Tale of Bangladesh's death squads

Tale of Bangladesh’s death squads
---Anisur Rahman
In Sweden, to silence a bothersome individual you complain
to police. When you need to bother a journalist, you can take part in debate
column or you can start a blog yourself. In a country like Bangladesh, you hire
an assassin. That’s all and possible. The bothersome could be killed in a car
crash or crossfire.
Killing an
individual in Bangladesh costs just a few hundred dollars. You'll never
get caught, if you can manage the authority. It’s not that much expensive, if
you have any deal with police or Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) or administration.
The place, where corruption prevails, one can manage free access to heaven sending
others hell. The land is a heaven for national-international corrupt groups and
hell for general public who are in favour of democratic values, freedom of
thoughts, secularism and peace. One can be killed at home, in office, public
places and on streets.
Killing can be secret or open. Killing is a never ending
practice in the country for a long. Killing is continuous, no matter whether
the government is political or military or secularist or nationalist-fundamentalist
or not. Killing by terrorists, killing by police and killing by India’s Border
Security Force—BSF: all are contributing to make the life of Bangladesh’s
citizens a hell. Between 01 January 2000
and 10 July 2009 a total of 789 Bangladeshi citizens were reported killed by
BSF, 846 injured while 895 had been abducted.
Around the country,
politicians, corrupt officials and crime bosses literally get away with murder.
Ethnic minority Garo community leader from Madhupur, Cholesh Richil was killed by
military in 2007. No case has yet been filed. One can find hundreds of such
examples. When corruption is in practice, particularly in administration,
political parties and police agencies, killing becomes an easy practice. Even if you are once caught you will be free
from trial when you can have a political connection with government party. The
list of killing would be too long. I am reflecting on recent ‘secret killing’
committed by police and RAB. I would say instead of a law enforcement unit, RAB
has become a deadly law breaker.
Human
rights campaigners have observed that the number of mysterious disappearance
and secret killing witnessed an alarming rise in 2011 compared to those of the
previous years. According to a report from a human rights organization, 51 people
had vanished last year, of whom 15 bodies were recovered. In most such cases,
bodies of victims, allegedly picked up by plain-clothed law enforcers, were
found in canals or roadside ditches.
But, in
reality, the authorities concerned, including the top law enforcement officials
and persons with powerful portfolios, constantly blame either on ‘criminal
gangs’ or the opposition parties for the incidents. Thus the administration is
allowing secret killing by police and RAB, when ‘crossfire killings’ is are
widely criticized at home and abroad. The government has been blamed for taking
the route of undercover killings in the wake of national and international
demand to stop extrajudicial killings, which is no way accepted in a
functioning democracy. On this contrary, minister Sahara Khatun is denying the
allegation and she is justifying the killing and defending the killings
committed by her police and RAB forces.
RAB was
formed in March 2004 as a composite force comprising members from the military
-army, air force, and naval force - the police, and members of Bangladesh's
other law enforcement groups. After its formation, the force has killed more
than six hundred people. They tortured and harassed hundreds of people. Despite
committing ‘secret killing’ and ‘crossfire killing’ killer police and RAB
personnel are getting immunity. This reality is sickening the life of
people.
RAB is nothing but a death squad. A death squad roams the
streets of the country. The government does not appear to be doing anything to
stop it. The climate of fear in Bangladesh is increasing. #

Photo: Shahidul Alam

SIX SEASONS INTERNATIONAL POETRY FESTIVAL

INTERNATIONAL POETRY FESTIVAL

Venue: Teater Blanca Uppsala, Österplan 1

februari 21, 2012

Studiefrämjandets Litteraturcentrum i Uppsala stad och Uppsala län will present Six Seasons International Poetry Festival at Teater Blanca on February 21, to celebrate UNESCO's Internatiobnal Mother Language Day. Poets in various languages from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Bangladesh, Arab World and America are expected to take part in the festival.

