EBangladesh » Tasneem Khalil

BBC Bengali: Internet restrictions in Bangladesh

Tasneem Khalil — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 01:20:32 +0000

BBC Bengali service has covered the crackdown on internet users in Bangladesh with 3 interviews. BBC has confirmed that Bangladeshi authorities are compiling a database of internet users in the country and all the ISPs [Internet Service Provider] have been instructed to submit their client details: name, address, usage details. We attach audio clips of these interviews. Considering the public interest on the story, Rezwan has translated rush transcripts/excerpts of the BBC Bengali coverage.

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BBC Bengali, Parikrama, October 4:

Bangladesh Telecommunication regulatory commission [BTRC] has taken some measures to regulate internet usage [in the country] after a meeting with the Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh [ISPA]. BTRC has attempted to create a database profiling the internet users in Bangladesh.

ISPA general secretary Russell T Ahmed tells BBC Bengali: “The most important thing is security. You know that people are threatening with emails, using email for various things. If these are not controlled from a central point you cannot trace them. The whole thing is to establish a control mechanism. We ISPs have corporate clients as well as individual clients. They [BTRC] have expected the details of these clients from us. How much bandwidth they use, what are their IPs, what are their usage patterns? These are basically the requirements from us. What we can fathom is that this is to monitor and prevent people from doing anything outside the legal boundary with bandwidth purchased from ISPs.

EC asks for list of war criminals

Tasneem Khalil — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 22:32:50 +0000

[Dhaka Correspondent] Election Commission has asked the political parties to produce a list of war criminals who were convicted by court before raising demand for disqualifying them from contesting polls.

“You are demanding that war criminals should be barred from contesting polls. That they should not be allowed to register as voters. But we have so far received no list of persons who were convicted of war crimes. If you have a list of the convicted persons, produce it when raising such demands. It will help us,” election commissioner M Sakhawat Hussain told the Jatiya Party (Manju) delegation at a dialog on electoral laws reforms.

JP secretary general Sheikh Shahidul Islam at the dialogue with the EC proposed that the commission should disenfranchise the war criminals of 1971, collaborators of the Pakistani occupation forces and those who had committed crime against humanity. Asked if they alluded to the Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, he said they were not speaking about any particular party.

EC’s meeting with JP faction led by Anwar Hussain Manju was the fourth in a series of dialogs with political parties to finalize the draft of the electoral reform proposals before the parliamentary elections expected by the end of 2008.

Sheikh Shahidul Islam led a 11-member delegation of the JP faction. CEC ATM Shamsul Huda chaired the dialog. Election Commissioners M Sohul Hussain and M Sakhawat Hussain were present.

JP leaders tabled a 14-point charter of demands which included call for declaring terrorists and war criminals ineligible for the polls. JP team lent support to the EC proposal for 33 per cent female representation on political party committees and disbanding parties’ student fronts. JP supported the proposal for making registration of the political parties mandatory, but suggested that a separate law should be made for it rather than incorporating it in the Representation of People Order (RPO).

JP opposed the EC proposal for putting a ceiling on electoral expenditure. They urged EC to direct the candidates to deposit a fixed amount of money with the commission and spend the fund for campaign.

The leaders of JP, while chief Anwar Hossain Manju lives in undeclared exile in US, also suggested recognition of the registered political parties and their leaders at the state level.

Delwar rejects Bhuiyan’s call

Tasneem Khalil — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 21:56:02 +0000

[Dhaka Correspondent] BNP secretary-general, Khandakar Delwar Hossain, Thursday rejected Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan’s call for the party’s unity, and asked him to apologize if he wants to return.

“BNP is united under the leadership of Khaleda Zia, and Mannan Bhuiyan will have to apologize to the party and appeal to her for permission to return to the party after agreeing to accept her leadership,” Delwar told newsmen at his Dhaka residence in response to Bhuiyan’s call to BNP’s leaders and activists to remain united for contesting the next election.

Expelled secretary-general, Mannan Bhuiyan, Wednesday called on BNP’s leaders and activists to remain united, “We do not want a rift in the party because of the reform initiative.”

“Bhuiyan’s statement is not clear. I won’t ask him and his cronies to return to the party after burying their reform agenda completely; rather they should suspend their so-called reform activities, at least until the party’s chairperson is free, as Awami League leaders are doing,” said Delwar. “It does not mean that we do not want reforms in the party. I myself and the party’s chairperson have long been talking about reforms. But reforms should be carried out in line with the party’s constitution.”

Delwar was critical of any move for reforms prescribed by quarters outside the party, “Anything imposed by any quarter will not be accepted.”

