and criticism.
“The ordinance is certainly a further blow to the environment for the Bangladeshi people to exercise their fundamental freedom of opinion and expression. Measures such as this being put in place ahead of national elections in late 2013 can only be viewed as a serious attack on democracy,” deplored Evelyn Balais-Serrano, Executive Director of FORUM-ASIA.
She said the recent arrest of a prominent human rights defender Adilur Rahman Khan, secretary of a local human rights organisation Odhikar, on August 10 for the alleged offences under the ICT Act has resulted in a sense of shock among the local and international human rights community.
The government hurriedly is introducing the proposed amendments to the ICT Act within days of his arrest points to other human rights defenders and CSOs being at risk of arbitrary arrest and legal harassment, Serrano said.
“It is essential for the government of Bangladesh to substantiate its rationale and necessity for the repressive provisions of the ordinance, which we find to be unacceptable in form and substance. We implore the government to withdraw this amendment to the ICT Act.
“We also call on the President to uphold the rule of law and democratic principles by refraining from providing his assent to this flawed instrument,” she added.
Source: UNB Connect
AL-HILAL’S COMMENT ON http://www.amardesh.com. DHAKA:129.08.2013
DRUG-ADDICT, SEX PERVERT 19 years old DAUGHTER, reared up in an anti-Islamic environment KILLED HER PARENTS WITH HER BOY FRIENDS, her SEXUAL PARTNERS! While Hasina’s girlfriend (Class-mate), married to a KUFFAR , Sultana Chakrabarty and mini apostate Nasrin type agnostics were busy advocating “FREE SEX BETWEEN CONSENTING ADULTS, WHERE STATE, GOVERNMENT, SOCIETY MUST NOT INTERFERE”!
During the unique un-Islamic reign of this vehemently anti-Islamic government it has helped producing if not million than thousands of OISHIS. How can the government escapes its own responsibility for creating such a militant anti-Islamic environment by the pretext of achieving economic progress and establishing PURE SECULARISM in the society (that is pointedly adverse to Islam) eradicating COMMUNALISM, SONTRASH (Islamic Terrorism) aka ISLAM? (1)–==
Kamal Sarwar ‘s response to Al-Hilal’s comment: •
@Al-Hilal…….Why bring Islam into this…..????Why bring Kuffar and Mallu into this..???People like are distorting Islam…!!! Do not forget history and your line of existence as in different banner of faith…?? After all We are descendent of low caste Hindus from the Bengal delta only 5/6 generations ago….!! Have a mind-set unlike those poisened Mullahs…
Without debating the use of allama before their names by rustic mullahs like Shafi and Saidi – the title surpasses “mufti”, “ayatollah” and “sheikh” to denote only the highly qualified Islamic scholar – it is time to stop the misogynic vulgarity of mullahs and their quest for capturing state power, forever. Unfortunately, madrassahs across the world without exceptions – from al Azhar to Deoband and Lalbagh to Hathazari – churn out half-educated bigots and buffoon……..AND Destroying true Islam of PEACE!!! —-
[ Please note- — (AL HILAL HAS NOT CORRECTED THE SPELLING MISTAKES BUT LEFT THEM AS THEY WERE) (2)—
AL-HILAL’S RESPOND TO KAMAL SARWAR:
For your information it is only appropriate to mention that ” TODAY THE BANNER OF ISLAM IS IN THE HANDS OF WELL EDUCATED MUSLIM/MUSLIMA WHO ARE THE BEST PRODUCTS , BEST WESTERN UNIVERSITY COULD PRODUCE. HENCE THE CRY OF ARMAGEDDON IN THE DEN OF THE ADVERSARIES OF ISLAM. THIS MUSLIMS/MUSLIMA HAS ACHIEVED SOPHISTICATION IN ALMOST EVERY KNOWN HUMAN FACULTY.
As long as the banner of Islam was in the hands of half educated poor village Mullahs the adversaries of Islam had such a wonderful time.. The equation has changed, but they detest the change and refuse to accept the reality and yet striving to maintain the status quo. (3)
“ ERRATIC, IMPUSLSIVE , ABUSING, INSULTING, FOUL MOUTH ,TOO EMOTIONAL AWAMI BUNGALS SHOWING HIGH COURT TO THE AMERICANS”! IDIOSYNCRASY OF THE NOVICES HAS REACHED THE ZENITH!
