Manipuri people in Bangladesh held protest

Members of the Manipuri community yesterday demanded immediate action against the gang that tried to grab the land of veteran activist S Rina Devi in the city’s Shibganj area on Sunday.

Rina is president of the Bangladesh Manipuri Mohila Samity.

The protesters also staged a human chain and held a rally at the Central Shaheed Minar in the city to press for steps to save the ancestral property of the people of indigenous community from local grabbers.

Activists of the Bangladesh Manipuri Mohila samity, Bangladesh Manipuri Sahitya Sangsad, Integrated Manipuri Association, Ethnic Community Development Association, Bangaledsh Manipuiri Jubo Samity, Bangladesh Manipuri Chhatra Samity, Patra Sampraday Kalyan Parishad and Tribal Welfare Association, among others, joined the programmes.

They later submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister through the Deputy Commissioner of Sylhet.More

4 Islamist militants arrested in Bangladesh

Rapid Action Battalion members arrested four members of Islamist outfit Hizbut Tawhid at Talaimari in Rajshahi city Monday night.
The elite force members also seized 19 compact disks, nine books and 40 leaflets of the organisation from their possessions, reports our staff correspondent in Rajshahi.
Acting on a tip-off, officials of Rab-5 arrested Shafikul Islam, 30, Aslam Ali, 24, M Alim and Rajan Ali, 21, when they were distributing the leaflets among the local people.
Of them, Shafiqul and Aslam hailed from Baje Kajla in the city were arrested several times for distributing leaflets of Hizbut Tawhid but every time they secured bail, Rab and police sources said.
Rab officials said all the four arrestees confessed to their involvement with the outfit, which is not banned yet but its activities hurt religious sentiment of Muslims.More

Hasina seeks policymaking role in UN

Prime Minister of Bangladesh  Sheikh Hasina has urged UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to involve Bangladesh in the policymaking and responsible duties of the United Nations as the country is capable of carrying out such trust.
She made the plea during a meeting with the UN secretary general Monday afternoon at the UN building here.
Hasina praised the leadership of Ban Ki-moon for making the UN a functional institution to look after the world and the mankind.
She said in many areas of the Millennium Development Goals, Bangladesh has made remarkable achievements although the country got an award for reducing the child mortality rate.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, PM’s Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad said the prime minister informed the UN secretary general that the present government in Bangladesh is committed to its people to reach the targets for all MDGs.
Hasina also said Bangladesh could have made good progress if the democratic process of the country had not been halted several times by autocratic governments.
She said after assuming the office her government has fixed the target to free the country from poverty, illiteracy and corruption, and also make it a middle-income country by 2021.
The prime minister said the main enemy of the sub-continent is poverty and her government has been working tirelessly to get rid of this menace. “We’re working hard to improve the fate of the country and its people.”
She said her government has allocated Tk 700 crore from its own fund and prepared 134 projects to face the adverse impacts of the climate change.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon thanked the prime minister for attending the UN General Assembly session and highly appreciated her strong commitment towards democracy, strong leadership and social uplift.
“You are the strongest champion among the champions,” he told the prime minister for her achievements in different sectors, including the MDGs.
Ban Ki-moon also appreciated Bangladesh’s capability of disaster management and praised Bangladesh for its contribution in the UN Peacekeeping Missions.
Currently, Bangladesh is the highest contributor of troops in the UN Peacekeeping Missions.more

Taliban warn Bangladesh over Afghan deployment

The Taliban of Afghanistan on Monday called on Bangladesh to refuse a request of the USA to send combat troops to Afghanistan to ensure security and stability in the war-ravaged country.
US Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke made the plea recently before Foreign Minister Dipu Moni at a meeting in New York.
Dipu Moni assured the US envoy of further talks on the issue, reports BBC Bangla Service.
The USA monitoring service SITE intelligence group published a report with the headline “Afghan Taliban reacts to US requesting troops from Bangladesh” in this regard on September 27.
Bangladesh is a major contributor to the United Nations peacekeeping missions across the world. It has no troops in Afghanistan.more

7 Hizbut Tawhid activists held

Dhaka ( bangladesh) Police arrested seven activists of Islamist outfit Hizbut Tawhid including four women and seized around 200 books, CDs and leaflets from Budhpara area in Rajshahi city on Sunday. Read more

Foil plot against democracy: Sheikh Hasina

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday urged the people to remain alert against any plot by undemocratic forces to destroy the democratic process in the country.
“In the past, evil forces for lust of power repeatedly denied people’s democratic rights and their right to vote,” she told journalists at Gano Bhaban on the occasion of the 3rd anniversary of her homecoming from the United States during the army-controlled caretaker government…..

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Rushanara becomes first Bangladeshi MP in UK

Rushanara Ali, a Bangladeshi living in the UK, has made history, as she became a lawmaker of the Commons on Friday.
Rushanara contested in the UK General Election 2010 with Labour Party ticket.
A British paper earlier described Rushanara Ali, 35, as a politically rated, eloquent, beautiful and a very crucial figure for Bangla Town as this area is vastly populated by Bangladeshis…..

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Bangladeshi Hindu Abducted, Forced to Convert to Islam

The Bangladesh Hindu, Buddhist, Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC) recently reported the abduction and forced conversion of a Bangladeshi Hindu girl to Islam; two human rights organizations, Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD) and Bangladesh Minority Watch (BDMW) also investigated it. At 12:45am on 13 June, Koli Goswami was asleep in her bed when five Muslims broke into the family home in Ghosai Chandura, located in northern Bangladesh. They vandalized the home and grabbed the 21-year old the college student. She cried out, but the men easily overpowered her and covered her head to muffle the screams. When others in the house came to her aid, the perpetrators drew their guns, started shooting, and carried off the girl even as she struggled to break free. Her family has not seen her since that night three months ago. Westerners believe that forced conversion belongs to a bygone age, which is why when presenting these incidents in Washington, it is critical to provide more than horrific allegations—which, by the way, the Bangladeshis routinely deny. Read more

Islamist militancy group Hizbut Towhid in action in Bangladesh

Notorious Islamist militancy group, Hizbut Towhid [HT] has started open spread of hate speech through its own website www.tawheedprocation.com and established its distribution center of hatred materials at 31/32 P. K. Roy Road, Pustak Bhaban, bangla Bazar, Dhaka. The mentioned website, though claimed to be owned by the publication house of this notorious group, in reality, it is the official website of HT. Read more

Islamists Gaining under Awami Leage in Bangladesh

Ever since the Awami League’s ascension to power in Bangladesh, there has been a regular cottage industry of apologists claiming that the left-center government will navigate the country away from patronizing Islamists and oppression minorities. If anything, things have worsened under Sheikh Hasina and her cronies. Violence against minorities is not only increasing but becoming more severe–and open–day by day. I have vetted numerous allegations and have established a severe anti-minority action in Bangladesh at the rate of about one per week and a half. The real figures probably are higher. Read more

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