Unrest in Bangladesh

A nation divided

A flawed tribunal opens old wounds and threatens Bangladesh’s future

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Readers' comments




Most of the jamat supporters are trying to destablise a nation to save their leaders, why on earth would, Awame League go around trying to burn a hindu temple? We have seen the havoc caused by Jamat members all over bangladesh burnjng cars buses and destrying properties, will they then come to a hindu temple and say lets not burn this building? so are they just burning muslim properties? The jamat supporters have also tried to derail a train full of passangers to cause greatest loss of life. The jamat need to come to terms with 1971 and their involvement in it they need to up hold law and order and justice if they want to win hearts-and-minds, they are fighting an elected govetnment when they only have 2 seats in the national assembly where as Awame league have 260 out of 300 , they need to understand that they are not fighting a dictator but the will of the people and they will at the end lose.


The report is totally biased towards Jamaat. This is most probably another effect of Jamaat paid lobiests in USA. This is how US/UK creates/supports terrorists to destabilize a peaceful country like Bangladesh; then when they are attacked by the same terrorists, they start war against terrorism, how sarcastic!!!

NB. Shibir (the student wing of Jamaat) is a listed terrorist org (see proof: http://www.start.umd.edu/start/data_collections/tops/terrorist_organizat...)


To Economist Reporter:
They (anti-Bangladeshi Jamaat & Shibir) are less than 2% of the total population. How can you say its a division? Did you mean the 98:2 ratio? Please investigate properly before writing such sensitive report. Do not do it only on money.

Ashfaque Swapan in reply to Jay John

For all your name calling, you commit the worse sin of mendacity. Oh Jay, Jay. Even for mendacity to be effective it has to have a passing acquaintance with reality.
You have a name for Bangladesh in America? Honestly? How come I've never heard it after living in the US for 20 years and telling countless mainstream Americans where I am from? Most Americans don't have a clue about Bangladesh. The tiny minority who are more informed know it as the land of poverty and natural disasters. I've more often come across old-timers who remember the Concert for Bangladesh by George Harrison and Ravi Shankar.
As for your offer to teach me what true pluralism is, I'll take a pass. By what I see around me, I am underwhelmed. What with US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia calling voting rights a "racial entitlement" when deliberating upon the Voting Rights Law, while we all saw how long lines of minority voters in Florida and attempts to pass the voter ID law to effectively undermine minority voting brought back haunting memories of Jim Crow - go teach someone more uninformed and gullible. The US Senate is held hostage by a neanderthal Republican minority thanks to the archaic filibuster law, and there's a new law that gives the US permission to kill its own citizens suspected of terrorism without due process, a substantial segment of the Republican opposition questioning whether its first African American president was even born here -- there is too much in the US that we should rather not learn. As for foreign policy - don't even get me started -- Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, drone attacks, ughhhh.
So you think a fight against Jamaat is a fight against democracy and free speech? I readily concede that the government has many flaws, as does the judicial process, but the Jamaat bitching about democracy and free speech is a bit rich. Ah, it hurts when they are on the receiving end, doesn't it. Why, I don't see them complain their international masters and sponsors, the Saudis and their murderous Salafi ideology?
Now there's an epitome of true pluralism and tolerance, "Jay John," so-called American.
Saudi Arabia -- that wondrous land where pluralism is celebrated with such uplifting laws such as amputation, beheading, and stoning to death of adulterers! Where women are not allowed to drive, no non-Islamic books are allowed inside the country, and where no non Muslim can go into Mecca -- all of this brought to you courtesy of a mafia racket run by the descendants of ibn Saud.
You just make no sense!

wise man from the east

The Jamaat-e-Islami had targeted the Hindus even in 1971 as it stood along side Pakistan's military to nullify the verdict of the people in elections.

History is repeating itself once again. Hindus are once again being targeted by the Jamaat-e-Islami to nullify judgements against those that had indulged in crimes against humanity in 1971.

The Jamaati goons are organizing wholesale arson of Hindu homes and temples in 2013 to overthrow the elected government of the nation and then blaming it for "genocide" for the deaths in confrontations between the law enforcement force and the tormentors of the Hindus.

Syed Nur Kamal in reply to Pathik_bd

Pathik,Can you clarify that to Economist why government is patronizing a group at Shahbag who wants death-punishments but no any justice or judgment. But in other side polices using bullets villager peoples.
If you see generally, this tribunal haven't any credibility not only in our peoples but also in other parts of the world.

Syed Nur Kamal

Our Government is trying to make a margin in Bangladeshi peoples like Rwandan Hutus and Tutsis. Hasina gov't is only responsible for current worst situation.


The news is very offensive to the whole Bangladesh. I'm sure Economist has been hired by Jamaat-E-Islami and its international lobbyists. How can you compare this 100 people with 3 millions murdered in 1971? Are you a crazy reporter? The ICT is an international standard court, which is enough to carry the term "International". Should I need to hire you to be international?

