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28 March 2013

The World News Headlines Labour claim Banglatown win

This Week Indian politician shot dead

Three unknown assailants shot dead one of India’s richest politicians, Deepak Bharadwaj, at his farmhouse in New Delhi. He was 62.

Bharadwaj, who unsuccessfully contested the 2009 national elections on the Bahujan Samaj Party ticket, had declared assets worth more than 6bn rupees ($110.5m).

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he fight to save the Banglatown ward name which Conservative councillors had tried to axe has been won, with the Boundary Commission announcing they will keep the current ‘Spitalfields and Banglatown’ name.

Alongside a petition organised by Labour councillors the Labour Group strongly protested the plans to scrap the Banglatown name. In the submission Labour Group and Rushanara Ali MP argued: “The Banglatown name was introduced to reflect the significant Bangladeshi population and the cross-cultural nature of the community. It reflects not only the geographic location but the role of Brick Lane as the heart of Britain’s Bangladeshi community.”

After analysing the results the Local Government Boundary Commission agreed with Labour’s view stating in their report: “We are in agreement with the view that the name Spitalfields & Banglatown would preserve the continued historical importance of Spitalfields while reflecting the modern associations of the area with the Bangladeshi community around Brick Lane.”

Labour councillors thanked all in the community for their support as well as recognising the work done by other political groups in the borough to help save the culturally significant Banglatown.

The LGBCE final recommendations also stood by the Mayor’s proposal to cut the number of councillors in Tower Hamlets from 51 to 45 even though the borough has the fastest growing population in the country.

Leader of the Labour Group, Cllr Joshua Peck, said: “This result shows that the Boundary Commission have done the right thing and listened to the strong response from across the community and the political divide.”

BRICS to set up bank

Mayor Lutfur Rahman said he was ‘delighted’ with the Boundary Commission’s decision to retain the Banglatown name

Mayor’s lobbying ‘helps save Banglatown name’

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he Boundary Commission has decided to keep Banglatown on the ward map, along with historic St Dunstan’s and Lansbury wards.

The Local Government Boundary Commission for England today announced their final report on the new electoral arrangements for Tower Hamlets Council.

Following months of lobbying by Mayor Lutfur Rahman, including submissions to the Boundary Commission and the Secretary of State, as well has helping local people to coordinate petitions, the Boundary Commission has rejected Tory proposals to airbrush East End history by removing the name “Banglatown” from the Spitalfields and Banglatown ward.

Following the announce-

ment Mayor Lutfur Rahman, said: “I’m delighted that the Commission has seen sense and rejected these divisive proposals and reinstated Banglatown on the electoral map. I’m proud to have led a campaign that has seen local people standing together to defend the modern inclusive borough that we take pride in. I’m grateful to everyone who has supported us. This is truly a victory for community spirit.”

“I am equally pleased that the historic contribution of East End and Labour movement icon, George Lansbury, has been reinstated along with St Dunstan’s – a name

that means so much to Stepney residents I could never understand why the Labour group sought to get rid of it.’’

Cllr. Gulam Robbani, Independent Councillor for Spitalfields and Banglatown, who spearheaded the Save Banglatown Campaign, said: “I am grateful for the support local residents, community groups and the business community have given to our successful campaign to save Banglatown. Cllr.

Golds and the Tories may not want to admit it but BritishBangladeshis are part of this borough’s history and we will be part of its future too.”

‘I could never understand why the Labour group sought to get rid of it’

Cllr. Ohid Ahmed, Deputy Mayor and ward Councillor for East India and Lansbury, has led the campaign to reinstate the name of Labour movement icon and former party leader George Lansbury.

Cllr. Ahmed said: “George Lansbury was a dedicated campaigner for social justice and I’m glad that his legacy will continue to be honoured on the map of Tower Hamlets.”

The Commission’s final recommendations also includes Tower Hamlets to be represented by 45 councillors, six fewer than the current arrangements of 51.

The proposed new arrangements will now be implemented by Parliament before the new electoral arrangements to come into force for the 2014 council elections.

Google marks Bangladesh Independence Day with ‘doodle’

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lobal internet giant Google displayed the national flag of Bangladesh on its homepage since the early hours of Tuesday – Mar 26, the Independence Day anniversary of Bangladesh.

The event-specific logo on the Google homepage, more popularly known as ‘Google doodle’, depict-

ed a child waving the national flag with his father (hoisting a bigger flag) and mother, with the trio in a green background.

The background, in green and yellow meadows, seemed similar to mustard crops, frequently seen in rural areas.

The ‘Google doodle’ is the logo above the search

box on the homepage.

Google has been seen changing its ‘doodle’ to mark special international events or days, or anniversaries of important personalities.

