Human Security Gateway: Bangladesh

The Bengali Taliban: Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh

Fri, 16 May 2008 11:31:47 -0700

The April 30 sentencing of four cadres of the outlawed Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) to 26 years of hard labor for throwing bombs at a local court in 2005 returned the focus to Bangladesh’s struggle against pressing odds to contain the rise of Islamic extremism (Daily Star [Dhaka], May 1). The government has been hunting down JMB leaders and cadres ever since the group carried out an audacious series of blasts in 63 districts of a total of 64 across Bangladesh, planting 458 locally-made bombs while distributing leaflets which declared, “We’re the soldiers of Allah. We’ve taken up arms for the implementation of Allah’s law the way the Prophet, Sahabis [companions of the Prophet] and heroic Mujahideen have done for centuries…it is time to implement Islamic law in Bangladesh” (Bangladesh Observer, August 18, 2005). In the crackdown that followed, two top leaders of the group, Shaykh Abdur Rahman and Sidiqul Islam (alias Bangla Bhati), were executed in 2007; several hundred cadres have also been arrested from different parts of the country. Many of these have since been given tough sentences by a judiciary which was once high on the list of JMB’s potential targets. SOURCE: Global Terrorism Analysis // The Jamestown Foundation

Le point sur l’épidémie de sida - Résumés par région - Asie

Wed, 14 May 2008 13:04:09 -0700

Ce rapport contient des résumés sur les régions suivants: Chine, Inde, et Asie du Sud et du Sud-Est, et aussi sur les thèmes suivantes: Double péril - sexospécifité et risque de VIH parmi les consommateurs de drogues injectables; Comprendre les nouvelles estimations du VIH en Inde, et Surprise dans le Sud. SOURCE: Nations Unies // Programme Commun Des Nations Unies Sur le VIH/SIDA

Restoring Democracy in Bangladesh

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:34:10 -0700

Bangladesh is under military rule again for the third time in as many decades. Although the caretaker government (CTG) insists its plans to stamp out corruption and hold general elections by December 2008 are on track, its achievements have been patchy, and relations with the major political parties are acrimonious. Efforts to sideline the two prime ministers of the post-1990 democratic period have faltered (though both are in jail), and the government has become bogged down in its attempts to clean up corruption and reshape democratic politics. Even if elections are held on schedule, there is no guarantee reforms will be sustainable. If they are delayed, the risk of confrontation between the parties and the army-backed government will grow. There is an urgent need for all sides to negotiate a peaceful and sustainable return to democracy. SOURCE: International Crisis Group

Un portrait des femmes autochtones d'Asie

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:20:26 -0700

Publiée par le Réseau des femmes autochtones d’Asie (Asian Indigenous Women’s Network, AIWN) et l’Alliance des peuples autochtones de l’archipel (AMAN: Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara), de concert avec Droits et Démocratie. Cette trousse d’information met en évidence le travail accompli par les femmes autochtones, qui agissent aux échelons local, national et international afin de faire respecter leurs droits. Cette trousse est une adaptation du document << Femmes autochtones des Amériques >>. SOURCE: Droits et Démocratie

Bangladesh: Arms and Ammunition Recovery - 2008

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 15:19:13 -0700

Bangladesh: Arms and Ammunition Recovery - 2008 SOURCE: South Asia Terrorism Portal

The state of human rights in eleven Asian nations in 2007

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 10:42:10 -0800

2007 was a year of significant upheaval in the Asian region, with one crisis following fast on the coat-tails of the last. These included the crack-down on peaceful protests in Burma, the battle for the independence of the judiciary and the resulting State of Emergency and political turmoil in Pakistan, and the stark rise in disappearances and conflict-related violence in Sri Lanka. While these situations have garnered a certain degree of interest around the world, other country situations have been overlooked, for example the mass arrests and State of Emergency in Bangladesh, or the ongoing problem of impunity and increasing lawlessness that risks presaging a return to conflict in Nepal, to name but two. Chronic human rights problems, such as those stemming from the caste system in South Asia, notably India, as well as poverty and the dysfunctional institutions of the rule of law that are at the root of most human rights violations across the nations of Asia are also included in this report. This publication features a collection of reports on the human rights situations in eleven Asian States, which together comprise the Asian Human Rights Commission’s annual human rights report for 2007. The countries in focus this year are: Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Each report is prepared by the organisation’s relevant country desk and does not purport to be exhaustive or a complete overview of the entire range of human rights issues that are present in the country, but rather presents the issues of concern and experiences that the organisation encountered during its work in 2007. SOURCE: Asian Human Rights Commission

