There is a dramatic development in Bangladesh's political arena. Top leaders of The Islamist political party Jamaat-e-Islami have been arrested on an unusual charge (rather ironic).
Motiur Rahman Nizami, Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid and Delwar Hossain Saydee have been arrested after they claimed Nizami's alleged persecution at the hands of the ruling Awami League was akin to the suffering of the Prophet Mohammed. Surely they can use religion at every possible angle for their own advantage. The Daily Star has details:
On March 21, Syed Rejaul Haque Chandpuri, secretary general of Bangladesh Tarikat Federation, filed a case with a metropolitan magistrate's court in Dhaka against the four Jamaat, and one Shibir leaders, accusing them of hurting religious sentiment of the Muslims.
The case stated that Dhaka City Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Rafiqul Islam Khan, at a discussion in the city on March 17, put Nizami at a par with Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), which hurt the Muslims' religious sentiment.
But I don't support this arrest on such trivial charges which will not stand in the trial. They are also accused of the ongoing trial of war crimes (1971) in Bangladesh. I hope that this does not deviate the coarse of the trial.
Meanwhile India has warned of a possible Laskar-e-Taiba terrorist attack in Bangladesh. Is there a link between these incidents? Only time will tell.
Image courtesy: The Daily Star
I am somewhat dissapointed if not surprised, dear Rezwan, that your own political sympathies seem to prevent you from recgonizing how the government of Bangladesh is itself using "every possible angle for their own advantage." This includes the exploitation of highly problematic concepts like blasphemy or "religious sentiments" by an allegedly "secular" party. You (rightly) critiqued the government's recent ban (now uplifted) on Facebook on similar grouds, and yet when it concerns poeple you don't like you forget all your Freedom of Speech and other beloved values. That is not the mark of a citizen of principles. The fact that, for example, you use caricatures instead of photos to portray the accused above, reveals a desire to already hijack the debate using the affective and the emotional, instead of the rational and the critical.
ReplyDeleteIt is disheartening for me to see a demoractice nation like Bangladesh devolving into such a state of human rights disaster. Separation of powers is a basic principle of democracy, and the exploitation of the judiciary in the interests of politics directly contradicts that principle--not to even mention the incredible recent spike in police brutality (as evident from the video footage of yesterday's clashes with garments-industry laborers). The use of law enforcement agencies in the service of attacking political opponents is the mark of a dictatorship, not a demoncracy. The fact that the court just bailed the accused JI leaders on the blasphemy suit itself for which they were arrested, and instead brought up 5 new suits is evidence enough that all this is merely a platform for a higher political game. Rezwan, when you write above that you don't "support this arrest on such trivial charges which will not stand in the trial," you seem to imply that you would rather like to see them arrested on other charges that will stand in trial. In other words, you are not really sure what the crime is, but you are convinced that the accused is a criminal. Fairness and justice demand due process, not beliefs and opinions. (The war crimes' tribunal is an enitrely separate set of issues, so let's bracket that for the moment)
Lastly, I hope you do not take this personally or as an antagonistic comment. I am a friend and a long term reader of this blog, and I am simply expressing my honest concerns for the state of the country.
<span>"you seem to imply that you would rather like to see them arrested on other charges that will stand in trial. In other words, you are not really sure what the crime is, but you are convinced that the accused is a criminal. Fairness and justice demand due process, not beliefs and opinions."</span>
ReplyDeleteWell I guess you are far away from the reality. The accused did not want independence and worked against the independence of Bangladesh. Charges of war crimes against them are known to everybody and their involvement in war crimes are well documented (http://www.genocidebangladesh.org/?page_id=246) . Yes in my opinion they should stand in trial for those charges - not for some petty charges.
You rightly talk about human rights.. I want to see the justice of human rights violations by those anti-liberal forces and in my opinion they should be tried in such a manner that upholds human rights - not taking some draconian measures like booking them on silly charges.
I guess it hurts you to see them in cartoons but yes its a bit emotional when I see people advocating for anti-Bangladeshi forces.
Where were your critiques when Arifur Rahman was charged for the Muhammad Cat cartoon and these religious political parties were all over him - crying out about blasphemy and all. Its sad to see that the government has taken the same weapon of illogical measures to tackle their political oponents.
I wonder whether this is a ploy of Awami Jamaat sympathizers to deviate the course of the trial against war criminals. However, we will never forget that these people committed war crimes and we will see them in court for accountability of their actions in 1971.
really makes the country look like its weaving itself into another basketcase when these things happen.
ReplyDeleteawami jamaaat sympathisers... weird but interesting. Just like the Jamati war veterans club that cropped up a while back. contemporary evolutions of society
its quite funny how an awami government can use such a theological tool, the Tariqa Federation are their proxy islamists no?
this is not a fear politics of hasina
ReplyDelete