The ‘doodle’ can be seen also in the Bangla version of the page (http://www.google.com.bd).

Google has been putting up ‘doodles’ since 1998.

BRICS emerging powers sought a deal on setting up a development bank that would rival Western-backed institutions, trying to iron out significant differences ahead of a leaders’ summit in Durban.

The grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China and hosts South Africa are racing to elaborate on proposals for an infrastructure-focused lender that would challenge seven decades of dominance by the World Bank.

UN slams US drone strikes

The United States has violated Pakistan’s sovereignty and destroyed tribal structures with unmanned aerial drone strikes in its counterterrorism near the Afghan border, a UN human rights investigator has said.

“As a matter of international law, the US drone campaign in Pakistan is ... being conducted without the consent of the elected representatives of the people, or the legitimate Government of the State,” said Ben Emmerson, the UN’s special rapporteur on human rights and counterterrorism.

Cypriots protest bank tax

Protesters have marched near the presidential palace in Cyprus, as questions over the bailout package for the financially crippled island linger with the resignation of the chairman of the country’s largest commercial bank. As protesters took to the streets on Tuesday, Bank of Cyprus Chairman Andreas Artemis submitted his resignation opposing plans to restructure the bank.

Bangladesh tiger census

Bangladesh is to launch a census of tigers next month living in the world’s largest mangrove forest in a bid to determine the full extent of the threat to their survival, scientists say.

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28 March 2013

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News This Week North Korea warns US

North Korea warned United States, saying it “will put on the highest alert all the field artillery units including strategic rocket units and long-range artillery units, which are assigned to strike bases of the US imperialist aggressor troops in the US mainland and on Hawaii and Guam and other operational zone in the Pacific, as well as all the enemy targets in South Korea and its vicinity”.

Bomb kills two in Baghdad

A roadside bomb exploded Tuesday in northern Iraq, killing the head of a local town council and a member of a provincial council, police said. Qader Ali, head of the Tuz Khurmatu town council, and Rasheed Khorshid, a member of Salaheddin provincial council, were killed, police in Kirkuk and Baghdad said. The town’s mayor, Qassim Shalal Abed, was critically wounded in the blast.

Afghanistan attack kills five

Gunmen and suicide bombers attacked police in eastern Afghanistan Tuesday morning, leaving five officers dead, police said. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack that occurred in the city of Jalalabad.

Six or seven civilians were also injured in the violence and five of the attackers died, according to Mohammad Sharif Amin, a local police spokesman.

UN withdraws Syria staff

The United Nations is withdrawing international staffers from Syria for the time being after shelling near their living quarters, a spokesman said Monday. “Yesterday and today, a number of mortar shells fell in close proximity to, and on the grounds of, the hotel in Damascus housing UN staff,” UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said.

Young drivers face curfew

Young drivers could face a curfew as part of government efforts to prevent accidents and reduce “sky-high” insurance premiums. They could also be made to spend a year learning before taking their tests.

Xi Jinping promises equality China’s new president Xi Jinping promised African leaders an equal relationship that would promote development on the continent during his speech in Tanzania.

Families paying price for ‘downgraded Chancellor’ B

Ali concerned about violence

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he lacklustre Budget delivered by the Chancellor on Wednesday has drawn widespread criticism after he was accused of making hard working families pay for his economic mistakes.

The Budget revealed further cuts to wages and little to help those suffering at the hands of brutal cuts to the support and services they rely on. The Budget also highlighted the Chancellor’s failure to secure growth in the economy with lower growth than forecast expected for this year and next year.

All of this means the Government’s plans are in tatters – borrowing is set to be £245 billion more than planned; the Government’s promise to balance the books by 2015 will not be met; and the national debt will not now be falling until 2017/18.

Labour argues that with public borrowing increasing and growth stalled the Chancellor’s actions are hurting communities but doing nothing to affect the problem they were designed to solve.

Labour’s Spokesperson for Resources, Cllr Carlo Gibbs, said: “People in Tower Hamlets are suffering daily from the pain the Chancellor’s policies are

causing, what we need is a plan for jobs and growth not yet more of the same.

“In two weeks the Government will give a tax cut to millionaires at the same time as cutting support for hard working families, how much more misguided could the Chancellor’s priorities be?”

Labour MP for Bethnal Green and Bow, Rushanara Ali, said: “What we needed in this Budget was a change of direction and bold ac-

tion to kickstart our flatlining economy and give real help to families on middle and low incomes. Yet the Chancellor has stuck with more of the same failing policies and a huge tax cut for millionaires.

“David Cameron and George Osborne’s economic plan has completely failed. Families, pensioners and businesses are paying the price. Britain deserves better than this.”

