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21 February 2013

The World News Headlines Rushanara Ali MP speech marks Bangla Language Day

This Week Robbers steal $50m of gems Police are hunting for a gang who pulled off one of the largest ever diamonds robberies at Brussels airport after driving onto the runway and hitting a security truck. Gems worth $50m were being loaded onto a Swiss aircraft bound for Zurich when the heavily armed robbers drove through barriers onto the tarmac to get airside.

ushanara Ali, the first Member of Parliament from a Bangladeshi origin, has made a speech to mark Bangla Language Day. In the speech Ms Ali said: “Bengali Language Day is an important time for Bangladesh and Bangladeshis worldwide to celebrate Bangladesh’s diverse culture and heritage. “As we celebrate the Bengali language movement, we also remember and commemorate the students and activists who were killed in the mass protests on 21 February 1952 in Dhaka and for all those who sacrificed their lives for an independent Bangladesh. The best way to commemorate their sacrifice is to work for peace and hope in Bangladesh. “International Mother Language Day underlines the importance of maintaining marginalised languages. We can only achieve a world where different cultures can live and work together, when everyone has the right to communicate freely in their mother-tongue, thereby asserting their identity and sense of selfrespect. By promoting linguistic and cultural diversity, we can help our community to flourish. “I am very proud of my heritage and would like to pay tribute to those who fought so bravely to protect their language and identity and I wish you all a wonderful Ekushe February.”

Rushanara Ali MP in Parliament

Goal-line tech to be used

People observe a sit-in protest around a national flag of Bangladesh with a map of the country on it, made by flowers.

PHOTO: Reuters

Dhaka mass sit-in evokes spirit of Tahrir Square

logans, songs, poetry, and street theatre – the heady mix of culture and protest has given burgeoning demonstrations in downtown Dhaka a unique Bengali ambience. People in this country of 150 million first fought for their language, then independence, and again for an end of military rule. Now protesters gathering in central Dhaka believe they are fighting for a return of liberalism and secularism – and death to alleged war criminals from decades past. A slogan in Bengali has been frequently shouted at the busy Shahbagh Square to annonce that the area is now the epicentre for change in Bangladesh: “Tomar aamar thikana, Shahbagher Mo-

hona” or “your address, my address, Shahbagh Square”. Tens of thousands have gathered here in recent days demanding reform, and protesters believe the scenes are reminiscent of the uprising in Cairo’s Tahrir Square that led to the downfall of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Another slogan often chanted is “Shahbagh does not sleep.” True, it doesn’t these days. There is no room to rest for starters, and loudspeakers are constantly blaring. Amid frequent calls for death to all war criminals, Shahbagh is alive with songs, poetry, film and street plays. The cultural muscle of Bengali nationalism is on raging display.

On February 5, one of Bangladesh’s two war crimes tribunals announced a life sentence for a leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami group, Abdul Quader Mollah, who had been accused of mass murder and rape during the 1971 civil war. Many had wished for and expected a harsher punishment - a sentence of death. Messages flew fast and furious across social networking sites, mobile phones and by word of mouth. By that evening, thousands of mostly young men and women had gathered at Shahbagh, one of Dhaka’s busiest areas, to protest the perceived light sentence. “Death for Quader Mollah,” they shouted, as more peo-

ple converged on the square. Two weeks have passed and the crowds have not gone away. In fact the numbers have steadily grown and those gathered are urging more Bangladeshis to come and show their support. Shahbagh has even been given the new name Projonmo Chattor, or Generation Square, to reflect the driving force of the movement, the youth of Bangladesh. “This is the generation who have not experienced the Liberation War, but who appear to be as determined to uphold its secular and liberal spirit,” says Jogesh Sarkar, who fought as a guerrilla for the Mukti Bahini, or Liberation Army, against Pakistani soldiers and their allies.

