News from Bangladesh-Updates and Discussion
- Thread starter TopCat
- Start date
Nilgiri
BANNED
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2015
- Messages
- 24,797
- Reaction score
- 81
- Country
- Location
How? All pictures of BD are the same....lots of overcrowding.
You telling me BAL rallies are all empty?
Riyad
FULL MEMBER
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2015
- Messages
- 1,525
- Reaction score
- -5
- Country
- Location
The Bangladesh factor in India’s security
Saturday, 03 September 2016 | Hiranmay Karlekar | in Edit
The return of the BNP-Jamaat alliance to power will re-establish ascendance of anti-India forces in Bangladesh which will revert to being the happy hunting ground of the ISI. This is something that India must prevent
The security threats India faces from Pakistan and China have been discussed at length. Islamabad’s strategic doctrine of balkanising India to counter this country’s military superiority over it and salience in the world is well-known. While its main focus is currently on stirring up trouble in Jammu & Kashmir by orchestrating street violence, and stepping up cross-border terrorist strikes, in the State, North-East India has from the beginning been very much under its gaze.
China’s goals are different. At one level it seeks the resolution of its claims on Indian territory in Ladakh in the north-west, and south of the McMahon line, which marks the border between the two countries in the East and the North-East, on its terms. At another, it wants to keep India from emerging as a power that can rival its own role as a super power.
A Government in Dhaka that is hostile to India and ready to assist in Pakistan and China’s designs, will pose serious problems for India. Bangladesh, either on its own or on behalf of Pakistan and China, can threaten India or become the springboard of threats to India, in several ways. The first is cutting off India’s links with its north-eastern States through the Siliguri-Islampur Corridor or the Siliguri Corridor, which is about 200 kilometres long and between 20 and 60 kilometres wide, and is often referred to as the “Chicken’s Neck”.
It is unlikely to attack Chicken’s Neck on its own. It can, however, try such an adventure in a situation in which India is engaged in a war with Pakistan in the west and China in the north and North-East. And even if it does not move militarily, it may sponsor terrorist strikes to hinder the movement of troops, arms and supplies, through the corridor. That this is not a mere hypothetical speculation became clear during the Kargil War when a blast occurred in a train in north Jalpaiguri station on June 24, 1999. It was directed at a group of jawans travelling to north-western India in connection with the operations. Two jawans were killed and 16 injured. The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), which has been active in the area since the early 1950s when Bangladesh was east Pakistan, was strongly suspected to have been behind the incident as well as several others aimed at disrupting the movement of troops and equipment from north-eastern to north-western India.
Besides, it can — as it had been doing in the past — provide sanctuary and assistance to North-East India’s rebel groups like the United Liberation Front of Asom, the National-Socialist Council of Nagaland, the People’s Liberation Army of Kangleipak in Manipur, the All-Tripura Tiger Force (initially formed as All-Tripura Tribal Force), and the National Democratic Front of Bodoland. In addition, either the Bangladesh Government or terrorist groups supported by it, or too powerful to be curbed by it, may send money, arms and terrorists across the long and porous border between the two countries to stage terror strikes in India.
As for the movement of terrorists to India, there is the example of what happened in January, 1999, when Delhi police arrested Syed Abu Nasir, a Bangladeshi, who had crossed over from Bangladesh to bomb the US Embassy in Delhi and Consulate General in Chennai. He revealed during interrogation that he and his team of nine — six of whom had come via Bangladesh, gathered in Calcutta in December, 1998. From there, the three Indian members had been sent to Siliguri to establish a support base in collaboration with ISI agents stationed there, while the six ‘Afghans’ — a generic term used to signify Afghans as well as various Arab and other terrorists trained in Afghanistan by the Al Qaeda — went to Chennai. The three Indians who went to Siliguri were subsequently arrested while the six ‘Afghans’ managed to disappear.
Bangladesh not only provided sanctuary, assistance and training to North-East India’s rebel groups, but mocked at detailed information India provided about the location of training camps. Major-General Mohammad Jahangir Alam Khan Chowdhuri, Director-General of the Bangladesh Rifles (now Bangladesh Border Guards), visiting India for talks with his counterpart in the Border Security Force, Ajay Raj Sharma, referred to the list of insurgent camps provided by the Border Security Force (BSF) and said, “There is not a single camp in Bangladesh. We looked for the camps’ locations given in the BSF list. Some of the addresses were of our cantonment area and our headquarters…. Some addresses even pertained to the Bay of Bengal.”