The Torture of Tasneem Khalil

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 13:53:43 -0800

This report presents the testimony of Tasneem Khalil, recounting his torture at the hands of Bangladesh’s military intelligence agency, the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI). To our knowledge, this is the most detailed public account of a case of torture in Bangladesh available anywhere. It demonstrates the nature of ongoing state-sponsored violence in Bangladesh, including the torture of critics of the current government. Bangladesh has been under a state of emergency for more than a year, led by an interim government that was not elected and claims to be reform-minded. The current government, appointed in January 2007, replaced a previous caretaker government. It aims to remain in power pending national elections scheduled for 2008, though no specific date has been set yet. SOURCE: Human Rights Watch

La sécurité humaine pour un siècle urbain : Défis locaux, perspectives mondiales

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 13:13:09 -0800

Le produit le plus récent et le plus détaillé Ã Ãªtre conÃ§u par securitehumaine-villes.org, cette publication s'appuie sur les travaux de 40 collaborateurs externes qui appliquent un prisme urbain Ã des thèmes tels que les enfants et les conflits armés, la réforme des systèmes de sécurité, les armes de petit calibre et les armes légères, la stabilisation et la reconstruction, la consolidation de la paix et la promotion de la démocratie. SOURCE: securitehumaine-villes.org

Preventing torture within the fight against terrorism

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 10:56:31 -0800

The so-called "war on terrorism" has seen democratic governments resort to torture and ill treatment of persons suspected of involvement in terrorist activities and has reignited the age-old debate about whether torture can be justified if the purpose is to save innocent lives. In this context, prominent opinion and decision-makers as well as members of the general public in leading democratic countries have argued that new forms of transnational terrorism necessitate a revision of existing legal and moral norms related to torture and ill treatment. At the same time, authoritarian rulers around the world have exploited this climate to step up their oppression of political opposition groups. In February 2007, with funding from the European Commission, the Fédération International des Droits de l'Homme (FIDH) in partnership with the #IRCT launched the three-year project, "Preventing Torture within the Fight against Terrorism". The overall objective is to contribute to re-establish international respect for the absolute prohibition against torture and ill treatment embedded in international law. The project will do this through a wide range of complementary activities covering research, awareness raising, advocacy and capacity building. SOURCE: Fédération Internationale des ligues des droits de l'Homme // International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims

Bangladesh: Background and U.S. Relations

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 15:55:23 -0700

Bangladesh (the former East Pakistan) gained its independence in 1971, following India\'s intervention in a rebellion against West Pakistan (currently called Pakistan). Democratic elections in 1991 ended two decades of authoritarian rule in Dhaka. The Bangladesh National Party (BNP), which led the ruling coalition of the previous government, and the leading opposition party, the Awami League (AL), traditionally have dominated Bangladeshi politics. The BNP is led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia while the AL is led by Sheikh Hasina. Bangladesh has been a largely moderate and democratic majority Muslim country. This status has been under threat from a combination of political violence, weak governance, poverty, corruption, and Islamist militancy. SOURCE: Congressional Research Service

The Importance of Women's Status for Child Nutrition in Developing Countries

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:48:11 -0700

Until recently the role of women's social status in determining their children's nutritional health went largely unnoticed. That is, until researchers began to ponder the Asian Enigma-the question of why malnutrition is much more prevalent among children in South Asia than in Sub-Saharan Africa, even though South Asia surpasses Sub-Saharan Africa in most of the principal determinants of child nutrition. This report uses data from 36 countries in three developing regions to establish empirically that women's status, defined as women's power relative to men's, is an important determinant of children's nutritional status. It finds that the pathways through which status influences child nutrition and the strength of that influence differ considerably from one region to another. Where women's status is low, this research proves unequivocally that policies to eradicate gender discrimination not only benefit women but also their children. SOURCE: International Food Policy Research Institute