‘What we needed in this Budget was a change of direction and bold action to kickstart our flatlining economy and give real help to families on middle and low incomes. Yet the Chancellor has stuck with more of the same failing policies and a huge tax cut for millionaires’ Rushanara Ali MP

angladeshi-born MP Rushanara Ali has appealed for calm at home and abroad after escalating violence in Bangladesh sparked protests in Tower Hamlets.

The MP, who represents Bethnal and Bow and also serves as the shadow minister for international development, called a debate in Parliament about the spate of violence that has erupted in Bangladesh.

Dozens of people have died in skirmishes as party supporters and activists clashed after death sentences were dished out to Islamist party leaders accused of war crimes dating back to independence in 1971.

The unrest has led to a series of weekly demonstrations in Whitechapel’s Altab Ali Park in Whitechapel Road.

Protestors are calling for the international community to step in, while brandishing placards saying “Shahbag, we are with you” to show their support for Shahbag, a neighbourhood particularly hit by pitched battles.

Ms Ali mentioned the Tower Hamlets protests during the Parliamentary debate on March 19, and said: “I appeal to those who demonstrate in one of the major parks – Altab Ali Park – in my constituency every weekend and every Friday to do so peacefully and to relay their concerns peacefully.

“In the end, they will be doing no favours to their fellow countrymen and women in Bangladesh if they act irresponsibly.”

Improving health opportunities for women in Tower Hamlets

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omen were encouraged to get fit and have fun as part of celebrations to mark International Women’s Week.

The council’s Sport4Women programme hosted free taster sessions on March 12 and 13 to showcase the range of activities on offer in the borough.

The Sport4Women programme, which is delivered by Better, the council’s leisure centre operators, was introduced in 2011 and aims to get 1,400 women active by providing womenonly sports sessions and access to subsidised sports courses.

Many women who had never tried sports before had

the chance to have a go at boxing at York Hall Leisure Centre, cricket and rounders at Mile End Leisure Centre and synchronised swimming and diving at St George’s Leisure Centre.

Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman said: “Everyone knows how important exercis-

ing is but it can be difficult to make time for it. That is why the council supports Sport4Women which provides sports that fit into residents’ lifestyles.”

Cllr Rania Khan, cabinet member for culture, attended one of the taster sessions and donned a pair of boxing gloves

to practice her jab and punch.

Cllr Khan said: “Sport4Woman is a great way for more women to get active and I had a lot of fun during the boxing session. With so many sports and activities on offer these is something to suit you.”

Katie Ellis, Sport4Women

co-ordinator added: “It was great to see the ladies having so much fun. It allowed women to try sports they might not usually get the opportunity to try which is fantastic.”

The council is also starting a Bat2Rounders programme for women.

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37

28 March 2013

News Mayor’s £300k for advisors

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abour councillors said they were in shock as the Mayor reinstated £296k of controversial funding for personal advisors after Councillors had voted to axe the budget. The money which will come from reserves will mean more savings from frontline services will be needed in future years, said Labour.

In their report officers refused to rule on whether or not the decision was legal leading to concerns that the Mayor has opened the Council up to a costly judicial review in order to retain his advisor budget. The Mayor argues that the money is necessary to “ensure sufficient resources are available to continue the current arrangements in the Mayor’s office” even though Labour claim that similar mayoral authorities of Hackney and Newham have no budget for advisors.

The Mayor also attempted to overrule Council’s decision to close the East End Life newspaper raiding £433k from the reserves in order to keep it open. In total the Mayor’s decisions will lead to £729,000 of extra savings being necessary in future years.

Labour’s spokesperson for Resources, Cllr Carlo Gibbs, said: “Today’s move will see the Council plunged further into debt, adding to the black hole in the Council’s budget. While the Labour Group are trying to tackle this issue the Mayor continues to act in his own interest by spending on more on advisers and communications.”

Rushanara Ali MP urges rethink on cuts to police

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ethnal Green and Bow MP, Rushanara Ali, has led a group of London Labour MPs and Assembly Members to handdeliver a letter to Mayor Boris Johnson at City Hall.

The letter, signed by 38 London MPs, raises deep concern about the scale of proposed cuts to police numbers and the closure of police stations across London.

Following the launch of the Mayor’s Police and Crime Plan, which confirmed that 63 stations and front counters will be closing across London by 2016 and more than 1,500 police officers and PCSOs will have been lost between now and 2015, the MPs and Assembly Members gathered at City Hall to urge the Mayor to rethink his strategy.

Rushanara Ali said: “The rationale and criteria for each of these closures remain unclear. This will lead to a heavily reduced police presence across London and put the safety of our communities at risk.”