Muslim Aid joins forces with Qatar charity Al Asmakh to help Myanmar

uslim Aid and Al Asmakh Charity, Qatar signed a Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation in London on 12 February 2013 to combine their resources for emergency response and poverty alleviation in Myanmar. Chief Executive Advisor for Al Asmakh Charity, Mr Jassim Salem said: “We are delighted to work with Muslim Aid. As a result of this MoU, Al Asmakh Charity will be-

come the coordinating NGO in Qatar for Muslim Aid’s charitable activities worldwide. “The MoU will be implemented immediately through Muslim Aid delivering an Al Asmakh emergency relief project in Myanmar amounting to $100,000.” Assistant CEO of Muslim Aid, Mr Hamid Azad said: “We warmly welcome this initiative to help the internally displaced persons in Myanmar. Muslim Aid has opened its offices in Myanmar and is

Myanmar has seen tragic events, resulting in thousands of refugees delivering aid to the affected people in Rakhine State.” Muslim Aid welcomes part-

nerships with all humanitarian organisations for providing humanitarian relief to the

affected people in Myanmar. Muslim Aid is providing emergency aid to 4000 families in Myanmar and is also in the process of developing long term sustainable projects in healthcare and education. Muslim Aid’s humanitarian projects in Myanmar are being implemented with the permission of the concerned authorities of the Government of the Union of Myanmar, as well as the Government of the Rakhine State in Myanmar.

Goal-line technology will be used at the 2014 World Cup and two more systems could be considered in addition to the existing pair, soccer’s world governing body FIFA said on Tuesday. Two systems, Hawkeye and Goalref, have so far been licensed by FIFA and both were used at last year’s World Club Cup in Japan, one in each of the two stadiums, where goal-line technology was employed for the first time.

Hazaras agree to bury dead

Hazara Shia Muslims in the Pakistani province of Balochistan have agreed to bury the dead from a bombing that killed 89 people, after the government promised to take action against the perpetrators of the weekend attack. Shia leaders announced late on Tuesday that the funeral will begin at 9:00am local time (4:00GMT) on Wednesday.

Karzai signs NATO deal

Afghan president Hamid Karzai has signed a decree prohibiting members of the Afghan security forces from requesting NATO airstrikes during operations in residential areas. “No Afghan security forces, under any circumstances, any circumstances, can ask for the foreigners’ planes for carrying out operations on our homes and villages”, Karzai said at a Sunday press conference.

French setbacks in Africa

Francois Hollande says seven French nationals, four adults and three children, have been abducted by armed men in a national park in Cameroon. Meanwhile, in Mali, a French Legionnaire and more than 20 rebels were killed during clashes in mountainous Ifoghas region, France’s defence ministry says.

21 February 2013

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News This Week Tunisian PM resigns

Tunisian Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali resigned Tuesday, Tunisian state TV said, the latest development in a nation wracked by political unrest. He submitted his resignation after the failure of his initiative to form a technocratic government, state TV reported. Jebali told CNN last week he’d step down if the effort was not approved.

Pistorius explains killing

Prosecutors in South Africa said on Tuesday that Oscar Pistorius, the South African Olympic sprinter, fired four shots and killed “an innocent woman”, as they contested his bail request. The prosecution at Tuesday’s bail hearing in Pretoria said Pistorius fired four shots at Reeva Steenkamp, his girlfriend, who was behind a locked bathroom door at his home in a guarded and gated complex in the South African capital. Three of the shots proved fatal. He then broke down the door from the outside and carried the model downstairs.

US accuses China of hacking An American cybersecurity firm has linked one of the world’s most prolific groups of computer hackers to the Chinese government, saying in a new report that an extensive cyber-espionage campaign is being waged from a location near Shanghai. The security firm, Mandiant, detailed the allegations in a 60-page report published Tuesday that describes the group’s tactics over a six-year period.

Jacko’s son enters showbiz

Michael Jackson’s oldest son launched his showbiz career this week with a gig as a guest correspondent for “Entertainment Tonight,” a job his aunt La Toya Jackson arranged. The first assignment for Prince Michael Jackson, who celebrated his 16th birthday last Wednesday, was an interview with actors James Franco, Zach Braff and director Sam Raimi about their remake of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.”

Apple says it was hacked

Apple said Tuesday that a small amount of its employees’ computers had been hacked, but that no data were exposed. The company said the breach occurred when employees visited a developer website.