Poetry

Jonas Modig, Lars Häger, Henrik C. Enbohm, Magnus Dahlerus, Anne Böe, Heater Spears, Maria Ripenberg, Zurab Rtveliashvili and Anisur Rahman

Music

Roland Keijser

contact

Anisur Rahman

anisur.rahman@studieframjandet.se

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Studíefrämjandet, Kultur i länet, Kulturrådet, Uppsala kommun, Svenska PEN

HEATHER SPEARS
Heather Spears , Canadian writer and artist, was educated at the University of British Columbia, The Vancouver School of Art and the University of Copenhagen. She has lived in Denmark since 1962. She has held over 80 solo exhibitions and published 11 collections of poetry and three novels of speculative fiction (1991-96), the Moonfall Trilogy . The Flourish (04), a novel of crime fiction and the family, came out in Canada and was republished in Europe as A Muted Voice (09). The Creative Eye (07) is the first of a series on visual perception. She has three books of drawings: Drawn from the Fire (89), Massacre (90) and Line by Line (02). Drawings from the Newborn (86), The Panum Poems (96) and Required Reading (00) contain both poems and full-page drawings. Her latest collection of poetry, I can still draw (08), was short-listed for the Lowther Memorial Awards. She has illustrated numerous books and articles and also draws courtroom, dance, theatre and childbirth.

Farzana's paintings...

Bangladesh's promising painter Farzana Yeasmin has recently exhibited her paintings at a group show at the Shilpakala Academy Gallery in Chittagong. The exhibition began on February 20, 2011 and ended on 25. Farzana did her Masters in Fine Arts from Chittagong University in 1990s and has taken part in many exhibitions in various art galleries: Here come some of her paintings...

Tagore-Boye-Hammarskjöld Evening i Uppsala

Litteraturworkshops med Anisur Rahman

Den 3 mars inleds vårens serie av workshops med Anisur Rahman, poet från Bangladesh och Uppsalas fristadsförfattare sedan 2009. Först får vi ett besök av Ola Larsmo och sedan firar vi jubilarerna Hammarskjöld, Boye och Rabindranath Tagore med ett fullproppat program med många intressanta gäster.

Varje torsdag kommer sedan workshops att anordnas 17.00-19.30 på Uppsala stadsbibliotek.
Varmt välkommen att träffa författare, deltagare och litteraturintresserade Uppsalabor. Vi bjuder på dryck och tilltugg.

Medverkande:Sabina Andersson (chef för stadsbiblioteket), Marie-Louise Riton (bibliotekschef Uppsala kommun), Anisur Rahman (poet), Lars Burstedt (lanserade poetry slam i Uppsala), Johan Svedjedal (litteraturprofessor på Uppsala universitet), Jonas Landahl (bildkonstnär), John Y. Jones (direktör för Dag Hammarskjöld-programmet i Voksenåsen, Oslo), Maria Ripenberg (debattredaktör och ledarskribent på UNT), Eva Edwardsson (ordförande för kulturnämnden i Uppsala kommun), Lars Häger (chef på Studiefrämjandet i Uppsala län), Ola Larsmo (ordförande i Svenska PEN)

Konferencier: Leonidas Aretakis

Plats: Stadsbiblioteket, Skattkammaren
Dag: Torsdag 3 mars
Tid 17.00-19.30

Fritt inträde!

För mer införmation: www.studieframjandet.se/uppsala eller www.uppsala.se/bibliotek

Literary Uppsala …

Speaking of human rights, tolerance and road to democracy

by Anisur Rahman

So, what's the difference between a democracy and autocracy? Sheikh Hasina’s or or Khaleda Zia’s government and military controlled one in Bangladesh? How does democracy's patter rate alongside autocracy's? What is the meaning of human rights in my country? What is tolerance? And, what is our road to democracy?

These are the pointers connecting the deliberation made by Swedish writer, politician and member in European Parliament Cecilia Wikström dated June 23 at the Institute of Social Welfare and Research, Dhaka University.

Let’s look into those and how they exist in Bangladesh aftermath of the end of a military controlled autocratic caretaker administration through parliamentary elections in December 2008. Now one can see electoral democracy is functioning. This is the condition that helps politicians in sharing powers in politics as well as administration. That is not all. Democracy means to me equal access to every existing right in the country ensuring transparency and accountability having extreme detachment from corruption. It can easily be said there is no equality in society in Bangladesh. Administration is not so transparent as we expect in our dreaming democracy. Accountability is not in practice.

Parliament is not functioning as we expect in parliamentary democracy. Both ruling coalition and opposition alliance are responsible for this. Advisers to PM are in exercise of executive power having no accountability and transparency. PM’s adviser on education and social affairs Dr Alauddin Ahmed invited controversies and was over active beyond his jurisdiction over the issue of monthly payment order program of education ministry. The other adviser HT Imam interfered in ministry’s function notably at law ministry.