The letter highlights how nearly 5,000 Police Officers, Sergeants and PCSOs have already lost their jobs in the Metropolitan Police Service since the cuts began in 2010 and thirteen London Bor-

A post-mortem examination has found Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky’s death was “consistent with hanging”, police have said. Mr Berezovsky, 67, was found dead by an employee on Saturday on a bathroom floor at his home in Berkshire. The examination found nothing to indicate a violent struggle. More tests are to be carried out on the body..

Amanda Knox and ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito have had their acquittals for killing Briton Meredith Kercher in 2007 overturned and face a re-run of their appeal, Italy’s top court has ruled. The pair spent four years in jail but were freed on appeal in 2011 largely on the grounds DNA evidence was flawed.

New training for nurses Rushanara Ali said the rationale for the police cutbacks and closures remained unclear oughs have seen crime increase over the same period.

Rushanara Ali said: “Despite the valiant efforts of the police service, the cuts since 2010 have already had a negative impact on Tower Hamlets, where my constituency is based, with crime increasing

by 9%. We are deeply concerned about the impact of further job losses and proposed closures on frontline police services across London. We are also worried cuts to support staff will place an extra burden on frontline police officers and PSCSOs.”

‘This will lead to a heavily reduced police presence across London and put the safety of our communities at risk’

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E

and two Nomura graduate trainees spoke to the Ambassadors about their journey to Nomura.

Youth Ambassador Muhsin Ahmed [pictured fourth from left] said, “This was a fantastic workshop. We all gained great insight and knowledge from our day with Nomura. The graduate trainee presentations were

Berezovsky died by ‘hanging’

Murder case to be re-opened

The Police and Crime Plan also outlined cuts to the resources available for Safer Neighbourhood Teams, with the new models being allocated one PCSO and one named police constable compared to the current level of three PCSOs, two PCs and one Sergeant.

Rushanara Ali added: “This will lead to the proven effectiveness of dedicated SNTs being put at risk and community policing will be devastated as a result.”

Youth ambassadors visit banking giant Language teaching worries leven Tower Hamlets Homes Youth Ambassadors took part in a workshop with the Japanese Investment Bank, Nomura.

The workshop was organised by the Tower Hamlets Homes Strategic Engagement Team through the East London Business Alliance (ELBA).

In the first part of the workshop, Nomura worked with the Ambassadors on a Self Perception Inventory looking at how individuals behave in a team environment. They then presented the Ambassadors with an overview of the company including opportunities for insight program and internships;

This Week

very inspirational. Because both graduates were from Tower Hamlets we were aware of the issues they and many young people face in the borough.”

Tower Hamlets Homes and ELBA are planning more Information, Advice and Guidance sessions with the Ambassadors including confidence-building skills.

ocal London Assembly Member John Biggs is concerned about plans to exclude the teaching of prescribed languages such as Urdu and Bangladeshi from primary schools.

He has written to the Secretary of State Michael Gove to ask him to think again. John Biggs AM has also written to Mayor Boris Johnson to ask for him support (letters attached).

Local Labour London Assembly Member John Biggs said: “It is outrageous that local community languages such as Bengali, Urdu and Polish are not included in the official list of only 7 languages - yet ancient Greek and Latin are.

“Unlike some other languages on the list, they are languages that can and will actually be used actively and not just an academic subjects. The study of classical languages has it place but if the object is to equip today’s students with a language they will actually use, then languages used in the community, and by Britain’s trading partners, are clearly more useful than Latin or ancient Greek with whom there is no-one to converse.

“I fully support the idea of children learning another language but the choice is best left to the teachers and governors on the ground, not to Whitehall mandarins. Michael Gove must think again.”

Nurses will have to spend time as healthcare assistants doing basic tasks such as washing and dressing before completing their degree training, ministers are proposing.The move is part of a package of measures to be unveiled in response to the Stafford hospital inquiry.

Homelessness could rise

The government will need to react quickly if a benefit cut for social housing tenants leads to rises in rent arrears and homelessness, MPs say. Public Accounts Committee chair Margaret Hodge said it could have a “severe impact” on lowincome families.

Cyprus to take bank deposits

Cyprus’s finance minister has confirmed that Cypriot depositors with less than 100,000 euros in their accounts “will not be hit”. But people with more than this could see about 40% of their deposits converted into bank shares. “The exact percentage is not… yet decided but it is going to be significant,” he said.

More people at food banks

Thousands of welfare claimants are being referred to food banks by Job Centre staff over concerns they have not got enough money to eat. Figures obtained by the BBC suggest around 6,000 people have been given vouchers for emergency food parcels by benefits officials in the last year.