Bangladesh’s awareness of its ability to threaten North-Eastern India was starkly demonstrated when its Foreign Minister, Morshed Khan, stated while inaugurating an India-Bangladesh Dialogue of Young Journalists in Dhaka on September 7, 2004, “Bangladesh is India-locked. But Delhi has also to remember that the seven North-Eastern Indian States are Bangladesh-locked.” Khan further raised the pitch of his minatory statement when, referring to what he described as India’s restrictions on the import of goods from Bangladesh, he said, he could “end India’s three billion dollar (sic) trade here by issuing an Statutory Regulating Order (SRO) on all Indian goods entering Bangladesh.”
Khan was Foreign Minister in the coalition Government comprising the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, which was in office from 2001 to 2006 with Begum Khaleda Zia as Prime Minister. It made no bones about its hostility to India. Major-General Khan Chowdhuri, headed the BDR in the same period. In fact, except those headed by Sheikh Hasina, all Governments of Bangladesh since the murder of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975 have been hostile to India and pro-Pakistan.
The Awami League Government, headed by Sheikh Hasina, which is now in power, is friendly to India. It is working closely with this country.
It has not only closed down the camps of the North-Eastern India’s insurgent groups but made it impossible for these to operate from Bangladesh. It has clamped down hard on fundamentalist terrorist Islamist organisations like Ansar-al-Islam (pro-Al Qaeda) and Islamic State (or New Jamaat-ul Mujaheedin Bangladesh) whose name indicates its allegiance, as well as other elements associated with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat that are implacably hostile both to Sheikh Hasina and India. In fact, India-Bangladesh relations are now more cordial than perhaps even when Sheikh Mujibur Rahman headed the Government in Dhaka.
The return of the BNP-Jamaat coalition to power will mean the re-establishment of the ascendance of anti-India forces in Bangladesh which will revert to being the happy hunting ground of Pakistan’s ISI. This is something that India must try to prevent at all cost.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/columnists/edit/the-bangladesh-factor-in-indias-security.html
Saturday, 03 September 2016 | Hiranmay Karlekar | in Edit
The return of the BNP-Jamaat alliance to power will re-establish ascendance of anti-India forces in Bangladesh which will revert to being the happy hunting ground of the ISI. This is something that India must prevent
The security threats India faces from Pakistan and China have been discussed at length. Islamabad’s strategic doctrine of balkanising India to counter this country’s military superiority over it and salience in the world is well-known. While its main focus is currently on stirring up trouble in Jammu & Kashmir by orchestrating street violence, and stepping up cross-border terrorist strikes, in the State, North-East India has from the beginning been very much under its gaze.
China’s goals are different. At one level it seeks the resolution of its claims on Indian territory in Ladakh in the north-west, and south of the McMahon line, which marks the border between the two countries in the East and the North-East, on its terms. At another, it wants to keep India from emerging as a power that can rival its own role as a super power.
A Government in Dhaka that is hostile to India and ready to assist in Pakistan and China’s designs, will pose serious problems for India. Bangladesh, either on its own or on behalf of Pakistan and China, can threaten India or become the springboard of threats to India, in several ways. The first is cutting off India’s links with its north-eastern States through the Siliguri-Islampur Corridor or the Siliguri Corridor, which is about 200 kilometres long and between 20 and 60 kilometres wide, and is often referred to as the “Chicken’s Neck”.
It is unlikely to attack Chicken’s Neck on its own. It can, however, try such an adventure in a situation in which India is engaged in a war with Pakistan in the west and China in the north and North-East. And even if it does not move militarily, it may sponsor terrorist strikes to hinder the movement of troops, arms and supplies, through the corridor. That this is not a mere hypothetical speculation became clear during the Kargil War when a blast occurred in a train in north Jalpaiguri station on June 24, 1999. It was directed at a group of jawans travelling to north-western India in connection with the operations. Two jawans were killed and 16 injured. The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), which has been active in the area since the early 1950s when Bangladesh was east Pakistan, was strongly suspected to have been behind the incident as well as several others aimed at disrupting the movement of troops and equipment from north-eastern to north-western India.
