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| Bangladesh |
| Form body to probe Hefajat casualty: HRW |
| 2013-05-12 |
| [Bangla Daily Star] International rights watchdog Human Rights Watch ... dedicated to bitching about human rights violations around the world... (HRW) has asked the Bangladeshi authorities to immediately set up an independent commission to investigate the large numbers of deaths and injuries during the Hefajat-e Islam-led protests in Dhaka and elsewhere on May 5 to 6. The commission should also investigate violence that killed dozens in February, March, and April after protests and counter-protests broke out following the announcement of verdicts by the country's international crimes tribunals (ICT), said a press statement of the New York-based rights body which was published on May 11. The exact number of deaths during the May 5 to 6 protest remains unclear, with figures ranging from the official government figure of 11 deaths to Hefajat's estimate of thousands. Independent news sources put the figure at approximately 50 dead, with others succumbing to injuries later. The dead include several security personnel, said the blurb. However, a person who gets all wrapped up in himself makes a mighty small package... the HRW said that claims of "genocide" by Hefajat and other opposition parties are unfounded and have only served to heighten tensions. "The toxic swirl of rumour and rhetoric surrounding the protest of May 5 to 6 will only get worse unless the government acts quickly in a transparent manner," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Given the lack of trust between various parties, it is imperative that these answers come from an independent and impartial body," he added. "Bangladesh will see a plethora of demonstrations this year in response to additional verdicts from the ICT and in the run-up to national elections," said Adams. "Without an independent investigation, accountability, and improved policing methods, we could see serial bloodbaths," he further added. The HRW also called on opposition parties, including BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami ... The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independentbranch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores... , as well as independent organizations such as Hefajat, to condemn and take steps to deter their supporters from carrying out unlawful attacks, including on law enforcement officers or members of the public with different political views. The rights body also expressed concern ...meaning the brow was mildly wrinkled, the eyebrows drawn slightly together, and a thoughtful expression assumed, not that anything was actually done or indeed that any thought was actually expended... that Hefajat recruited boys from madrasas to participate in the "siege." Many of the boys were unaware of the risks of marching into Dhaka. Independent journalists told the HRW that after the protests were broken up by security forces, they encountered groups of boys who had never been to Dhaka before and were terrified by the experience of seeing dead bodies and large-scale violence. |
| Posted by:Fred |