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28 March 2013

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Features

Dilwar Hussein Sayeedi

Abdul Quader Mollah

Ghulam Azam

Motiur Rahman Nizami

In the line of fire

By Amina Begum Muslim Matters

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rotests broke out across Bangladesh in recent weeks following the conviction of Allama Delwar Hossain Sayedee, deputy Amir of the opposition Bangladesh Jamaat-i-Islami (Jamaat) party and a hugely popular scholar of Qurān among Bangladeshis.

Allama Sayedee was convicted by the deeply flawed Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal (ICT). He is one of several elderly religious scholars and political leaders of the Jamaat standing trial at the ICT. This includes the party’s 90-year-old retired leader, Prof Ghulam Azam, whose case follows Allama Sayedee’s.

Allama Sayedee’s supporters took to the streets following the announcement of what they felt to be the political conviction of an innocent man. While the tribunal was set up by the government proclaiming to seek justice for crimes committed during the 1971 War of Independence from present day Pakistan, none of the key perpetrators of attacks against the Bengalis from the Pakistan Army are in the dock. Instead the entire senior leadership of the Jamaat as well as key leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the largest opposition party, are being tried, sparking accusations that the tribunal is in fact a political show trial to weaken the opposition.

Jamaat is a political party that participates in democratic processes and draws its ideology from Islamic principles. During the 1971 war they were opposed to the partition of then East Pakistan and West Pakistan. However, they maintain their opposition was political and that they did not participate in military crimes against their fellow men. Jamaat supports trials and justice for victims of the 1971 war, but insists it must be fair.

The current proceedings are anything but fair. International bodies from the UN to Human Rights Watch, have criticized the tribunal’s failure to ensure due process, impartiality, fairness and observance of standards of international law. The Economist exposed a leaked cache of correspondence that showed improper collusion between the presiding judge, government officials, prosecution and a Brussels based lawyer who is a known campaigner against the accused. This exposé led to the resignation of the chief judge, yet the tribunal merely appointed a new judge and continued undeterred. In Allama Sayedee’s case none of the three presiding judges had heard all the evidence, while a key prosecution-witness-turned-defensewitness was allegedly abducted by police at the court gates on the day he arrived to testify and has not been seen since. These are just a few examples of the extraordinary irregularities of this marred trial.

The protesters against Allama Sayedee’s conviction have been met with a violent state crackdown that has left well over a hundred dead. February 28th alone saw at least 66 people killed from live fire by security forces. Rights group, Odhikar, has since called on the Home Minister to resign, holding him responsible for what they have called “one of the most heinous killing sprees in the history of Bangladesh since independence.” Eight policemen have also been killed amidst the unrest since Feb 28.

These protests, while the bloodiest, are not the first and are an el-

ement of wider unrest that has gripped the nation. Allama Sayedee’s verdict was the third following that of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, who was tried, convicted and sentenced to death in absentia, provoking concern from both the US and UK. The second verdict was against Jamaat Assistant Secretary General, Abdul Quader Molla, who was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. Molla’s case, like that of the others, was rife with irregularities, and drew protesters to the street, yet this was given little attention.

Attention was instead given to a protest that sprang in Dhaka’s Shahbag crossing, supported by the ruling Awami League government, which demanded the execution of not only Molla but all those accused, even as trials are ongoing. The government took the opportunity to swiftly alter the law, post-trial, to allow prosecutors to appeal verdicts, a move decried by Amnesty and Human Rights Watch. The Prime Minister made the unprecedented improper call to the ICT judges to pay heed to people’s sentiments when issuing verdicts. Meanwhile, defense witnesses have been too intimidated by the protests and government to appear at court, a case particularly true for defendant Prof Ghulam Azam.

Soon the Shahbag demands extended to calls for banning Jamaati-Islami itself, and all its institutions including banks, hospitals and media. They also began a call for secular politics, decrying the ‘threat’ of Jamaat’s Islamism, despite the fact that the Islamists garner a mere 5% at the ballot and a secular government currently sits in power. With the ICT targeting of some of the nation’s leading Islamic scholars and political leaders, and the government-backed Shahbag calls for banning Islamically inspired politics, many have raised the question as to whether Islam itself is under attack in Bangladesh. Given the facts on the ground, it is not unreasonable to be tempted by that assessment. The current government prides itself on its commitment to secularism, and its application of this philosophy has proven extreme in spite of their pluralistic rhetoric. This regime has overseen the sustained suppression of the Islamist party Jamaat in the form of arrests, custodial torture and harassment.

Women have not been spared either; 20 female Jamaat student activists were arrested without charge and imprisoned for weeks at the end of 2012. Those detained included a five-month pregnant young lady who was denied bail with the rest and imprisoned. These women were forcibly unveiled and faced violence during questioning, including being dragged by the hair. Soon after, 13 more women, including leaders of Jamaat, were arrested at a women’s rights press conference organized in protest of the students’ detention. These events have found muted press coverage in national and international media.