Rushanara Ali MP condemns police cuts in Tower Hamlets

ethnal Green and Bow MP Rushanara Ali has condemned government cuts to policing as new figures show the government has cut over £1bn from the police since 2010, meaning 17% fewer police officers and PCSOs for Tower Hamlets. Rushanara has consistently voiced her opposition in Parliament to the cuts being imposed by the Conservative-led Government and the Mayor of London to police services in Tower Hamlets, and as the Home Office released the police grant figures for 2013/14 it has now been confirmed that investment in police is falling to a three year low with over £1bn cut from police in England and Wales since the last election. Ms Ali said: “The Conservative-led Government’s cuts to policing have resulted in the lowest number of police officers in England and Wales for over a decade. It is extremely worrying that thanks to this Government’s cuts to policing we now have 163 fewer police officers and PCSOs in Tower Hamlets at a time when crime is increasing across the Borough. “Tower Hamlets has suffered a dramatic 9% increase in crime since this Govern-

Despite being one of the most important boroughs in the UK, police services in Tower Hamlets are being cut back by the Government ment came to power, following six successive years of falling crime under the pre-

vious Labour Government. This Government’s reduction in frontline police puts

‘It is extremely worrying that thanks to this Government’s cuts to policing we now have 163 fewer police officers and PCSOs in Tower Hamlets’ Rushanara Ali MP

Mayor Lutfur Rahman announces free school meals in borough

ree school meals are to be provided for all Tower Hamlets primary schools for the next two years. At last week’s cabinet meeting Mayor Lutfur Rahman announced the proposals which included a better than expected grant settlement from central government for Tower Hamlets. Mayor Lutfur Rahman said: “I am delighted that we have been able to find the resources and are now able to provide Free School Meals for reception and year 1 pu-

Mayor Lutfur Rahman pils in Tower Hamlets Primary Schools, free schools and academies for two years at a cost of £2.756m, to be funded from Public Health Grant.”

Cllr. Oliur Rahman, Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Families said: “At the backdrop of recent achievement and recognition from education minister and ofsted, this is great news for our young people at the start of their formal education journey and no doubt will drive them to achieve excellent results in years to come. “It also demonstrates the commitment of the mayor and this administration in supporting our young people,” he added.

our communities at risk with fewer frontline officers, fewer officers responding to 999 calls and less visible police. “These huge cuts to policing are also making it harder for the police to catch criminals and deliver justice. 30,000 fewer crimes were solved under this Government in the last year, including 7,000 crimes of violence against the person.

“I know Tower Hamlets police are trying their hardest to deal with challenging crime issues, but due to the current Government’s cuts thousands of victims are being denied justice with thousands more criminals getting away with it, so this Government needs to urgently rethink next year’s police budget cuts and stop letting our communities down.”

Tower Hamlets council tax to be frozen again this year

ouncil tax in Tower Hamlets is to be frozen for the year 2013/14, said Mayor Lutfur Rahman. This will be the fourth year in a row that council tax has been frozen in the borough. At a cabinet meeting of the council Mayor Lutfur Rahman announced proposals to prepare financial plans that do not include a council tax rise. Mayor Lutfur Rahman said: “In these times of Toryled austerity, our residents are finding it more and more difficult to pay basic household costs. As mayor and the council we are doing every-

thing we can to help. Freezing council tax this year is one way we can leave more money in our residents’ pockets.’’ Cllr Alibor Choudhury, Cabinet Member for Resources said: “We have asked officers to prepare a budget to protect the most vulnerable and deliver improved services without increasing the financial burden on local people. “And freezing council tax for another year means that this administration is continuing its support for the vulnerable during this period of Tory-led cuts to vital services,” he added.

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21 February 2013

News George Galloway MP lends support to mosque project

he London Borough of Newham has taken the decision to evacuate the 20-year-old Markaz Masjid-e-Illius of Tablig Jamaat based in West Newham. All the communities including the Muslim community living in the local areas staged demonstration in protest against this decision. A grand rally was organised at the Empire Hall based at Newham People Alliance Barking Road at 7.00pm on Feb. 13, 2013. The local people described this mass upsurge as ‘Newham Spring’. The rally was attended by tens of thousands of people and addressed among others by George Galloway MP, Mufti Shah Sadaruddin, neo-Muslim journalist Yvonne Ridley, Shaykh Suleiman Gani of Islam Channel, chairman of Carpenters Against Regeneration Plan Osita Madhu and Maulana Minar Ali, a cleric of a local masjid. The rally was presided over by Newham Peoples’ Alliance Chairman Mufti Shah Sadaruddin where George Galloway MP said: “A nation must know the way how it could press home its demands. Amidst the clapping of tens of thousands of people Galloway further said Newham Council Mayor Robin Wales should not hinder the people from constructing the Markaz Masjid – he should rather welcome this initiative.” Mr Galloway added: “If this big masjid is built it will simply be used for prayer and Council Mayor Robin Wales has nothing to be afraid of