Rosul Gazi

As a third generation British Muslim Bangladeshi living in the United Kingdom I am really concerned about what is happening in Bangladesh. I personally believe the media coverage has been censored, too one sided and biased. Nevertheless, it looks like the western media has missed such a phenomena unfolding for almost a month now. Although some say it imitates the Arab spring uprisings, it does seem to follow the same ambience, only the demand still echoes the 1971 liberation war.
Injustice is being done openly in a dramatized manner, controversy, conspiracy, propaganda about Shahbag and the war crimes are screenplay, cinematography is unequivocally biased, the director Madam Hasina’s dictatorship is action to genocide, whilst the producers US and India plan a success party for the movie titled ‘The rebirth of 1971 liberation war’, which is currently playing in Bangladesh screens.
Something doesn’t quite add up, I may be ignorant but who is or was actually feeding, bathing, accommodating, and paying the wages of these devoted demonstrators and so called bloggers in Shahbag Square. I’m sure these protesters have jobs, families, businesses, etc. or has the government taken care of their welfare. A month has gone by, and it seems all the protesters are still happy, roaring as they began in early February. Is it a coincidence that the Indian President was on a state visit to Bangladesh during 3-5, March 2013? Will he be here to congratulate and applaud the genocide? Is it not the norm to cancel such trips where there is turmoil?
Despite political instability and extreme corruption, Bangladesh’s economy is projected to grow by 6.3% this fiscal year (BMI, 2013). The success has been credited to the exporting garments industry and remittances received by non-resident Bangladeshi’s. The population of the country is ever growing and currently stands at approximately 150 million, bear in mind 90% of the people are Muslims. We live in a world where geopolitics prevails above all. The Kings and Queens of the chessboard are continuously trying to win the endgame. As we have witnessed repeatedly during the dictatorships of Iraq, Egypt, and Libya. They have collectively intervened by deploying knights to remove dictators and revolutionize nations, off course instigated by the digital age and the more aware younger generation of the respective countries.
I am note sure how the above movie in question will do in the box office, I hope and pray it’s a flop and the situation stabilizes before the forthcoming elections. I fear for the future of the beautiful nation and the country of my motherland.

Justice_for_ BD

I'm not amazed that this magazine has once again undermined the emotional value of majority Bangladeshi for the 1971 war victims. No tribunal in the world is fair and beyond any controversy. The way the followers of those convicted criminals causing countrywide anti state activities and mayhem they must be treated with maximum attention by the authority as well as world media like 'the Economist' to save the country from a disaster in the hands of some fanatics.


The people of Bangladesh voted overwhelmingly in favor of Hasina as she promised to deliver justice for the 1971 war crimes by Jamaat. Saying that the nation is divided on this issue would be completely unjustified.


AL was justified to finally take these war criminals to trial. And I commend them on having the political bollocks to do so, but they fudged it badly. And they did so to cut corners so there is a speedy verdict that fits the timeline of key dates Feb 21, March 26, Aug 15, Dec 16 so forth and within the 2012/2013 time frame prior to elections. Forget about due process (the evidence is easily there to try all these guys and find them guilty but the legal process takes time for a reason) AL did this for political gain.

BNP on the other hand had this golden opportunity to cull the cancer within their ranks, to acknowledge the truth and severe the ties with these war criminals and perpetrators and be on the right side of history. They could have maintained the view/argument and pushed AL that look you need to cut out the fat with a scalpel not with an axe but don't destroy Jamaat the party, don't marginalize its supporters, help mediate an understanding within the Jamaat rank and file that getting rid of these guys is in their (Jamaat's) best interest. It could've even have been spun out as a show of nationalism that would've also surprised AL that it was BNP who was making concessions and gained political points. But they chose to side wholeheartedly with Jamaat. For what reason you ask? To help create almost an Indian-style well defined communal vote bank in the most relgiously, ethnically, linguistically homogenous country in South Asia along the lines of piety or religiosity.

Well played begums, well played, with the two of you in our family who needs reality television?


the jamat have killed 9 police officer and injured many, what is the police supposed to do when people are being attacted on the streets, we all saw the bus being attacked with all its passangers in it, it is disgusting that people are trying to state that the government and police are attacking the public when jamat is trying to push the counrty to war, but this is a huge shortsightedness by Jamat sired on by BNP who are trying to get into power by using jamat. Jamat need to be politically wiser then that, the BNP are more then willing to throw the dice and see what maybe, because they are set to make the least loss intring unlike jamat, we all know who is pushing Jamat along, but jamat needs to take a stand and oppose what is happening in terms of law and order.