He was disappointed at Supreme Court’s stay order of the bail granted to Khaleda Zia by a High Court bench in the GATCO case, “We will continue our legal fight to free Khaleda Zia.”

UK for rights, press freedom

Tasneem Khalil — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 21:44:13 +0000

[Dhaka Correspondent] United Kingdom urged the caretaker government, army and law-enforcement agencies of Bangladesh to act impartially with respect for public safety, human rights, media freedom and due process while carrying out reforms during the emergency rule.

“We will continue to urge the government, army and law enforcement agencies to act impartially, with respect for public safety, human rights, media freedoms, due process and the rule of law, in line with Bangladesh’s international human rights obligations,” British foreign and commonwealth office director for Asia John Dennis said Thursday. He made the comment at a press briefing in Dhaka before wrapping up his three day tour. He met the chief adviser, CEC, ACC chairman and the army chief during his tour and reiterated UK’s support for credible elections in Bangladesh.

He said, “We recognize that there are challenges, but it is important that nothing is allowed to deflect Bangladesh from its commitment to restore democratic process and hold elections as per the road-map.”

Referring to his meeting with army chief General Moeen U Ahmed, Dennis said, “I have got a clear impression that the army is working all out to help the caretaker government in delivering on its plans.”

He expressed his pleasure with the progress on voter registration, saying that the UK welcomes the CEC’s statement that should the voter list and electoral reforms be completed earlier, then the elections could be brought further forward from December next year.

Asked his opinion about the demand for lifting the state of emergency, Dennis said, “For holding a successful election, the situation has to be most congenial because democracy requires political debate.”

Responding to a quarry on if the UK is following whether due process is being followed dealing the cases of politicians, British high commissioner Anwar Choudhury said, “Yes, absolutely we are following the events and monitoring closely.” He, however, would not comment on granting bail to the two detained former prime ministers’ Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia on grounds that the matter is sub-judice.

Dennis observed that Bangladesh is striving for democracy, added that the United Kingdom, as a friend of Bangladesh, shared that desire, “Sustaining democracy in the longer term is essential to Bangladesh’s future development and prosperity.”

Malaysia stops recruiting from BD

Tasneem Khalil — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 01:49:55 +0000

[Dhaka Correspondent] Malaysia Wednesday decided to suspend recruitment of Bangladeshis in the wake of recent problems taking place over sending the workers to Kuala Lumpur. Bangladesh high commission officials in Kuala Lumpur confirmed that the decision was made at a Malaysian cabinet meeting on recruiting foreign workers.

The meeting decided that Malaysian employers will not issue recruitment orders for Bangladeshis until the problems related to their employment are solved. Bangladesh high commissioner in Kuala Lumpur, Khairuzzaman, however, said Malaysia was yet to “officially communicate” the decision to him till Wednesday night, “I have heard the news from the Malaysian state news agency and
watched it on television.”

Malaysia currently hosts about 200,000 Bangladeshi workers and 100,000 more are expected to reach Kuala Lumpur as their recruitment had been approved earlier.

Problems with Bangladeshi workers heightened in recent months as hundreds of Bangladeshis often got stranded at the Kuala Lumpur international airport and they faced deprivation of various sorts after they had joined work in Malaysia. A large number of Bangladeshis in recent times were also detained by the law enforcement agencies as they protested against exploitation by the Bangladeshi recruiting agents and Malaysian employers.

Problems drew international media attention as 80 such Bangladeshis went on a hunger strike in front of the Bangladesh High Commission in September protesting against not being on jobs after
they had reached the place in March. They also demanded that the Bangladesh government intervene in the affairs.

The government in September sent an inter-ministerial committee, headed by the expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment secretary, Abdul Matin Chowdhury, to Kuala Lumpur to settle the issues with the Malaysian authorities. Agitating workers alleged that the team had returned to Bangladesh without making any headway.

Malaysia resumed recruiting Bangladeshis in September after it had suspended the process in 1999.

Tata, Asia Energy have to wait

Tasneem Khalil — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 01:37:14 +0000

[Dhaka Correspondent] Decisions on investment proposals from Tata and Asia Energy are set to take some more time due to confusion over gas reserves and absence of a national coal policy, finance adviser Mirza Azizul Islam said Wednesday.

“We are sending out signals to foreign investors as we cannot decide on investment proposals from Tata and Asia Energy,” he told newsmen at his planning ministry office after a meeting with a visiting ADB (Asian Development Bank) executive.

Long-pending investment proposals came up for discussion at the meeting with Kunio Senga, ADB director general for South Asia. ADB offers Bangladesh assistance in developing the coal sector amid differences of opinion among Bangladeshi mining experts and conservationists over the mining method: open-pit or underground. The debate led to outrage in Phulbari coal-mine area last year.

