Mother Land

I am absolutely appalled by what is happening in Bangladesh with regards to the Shahbagh Movement. For those who are unfamiliar with this movement, I can briefly explain what I understand of it, but you have to bear with me as I am not particularly well acquainted with the Bangladeshi political scene.

On the February 5, 2013, protests began in Bangladesh in which people demanded for the capital punishment of notorious razakars Abdul Quader Mollah and others who they believed had committed atrocities against people of Bangladesh during the Liberation War in 1971. Razakar is the word used by Bangladeshis to refer to pro-Pakistani nationals of Bangladesh who allied with the Pakistani army during the war and perpetrated brutality against their own race. For details of this brutality, see the Wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1971_Bangladesh_atrocities

A key group known as the "bloggers" or online activists, mostly comprised of the younger and more tech savvy generation of Bangladesh, also protested in favour of the capital punishment of razakars for carrying out or orchestrating mass murder and rape of minors during the war. Abdul Quader Mollah for example had been charged with the shooting of 344 people, a beheading and the rape of an 11 year old child. A few of these bloggers are self-proclaimed atheists, and are openly critical of Islam and the Prophet Muhammad. The razakars on the other hand are generally associated with the Jamaat-e-Islami party of Bangladesh. The government in the beginning had supported the Shahbaghers, trialed Mollah in an International War Crimes Tribunal and have found him guilty of the charges. He and 2 others have been sentenced to life imprisonment.

From here starts the long-imminent battle between the two sides. Violence from both sides have been recorded, and 60 people have died so far. The death of Rajib Haider is one that comes to mind, an atheist blogger brutally hacked to death by supporters of Jamaat for insulting Muhammad on his blog in what I believe was a tragic attack against freedom of expression in a secular country.

Recently the government has turned their backs on the Shahbager's in fear of the Islamist  group Hefazate Islam and alike, by arresting several bloggers for blasphemy. The Daily Star reports:

"The blogger community, Shahbagh activists and ordinary citizens yesterday strongly condemned the arrest of three bloggers on charges of defaming Islam... 

The government has targeted the bloggers instead of taking action against the Jamaat-e-Islami and its allies, who are killing people, resorting to yellow journalism, spreading communal hatred and instigating violence, they added.... 

Imran H Sarker, the Gonojagoron Mancha spokesperson, said it saddened the nation that a government, which came to power pledging a “digital Bangladesh”, had shut down a whole blog based on a few entries... 

The detained bloggers are Subrata Adhikari Shuvo, 24, Russel Parvez, 36, and Mashiur Rahman Biplob, 42... 

Yesterday, representatives of the blogging community organised another press conference at Madhur Canteen in Dhaka University... 

Baki Billah, online activist and blogger, addressing the news conference said, “The government is increasingly surrendering to the demands and wishes of Hefazate Islam.”... 

The protesters said if the bloggers had committed crimes, they could have been tried under existing laws of the country. But harassing, defaming and treating them as wanted criminals cannot be accepted... 

Facebook and other social media sites were also abuzz with criticism of the anti-progressive stance of the government..."

Full Article: http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/bloggers-baffled/

Since that report the government has further arrested another blogger named Asif Mohiuddin on blasphemy charges. Asif Mohiuddin has already received stab wounds from Islamists in January this year. The opposition-backed Islamists have announced that they will organise a non-stop march starting from April 7. "A series of hartals, road blockades and sit-ins like those by the Shahbagh protesters are under consideration of the BNP-led alliance, insiders say". The country is in grave strife, and is moving towards the creation of a more intolerant culture. I am worried that my nation will plummet into a state of civil war because of a government with no backbone, with no consistency in its approach. It had attempted to use the Shahbag movement to fulfil its own political agenda against the opposition but couldn't carry through the ideology the Shahbager's are fighting to uphold. This all makes me very very sad.

A secular nation will cater to the needs of everyone, not just a few. Why anyone would be opposed to such an idea to the point where they are instigating violence and tension is incomprehensible to me. I should note, however, that I am generally against capital punishment (though the war criminals seem to deserve it). I believe those remorseless murderers should be made to live life in suffering, away from the comfort of their families and friends, to be reminded every day of their unjust slaughtering of innocent lives.

Bloggers form a human chain before Raju memorial on Dhaka University campus yesterday demanding an immediate release of arrested
Source: http://www.thedailystar.net/