Attack on Islamists aside, there appears to be a wider targeting of Islam. Visible manifestations of the Islamic faith have come under attack with pictures emerging of elderly men being yanked by their beards and accounts of other visible religiosity being a target.

Changes in laws also seem to reflect targeting of Islamic principles and practice. In spite of Bangladesh’s Muslim majority, teaching of Islamic Studies, hitherto a central subject of the classroom, has been

greatly reduced from state elementary school curricula and relegated to optional in high schools by this government. The hijab has been a prominent target; the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Showkat Ali, spoke out against the veil, incredibly stating, “only those who have ugly faces use religion to cover it.” In a number of state educational institutions, headscarves have been banned, including at Rajshahi University’s Social Welfare Department, Chittagong Nursing College, and Kushtia Women’s College. The ruling party has also made moves to secularize the nation’s constitution.

More recently, the emergence of hate-speech against Islam, in particular against the Prophet Muḥammad and Allāh, published by numerous lead bloggers of the Shahbag protest provoked national outrage. On February 22nd a 12-member alliance of diverse Islamic groups organized a protest after Friday prayers. The state administered a fierce crackdown leaving at least four dead and a thousand injured. Media reports showed police laying siege to Baitul Mukarram mosque, the national mosque in the capital, firing continuously at it for at least an hour as worshippers and protesters took refuge inside. Follow-up protests left many more casualties; by Feb 26th 22 people had been killed by police.

On Friday, March 8th police conducted mass arrests at Baitul Mukarram of individuals they “suspected of seeking to protest in the mosque area after prayers”. Protesting has now become a crime and Mosques, particularly at Friday prayers, have become the site of state suppression. While criticism of the ruling regime leaders have warranted court summons, arrests and even torture, hate-speech against Islam has been bolstered by a regime willing to shoot those who protested it. Only recently, after much loss of life, has the state given in to public pressure and set up a committee to address this form of hate-speech.

It is not, however, only Islam that has been the target of suppression; it seems the Awami League’s extreme form of secularism extends to a wider religious intolerance. Religious minorities have suffered repeated violence and harassment under this regime.

Rights group, Odhikar records numerous attacks against minorities across 2012, mostly by ruling party members, with a few cases by the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and none by Jamaat. Cases by ruling party members in particular have gone unchecked, with the police appearing unwilling to prosecute such party members. The Awami League activists seem to display a culture of attacking these more vulnerable religious groups with impunity in a manner not equivalently mirrored by their political opponents.

Amidst the unrest, minorities have suffered a spate of attacks and the ruling regime has been quick to accuse the opposition Jamaat.

That, in spite of their own history of intolerance, suddenly the Awami League is claiming to champion minority rights rings hollow and opportunistic. Furthermore, in a recent well-documented and widely deplored murder of a Hindu tailor by ruling party youth, the government was quick to deny their activists’ involvement, despite photographic and video evidence, and tried to blame the opposition.

In a statement, Jamaat acting leader Moqbul Ahmed condemned the recent attacks and stated, “Jamaat has issued strict orders to its member to protect the lives and properties of minorities in light of the saying of the Prophet Muḥammad, ‘whoever harms a non-Muslim will not enter paradise’.”

In response to a call from party leadership, Jamaat activists guarded minority temples to prevent further attacks. Many, including members of the minority community, contend that opposition groups like Jamaat, in the midst of their struggle to survive sustained state onslaught, can only be further crippled by out of character attacks on minorities, thus to suggest they were involved is illogical. In fact, the government alone stands to benefit from these attacks by distracting from their state violence against civilians, and such a tactic has been employed by past dictatorial governments.

The violence in Bangladesh is taking a troubling turn as religious minorities are dragged into the milieu while the religious majority, and the Islamists in particular, are facing a sustained and brutal onslaught, forcing them into desperate positions and measures. The international community of Muslims needs to pay attention to the events taking place on the ground in Bangladesh, a nation that represents 10% of all Muslims worldwide, and call upon the Bangladesh government to show restraint and uphold an environment that is respectful of all faith groups and is politically pluralist. Muslims in the West should furthermore pressure their governments, including MPs, Congressmen and other political figures, to condemn state suppression and murder in Bangladesh, the politically charged ICT, and the growing religious intolerance of the ruling regime.

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This Week Gang rape case: five in court

Mayor fires off angry letter over Banglatown

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ayor of Tower Hamlets Lutfur Rahman has published a letter clamming planned changes to the borough’s electoral wards following the conclusion of a public consultation.

In the strongly-worded letter, Mr Rahman called on the Local Government Boundary Commission to scrap its plans to re-name wards after the tumultuous consultation period came to an end on Monday.