Bangladesh: Caretaker Govt. Installed amidst Chaos and Political Uncertainty

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:48:11 -0700

Though elections are due in Bangladesh early next year, they have been the centre of political activity in the country for the last year and a half. Holding of free and fair elections has been a concern for domestic political parties as well as for the international community. This concern arose from the fact that ruling coalition was politicizing administration, judiciary and the armed forces so that they can stand them in good stead during the period of elections. The crucial role played by the Islamists forces in the ruling coalition also created doubts in the minds of several people as they do not believe in modern democracy. The Awami League led opposition group has been agitating for a neutral caretaker government and changes in administration. The suspense regarding caretaker government ended when Bangladesh president himself assumed the role of chief advisor to the caretaker government. However, the assumption of responsibility by the president has thrown the country into chaos and has raised doubts about the prospect of free and fair elections. SOURCE: South Asia Analysis Group

Keeping The Promise? A Study Of Progress Made In Implementing the UNGASS Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS in Seven Countries

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:48:03 -0700

In June 2001 a Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS was agreed by 189 member states at a United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS). A review of progress is under way, led by UNAIDS. This report is the product of studies conducted by the Panos Institute in seven countries: Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Haiti, Latvia, Malawi, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. SOURCE: Panos

Demographics and Security: The Contrasting Cases of Pakistan and Bangladesh

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:47:44 -0700

Pakistan and Bangladesh, united until a 1971 civil war, have evolved in very differently over the last three decades. This paper argues that many of their observed dissimilarities stem, at least in part, from demographic differences, some of which can be attributed to the two countries' diverse human development policies. SOURCE: RAND Corporation

Major incidents of terrorist violence in Bangladesh, 1996-2005

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:47:27 -0700

Timeline of major incidents of terrorist violence in Bangladesh between 1996 and 2005. SOURCE: South Asia Terrorism Portal

Bangladesh Timeline Year 2005

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:47:27 -0700

Timeline charts incidents of terrorist and political violence, and the activities of armed groups in Bangladesh. SOURCE: South Asia Terrorism Portal

Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB)

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:47:20 -0700

The Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) is reported to have been formed in 1998 in the Jamalpur district. While the exact origin is shrouded in mystery, its existence came to notice on May 20, 2002 with the arrest of eight Islamist militants at Parbatipur in the Dinajpur district along with 25 petrol bombs and documents detailing the outfit's activities. Subsequently, on February 13, 2003, the JMB is reported to have carried out seven bomb explosions in the Chhoto Gurgola area of Dinajpur town in which three persons were wounded. Some reports suggest that it is the youth front of the Al Mujahideen, an organisation allegedly formed in the mid-1990s but whose existence is still ambiguous, whereas others indicate that the JMB is another name for the vigilante Islamist group the Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB). The JMB was proscribed by the Government on February 23, 2005. SOURCE: South Asia Terrorism Portal

Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami Bangladesh (HuJI-BD)

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:47:20 -0700

Armed group fact sheet for Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami Bangladesh (HuJI-BD, whose objective is to establish Islamic rule in Bangladesh. SOURCE: Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies

Assessment for Biharis in Bangladesh

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:47:19 -0700

The Biharis, who are also referred to as the Stranded Pakistanis, are urban dwellers who reside in some 66 camps throughout Bangladesh. They have lived in these camps since the early 1970s after the Pakistani civil war led to the creation of Bangladesh. The Biharis share a common religion with the majority Muslim population. However, they speak multiple languages including Urdu and Bengali and have different social customs than the dominant Bengalis. The Biharis have three of the four characteristics that encourage future protest: significant political restrictions; Bangladesh's short history of democratic rule; and support from kindred groups such as the Mohajirs in Pakistan. It remains to be seen if mounting Bihari frustration coupled with continuing Pakistani intransigence will lead to a new violent phase in the Bihari struggle for repatriation. Bangladesh has generally been indifferent to the plight of the Biharis; however, in recent years it has actively pressed Pakistan to repatriate the stranded Pakistanis. A minority of Biharis recently applied for Bangladeshi citizenship, but most others are still lobbying to return to Pakistan. SOURCE: Minorities at Risk Project // Center for International Development and Conflict Management // University of Maryland