Finance adviser said the government will settle the Asia Energy issue once the coal policy is formulated. Meanwhile, Asia Energy has expressed its willingness to start renegotiations with the government on Phulbari coal-mine development. “We’ve told them that we will look into the terms and conditions for negotiations after finalization of national coal policy,’ Azizul said.

About the $3 billion investment proposals of Indian conglomerate Tata, the adviser said it is a complicated matter and the gas reserve issue is closely linked to it, “As the terms and conditions have a provision for ensuring uninterrupted gas supply for several years, we’ll have to assess our actual gas reserve as there are different findings in this regard, and we’re not sure which one is correct.”

Aziz also discussed with the ADB executive matters relating to recent floods and post-flood rehabilitation. He said the government formed a committee headed by the planning secretary to assess the flood damages and rehabilitation needs, “Rough estimates suggest the flood damages will be within $200 to $250 million.”

“After the finance adviser’s visit to Manila, we realized that the flood in Bangladesh was severe and we formed a team for needs-assessment,” Kunio Senga said after the meeting. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to provide assistance for flood rehabilitation.”

BNP for national elections first

Tasneem Khalil — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 01:15:54 +0000

[Dhaka Correspondent] BNP Wednesday said the prime task of the interim government is to hold national elections and hand over power to an elected government, other elections should not be in its agenda.

“The prime task of the caretaker government is to hold the national elections…The constitution says so,” BNP secretary general, Khandakar Delwar Hossain, told newsmen at his Dhaka residence. “Local government elections should not be in its immediate agenda. Putting the cart before the horse will be useless.”

Delwar differed with EC on lifting of the state of emergency in some areas before holding local government elections, “We want EC to facilitate a free and fair election after creating a political atmosphere

EC on N-ID cards

Tasneem Khalil — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 00:56:27 +0000

[Dhaka Correspondent] The Election Commission expects the government to promulgate an ordinance making national ID cards mandatory for citizens to get 22 services and to set up a national registration and database authority before initiating voters’ registration job in Dhaka slated for December.

Once the ordinance is promulgated, no one will be allowed access to the specified facilities or services, mostly related to daily chores, unless they produce the identity cards or the government relaxes the related provisions. ID cards will, however, be issued only for voting purposes in the beginning to encourage eligible people to register their names on the electoral roll at the registration centers.

“Election Commission sees voter registration in Dhaka city as a big challenge. Promulgation of the ordinance will help towards completing the project,” election commissioner M Sakhawat Hussain told newsmen at his office Wednesday. “No one will be listed as a voter without the registration of the name on the electoral roll and no one will get the national ID card.”

EC planned to start field work for the preparation of the electoral roll and the national ID cards on December 1. In August it sent a draft of the ordinance to the government for promulgation to make the use of national ID cards mandatory. According to the draft, the government will set up a national registration and database authority to be tasked with the preparation of the ID cards under the commission’s supervision. The new authorities as a permanent body will keep collecting particulars of people and issuing national identity cards.

The commission, however, proposed a provision empowering the government to relax the stringent conditions on the use of the identity cards. People who are not eligible at present to be registered as voters will need to wait for the cards as the commission has not taken the responsibilities of preparing and issuing the cards for them.

“Government will be authorized to exempt citizens of a particular range of ages from the regulation. It can also exempt a particular section of people from compliance with the regulation for government services and facilities. Even the government can relax the provisions of making it mandatory for the people to show the cards to have some facilities,” the ordinance draft said.

The draft said, “For any services from the government, its departments and institutions or from any statutory government offices, the citizens should submit their national identity cards.”

22 services for which cards will be required: Issuance and renewal of passport, driving license, trade license, tax identification number, business identification number and bank account, and beneficiary owner’s account with stock exchanges. Citizens will need to provide the identity card numbers for connections of gas, water and electricity, telephone, mobile, internet and cable television. They will need to produce the card numbers for registration with public examinations, any public services, marriage registration and loans of any sort.

None will get government subsidy facilities, allowance and relief if s/he does not have an ID card. ID cards will be mandatory for selling and buying land and motor vehicles, admission of children to schools, lodging cases and appeal to court.

Notice:

Dear readers: we are not affiliated with the Election Commission or the National ID card authorities. So please do not waste your time by posting your personal ID card related queries here.

Please contact the appropriate authorities for your queries:

The voter list national ID project office is situated at Islamic Foundation Bhaban, Agargaon, Dhaka.