Mr Rahman’s detailed his response to the plans, writing that he objected in the “strongest possible terms” to the pro-

posals to scrap ‘Banglatown’, the removal of ‘St Dunstan’s’ from the Stepney Wards, and the re-naming of East India and Lansbury as Poplar North.

Referring to the move to drop the name ‘Banglatown’ from the Spitalfields and Banglatown ward, he wrote: “I struggle to comprehend why any individual or political entity would regard dispensing with this name as desirable, aside from as a very cynical blast on the proverbial dog whistle, aimed at attracting support from people who resent the Bangladeshi com-

‘Renaming the (Banglatown) ward as merely ‘Spitalfields’ would be a hugely reactionary, retrograde and provocative step’

Mayor Lutfur Rahman munity’s presence in t he area.

“Accordingly, renaming the ward as merely ‘Spitalfields’ would be a hugely reactionary, retro-

grade and provocative step”.

The Commission is due to publish its final recommendations in Spring this year.

Its draft proposals had also attracted criticism for removing the names of former Labour Party leader George Lansbury and former Bishop of London St Dunstan from

ward names in the borough.

Mr Rahman concluded: “I hope that you will consider my submission, as well as the views of hundreds of local residents expressed in related petitions, extremely carefully when arriving at a final decision.” eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk

Five sentenced to death for murder in Dhaka of Saudi diplomat

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special tribunal sentenced to death five Bangladeshi men for killing a Saudi diplomat in an apparent street crime earlier this year.

Initial speculation about the shooting had focused on Iran, which denied the accusations.

The suspects told investigators they were trying to rob the diplomat and shot him accidentally.

Khalaf bin Mohammed Salem al-Ali, a 45-year-old official in the Saudi Embassy’s consu-

lar section, was killed near his home in Dhaka in March.

Tribunal Judge Mohammad Motahar Hossain handed down the verdict Sunday, chief prosecutor Rafiqul Islam said. One of the men was tried in his absence, Islam said. He said the men can appeal the verdict.

Iran has been accused of other international attacks or attempted attacks against diplomats, including Saudis. Days after the shooting, Saudi Arabia sent investigators to assist

Khalaf bin Mohammed Salem al-Ali was killed near his home in Dhaka Bangladeshi detectives. The defendants pleaded not guilty at the trial. After their arrest in July, the four men told investigators they tried to rob the

diplomat as he was going for a walk on the deserted street and shot him accidentally during a scuffle.

Police said the men were ar-

rested after a revolver and a car used in the killing were found in their possession.

Muslim-majority Bangladesh enjoys good relations with Saudi Arabia, which is a top destination for Bangladeshi migrant workers.

Relations between the countries were tested in October last year, when Saudi Arabia beheaded eight Bangladeshi workers who were found guilty of robbing and killing an Egyptian.

Five men accused of raping and murdering an Indian student were read the charges in a nearempty courtroom on Monday after the judge cleared out lawyers for bickering over whether the men deserved a defence.

The 23-year-old physiotherapy student died two weeks after being gang-raped and beaten on a moving bus in New Delhi, then thrown bleeding onto the street.

Protests followed, along with a fierce public debate over police failure to stem rampant violence against women. With popular anger simmering against the five men and a teenager accused in the case, most lawyers in the district where the trial will be held refuse to represent them.

British soldier shot dead

A British soldier serving with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan has been shot dead by a man in an Afghan army uniform, according to the US-led military coalition. In a statement released on Tuesday, ISAF said that the incident, which took place in southern Afghanistan on Monday, was “under investigation”.

“The British soldier was killed when a suspected Afghan soldier opened fire first at Afghan troops and then at British soldiers,” said Major Martyn Crighton, an ISAF spokesman. “In the subsequent engagement, the attacker was killed by British troops.”

Many killed in drone attack

At least eight people have been killed in two suspected US drone attacks in Pakistan’s northwestern tribal areas, security officials say.Both attacks took place in the Mir Ali area of the North Waziristan tribal district in the early hours of Tuesday. In Khiderkhel, eight missiles were fired at a compound, killing at least four people, security sources told Al Jazeera. In Essakhel, meanwhile, two missiles were fired, killing at least three people.

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The World News Headlines

Walmart, the world’s largest retail company, has been found to have had ties to a garment factory in Bangladesh where 112 workers were trapped and killed in a fire in late November 2012. The company, which buys $1 billion in garments from Bangladesh each year, initially tried to deny any connection

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Barcelona and Argentina star Lionel Messi has been named world footballer of the year for the fourth time in a row, marking another unprecedented achievement. He pipped Andres Iniesta and Cristiano Ronaldo to the title.