This bunch of amateurs have become a laughing stock: To show her PATRIOTISM ,Gynaecologist made Foreign minister warned the foreign diplomats in Dhaka, “MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS, DO NOT INTERFERE IN OUR INTERNAL AFFAIRS”
Accusing each & every critic, Bangladeshi or foreigner as political opponent, including the media both indigenous & foreign by the totally failed, thoroughly corrupt. Inexperienced & incompetent government of foul mouth, emotional Hasina has become a paranoiac obsession. This is not only unfair but most injurious to political heath of the country as a whole reaching on the verge of absolute thuggery- a naked manifestation of abuse of power. London’s prestigious; much respected media the ECONOMIST that had the honesty & courage to unmask the gigantic scandal of Bangladeshi so called war crimes Tribunal was levelled as “THIEF” by the Bangla Prime Minister and most of her ministers in a chorus. (1)–
Other International media, Human Rights organisations were accused of getting bribe from the “ VERY RICH JAMAAT to save the war criminals taking a stand against the “DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED MOST BENEVOLENT GOVERNMENT”. AS IF THEY WERE BANGLADESHI POLITICAL OPPOSITION PARTIES! All those critics were insulted and abused in the parliament using most filthy, obscene, uncivilized, unbecoming, un-parliamentary, vulgar Bengali vocabulary.-
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH FACES ANGRY BANGLA COURT’S CONTEMPT CHARGE:
Bangladeshi domestic, but named (INTERNATIONAL) Crimes Tribunal (ICT) to dupe and mislead the people has brought contempt of court charges against Human Rights Watch (HRW) for making comment over verdict and war crimes trial against Ghulam Azam. State prosecutor, Ms Tirun Afroz submitted the charges to registrar of ICT on Tuesday, August 16. (2)—
USA based Human Rights Watch, one of the world’s leading independent organizations dedicated to defending and protecting human rights all over the world has published a report alleging that: “The trial of Ghulam Azam, the former chief of Bangladesh’s Jamaat-e-Islaami party, the largest Islamic [party of Bangladesh’s at so called International Crimes Tribunal was deeply flawed and did not meet international fair trial standards.” When Al-Hilal asked Ms Tirun Afroz whether Bangladeshi ICT has the authority to accept and give a verdict to this case against an American Organisation based in USA and would International Lawyers be allowed to defend the accused HRW. She gave no answer to this question but Hindu religious Tilok wearing on her forehead Ms Tirun gave a very rude look instead.
FOR IGNORANT TURIN AFROZ, THE THE GOVERNMENT APPOINTED PROSECUTION LAWYER IN GHADANIK STARTED SO CALLED WAR CRIMES TRIAL ANGRILY ASKED THE HRW “ WHERE YOU BEEN IN 1971 WHEN OUR PEOPLE WERE MASSACRED BY THE BARBARIAN PAKISTAN AR\MY”? This half educated ignorant women knew not HRW came into being a decade later in 1981 after Bangladesh was created in 1971. (3)—
J N UNIVERSITY’S GHADANIC V.C’s RESIGNATION DEMANDED BY THE TEACHERS & STUDENTS:
POLITICIZATION OF HIGHER BANGLADESHI EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS HAVE TURNED THEM INTO SEX-PARLOUR & CENTRE FOR LUCRATIVE TENDER-BUSINESS WHERE MOST KILLINGS & RAPING TAKING PLACE. NO WONDER U.K. DOES NOT RECOGNISE THE DEGREE CERTIFICATE FROM ANY BANGLADESHI UNIVERSITY: HAS ARFIN SIDDIQI, OF DHAKA UNIVERSITY THE GHADANIK LEADER GOT ANYTHING TO SAY?
Why all the V Cs of government run universities are appointed by the President of the state who is not an academic but a politician and all his appointees are appointed on political credential and most of them are Ghadanik like Arfin Siddiqi?(4)