Besides, it can — as it had been doing in the past — provide sanctuary and assistance to North-East India’s rebel groups like the United Liberation Front of Asom, the National-Socialist Council of Nagaland, the People’s Liberation Army of Kangleipak in Manipur, the All-Tripura Tiger Force (initially formed as All-Tripura Tribal Force), and the National Democratic Front of Bodoland. In addition, either the Bangladesh Government or terrorist groups supported by it, or too powerful to be curbed by it, may send money, arms and terrorists across the long and porous border between the two countries to stage terror strikes in India.
As for the movement of terrorists to India, there is the example of what happened in January, 1999, when Delhi police arrested Syed Abu Nasir, a Bangladeshi, who had crossed over from Bangladesh to bomb the US Embassy in Delhi and Consulate General in Chennai. He revealed during interrogation that he and his team of nine — six of whom had come via Bangladesh, gathered in Calcutta in December, 1998. From there, the three Indian members had been sent to Siliguri to establish a support base in collaboration with ISI agents stationed there, while the six ‘Afghans’ — a generic term used to signify Afghans as well as various Arab and other terrorists trained in Afghanistan by the Al Qaeda — went to Chennai. The three Indians who went to Siliguri were subsequently arrested while the six ‘Afghans’ managed to disappear.
Bangladesh not only provided sanctuary, assistance and training to North-East India’s rebel groups, but mocked at detailed information India provided about the location of training camps. Major-General Mohammad Jahangir Alam Khan Chowdhuri, Director-General of the Bangladesh Rifles (now Bangladesh Border Guards), visiting India for talks with his counterpart in the Border Security Force, Ajay Raj Sharma, referred to the list of insurgent camps provided by the Border Security Force (BSF) and said, “There is not a single camp in Bangladesh. We looked for the camps’ locations given in the BSF list. Some of the addresses were of our cantonment area and our headquarters…. Some addresses even pertained to the Bay of Bengal.”
Bangladesh’s awareness of its ability to threaten North-Eastern India was starkly demonstrated when its Foreign Minister, Morshed Khan, stated while inaugurating an India-Bangladesh Dialogue of Young Journalists in Dhaka on September 7, 2004, “Bangladesh is India-locked. But Delhi has also to remember that the seven North-Eastern Indian States are Bangladesh-locked.” Khan further raised the pitch of his minatory statement when, referring to what he described as India’s restrictions on the import of goods from Bangladesh, he said, he could “end India’s three billion dollar (sic) trade here by issuing an Statutory Regulating Order (SRO) on all Indian goods entering Bangladesh.”
Khan was Foreign Minister in the coalition Government comprising the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, which was in office from 2001 to 2006 with Begum Khaleda Zia as Prime Minister. It made no bones about its hostility to India. Major-General Khan Chowdhuri, headed the BDR in the same period. In fact, except those headed by Sheikh Hasina, all Governments of Bangladesh since the murder of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975 have been hostile to India and pro-Pakistan.
The Awami League Government, headed by Sheikh Hasina, which is now in power, is friendly to India. It is working closely with this country.
It has not only closed down the camps of the North-Eastern India’s insurgent groups but made it impossible for these to operate from Bangladesh. It has clamped down hard on fundamentalist terrorist Islamist organisations like Ansar-al-Islam (pro-Al Qaeda) and Islamic State (or New Jamaat-ul Mujaheedin Bangladesh) whose name indicates its allegiance, as well as other elements associated with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat that are implacably hostile both to Sheikh Hasina and India. In fact, India-Bangladesh relations are now more cordial than perhaps even when Sheikh Mujibur Rahman headed the Government in Dhaka.
The return of the BNP-Jamaat coalition to power will mean the re-establishment of the ascendance of anti-India forces in Bangladesh which will revert to being the happy hunting ground of Pakistan’s ISI. This is something that India must try to prevent at all cost.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/columnists/edit/the-bangladesh-factor-in-indias-security.html
Imran Khan
PDF VETERAN
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2007
- Messages
- 68,815
- Reaction score
- 5
- Country
- Location
wrritter is fighting with imagery enemy .
Stannis Baratheon
FULL MEMBER
- Joined
- Aug 17, 2015
- Messages
- 1,281
- Reaction score
- -2
- Country
- Location
BNP wants to be buddies with India and want them to give up AL. It would be best if both just separated from each other and Jamaat formed an Islamic alliance. It seems like the only requirements for being a journalist nowadays is being able to put up sensationalist article.
And, no, the whole region isn't conspiring against India.