No other male footballer has been named the best on the planet in four separate years, let alone four in succession.

Birangans call for recognition

O

Independence Day Dr Dipu Moni, MP Foreign Minister of Bangladesh

T

oday, Bangladesh celebrates its 42nd Anniversary of her glorious Independence Day. As we celebrate the Day, I convey my heartfelt greetings and felicitations to my compatriots living at home and abroad. On this memorable day, I recall with profound respect the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who proclaimed country’s independence at the early hours on March 26, 1971. I also pay my deep homage to the martyrs who laid down their lives in the war of liberation in 1971 and the hundreds of thousands of women who were raped by the occupation Pakistani Armed forces, the auxiliary forces and their local collaborators.

It all began with the assertion of a national identity in the face of systematic denial, discrimination and deprivation of that identity rooted in a millennia-old heritage of language, culture and customs. It evolved through the shaping of political demands for inclusion and equal access to opportunities, against marginalization of the Bangalee people and their cultural essence. It crystallized into the 6-point demand, a detailed manifesto for autonomy and devolution. The landslide victory for the Awami League in the first ever general elections in 1970 and the refusal to hand over power by the Pakistani authorities led to the non-cooperation movement culminating in the declaration of independ-

‘It all began with the assertion of a national identity in the face of systematic denial, discrimination and deprivation’

‘Bangladesh Independence Day is an important time for Bangladesh and Bangladeshis worldwide.

As we celebrate Bangladesh’s independence, we also remember and commemorate all those who gave their lives for freedom, security and independence. As a proud British Bangladeshi, I believe we are forever indebted to those who fought for the independence of Bangladesh and who went on to build a new nation forty-two years ago. As we mark Bangladesh’s independence and remember those who lost their lives in the 1971 war of independence, in light of the recent unrest and escalation of violence in Bangladesh, I hope that we can all work towards promoting peace and stability In Bangladesh.’

Rushanara Ali MP

ence by Bangabandhu when the genocide began. We achieved our long-cherished independence through nine-month long armed struggle and supreme sacrifices of millions of people.

Cherishing the true history of the liberation war, the present government has made giant strides to achieve the objectives of Charter of Change which will lead to Bangabandhu’s ‘Sonar Bangla’ – the Golden Bengal. We can visualize a middle-income, digital knowledge based Bangladesh in 2021. We have demonstrated our intent and ability to forge partnerships with our immediate neighbours and far beyond. We are deeply involved in the process of multilateralism, through global and regional commitments in line with the policy o f “Friendship to all and malice towards none” enunciated by Bangabandhu.

The present government remains pledge-bound to bring the perpetrators of atrocities committed during the war of liberation in 1971 to justice. The defeated anti-liberation, communal and identified reactionary forces are trying to destabilize the country and derail the democratic and development process. They are out to portray a negative image of the country outside Bangladesh. I urge the international community to add their voice to the overwhelming popular demand emanating from the people of Bangladesh and join in their condemnation of those found guilty of crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes.

On this very special day, I take the opportunity to thank all our officials and staff at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and our Missions abroad who have devoted themselves to achieve our foreign policy objectives. I also congratulate the Bangladesh Diaspora who have been contributing to the buoyancy of the economy of their country of origin as well as of their host countries. Finally, I urge all to work unitedly imbued with the spirit of war of liberation to expedite economic self-reliance and democratic advancement of the country.

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n a day when country celebrated the Independence Day, Biranganas demanded recognition as freedom fighters of the 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh.

Biranganas are the women, who lost their innocence during the war.

“We also want recognition as freedom fighters so that my son can also say that he is the son of a freedom fighter,” Surja Begum, a Birangana herself, said at Dhaka’s Ganajagaran Mancha Independence Day anniversary rally on Tuesday.

Speaking on behalf of a group of 10 Biranganas who came from Sirajganj to express solidarity with the Ganajagaran Mancha, she demanded execution of all war criminals of the Liberation War. The crowd was also seen chanting slogans for recognition of Biranganas as freedom fighters.

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had first recognised the women losing their innocence in 1971 as ‘Biranganas’.

“If Bangabandhu were alive today, we would not have had any sufferings. He took all our responsibilities in ’71,” Surja Begum said.

“He had put his hand on our heads and said: ‘Do not worry, as long as I am alive, no one can harm you’,” she sobbed.

Another Birangana Rahela Bawa said, “We will not accept any verdict other than execution (for war criminals). We don’t want to see them in Bangladesh...we want recognition as freedom fighters.”

Others present there were Rahela Begum, Kariman Begum, Nurjahan, Raju Bala, Ayesha Begum, Shamsunnahar, Rahima and Josna.

All of them wearing white sarees had secured places in front of the stage.