The hi-tech design of the so-called mega-mosque earmarked for east London was submitted in 2006 the prayer for the Almighty. The Labour Party has in fact undermined the rights of the British citizens belonging to the Muslim community by obstructing them from constructing the Markaz Masjid.” Mr Galloway added that the difference between rich and poor is on rise in the Newham Borough under the administration led by Robin. In this borough around 60% population is poor, he mentioned. Outstanding Alem-e-Deen Mufti Shah Sadaruddin said the organization under which we assembled here is in fact not an organisation only belong-

ing to the Muslim community. Rather it is a non-communal organisation to press home the just demands for all nations irrespective of caste and creed. Newham People Alliance aims at protesting the corruption in administration and pressing home the demands

for civic rights of which they are being deprived of. Mayor Robin Wales has committed a serious misdeed by cancelling the permission for construction of this Masjid and thereby hindering the Muslims from constructing this masjid. “We have been de-

‘If this big masjid is built it will simply be used for prayer and Council Mayor Robin Wales has nothing to be afraid of the prayer for the Almighty’ George Galloway MP

prived of the rights of saying prayers,” said Mufti Shah Sadaruddin. “We know Britain is a multicultural society and through this hindrance in masjid construction there has been serious kind of bias based on religious freedom. “We believe that the Labour Party will reconsider this matter. Otherwise the popularity of Labour Party will greatly be influenced by the three million Muslim voters in UK.” Much-talked about journalist Yvonne Ridley who embraced Islam assured that he would continue his all-out support in this movement of the Newham Borough people. He described Robin’s decision to hinder the people from constructing this Masjid as an exposition of autocratic attitude of the Mayor. It may be mentioned that Mayor Robin has cancelled the permission of Tabligi Markaz Masjid and thereby hindering the innovation works of the masjid. In fact the Mayor wants to evacuate this old masjid. In this connection a writ petition has been filed with the High Court on behalf of the Council. If the verdict is given in favour of the Council, this old masjid covering 23 acres of land will be evacuated for ever. The London Borough of Newham is the third Muslim dominated borough in UK where 97,000 Muslims reside. There are innumerable masjids and temples in this borough of which Markaz Masjid-e-Illius of Tablig Jamaat is the biggest as well as the oldest one.

Halal Food Authority demands explanation for ‘pork pies’

ollowing on from the media coverage of the finding of pork DNA in halal pies, which shocked Muslims all over the world, Halal Food Authority said it “shares those sentiments” and is still in search for answers. The pies were sold as halal but were later thought to contain pork. So far it has come to light

that no actual pork meat was found. But the test results for the pork DNA have not been made public which raises further doubts and concerns. The HFA said: “The Muslim community is eagerly awaiting answers from the authorities (who commissioned the test) and other parties involved as to why the HFA was not contacted before the news was

actually broken to the media. “ The HFA asked some pressing questions, including: > Who had commissioned the testing? and > Which laboratory carried out the tests and what were the results? > Was the laboratory in question accredited to carry out the said tests? > Were tests also car-

ried out at the processing plant to ascertain the validity of the results? And why were the tests carried out at 3663, the distributor, and not where the product was made? HFA said it “categorically affirms that our standards and audit protocols are in compliance of the Islamic dietary rules and in conformity of the relevant EU regulations”.

Pork can be identified by its colour

This Week Sars-like virus reported in UK

A patient infected with a new respiratory illness similar to the deadly Sars virus has died in the UK. He was being treated at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham and died on Sunday morning, the hospital has confirmed. Of the 12 people known to have been infected with the virus around the world, six have died.