And, no, the whole region isn't conspiring against India.
bd_4_ever
SENIOR MEMBER
- Joined
- Nov 29, 2009
- Messages
- 2,458
- Reaction score
- 0
- Country
- Location
Exactly. BNP will return to power sooner or later and that time around, Tareq Zia will be taking up its helm. It is just a matter of time for AL to fall out of ruling power.
Al-zakir
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2008
- Messages
- 8,612
- Reaction score
- -8
- Country
- Location
BNP supporters are definitely nationalist and Islamic minded however BNP leader Begum Zia failed to recognized opportunist and dalal within her close circle. Biggest blunder she made was promoting Midget Moeen u Ahmmed as Cheif of Amry. She was warned about this ghaddar.
Acknowledge
FULL MEMBER
- Joined
- Sep 10, 2016
- Messages
- 353
- Reaction score
- -4
- Country
- Location
No.
But BNP is changing itself - finally. They were rabidly anti-India and practically acted as Pakistan's outpost earlier. They have communicated to GoI that they recognize the new realities(their words not mine) and now want a coordial relationship with India. GoI has also communicated in turn that they are willing to have a better relation with BNP if that is indeed the case.
Secondly, we have issues with Jamaat. That will not change.
kobiraaz
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2010
- Messages
- 9,831
- Reaction score
- 0
- Country
- Location
nah they tried to become friendly with Modi as Hasina was close To Congress. Modi rejected the advance. Whatever you wrote doesn't matter anymore. They won't leave Jamat and they will wait. 2 years or 20 years. I see a better future for them than anyone else.
Acknowledge
FULL MEMBER
- Joined
- Sep 10, 2016
- Messages
- 353
- Reaction score
- -4
- Country
- Location
Good enough.
We can disagree on the future of jamaat. We can work with BNP and that will not be a problem.
kobiraaz
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2010
- Messages
- 9,831
- Reaction score
- 0
- Country
- Location
okay. I don't care about Jamat. It is just I believe that All the ideologies should be encouraged to take part in the development of the country. Like Nelson Mandela did. After 1994 he chose to shield the whites from dominating Blacks after years of persecution by the same people. Yes I understand you, A group that opposed the birth of the nation must not be allowed to rule the country and that has to be done democratically by people's mandate.
Banglar Bir
SENIOR MEMBER
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2006
- Messages
- 7,805
- Reaction score
- -3
- Country
- Location
Why Bangladesh wants to 'silence' its civil society
A new measure passed by Bangladesh's parliament makes it a criminal offense to make "malicious" comments on any constitutional bodies in the country. Many say the controversial move is a blow to freedom of expression.
A new bill passed by the Bangladeshi parliament on Wednesday, October 5, sparked widespread criticism and concerns that the government is trying to tighten its grip over non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operating in the country.
The ''Foreign Donations (Voluntary Activities) Regulation Bill,'' which will become law once the nation's president gives his assent, has a provision that empowers officials to withhold the registration of a foreign-funded NGO or ban its activities for making "malicious" or "derogatory" remarks on any constitutional bodies of the South Asian country.
The controversial provision was added to the bill after a comment by Transparency International Bangladesh's (TIB) chief Iftekharuzzaman on the absence of lawmakers during parliament sessions last year. While publishing a report on the state of affairs in parliament, Iftekharuzzaman said that the current legislature had turned into a "puppet show stage" due to the absence of an active opposition party.
In the report, the anti-graft watchdog pointed to a "low-level of participation" of MPs in lawmaking, question-answer sessions and discussions on important issues in the current parliament, according to local media.
Iftekharuzzaman's comment irked some lawmakers, who demanded punitive action against the TIB, the Bangladeshi chapter of the Berlin-based watchdog, which has embarrassed the country's successive governments many times with its yearly global corruption perception index. The country has topped the index a couple of occasions in the past and corruption remains a major problem facing Bangladeshi society.
Watch video05:57
Social Entrepreneur: Sir Fazle Hasan Abed - Founder of BRAC
Iftekharuzzaman believes the latest measure will cause harm not only to his organization, but also to other foreign-funded NGOs working on good governance and anti-corruption campaigns. "It's definitely disappointing. And it will not be a good example from the point of view of the prospect of democracy and democratization of Bangladesh,'' he told DW.
A blow to freedom of expression
Legal experts and NGO activists view the controversial move as a blow to the freedom of expression of the people of Bangladesh, as it makes criticism of constitutional bodies a criminal offense.