Assessment for Chittagong Hill Tribes in Bangladesh

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:47:19 -0700

The Chittagong Hill Tribes primarily reside in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) region of southeastern Bangladesh. The tracts region borders tribal areas in neighboring India and Bangladesh. The region contains significant natural gas deposits, it covers 10% of Bangladesh's territory, and its tropical rainforests comprise 60% of the country's reserve forests. The Chittagong Hill Tribes have four of the factors that increase the likelihood of rebellion in the future: sporadic violent acts in the region in 1999 and 2000; territorial concentration; Bangladesh's limited history of democratic rule; and a history of lost autonomy. Factors inhibiting rebellion include transnational support for the settlement. This assistance has been in the form of humanitarian aid or the initiation of development projects by various NGOS and UN agencies. The slow implementation of the peace agreement generated mass demonstrations by tribals in 2000. Some of the key issues that remain to be addressed include the creation of a commission to manage land distribution, the removal of the army from tribal areas, and potential limits on immigration to the hill tracts. How these issues are addressed can significantly influence tribal opposition to the agreement. SOURCE: Minorities at Risk Project // Center for International Development and Conflict Management // University of Maryland

Assessment for Hindus in Bangladesh

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:47:19 -0700

The Hindus are widely dispersed across Bangladesh. They have migrated among regions within the country, most often due to threats of or actual attacks by other communal groups. The Hindus in Bangladesh have a history of persistent but low-level protest. There is only one factor which increases the likelihood of future protest: the limited time that has elapsed since Bangladesh returned to democratic rule. The Awami League has generally been supportive of the country's minorities. In 1997, it reached a peace agreement with the Chittagong Hill Tribes, which ended a two decade long insurgency that had claimed more than 25,000 lives. SOURCE: Minorities at Risk Project // Center for International Development and Conflict Management // University of Maryland

The Rise of Islamist Militancy in Bangladesh

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:47:12 -0700

On November 29, 2005, some ten people, including two police officers, were killed in suicide bombings in the towns of Chittagong and Gazipur, Bangladesh. In the Gazipur incident, the suicide bomber, dressed as a lawyer, had entered the office of the local bar association. These two attacks came as part of a spate of bombings in November that had cost the lives of two lower court judges and two court employees. The previous attacks, it is widely believed, were the work of the recently banned Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen (JUM), a pro-Taliban, Wahabi-oriented organization. The attacks on the judiciary were the apogee of a series of lethal assaults that have taken place in Bangladesh in the past several years. Almost all can be traced to a range of Islamist organizations that have been operating with impunity. For example, Islamist militants are alleged to be responsible for the February 2005 assassination of S.A.M.S. Kibria, a former foreign secretary and foreign minister. They also were implicated in the death of a prominent opposition politician, Ivy Rehman, and an aborted attempt in August 2004 on the life of Sheikh Hasina Wajed, the parliamentary opposition leader. In the past several years, Islamist militancy in Bangladesh and tensions with India have attracted the attention of journalists, scholars, and some policymakers in the United States and elsewhere. The ruling coalition (backed by two Islamist parties, the Jamaat-i-Islami and the Islamic Oikye Jote) of Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has vigorously denied that Islamist militancy in Bangladesh is on the rise. Instead it has dismissed these charges as "hostile propaganda," designed to besmirch Bangladesh's reputation as a moderate Islamic state. SOURCE: United States Institute of Peace

Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI)

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:46:49 -0700

HuJI aims to establish Islamic Hukumat (rule) in Bangladesh by waging war and killing progressive intellectuals. It draws inspiration from bin Laden and the erstwhile Taliban regime of Afghanistan. SOURCE: South Asia Terrorism Portal

Terrorism in South Asia

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:46:39 -0700

SOURCE: Congressional Research Service

Bangladesh: Nationwide Attacks Raise Fears of Growing Islamist Presence

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:46:22 -0700

On August 17, a series of 459 bombs exploded throughout Bangladesh within forty minutes, killing two people and injuring more than 120. The blasts hit sixty-three of the nation's sixty-four districts, targeting government buildings and train stations and sending waves of alarm across south Asia. The bombs, which were about the size of salt shakers, "were calibrated to create a sense of terror, rather than the loss of lives," says Ahmad Tariq Karim, former Bangladeshi ambassador to the United States and senior adviser at the University of Maryland's IRIS Center. Although no one has formally claimed responsibility for the attacks, leaflets left at many of the sites promoted #the Islamic extremist group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), which officials believe was behind the attacks. In its August 22 web posting, JMB called for Islamic rule in Bangladesh. "We only want to see the rule of Allah," the posting said, and warned of direct action should the Bangladeshi government "try to repress the clerics and intellectuals of Islam." SOURCE: Council on Foreign Relations

Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS)

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:46:22 -0700

According to the outfit, its objectives are to struggle for changing the existing system of education on the basis of Islamic values, to inspire students to acquire Islamic knowledge and to prepare them to take part in the struggle for establishing Islamic way of life. A significant aim of the outfit is to establish an Afghanistan-Taliban type Islamist regime in Bangladesh. Consequently, the outfit is opposed to forces of modernization, secularism and democracy. SOURCE: South Asia Terrorism Portal

Religious Radicalism & Security in South Asia

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:46:15 -0700

The global war on terrorism launched in October 2001 has had a visibly profound impact on the states of South Asiaxe2x80x94on Pakistan most directly and physically, of course, but in one way or another on the others as well. However, its impact on these states has been in certain key respects less traumaticxe2x80x94less politically and socially destabilizing, in other wordsxe2x80x94than in the case of countries in some other regions. This is in part because South Asia, so far at least, has not been a primary target in the war: It housed none of the so-called "rogue" states, none of the notorious "axis of evil." In larger part, however, the states of South Asia have taken the war on terrorism more or less in stride because religious radicalism and its terrorist# offshoots were already staples of the political agendas of these states long before they reared their heads in New York and Washington. This series of articles examines the state of religous radicalism in South Asian states. This volume contains contributions from the following individuals: Wirsing, Robert G. // Waseem, Mohammad // Hashemi, Taj I. // Swamy, Ar Un R. // Ahmad, Mumtaz // Sikand, Yoginder // Irfani, Suroosh // Oberoi, Surinder Singh // Van Beek, Martijn // Bhaumik, Subir // Das, Samir, Kumar // Jones, Rodney W. // Malik, Mohan // Haqqani, Husain // Nair, Ravi // Kennedy, Charles H. // Lintner, Bertil // Kumar, Radh // Rais, Rasul Bakhsh // Mohsin, Amena A. // Chandhoke, Neera SOURCE: Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies

Islamic Resurgence in Bangladesh: Genesis, Dynamics and Implications

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:46:15 -0700

This article addresses why and how Islam has re-emerged in Bangladesh as socially and politically significant by highlighting both the local and external factors in this regard. This study examines the nature of Islam in South Asia and elsewhere in the Muslim world. A historical appraisal of the State-Islam-Ulema (Muslim theologians) nexus and its gradual transformation are important aspects of this study. In sum, the study shows that both the state and large sections of the population have been using Islam for political purpose. While secularism, democracy and independence are burning issues in the political arena, nobody can ignore the cultural and political aspects of Islam in Bangladesh. Various groups of nationalists, sections of the ulema representing both the political and non-political organizations, and even members of the armed forces from time to time champion the cause of Islamxe2x80x94some of them by openly demanding the transformation of the country into a shari'a-based "Islamic State," and some by opposing liberal democratic and secular institutions with a bias toward political Islam. Who will eventually call the shots in the near future is the question. SOURCE: Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies

Bangladesh: Chittagong Hill Tracts: A Call for Justice at Mahalchari

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:45:55 -0700

More than six years after the signing of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord, the tribal inhabitants of the area continue to live in fear of attacks from Bengali settlers often carried out with the apparent connivance of army personnel. This paper highlights one of these attacks which took place in August 2003 in the Mahalchari area of the Khagrachari District. According to testimonies given to Amnesty International by eyewitnesses, nine women were sexually assaulted, one of whom was subjected to gang rape; a man was killed in front of his family, a nine month old baby was strangled to death and several people sustained serious injuries; hundreds of houses were burnt down and dozens were looted. SOURCE: Amnesty International

