That Video — Two Years On

Elected local Government leader, Upazilla Chairman Sanaullah Nur Babu was chopped to death in broad day light in front of rolling cameras. National TV broadcast the footage. But PM Hasina personally defended the killer and as a result the killer became the most powerful man in that locality.

 

Maisha's Day out and our exuberant police

Those who have watched the movie ” Baby’s Day Out”, must recollect the similarities and dissimilarities of the storyline of the movie and recent sensational abduction of the infant named Maisha.

In ‘Baby’s Day Out’ movie, three criminals abduct the baby of a rich man with the hope of Ransom. But the naughty baby, almost same age that of Maisha, gives the three kidnappers, not used to taking care of a baby, a run for their money. Maisha was snatched away when five robbers robbed her house in Khilgaon, Dhaka.

We don’t know what transpired between Maisha and her kidnappers since she was snatched away from her mother’s lap, but we can easily assume that the robber/ kidnappers did not have much luck with baby Maisha either. It probably was the longest night for the kidnappers, no sooner the morning day light came out and the kidnappers found a suitable spot to drop the baby off, Maisha was out in the streets waiting for someone to pick her up. The robber/ kidnappers had to be ingenious in finding a way to send a message with Maisha. Giving a piece of paper at Maisha’s hand was out of question. Maisha will either eat it or throw it away. Baby’s don’t carry bag or don’t have pockets. So the robbers came up with the excellent (!) idea of buying a white T shirt for Maisha, write the message on the T shirt and put the T shirt on her!

 

Maisha’s Day out and our exuberant police

Those who have watched the movie ” Baby’s Day Out”, must recollect the similarities and dissimilarities of the storyline of the movie and recent sensational abduction of the infant named Maisha.

In ‘Baby’s Day Out’ movie, three criminals abduct the baby of a rich man with the hope of Ransom. But the naughty baby, almost same age that of Maisha, gives the three kidnappers, not used to taking care of a baby, a run for their money. Maisha was snatched away when five robbers robbed her house in Khilgaon, Dhaka.

We don’t know what transpired between Maisha and her kidnappers since she was snatched away from her mother’s lap, but we can easily assume that the robber/ kidnappers did not have much luck with baby Maisha either. It probably was the longest night for the kidnappers, no sooner the morning day light came out and the kidnappers found a suitable spot to drop the baby off, Maisha was out in the streets waiting for someone to pick her up. The robber/ kidnappers had to be ingenious in finding a way to send a message with Maisha. Giving a piece of paper at Maisha’s hand was out of question. Maisha will either eat it or throw it away. Baby’s don’t carry bag or don’t have pockets. So the robbers came up with the excellent (!) idea of buying a white T shirt for Maisha, write the message on the T shirt and put the T shirt on her!

 

Maisha’s Day out and our exuberant police

Those who have watched the movie ” Baby’s Day Out”, must recollect the similarities and dissimilarities of the storyline of the movie and recent sensational abduction of the infant named Maisha.

In ‘Baby’s Day Out’ movie, three criminals abduct the baby of a rich man with the hope of Ransom. But the naughty baby, almost same age that of Maisha, gives the three kidnappers, not used to taking care of a baby, a run for their money. Maisha was snatched away when five robbers robbed her house in Khilgaon, Dhaka.

We don’t know what transpired between Maisha and her kidnappers since she was snatched away from her mother’s lap, but we can easily assume that the robber/ kidnappers did not have much luck with baby Maisha either. It probably was the longest night for the kidnappers, no sooner the morning day light came out and the kidnappers found a suitable spot to drop the baby off, Maisha was out in the streets waiting for someone to pick her up. The robber/ kidnappers had to be ingenious in finding a way to send a message with Maisha. Giving a piece of paper at Maisha’s hand was out of question. Maisha will either eat it or throw it away. Baby’s don’t carry bag or don’t have pockets. So the robbers came up with the excellent (!) idea of buying a white T shirt for Maisha, write the message on the T shirt and put the T shirt on her!

 

five train compartments and seven BNP lives

Opposition leader Khaleda Zia had a rally in Sirajganj, Pabna. As local BNP leader and organizer of the event, Mr Iqbal Mahmud Chowdhury states, first he intended to hold the rally in a field of a local college. However, as local unit of ruling Awami League student wing called another meeting at the same time and same venue, opposition leader’s meeting was moved to a field next to a railway track. Day night public announcement were going on  3 days.

As people were gathering for the meeting and big crowd was sitting on the railway track while listening local leaders speak, a train, coming in full seed, rammed into the crowd. Seven people lost their lives. Five instantly, two later.  Like anywhere in the country, the angry mob burnt several train compartments for killing of their comrades. This is a commonplace event in 21st century Bangladesh. Every time a bus / truck kills some pedestrian/ student– local mob runs amok and resort to a orgy of destruction. In Sirajganj it was already a protest rally and public was already gathered. Naturally violence erupted very easily.   Several train compartments were vandalized and burnt.

Since this happened, government, totally ignoring seven deaths and the deadly failure in railway communication warning safety net, only focused on the post accident vandalism. Fof the government, five train compartments were much more important that seven BNP supporters lives. Very shockingly, the mainstream media had a similar attitude.