Horsemeat tests widened

Tests for horsemeat in processed meat products are being expanded, the Food Standards Agency has said. Work will start next Monday to look at foodstuffs labelled as containing beef as a major ingredient. That could include products such as minced meat, prepared meat such as seasoned kebabs, gelatine, beef dripping, stock cubes and steak.

Princess Kate bikini pics

St James’s Palace has condemned plans by an Italian gossip magazine to print photos of the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge on a Caribbean holiday. The pictures – expected to appear in Chi – are thought to show Kate wearing a bikini and walking on a beach on the island of Mustique with Prince William.

Energy bills to go up

Consumers are being warned they face higher energy bills as the UK becomes more reliant on energy imports. The warning comes from Ofgem chief executive Alistair Buchanan, who says falls in the UK’s power production capacity are likely to lead to more energy imports and price rises. The energy watchdog predicts power station closures could mean a 10% fall in capacity by April alone.

PM defends Kate

Prime Minister David Cameron has defended the Duchess of Cambridge, saying author Hilary Mantel was “completely wrong” to compare her to a “shop-window mannequin”. Mantel said at the London Review of Books Lecture the duchess was “gloss varnished” with a “plastic smile”. Mr Cameron added Mantel “writes great books” but “what she’s said about Kate Middleton is completely misguided”.

21 February 2013

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Features Bangladesh invites proposals for 3G

he telecom regulator has invited proposals from aspirant mobile phone operators for obtaining licence for launching 3G (Third Generation) services by May 12, 2013. The operators from home and abroad will have to apply to establish, maintain and operate 3G cellular phone services, said a release of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Thursday. As per the release, entities having adequate financial, technical and organisational capability to service in the field can apply with an updated list of their business record and record of experience. The prospective applicants can buy a copy of the 3G guideline by Tk 5,000. If the aspirant operators have any query regarding the issue, they can contact with the BTRC deputy director (Legal and Licensing Division) by March 21. The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (MoPT) Monday finalised the 3G mobile phone service guideline, titled ‘Cellular Mobile Phone Service (3G/4G/LTE) Regulatory Licensing Guideline 2012.’ As per the guideline, each slot of the spectrum will be of 5-Megahertz (MHz) instead of the previous 10 MHz, so that comparatively small operators can attend the auction. Besides, it will pave the way for engaging more foreign investors in the 3G licensing. The price of per MHz spectrum has been fixed at US$ 20 million from the previously-set US$ 30 million. Sixty per cent of the total spectrum assignment price has to be paid by 60 days of the auction as the first instalment, while the rest 40 per cent by 180 days as the second instalment. A BSS report adds, the BTRC has decided to hold the much-awaited auction of 3G services on June 24 for paving the way of spreading mobile broadband services across the country, said officials. BTRC chairman Sunil Kanti Bose said the auction will take place on June 24.

Bangladeshis had learned to manage the floods, but recent years have seen floods that are beyond control

Extreme waterworld In Bangladesh, floodwaters that used to create fertile ground for rice crops have become violent and random – with catastrophic consequences

ajeda Begum lays out the food that has to keep her and her two young children going for the next 10 days. It is an illustration of a life led close to disaster. There are a dozen potatoes, all of them covered in wormholes, a couple of kilos of low-quality rice, some withered aubergines and a few radishes. On a normal day, the family uses a kilo of rice, and Majeda is already skipping meals to keep the children fed. “There are times when my children cry because of hunger; I have to lie to them that food is coming soon,” she says. She is waiting, like so many in her community, beside the great Brahmaputra river, for her husband to come back with money. He left to seek work in the rice harvest. But because so many farmers lost their crops in the unseasonable floods that swept through the river plain in July and twice in September, labourer wages are down to virtually nothing, while the price of rice is up 30%. Many people in Bangladesh depend on floods for their living. The annual wash of water down from the Himalayas brings layers of fresh mud, full of nutrients, and on this you can get a good rice crop. As the waters ebb, the seedlings are planted and they turn from green to golden as the dry season begins. But that system, of land, people and weather all in concert, has fallen apart.