Bangladesh: tens of thousands remain internally displaced and unassisted

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:45:47 -0700

Large numbers of people have been internally displaced in Bangladesh due to conflict and religious persecution. In the south-eastern Chittagong Hill Tracts, tribal requests for autonomy in 1971 sparked off a 25-year armed conflict which displaced tens of thousands of people (estimates range between 60,000 and 500,000). As well as building up a massive military presence in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, the government countered requests for autonomy by forcibly settling Muslim Bengali populations from elsewhere in Bangladesh on land traditionally belonging to tribal groups, thus evicting them without compensation. In 1997, a peace agreement granted a higher degree of self-governance to the region, but serious issues remain to be addressed and implementation of the agreement is on hold. The peace agreement is contested from both the tribal and Bengali populations in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, especially as the core question of land ownership has never been clarified. This issue still threatens to derail the peace process, made worse by the fact that neither a government-appointed task force on internal displacement nor a land commission have been able to start their work. SOURCE: Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre

Religious Extremism and Nationalism in Bangladesh

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:45:05 -0700

When East Pakistan broke away from the main western part of the country to form Bangladesh in 1971, it was in opposition to the notion that all Muslim areas of former British India should unite in one state. The Awami League, which led the struggle for independence, grew out of the Bangla language movement and was based on Bengali nationalism, not religion. At the same time, independent, secular Bangladesh became the only country in the subcontinent with one dominant language group and very few ethnic and religious minorities. SOURCE: Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies

Bangladesh: Human rights defenders under attack

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:44:56 -0700

Abuses against human rights defenders in Bangladesh have occurred under successive governments. This report highlights cases which have occurred under the current and previous governments in order to demonstrate the systematic failure of the state to protect human rights defenders and to prevent abuses against them. SOURCE: Amnesty International

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 2004: Bangladesh

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:44:29 -0700

Bangladesh is a parliamentary democracy, with broad powers exercised by the Prime Minister. Khaleda Zia, leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), became Prime Minister following parliamentary elections in 2001, deemed to be free and fair by international and domestic observers. The 2001 elections, supervised by a nonparty caretaker government, took place in a climate of sporadic violence and isolated irregularities. The higher levels of the judiciary displayed some degree of independence and often ruled against the Government; however, the judiciary was subject to influence from the executive and the legislature. Lower judicial officers were reluctant to challenge government decisions and suffered from corruption. The Home Affairs Ministry controls the police and paramilitary forces, which have primary responsibility for internal security. The army is responsible for external security but also occasionally has been given domestic security responsibilities. The Government created a new police unit, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), composed of personnel from different law enforcement and security agencies, including the military, to deal with violent criminals. The civilian authorities maintained effective control of the security forces. The RAB and security forces committed human rights abuses and were rarely disciplined, even for egregious actions. Police were often reluctant to pursue investigations against persons affiliated with the ruling party, and the Government frequently used the police for political purposes. Members of the security forces committed numerous serious human rights abuses. SOURCE: U.S. Department of State

HIV/AIDS in Bangladesh

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:44:23 -0700

SOURCE: HIV InSite Database of Country and Regional Indicators // Center for HIV Information // University of California San Francisco

Bangladesh Today

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:44:23 -0700

Bangladesh faces twin threats to its democracy and stability: the risk that its political system will founder in a deadlock over elections and the growing challenge of militant Islamism, which has brought a spate of violence. The issues are linked; Islamic militancy has flourished in a time of dysfunctional politics, popular discontent and violence. The questions of whether Bangladesh's traditional moderation and resilience will see it through or whether escalating violence and political confrontation could derail its democracy are vital ones. Serious instability in the world's third most populous Muslim country could not fail to have wider implications. The situation does not justify great anxiety about the outbreak of major conflict domestically or the nurturing of significant extremism and terrorism internationally but there are elements of fragility in the system which need close watching and engagement. The international community can help to address the graver risks but only if it takes Bangladesh seriously as a strategic partner and moves towards more mature political engagement. SOURCE: International Crisis Group

Bangladeshi War of Independence/Indo-Pakistani War of 1971

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:44:22 -0700

The third war between India and Pakistan took place between November 22 (when the Indian's began providing active artillery support to the seperatists) and Dec 17, 1971. The origins of the third Indo-Pakistani conflict (1971) were different from the previous conflicts. The Pakistani failure to accommodate demands for autonomy in East Pakistan in 1970 led to secessionist demands in 1971. In March 1971, Pakistan's armed forces launched a fierce campaign to suppress the resistance movement that had emerged but encountered unexpected mass defections among East Pakistani soldiers and police. The Pakistani forces regrouped and reasserted their authority over most of East Pakistan by May. SOURCE: Globalsecurity.org