Sara Hossain, a lawyer at Bangladesh's Supreme Court, sees it as an attempt to create an environment of fear and intimidation against dissent as well as freedom of opinion and expression.
"I think the law could threaten the exercise of not only the fundamental right to freedom of expression but also the freedom of association of any organization that is registered under the NGO affairs bureau,'' she told DW, adding: "This includes groups working on rights of vulnerable persons, people with disabilities, children's rights, minorities, women's groups and even mega development organizations.''
The bill was adopted at a time when free speech in Bangladesh is increasingly under threat. Over the past couple of years, a number of secular bloggers in the country have been killed for freely expressing their views online.
DW RECOMMENDS
Is Bangladesh obsessed with its past?
Many Bangladeshis believe it is important to correct history by punishing those who committed crimes against humanity during the 1971 war. But some experts believe the nation is obsessing too much over its past. (23.09.2016)
Is Bangladesh safe for foreigners?
Why Pakistan wants to rein in its civil society
Save the Children kicked out of Pakistan
Badiul Alam Majumdar, secretary of an NGO that works to promote good governance, disagrees with the bill's provision aimed at protecting constitutional bodies from "malicious" statements. "These restrictions shouldn't be imposed upon us," he told DW.
"The right to freedom of expression is safeguarded by our constitution and part of various international conventions that Bangladesh ratified," Majumdar added.
Lawyer Hossain pointed out that the word "malicious" can be interpreted in many different ways, which may provide the regulatory authorities with the unregulated or unfettered power to penalize NGOs and stifle speech.
"Who will decide what is 'malicious' and on what basis? Our constitution allows restrictions on free expression but only if they are 'reasonable' and for certain specific purposes, for example, to maintain public order.
"I cannot see how this provision can be justified since it is clearly unreasonable and is not specified to be for a constitutionally approved purpose,'' she said.
Attempt to 'silence' civil society
Bangladesh has been afflicted by political uncertainty since the country's last parliamentary election in 2014.
The main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and its allies didn't take part in that vote, as their demand for the establishment of an interim government to conduct the elections was not met.
As a result, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ruling Awami League party retained power by securing a huge electoral victory. This has also led to a parliament devoid of the principal opposition parties.
Badiul Alam Majumdar says this void is currently being filled by Bangladesh's civil society, which is playing the role of the opposition party.
He said, "in an environment where there is no serious political opposition, and the government has authority on everything, and the government can get away doing anything, and in such environment, these types of laws are enacted, resulting in the infringement of people's rights.''
"The civil society's role is to safeguard or speak for the rights of the people. And the authorities usually impeach those rights. So, if a human rights defender speaks up, that will necessarily go against the authorities,'' Majumdar told DW.
Experts consider NGOs as a part of the civil society, and they say any move to limit the freedom of expression of those organizations will have an adverse impact on the community.
For Hossain, the new bill is a threat to the hard-won guarantees of fundamental rights included in her country's constitution. "It will have a chilling effect on the ability of citizens to participate in efforts to strengthen constitutional bodies and the discourse and practice of those in such bodies through critical and constructive comments."
Furthermore, the Supreme Court lawyer believes it will silence civil society and stifle voices seeking accountability. It will mean those with power to make or interpret laws can evade any scrutiny of their actions and speech by fellow citizens,'' she stressed.
Watch video03:50
Fear spreads among bloggers in Bangladesh
Calls to revoke the bill
Terming the bill as "highly controversial,'' the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, an international network of NGOs, has called on the Hasina government to immediately revoke it.
"The bill imposes disproportionate restrictions on freedoms of expression and association in Bangladesh, in violation of international human rights standards. Therefore, it represents a real threat to the legitimate activities of independent NGOs," international human rights activist Dimitris Christopoulos said.
A number of Bangladeshi activists have also demanded its repeal as they believe it would stain the country's image globally.
Meanwhile, for TIB, restrictions imposed by the government is not something new as it works on corruption, a problem that no government wants to acknowledge on the scale the Berlin-based organization exposes.
"We have learned to live with such an adverse situation, and we consider it as part of our professional hazards,'' Iftekharuzzaman said.