‘There are two things that hold back Bangladesh from getting where it should. One is politics. The other is natural disaster’

No one here on the banks of the Brahmaputra knows what has happened to their reliable, life-bringing floods. They’ve always known cyclical hunger. The monga seasons – before harvest, when food runs out and labouring jobs are scarce – are a feature of rural life, although the Bangladesh government says the phenomenon no longer exists. But last year three floods came in swift succession between July and September; no one had known that before. The river in Gaibandha district is 10km wide, officially, but can swell 10 times as far. And there lies the cause of Bangladesh’s recurring dramas. Most of Bangladesh consists of floodplains; two-thirds of the country is less than 5m above sea level. The two great rivers that dominate the landscape, the Ganges and the Brahmaputra, have changed. Damming rivers in India, deforestation in Nepal and changing rainfall patterns have combined to make the floods more violent, more frequent and – this is the real disaster – less predictable. Where the new rice should be growing in the late autumn sun, there is a great sheet of grey mud. “The river burst its banks. My rice paddy was washed away, even the very smallest plant. We would have been harvesting it next month,” says Kohinur, holding her daughter, Serena. The women – sitting in a semicircle in the little village of Rasulpur, near Gaibandha town – all nod. Each of them has a similar story to tell of seeing their food and security washed away. “Three times the river has come and taken my land. Now there’s nothing left,” says another woman. “We have been living on the street with banana leaves for our beds.” Sapina, a widow who lives alone, tells me all she has had to eat for days is “rotten rice”, picked up from the roadside where it has fallen from trucks carrying the harvest from happier farmers’ fields. Even in this most crowded of countries there are remote places, and it is an hour’s boat journey along the river to Baze Telkupin island. Here, 500 homes were inundated in the unexpected floods and the people lost most of their possessions as well as their crop. This is where we met Majeda, 25, who lost her house as well. “The water came up to my neck. My clothes and the little rice I had were all washed away,” she told us. All that was left was her goat and a tin box. She’s now living with her two children, Majedul, five, and Shoneka, two, in a roughly made shelter of bamboo and tin, with more holes than wall. There is no spare cash – not enough for her children to get to school in the mornings. She has already had to sell their goat. A local NGO, Gana Unnayan Kendra (GUK), is helping the island’s neediest families. Oxfam and Christian Aid support its work, which chiefly involves raising the bases of houses to make them more resilient to floods, and providing people with cows to bring in more income. In the aftermath of the floods, emergency programmes have been introduced. Oxfam has been making cash grants available to chosen families throughout the area. “We’re acting as fast as possible,” says Farhana Hafiz, Oxfam’s emergency food security and livelihood co-ordinator, “before people start selling assets, borrowing or leaving to look for work in the cities.” Direct cash transfer is the simplest and most effective reaction to disaster in places where the markets are still functioning, she says. Monga, the cyclical curse of seasonal hunger, is also known as mora kartik – the months of death and disaster. It is on the decline, due to government action to establish a welfare safety net and identify vulnerable people. Most of those we met had received some sort of cash payment since the floods. But, tragically, the new threat of disaster and death in Bangladesh is not cyclical. The random acts of destruction caused by changing climate are increasing. GUK’s chief executive, Abdus Salam, has been working to reduce poverty in northern Bangladesh for nearly 30 years. “I’m pleased with our progress,” he says. “But there are two things that hold back Bangladesh from getting where it should. One is politics. The other is natural disaster. Donors ask me, ‘Why are we still funding you?’ And I say, ‘Look at what’s happening in the river’.” One hundred million people in Bangladesh live and die by the river. Like many of them, Majeda has learned to be philosophical. “Each new day is a struggle,” she says. “If we get money, we can eat; otherwise my family and I have accepted our fate of suffering. But I am worried about my children’s future.”

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This Week Gang rape case: five in court

Mayor fires off angry letter over Banglatown

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

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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21 February 2013

Features

10 January 2013

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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Now available as an Android app

Messi named world’s best

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.

War crimes clashes rage in Bangladesh

Mass protests have taken place across Bangladesh calling for the death penalty for a man convicted of war crimes.