South Asia Analysis Group

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:44:12 -0700

South Asia Analysis Group is a non profit non commercial think tank. The objective of the group is to advance strategic analysis and contribute to the expansion of knowledge of Indian and International security and promote public understanding. In so doing, the SAAG seeks to address the decision makers, strategic planners, academics and the media in South Asia and the world at large. The group holds the concept of strategy in its broadest meaning-including mobilization and application of all resources to understand national and international security. The articles in this site are provided by scholars with many years of experience in political and strategic analysis. The aim of the group is not to compete with Governments, Academics, NGOs or other institutions dealing with strategic analysis and national security but to provide another point of view for the decision makers and other national/international think tanks. SOURCE:

Bangladesh: Arms and Ammunition Recovery 2006

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:44:11 -0700

Statistics on arms and ammunition recoveries in Bangladesh, organized chronologically. SOURCE: South Asia Terrorism Portal

The Rohingya: Discrimination in Burma and Denial of Rights in Bangladesh

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:44:07 -0700

The Burmese military regime carries out systematic repression and human rights violations against the Rohingya ethnic minority living in Burma's northern Rakhine State. The Rohingya also continue to be denied Burmese citizenship under the 1982 Citizenship Law which renders them stateless. Consequently many Rohingya asylum seekers flee to neighboring Bangladesh where the government, fearing a "pull-factor," has become increasingly reluctant to harbor them. SOURCE: Refugees International

Stateless Biharis in Bangladesh: A Humanitarian Nightmare

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:44:01 -0700

In 2004 the already desperate living conditions of the stateless Biharis in Bangladesh have continued to worsen. This year alone, they have lost their government-subsidized food aid, and many families have lost their homes to tornado, fire, and eviction. They continue to eke out an inhuman existence in their camps of decaying squalor. The situation is critical and requires immediate attention. In pre-independence India, the Biharis were an Urdu-speaking Muslim minority in the Hindu region of Bihar. In 1947, at the time of partition, the Biharis moved to what was then East Pakistan. When civil war broke out between East and West Pakistan, the Biharis, who consider themselves Pakistani, sided with West Pakistan. In 1971, however, East Pakistan became the independent state of Bangladesh. The Biharis were left behind as the Pakistani army and civilians evacuated and found themselves unwelcome in both countries. Pakistan feared a mass influx of Biharis could destabilize a fragile and culturally mixed population, and Bangladesh scorned the Biharis for having supported the enemy. With neither country offering citizenship, the Biharis (also called stranded Pakistanis) have remained stateless for 33 years. SOURCE: Refugees International

South Asia Terrorism Portal

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:43:58 -0700

SATP is the largest website on terrorism and low intensity warfare in South Asia, and creates the database and analytic context for research and analysis of all extremist movements in the region. SATP has been set up to counter the progressive distortions regarding, and the international community's neglect of, the wide range of terrorist movements within South Asia, and particularly in India. SATP establishes a comprehensive, searchable and con#tinuously updated database on all available information relating to terrorism, low intensity warfare and ethnic/communal/sectarian strife in South Asia. SOURCE: Institute for Conflict Management

Revisiting the Human Trafficking Paradigm: The Bangladesh Experience (Part I: Trafficking of Adults)

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:43:50 -0700

Human trafficking should be seen against a wide range of trafficking acts and outcomes that involve several stages, the important ones being associated with the organization of the supply of people vulnerable to exploitation and harm; the process of movement and the demand for the service or labour of trafficked person. To lend a comprehensive view of the trafficking in persons phenomenon, a group of development activists in Bangladesh decided to revisit the existing counter-trafficking interventions, laws, procedures and institutions. SOURCE: International Organization for Migration

Words and Deeds: Holding Governments Accountable in the Beijing + 10 Review Process

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:43:46 -0700

In 1995, at the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, governments specifically pledged to revoke all laws that discriminate against women. In 2000, at the five year review of the Beijing Conference, governments established a target date for the amendment or repeal of these laws by 2005. This is the year of reckoning. Yet, as Equality Now's report Words and Deeds: Holding Governments Accountable in the Beijing +10 Review Process illustrates, countries around the world regardless of geo-political status continue to discriminate against women and girls by keeping them unequal before the law. Taina Bien-Aimé Executive Director notes, "Changing the law is just the first step towards addressing violence and discrimination against women. How can governments claim they are committed to sex equality if they cannot even eliminate the most blatantly discriminatory laws?" Equality Now, an international human rights organization with offices in New York, Nairobi and London, works to protect and promote the human rights of girls and women. Equality Now's Women's Action Network counts more than 25,000 groups and individual members in over 160 countries. SOURCE: Equality Now

