Dead Felani a bigger threat to Govt than to India's BSF
Felani on her death has become a bigger threat to the government and
its party apparatus than to the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) who
gunned down her in the barbed wire fenced border early last month.
The perceived threats have come to the public following the
imposition of Section 144 at Felani's home village Nageswari and
around the locality as some human rights groups from the capital
sought to visit her home and hold a public meeting to mourn her death.
Bir Bikram stopped
The group led by Sector Commander of Liberation War and retired
Wing Commander of Bangladesh Air Force, Hamidullah Khan, Bir Bikram,
was taken under security watch on their arrival at Kurigram town and
stopped them from moving out of their hotel by police and other
security personnel.
Local administration at the same time imposed ban on holding
meeting in the locality justifying that as some local Awami Lague (AL)
activists have also called for a meeting at the same venue at the same
time, the ban is necessary to avoid any clash.
The group later tried to visit the local Press Club but police held
them back from going there while AL youth front activists staged
procession in the street bringing pressure on them to leave the town.
A section of the press branded the group as an offshoot of BNP
which is out to agitate the people on the issue. However, home
minister Sahara Khatun had earlier visited the home of the murdered
Felani, offered condolences to her father and a token compensation of
Taka three lakh to help him overcome the grief.
Felani issue banned
But when some other groups sought to visit her home the government
appeared to have taken a critical view about it and critics here
wonder why the authorities are putting all such ban on speaking about
the issue even in her own local community.
The Indian BSF personnel have committed the horrendous act which is
not only a homicide but also a crime against humanity. Not only the
people of Bangladesh are mourning the death, national and
international media are also taking the issue as a cold-blooded murder
demanding legal action on the killing.
This is more so because Indian BSF soldiers are routinely killing
Bangladesh nationals in the border --- one in four days on an average
--- which is only visible on Israel-Palestine border and yet they are
going with all sort of impunity.
Critics wonder why the government is critical of taking the Felani
issue to the public, why is it giving the impression that they are
also sharing the guilt that BSF have perpetrated by way of killing
Felani in the barbed wire border fence.
They say it speaks of the way the government is out to gag the
voice of the opposition, and more so the ruling AL does not want to
expose the Indian brutalities on Bangladeshi nationals as it has the
close ally across the border.
This is a clear signal of despotic rule in the country. And the
gagging of the voice is gradually spreading over the ruling party MPs
as well.
Half a dozen MPs
Last week, the Prime Minister blocked the way of half a dozen MPs
from speaking in the House on an issue centering the communication
minister.
Following it, Moinuddin Khan Badal of JSD which is a partner of the
grand coalition government said he saw clouds gathering in the horizon
of the House. He said he would not speak on the issue what the Prime
Minister has brought to a preemptive end.
He said the Prime Minister spoke critically of the press for
breaking news with a cartoon relating to a letter written by the
communication minister to the Prime Minister, but mysteriously signed
by the secretary of the ministry.
The Prime Minister sought to protect the minister, but why she had
done it is a big question denying the right of about half a dozen MPs
from the ruling elite to speak.
Badal said, if the press is allowed to speak they can simply bark,
but if you deny them to write and treat them as enemy they would bite.
The government should decide which one is better, he argued.
In an oblique reference to the Communication Minister he said if
one can not stand straight and speak, the House can hardly move with
such 'slaves.'
Referring to the letter signed by the secretary of the ministry to
the Prime Minister, he said it violates the MPs privileges, and if
such things get shelter, the House would lose its significance.
Democracy is thus heading towards an autocratic rule in the
country. In a case relating to airport project at Arial Beel in
Srinagar where the AL government had sought to build and was later
forced to abandon it following public uprising in the area, the
government has filed at least three cases involving over 22,000 people
as accused.
The accused include not only BNP Chairperson and Opposition leader
Khaleda Zia but also Professor Emeritus Sirajul Islam Choudhury of
Dhaka University and such other high profile intellectuals and
professionals. People wonder why the government is not acting
rationally.
http://www.weeklyholiday.net/front.html#03
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