Amnesty urges courts to resist calls for death One of the world’s most prominent human rights organisations, Amnesty International, has called on authorities in Bangladesh to resist calls by large sections of the population for death sentences to be handed down to those accused or convicted of crimes during the Liberation War of 1971

he Bangladesh government must not let a proposed new legal amendment lead to a push for death sentences for those convicted in its ongoing war crimes tribunal, Amnesty International said. Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) was set up in 2010 to try people suspected of crimes under international law, including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, committed during the country’s 1971 war of independence. On Sunday, parliament is likely to pass an amendment to the law governing the proceedings of the ICT, which will enable prosecutors to appeal for the death penalty for those sentenced to imprisonment in the tribunal. “Given the extremely tense situation in Bangladesh, there is a real risk that the government will use this amendment to push for those tried in the ICTto be sentenced to death,” said Abbas Faiz, Amnesty International’s Bangladesh researcher. “We urge the government to resist this. The death penalty is the ultimate cruel and inhuman form of punishment, and the government should abolish it altogether, not call for it. .” The amendment, proposed by the Cabinet, will allow the prosecution an equal right to appeal sentences – creating an opening for the prosecution to ask the Supreme Court to increase sentences of imprisonment to death sentences. The ICT delivered its first verdict in absentia on 21 January 2013, sentencing one of the accused, Abul Kalam Azad, to death for crimes against humanity. On 5 February, the ICT sentenced Abdul Quader Molla, a senior member of Jamaat-e-Islami (an opposition party), to life imprisonment for crimes against humanity. That second verdict sparked mass protests across Bangladesh with tens of thousands of people rallying in in Dhaka calling for the death penalty for Molla. Opposition activists have called both verdicts politically motivated A further seven individuals, all members of political op-

position parties, are currently on trial in the ICT. “The ICT is a historic opportunity to end over 40 years of impunity for the horrendous crimes committed during Bangladesh’s independence war,” Faiz said. “Victims deserve justice, but the accused also must have their human rights respected. Imposing the death penalty, which is a human rights violation, is not the answer.” “The government must not simply use their majority in Parliament to change the law so that they can ask the Supreme Court to impose a death sentence.” “This is the time for a calm and considered approach to these trials, if they are to bring justice and help ensure redress for the victims of the mass scale human rights violations in 1971. The government must ensure that the ICT maintains its independence and does not come under pressure from the public and the authorities to deliver the verdict that they want.” Amnesty International has also received disturbing reports that some individuals critical of the ICT have been threatened and may be at risk of retaliatory violence. “It is absolutely vital that the government ensures that those critical of the ICT are given protection and do not have to fear for their safety simply for exercising their right to freedom of expression,” Faiz said. “People must be able to express their views about these trials freely and without being subjected to harassment or intimidation, and without fear of retaliation.” Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception, regardless of the nature or circumstances of the crime, as a violation of the right to life as proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and as the ultimate cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment. The International Criminal Court and all other international criminal courts established since 1993 have excluded the death penalty as a sentence for crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide.

lashes have rocked the main commercial district in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, as police battled with opposition protesters demanding a halt to the country’s war crimes trials. At least a dozen people were injured by rubber bullets during the clashes, a medical official told the AFP news agency on Wednesday. Police and witnesses said the clashes – in an area that houses top banks, the main stock market and insurers – began after the supporters of Bangladesh’s largest Islamic party, Jamaat-e-Islami, tried to hold marches. They torched a bus and attacked vehicles with police reacting by firing rubber bullets, witnesses said. Television footage showed police in armoured vehicles and wielding fire-arms chasing protesters. “At least 100 people have been arrested,” sub-inspector Rafiqul Islam said. Jamaat activists also resorted to violence in the port city of Chittagong, Dhaka based The Daily Star said. Wednesday’s violence comes a day after more than a dozen people were injured, including the editor of a leading daily, in similar clashes between the police and protesters. Demonstrations over the trials have left seven people dead since last month. The protesters have been demanding a halt to the trials of Jamaat leaders for crimes including genocide and rape, which they are alleged to have committed during the country’s 1971 war of independence against Pakistan. A senior Jamaat leader Abdul Quader Mollah was sentenced to life imprisonment last week for mass murder, while former leader Abul Kalam Azad was sentenced to death in absentia, last month. Eight other Jamaat officials, including its leader and deputy leader, are also being tried along with two officials of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Tens of thousands of protesters rallied across Bangladesh last week, demanding the execution of Mollah.