WHO Multi-country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence against Women

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:43:35 -0700

This report presents initial results based on interviews with 24 000 women by carefully trained interviewers. The study was implemented by WHO, in collaboration with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), PATH, USA, research institutions and women's organizations in the participating countries. This report covers 15 sites and 10 countries: Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, Japan, Peru, Namibia, Samoa, Serbia and Montenegro, Thailand and the United Republic of Tanzania. Report findings document the prevalence of intimate partner violence and its association with women's physical, mental, sexual and reproductive health. Data is included on non-partner violence, sexual abuse during childhood and forced first sexual experience. Information is also provided on women's responses: Whom do women turn to and whom do they tell about the violence in their lives? Do they leave or fight back? Which services do they use and what response do they get? The report concludes with 15 recommendations to strengthen national commitment and action on violence against women. SOURCE: World Health Organization

Bangladesh Timeline Year 2007

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:43:35 -0700

This timeline covers terrorist and insurgency related events in Bangladesh for the year 2007. SOURCE: South Asia Terrorism Portal

Torture in Bangladesh 1971 - 2004

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:43:35 -0700

Bangladesh ratified the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (hereinafter Convention against Torture) in 1998 and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 2000, both of which prohibit the use of torture and oblige States parties to hold perpetrators of torture accountable and to provide remedies and reparation to survivors. These# ratifications constituted major steps forward in Bangladesh's efforts to bring about an end to the entrenched practices of torture and ill-treatment. Nonetheless, numerous reports suggest that the practice of torture continues unabated and that there is near complete impunity for perpetrators. SOURCE: Redress Trust

Anti-child Trafficking Legislation in Asia: A Six-country Review

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:43:21 -0700

Trafficking as an international legal concept is a twentieth century phenomenon, linked to the greater movement of people across borders. The basic elements of trafficking require that there be movement of a person from one location to another for the purpose of slavery, slavery like practices or exploitation. Earlier conventions were not concerned with the means by which trafficking was conducted, but recent legislation focuses on the means when it comes to women and requires such elements as force, coercion or abuse of vulnerability. With regard to children, there is international consensus that the means and consent are irrelevant. The mere taking of children across borders for the purpose of slavery, slavery like practices or exploitation is an international crime. In the case of children, the prosecution has merely to show the transport of the child and the exploitative nature of his predicament. This approach implies zero tolerance of child trafficking and an international consensus that no justification or excuse will be acceptable for the trafficking of children. SOURCE: International Labour Organization

Bangladesh at the Crossroads

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:43:20 -0700

Since the serial bombings of August 17, 2005, the attention of policymakers and analysts in Washington and beyond has focused on Bangladesh. In light of the growing public-policy import of this often overlooked but critical South Asian Muslim country, the United States Institute of Peace launched a sustained critical inquiry on Dhaka's internal and external policies and their varied domestic and international ramifications. SOURCE: United States Institute of Peace

Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB)

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:43:20 -0700

The JMJB follows the ideals of the Taliban militia and propagates a movement based on Jehad. Its chief has been quoted as stating that "our model includes many leaders and scholars of Islam. But we will take as much (ideology) from the Taliban as we need." It has explicitly stated on more than one occasion that it does not subscribe to the prevailing political system in Bangladesh and that it would "build a society based on the Islamic model laid out in Holy Quran-Hadith." The JMJB's agenda for the present is the neutralisation of left-wing extremists, especially cadres of the PBCP. The professed long-term goal of the outfit is to usher in an xe2x80x98Islamic revolution' in Bangladesh through Jehad. SOURCE: South Asia Terrorism Portal

Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB)

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:43:20 -0700

The Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (Party of the Mujahideen) aims at establishing the rule of Islam in Bangladesh through an armed struggle. The outfit is opposed to the establishment of democracy and calls for the conduct of government under Islamic law. SOURCE: South Asia Terrorism Portal