Ministers concerned are nervous in taking decision. Minister for food and disaster management Dr Abdur Razzak has been failed to come up with help to save the Aila victims on the coastal areas. On the other hand, he is alleged for having bosom relation with militant’s patronizer Jamaat-Islami leader and principal of Madhupur College Montaz Ali.

Media is not free. Journalists are not safe either from militancy sometimes from power corridors. Two newspaper and a television channel have been shut down. Government should come up with the help of survival of those media houses. If there was any legal weakness, that could be solved in court. This is not good sign to close down of media houses, that created unemployment, fear of investment in media industry, feeling of job insecurity. That will definitely disturb the road to democracy.

Justice is denied to many. Notably ethnic minority community Garo leader Cholesh Richil was killed in 2007 by military. No case has yet been filed against the culprit. No initiative has been taken to investigate the killing.

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has killed more than six hundred people since its foundation in 2004. It was expected the government would dissolve this notorious force and punish the responsible elements. Rather government is still allowing this force to kill people ensuring legal immunity.

Against this backdrop, despite seeing good signs of electoral democracy aftermath of successful election in Chittagong City Corporation, I would like to say, the country is on the road to democracy, but does not follow the road signals always. That is the concern, a big concern.

It seems government is serious to try the war criminals in the liberation war of Bangladesh in 1971. Without functional democracy, accountable administration, transparency in governance, controlling political offences by the ruling party elements, freeing from extortion, grabbing and corruption, it will not be easy to try the war criminals who are enjoying strong international network and financial supports.

Independent Human Rights Commission seems meaningless to me when we see poor workers in garment factories are fighting for getting their reasonable minimum wage. It is really shame when we know a worker gets some 1600 BDT (equivalent to nearly 23 US dollar) per month. The corrupt dishonest owners are cheating with them. Police are harassing them. It must have an end. This is one strong irony against the human rights commission. It is alarming that one member in the newly formed commission is alleged for rape and abuse. A committee at Dhaka University is investigating the allegation.

Political tolerance is still questionable. Ruling party’s students’ wing is not allowing the entry of opposition party’s student leaders to Dhaka University. On the other hand, the ruling party student elements are in practice of grabbing and extortion. A ruling party MP Aslamul Haq is trying to make a shaky deal to open a commercial entertainment outlet at Dhaka Zoo in Mirpur zone. It must not be allowed.

In fine, I hope one day, Bangladesh will succeed to try war criminals maintaining transparency. There will be promoted all values for universal human rights. There will be tolerance and respect for alternate opinions. Right to freedom of expression will be guaranteed.

Dreaming road to democracy will be smooth as such democracy in practice in Cecilia Wikström’s country Sweden. Her speech will inspire the young students and academics at Dhaka University to linger their dreams for democracy and universal values in life. Everything will mostly depend on the success of current administration led by Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh. Let’s hope.#


CAPTION

European Parliament Member and Swedish writer Cecilia Wikström speaking on "Human Rights, Tolerance and Road to Democracy" at a function organized by the Institute of Social Welfare and Research, Dhaka University on 23 June 2010. The function was presided over by Professor Muhammad Samad, Director, ISWR, Dhaka University.

Projection of history in poetry

by Anisur Rahman

The term ‘projection’ mostly familiar in the world of cinema where it refers to ‘displaying of an image by devices such as: movie projector, video projector, overhead projector, slide projector and camera obscura’.

The poets do the same in poetry reflecting on life, history and times. Metaphors and similes along with other poetic elements are poets’ ultimate resort to do so. Historical projection or the display of history or presence of history is the ancient practice in poetry. History or historical incidents were dominating subject matters in early poetry, particularly in epic poetry. If we simply note some master epics in this regard we will find the facts.

In reviewing the projection of history in poetry, let’s have a look over Greek poet Homer’s two epics: Iliad and Odyssey. It is worth mentioning that each of these writings involves strong geographic, historic and political symbolism. They can be seen as descriptive pictures of life and warfare in the Bronze Age and the illustrated plans of real journeys. Thus, each one develops a philosophical view of the world, which makes it possible to show the historic light in the form of poetry as well.

One of the most important literary works of ancient India, the Ramayana has had a profound impact on art and culture in the Indian subcontinent and South Asia.