 

No investigation was even initiated to find the fault in railway communication network. After few hue and cry by opposition secretary general, one fine morning railway announced that it was “SIMPLY” an accident. None bothered to care why the accident happened. Seven lives lost. No one cared.

But hell broke lose on the activists and supporters of BNP. Cases of destruction of government property were filed against few thousand unnamed. And unprecedented crackdown on the opposition was launched. Score of people were hunted down and put behind bar everyday.

16 more held over Sirajganj train attack

32 more held over Sirajganj vandalism

4 more held over Sirajganj train attack

16 more held in Sirajganj

5,000 sued, 20 held, 1 more body identified

6 BNP leaders sued, 32 more held

20 held over Sirajganj violence

Nearly hundred were arrested by the end of the week.  Few hundred more are still hiding, being relentlessly pursued by police.  Every single day reports are being published about arrests made in Sirajganj train vandalism case.

There was clear failure in Railway communication system is pre-warning the running train that a public meeting was going, people are sitting on the track and the train must slow down. For God’s sake this could have been a public meeting of Awami League or a non political gathering or a passenger bus stuck over the railway tracks or it might have been a gorur haat on railway track. . There must be a safety net in Bangladesh railway system where trains are warned in advance about trouble in tracks ahead. As a train passenger, I have seen many times trains wait in remote places awaiting clearance from next station to be able to proceed. That day this warning system failed. Sirajganj station must know that a public meeting was going on.  How could they give a green signal for the train to proceed?

 

It seems, as long as the people killed were all BNP activists, Government as well as the media are not interested in finding any crime/ flaw in it. And it seems, if they could, government would have rewarded the persons responsible for ramming a speedy train on a public meeting of opposition party BNP.

 

Today’s Bangladesh —10/12/10

We read newspaper daily. Sometimes some news makes us sad, some news makes us angry, some ews make us optimistic, some news makes us skeptical and some news makes us curious.

Here are some news from today and how my mind reacted to those news.

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বিপুল ভট্টাচার্যের পাশে সতীর্থরা

It is a news of mixed emotion. The lively presence and powerful voice of young Bipul Bhattacharya as shown in our war documentary ” Muktir Gaan” is unforgettable. His illness is sad. But efforts by his fellow artists to stand beside him is a positive news. It gives us hope.

At the same time this news raises a question in my mind. What happened to Azam Khan. A legend in our pop culture. Father of band music in Bangladesh. An active freedom fighter. He is also sick with cancer. He also needs more money to continue his treatment. News report suggests artists donated personally. But what about a concert for Azam Khan. Where is BAMBA? A concert was orgnized in New York by BAMBA’s US counterpart. But Azam Khan denied his knowledge about that event. What is the problem? Is it Azam Khan who does not want a concert for him?

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সুজনের গোলটেবিল বৈঠকে বক্তারা

দিনবদলের সূচনাই হয়নি

Why Shujan always calls the pro 1/11 reformists as political party representatives in it’s meetings?  AL was represented by Manna while BNP was represented by Lt Gen Mahbub and Inam Ahmed Chowdhury. Does not it benefit Shujan ( and the country) if mainstream piolicy makers of each of The two party are called rather than those sidelined?

 

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Why Anwar Hossain Manju’s Ittefaq headlines yesterdays Sirajganj incidence this way? Should a newspaper headline be wrong or such one sided or provocative?

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মন্ত্রিসভা বৈঠকে প্রধানমন্ত্রীখালেদার বক্তব্য ও বিএনপির গতিবিধি নজরে রাখুন

 

Our Prime Minister has to be more charitable in her public remarks to maintain the halo around her. We know all the media men, ( Special attention to Golajm Murtaza and Sohrab Hossain of Prothom Alo in today’s Channel I tritio Matra) are trying their best to make the halo around the PM  as white and shinning as possible. But this sort of uncharitable remark by PM does not help Messers Bulbul, Khalidi, Mortaza, Anam, Motiur Rahman et el in their relentless effort to promote the PM. .

 

This did not end here. Tonight, PM went further. She specifically mentioned that Mr. Sanaullah was killed out of BNP’s own internal conflict. There is clear footage and photo of Nator murder  that shows Awami League activists chopping Mr Sanaullah. Mr Zakir, local Awami League leader was clearly seen walking around with a menacing looking stick ( In fade blue jeans and full sleev shirt at the center of the photo). And yet PM Hasina was trying to justify Zakir as innocent. What message she is giving to her activists?

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This news should remind BNP that from media’s and Police’s perspective, small misstep by BNP will be much high profile compared to big missteps by AL. The same day, a few other things happened.Ruling Party student wing supporters fought, injured each other in Rajshahi university, Jahangir Nagar University.  But this was a headline news in Prothom ALo followed by an editorial by no other than Motiur Rahman. Mr Rahman apparently is trying his best to please Mrs Hasina.

Although 15 people have been arrested and all those masked men were identified in this case, nothing happened so far in Natore case. The killers did not bother wearing any mask and yet no arrest was made except one eye wash arrest. PM is singing song for the main accused.

One thing I can say, PM Hasina is quickly reverting to her  original undiluted ‘kill ten for one”  self.

 

Socialism: It’s a Wonderful Thing

Photo: Courtesy of Sheershanews.com