AUDIOS AND VIDEOS ON THE TOPIC
Fear spreads among bloggers in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Intellectuals in fear
Social Entrepreneur: Sir Fazle Hasan Abed - Founder of BRAC
DW-The BOBS: Bangladeshi blogger picks up 2016 Award
Are you really a true Bangladeshi patriot, or an Indian agent/ or a die hard brain washed Awami League?
WHY ARE YOU THEN EVEN PARTICIPATING IN THIS FORUM, SPITTING VENGENGE AND SPREADING LIES ALL THE TIME?
WHO GAVE INDIANS THE RIGHT TO INTERFERE IN INTERN AL OUR AFFAIRS?
FIRST TRY TO SOLVE YOUR INTERNAL PROBLEMS,FULL OF INSURGENCY WARS, STARTING RIGHT FROM NORTH EAST, EXTENDING TILL, YOUR FORCEFULLY OCCUPIED KASHMIR, UPTO PAKISTAN.
A new measure passed by Bangladesh's parliament makes it a criminal offense to make "malicious" comments on any constitutional bodies in the country. Many say the controversial move is a blow to freedom of expression.
A new bill passed by the Bangladeshi parliament on Wednesday, October 5, sparked widespread criticism and concerns that the government is trying to tighten its grip over non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operating in the country.
The ''Foreign Donations (Voluntary Activities) Regulation Bill,'' which will become law once the nation's president gives his assent, has a provision that empowers officials to withhold the registration of a foreign-funded NGO or ban its activities for making "malicious" or "derogatory" remarks on any constitutional bodies of the South Asian country.
The controversial provision was added to the bill after a comment by Transparency International Bangladesh's (TIB) chief Iftekharuzzaman on the absence of lawmakers during parliament sessions last year. While publishing a report on the state of affairs in parliament, Iftekharuzzaman said that the current legislature had turned into a "puppet show stage" due to the absence of an active opposition party.
In the report, the anti-graft watchdog pointed to a "low-level of participation" of MPs in lawmaking, question-answer sessions and discussions on important issues in the current parliament, according to local media.
Iftekharuzzaman's comment irked some lawmakers, who demanded punitive action against the TIB, the Bangladeshi chapter of the Berlin-based watchdog, which has embarrassed the country's successive governments many times with its yearly global corruption perception index. The country has topped the index a couple of occasions in the past and corruption remains a major problem facing Bangladeshi society.
Watch video05:57
Social Entrepreneur: Sir Fazle Hasan Abed - Founder of BRAC
Iftekharuzzaman believes the latest measure will cause harm not only to his organization, but also to other foreign-funded NGOs working on good governance and anti-corruption campaigns. "It's definitely disappointing. And it will not be a good example from the point of view of the prospect of democracy and democratization of Bangladesh,'' he told DW.
A blow to freedom of expression
Legal experts and NGO activists view the controversial move as a blow to the freedom of expression of the people of Bangladesh, as it makes criticism of constitutional bodies a criminal offense.
Sara Hossain, a lawyer at Bangladesh's Supreme Court, sees it as an attempt to create an environment of fear and intimidation against dissent as well as freedom of opinion and expression.
"I think the law could threaten the exercise of not only the fundamental right to freedom of expression but also the freedom of association of any organization that is registered under the NGO affairs bureau,'' she told DW, adding: "This includes groups working on rights of vulnerable persons, people with disabilities, children's rights, minorities, women's groups and even mega development organizations.''
The bill was adopted at a time when free speech in Bangladesh is increasingly under threat. Over the past couple of years, a number of secular bloggers in the country have been killed for freely expressing their views online.
DW RECOMMENDS
Is Bangladesh obsessed with its past?
Many Bangladeshis believe it is important to correct history by punishing those who committed crimes against humanity during the 1971 war. But some experts believe the nation is obsessing too much over its past. (23.09.2016)
Is Bangladesh safe for foreigners?
Why Pakistan wants to rein in its civil society
Save the Children kicked out of Pakistan
Badiul Alam Majumdar, secretary of an NGO that works to promote good governance, disagrees with the bill's provision aimed at protecting constitutional bodies from "malicious" statements. "These restrictions shouldn't be imposed upon us," he told DW.
"The right to freedom of expression is safeguarded by our constitution and part of various international conventions that Bangladesh ratified," Majumdar added.
Lawyer Hossain pointed out that the word "malicious" can be interpreted in many different ways, which may provide the regulatory authorities with the unregulated or unfettered power to penalize NGOs and stifle speech.