The ancient Sanskrit epics, the Ramayana and Mahabharata, also termed ‘history’ or Mahākāvya (Great Compositions), refer to epic poems that form a canon of Hindu scripture. Hero-worship was and is a central aspect of Indian culture, and thus readily lent itself to a literary tradition that abounded in epic poetry and literature. On the other hand, The Puranas, a massive collection of verse-form histories of India's many Hindu gods and goddesses, followed in this tradition.

Shahnamé – ‘The Book of Kings’, is an enormous poetic opus written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi around 1000 AD. It is the national epic of the Persian-speaking world. The Shahnameh tells the mythical and historical past of greater Iran from the creation of the world up until the Islamic conquest of Persia in the 7th century. It is to be noted that this voluminous work, regarded by Persian speakers as a literary masterpiece, also reflects Persia's history, cultural values, ancient religion (Zoroastrianism), and profound sense of ethno-national history of Iran.

Novel is playing the major role projecting the history these days. In spite of that modern poets do display historical facts, mythological references in the space of sensitivities and spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings. When a poet these days writes a poem addressing or protesting the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine and so, this will be a projection of contemporary history in poetry.

Allen Ginsberg’s (1926-1997) many a poem is reflections on contemporary political development. In this regard, his poem ‘September on Jessore Road’ is notable here. He wrote it depicting on the mass killing by the Pakistani occupation army during Bangladesh’s war of liberation in 1971. Here follow last few lines from 152-lined poem:

‘How many fathers in woe
How many sons nowhere to go?
How many daughters nothing to eat?
How many uncles with swollen sick feet?

Millions of babies in pain
Millions of mothers in rain
Millions of brothers in woe
Millions of children nowhere to go’

Norwegian poet Henrik Ibsen’s (1828-1926) poems are considered to be the bonsai presentation of Norway’s history, geography and life. One can know Chile much reading Pablo Neruda’s poems. Same can be in case of Rabindranath Tagore (1961-1941) and Shamsur Rahman (1929-2006). One can know much about the life during the colonial Bengal (West Bengal and Bangladesh), reading Tagore’s poems. On the other hand, one can know post-1947, Bangladesh reading Shamsur Rahman’s poetry. These are honest projection of history in poetry.

Though novels are occupying the major tasks in projection of history, poetry is not away from it at all. Poetry is an individual poet’s personal politics. This politics refers to life and time he is leading and passing. This reality always gets back a poet to history of his own way of looking into. Poetry has its particular ways of depicting history. Chinese poet Mao Zedong (1893- 1976) depicted his political beliefs and historical truths in his poems to encourage his party workers.

There are thousands of examples in early poetry in almost every ethnic language. The poems were written on certain purpose, particularly for depicting the past national glories and or projecting their national heroes or leaders or talents. When a poet writes a poem about Abraham Lincoln or Mahatma Gandhi or Martin Luther King or Dag Hammarskjöld, Bangbandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman or Olof Palme or Yassir Arafat or any other leader, it will certainly project the history, but with a positive projection.

On the other hand, if a poet writes a poem about W Bush, Blair, Osama-bin-Laden, or even Obama, we are not sure it will have the same spirit of projection! May it be the projection of protest! We can find such projection of history in poetry in different ethnic languages protesting the colonial rules in different countries. In this regard, a post-Tagore generation Bengali poet Kazi Nazrul Islam (1999-1976) is to be mentioned. He wrote a poem called ‘The Revolt’ protesting the British colonial role in India. For this he had to be imprisoned for long by the colonial rulers.

When British poet, Ted Hughes (1930-1998) writes a complete collection of poems called ‘Crow’ and all poems are about crow. To be frank, these poems are ironically present the mock history of human beings all around us. A poet has poetic liberty to depict history in pseudo or direct or indirect or guise or disguise, but to promote the truth and beauty in life. A true poet always aware of this, and so is Ted Hughes.

A poet as his poetry is committed to life not to history. But, history comes from life. Thus poetry has a strong commitment to projection of history within. From the beginning till date, poets in different continents in all ages and all languages are aware of this truth. The projection promotes glories in life, helps people getting their dreams linger. It will be on how long poetry and life will be. I hope so. #

Photo sources:

Allen Ginsberg: http://www.grazian-archive.com/quiddity/Ginsberg/Ginsberg_2.jpg

Shahnameh: http://www.persianmirror.com/Article_det.cfm?id=1084&getArticleCategory=54&getArticleSubCategory=236

Kazi Nazrul Islam: http://www.bangladeshtourism.gov.bd/dtls.php?gid=140