Telephone numbers: (+88) 02-9116971, 02-9116927, 02-8150846, 01730020504, 01911487902, 01819724790, 01719403343, 01720275175, 01711708837, 01717580341, 01712052014, 01552303489

The Army headquarters central coordination cell, MS Branch, is situated at Dhaka Cantonment, Dhaka:

Telephone numbers: (+88) 02-8714399, 01732153748, 01711384145

Khaleda bail hearing Thursday

Tasneem Khalil — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 22:37:41 +0000

[Dhaka Correspondent] The chamber judge of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court Tuesday refused to pass an instant order staying the bail granted by the High Court to detained former prime minister Khaleda Zia and posted an Anti-Corruption Commission petition. for a full-bench hearing Thursday.

Justice M Hasan Ameen, chamber judge of the Appellate Division, also posted ACC’s petitions seeking a stay of the High Court orders that stayed the proceedings of the cases filed by the commission against Khaleda Zia’s eldest son, Tarique Rahman, former ministers Moudud Ahmed and Nazmul Huda, former deputy minister Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu and businessman Nurul Islam Babul for amassing illegal wealth for a full-bench hearing Thursday.

Additional attorney general Salahuddin Ahmed moved the commission’s petitions seeking a stay of the High Court orders. He argued the High Court orders should be stayed as the Anti-Corruption Commission would file regular petitions seeking permission to appeal against the orders. In separate orders, passed Sunday and Monday, the High Court made contradictory directives as it stayed the proceedings of the cases, but said the investigations of the cases would continue, the state attorney argued.

The High Court bench of Justice Shah Abu Nayeem Mominur Rahman and Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury Sunday granted bail to Khaleda in the GATCO scam case. It also stayed the proceedings of the case against Khaleda and her youngest son, Arafat Rahman, under the Emergency Powers Rules and asked the commission and the chief metropolitan magistrate of Dhaka to explain in six weeks the legality of bringing the case under the emergency rules.

ACC deputy director Golam Shahriar Chowdhury filed the corruption case on September 2 with the Tejgaon police against 13 people, including Khaleda and Arafat, on charge of awarding a contract to “an incompetent and unfit firm, GATCO,” to handle containers at the Inland Container Depot in Dhaka and at Chittagong port allegedly for bribe.

The same bench Monday stayed the proceedings of the cases filed by ACC against Tarique, Moudud, Nazmul Huda and his wife Sigma Huda, Dulu and Babul for amassing illegal wealth. The court also issued separate rules on ACC to explain in six weeks why its notification on them asking for their wealth statements and the cases filed against them in the furtherance of the notifications would not be declared illegal and void.

Burmese protest in Dhaka

Tasneem Khalil — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 21:59:34 +0000

[Dhaka Correspondent] A group of Myanmar refugees, including monks, staged a peaceful demonstration near the Myanmar embassy in Dhaka Tuesday, protesting against the killing of many demonstrators by the military junta and demanding restoration of democracy in the country which has been under army rule for a long time.

Protesters, during their hour-long demonstration that began at 11 AM, carried placards and banners and chanted slogans against General Than Shew, terming him “murderer of innocent people.” They urged Myanmar’s soldiers not to point their guns at innocent people and shoulder the responsibility of protecting the motherland.

Scores of policemen were deployed around the embassy in the Gulshan diplomatic zone to maintain order, and the police stopped the protesters from going to the embassy. However, some of them were allowed to hand over a protest note to the embassy’s officials. Around 50 protesters also gathered beside the Australian High Commission.

In their protest note, the demonstrators demanded that the junta send the troops back to the barracks, release political prisoners, form an interim government and compensate the families of the murdered monks and other protesters. They also demanded resignation of the Burmese ambassadors to Bangladesh, Japan, the USA, China, Thailand, Malaysia, India, Singapore, Korea and other countries.

May Da Tha Ra, a Rakhain monk now in exile in Bangladesh, criticized the Myanmar government, saying that the current regime has no right to stay in power after killing innocent people. “We do not hear of any such anti-religious government like that in Myanmar. They killed and arrested monks and common people. We want the junta’s immediate resignation,” he told newsmen. He also demanded release of all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi.

Condemning the killing of monks and general people, Saw Mra Raza Linn, president of Rakhain Women’s Council, observed that there was no rule of law in her country under the military regime, “We want this government to step down as it is destroying the Burmese economy, raping women and killing innocent people. We want restoration of democracy and human rights.

The demonstration was organized under the banner of Democratic Forces from Rakhain State, Myanmar. It represents the United Front of Sangha, Rakhain Women’s Union, Independent Force of Arakan, All Arakan Students’ and Youths’ Congress, Rakhain Environment and Human Rights Watch, Arakan Community Council and Shwe Gas Movement, Opposition Force of Burma, Narinjara News Agency, Shwe Pray, Rakhain News Agency, Gisspa News Agency and many individuals.