"Who will decide what is 'malicious' and on what basis? Our constitution allows restrictions on free expression but only if they are 'reasonable' and for certain specific purposes, for example, to maintain public order.
"I cannot see how this provision can be justified since it is clearly unreasonable and is not specified to be for a constitutionally approved purpose,'' she said.
Attempt to 'silence' civil society
Bangladesh has been afflicted by political uncertainty since the country's last parliamentary election in 2014.
The main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and its allies didn't take part in that vote, as their demand for the establishment of an interim government to conduct the elections was not met.
As a result, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ruling Awami League party retained power by securing a huge electoral victory. This has also led to a parliament devoid of the principal opposition parties.
Badiul Alam Majumdar says this void is currently being filled by Bangladesh's civil society, which is playing the role of the opposition party.
He said, "in an environment where there is no serious political opposition, and the government has authority on everything, and the government can get away doing anything, and in such environment, these types of laws are enacted, resulting in the infringement of people's rights.''
"The civil society's role is to safeguard or speak for the rights of the people. And the authorities usually impeach those rights. So, if a human rights defender speaks up, that will necessarily go against the authorities,'' Majumdar told DW.
Experts consider NGOs as a part of the civil society, and they say any move to limit the freedom of expression of those organizations will have an adverse impact on the community.
For Hossain, the new bill is a threat to the hard-won guarantees of fundamental rights included in her country's constitution. "It will have a chilling effect on the ability of citizens to participate in efforts to strengthen constitutional bodies and the discourse and practice of those in such bodies through critical and constructive comments."
Furthermore, the Supreme Court lawyer believes it will silence civil society and stifle voices seeking accountability. It will mean those with power to make or interpret laws can evade any scrutiny of their actions and speech by fellow citizens,'' she stressed.
Watch video03:50
Fear spreads among bloggers in Bangladesh
Calls to revoke the bill
Terming the bill as "highly controversial,'' the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, an international network of NGOs, has called on the Hasina government to immediately revoke it.
"The bill imposes disproportionate restrictions on freedoms of expression and association in Bangladesh, in violation of international human rights standards. Therefore, it represents a real threat to the legitimate activities of independent NGOs," international human rights activist Dimitris Christopoulos said.
A number of Bangladeshi activists have also demanded its repeal as they believe it would stain the country's image globally.
Meanwhile, for TIB, restrictions imposed by the government is not something new as it works on corruption, a problem that no government wants to acknowledge on the scale the Berlin-based organization exposes.
"We have learned to live with such an adverse situation, and we consider it as part of our professional hazards,'' Iftekharuzzaman said.
AUDIOS AND VIDEOS ON THE TOPIC
Fear spreads among bloggers in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Intellectuals in fear
Social Entrepreneur: Sir Fazle Hasan Abed - Founder of BRAC
DW-The BOBS: Bangladeshi blogger picks up 2016 Award
- Date 07.10.2016
- Author Arafatul Islam
- Related Subjects Asia
- Keywords Asia, freedom of expression, corruption, NGO, Transparency International, Sara Hossain, Bangladesh
- Share Facebook Twitter Google+ More
- Feedback:
- Print
DW Business - Europe & Asia 12.05.2016
Corruption - business as usual? - Building the thinking computer
'We should create a platform to support secular activists' 27.04.2016
Bangladesh has seen a surge in violent attacks in recent months in which liberal and secular activists and bloggers have been targeted. Lawyer Sara Hossain tells DW it reflects a failure of the nation's justice system.
Bangladeshi children make videos to tell their problems 14.06.2016
A recently launched video news service featuring stories by child journalists aims to strengthen the voices of Bangladesh's vulnerable and marginalized children and raise awareness about their issues. DW examines.
Are you really a true Bangladeshi patriot, or an Indian agent/ or a die hard brain washed Awami League?
WHY ARE YOU THEN EVEN PARTICIPATING IN THIS FORUM, SPITTING VENGENGE AND SPREADING LIES ALL THE TIME?
WHO GAVE INDIANS THE RIGHT TO INTERFERE IN INTERN AL OUR AFFAIRS?
FIRST TRY TO SOLVE YOUR INTERNAL PROBLEMS,FULL OF INSURGENCY WARS, STARTING RIGHT FROM NORTH EAST, EXTENDING TILL, YOUR FORCEFULLY OCCUPIED KASHMIR, UPTO PAKISTAN.
