South Asia Citizens Web

A wave of violent attacks against Bangladesh’s minority Hindu community shows the urgent need for authorities to provide them with better protection, Amnesty International said.

How our generation sees Shahbagh
by Khushi Kabir
© Arif Hafiz
[AoD Editors: This written during the second week of Shahbagh. Though situation on ground has changed a great deal since then, we are sharing with bloggers to look at an earlier perspective when the movement first started]
I have several differences with some of my closest friends on this issue, a) those not participating fully in the movement b) those who pay occasional visits for a couple of hours at most, c) those who (…)

The acts of violence led by the Islamists, Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) are tormenting our neighboring Bangla Desh, more than 50 dead, injuries and destruction of Hindu, Budhha temples amongst other losses. Its spill over is also being felt in Kolkata to some extent (Feb-March 2013). In Kolkata a strong crowd owing allegiance to Muslim communalism, different organizations like Minority Youth Federation, and others went on rampage. All this in response to the death sentence given to Delawar Hossian Sayedee, the Vice President of JI by a war crimes tribunal after he was found guilty for mass killing, rape and atrocities during the nine month war against Pakistan.

The Commonwealth is sleepwalking towards a human rights disaster, if it goes ahead with November’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Colombo, where it will be presided over by Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Perhaps emboldened by getting away with murder - the army slaughter of some 40,000 Tamil civilians in 2009 - his government has now moved to destroy the independence of the judiciary. It has sacked the Chief Justice for a decision that it finds inconvenient.