The current government is increasingly becoming a fascist regime. Political misdemeanor, widespread corruption, partisan judiciary, media suppression-all these bear the trade mark of this uncompromising, vindictive leadership of Sheikh Hasina. The ongoing trial of the accused war criminals has lost its credibility because it's been heavily influenced by and used as weapon to fulfill the regime's political agenda which is to completely eradicate the third largest political party of the country. This will ensure that the opposition is weakened and the current regime can rig the next general election without much hassle. 95% of the electronic and print media is aligned to the regime because their corporate owners see this as a great opportunity to get closer to the 'power' and make colossal amount of money very quickly and without any fear of being questioned.

A Sad Bangladeshi

I am not a Jamat supporter but I have these questions- can anyone please show that since 1978

1.Jamat has ever made any rhetorical claim against the minorities, incited any riot, has grabbed minorities peroperties?
2.Jamat has said that it will ban Shahid Minar?
3.Jamat has pushed for Shariah Law in Bangladesh?
4.Jamat has pushed for any ban on any cultural activities in Bangladesh. (Rather they have Digonto TV which is modern and at par with other TV channels)!

Please bring news paper quotes with proper references.

Don't say in the currnet termoil Jamat attacked the minorities, destroyed their properties, destroyed Shahid minar (Indeed Juobleague leader was caught red handed in destroying Shahid Minar-amadershomoy.com published the picture and the news!). There has not been any proof that the attacks on minorities were done by Jamat. It is very possible that BAL and government did it to put blame on Jamat in order to maximise its political profit against Jamat and BNP. The Juboleague leader caught redhanded while destroying Shahid Minar is an example.

Generation of 71 in reply to sahirsylhet

Go to Narayanganj and ask the people ... or you can ask the North South University students who have been confessed today to the court. You can suppress this fact in the virtual world, but not in reality. We know its our cyber war with you like 1971.

Spirit of Bangladesh

Diverting people’s attention from ‘real issues’ like corruption, nepotism and bad governance. Pushing the country to the brink of civil war in the name of a war crimes tribunal. To term anyone who questions the fairness of which as against the spirit of independence. Using the student wing of Awami League to start a mass movement like the Arab Springs, on the one hand to stir public sentiment in favour of capital punishment while on the other hand to ban a political party from contesting in the upcoming National elections. Where are we headed? Is this truly the way to a new secular Bangladesh, where people from all religious minorities will be able to lead a peaceful harmonious life? We have already seen communal violence in recent days spreading unprecedented hatred across the country since our war of liberation. Police now fire indiscriminately on mob gatherings while getting lynched themselves in the most brutal way, in some cases their eyes being gouged in violent kills. Can we not have an independent war crimes investigation headed by the International Criminal Court in the Hague? Will not such a tribunal be acceptable by the people of this country? Why must the political ambition of 'evil' play with the lives of innocent people? I think it is time for the political parties to sit together and discuss in the spirit of our independence on how the war crimes investigation can be conducted in a manner that is acceptable to all. Something which should have been done before this trial began. I don't believe there is anyone who will oppose the war crimes trial to be held under these conditions. Maybe this is the message that Shahbag is truly trying to convey, but is not being heard under the chaos of political ambition by those who are protecting, sponsoring and using the youth of Shahbag.

Generation of 71

Ghulam Azam witness Bulbul’s brother killed by Jamat

Staff Correspondent, bdnews24.com
Published: 2013-03-10 02:14:09.0 Updated: 2013-03-10 07:51:03.0
Railway police in the early hours of Sunday recovered the body of the younger brother of lyricist and music director Ahmed Imtiaz Bulbul near Kuril Flyover in Dhaka.
This is believed to the latest in a spate of targeted attacks purportedly by Jamaat-e-Islami which apparently has gained a free hand in recent days.
Bulbul, a freedom fighter, had testified against former Jamaat-e-Islami chief Ghulam Azam on Oct 5 last year as the 14th prosecution witness at the International Crimes Tribunal -1.
Officer-in-Charge of Khilkhet Police Station Shamim Hossain told bdnews24.com that the body was retrieved from the eastern side of the Khilkhet-Kuril Flyover around 1am.
When reached by phone, Bulbul said: “The dead body is of my brother Ahmed Miraz. I cannot say anything more at this moment. Please pray for me.”
Sub-Inspector Golam Faruk said the victim was not run over by train and that foam came out of his mouth leading them to primarily believe that it was a homicide case.
'Covert killings'
The new generation protest, which has spread like wildfire and been replicated across the nation, has been calling for maximum penalty of death for convicted war crimes and a ban on the Jamaat itself alongwith nationalisation of the organisations tied to it.
Bulbul had told Bangladesh’s first war crimes tribunal that before his very eyes the Pakistani army took away police officer Shiru Mia and his son Kamal along with 36 others from Brahmanbaria jail for killing. He said he had later heard that all 38 had been killed at Koiratola on that November night, which was the night of Eid-ul-Fitr in 1971.
Only on Friday, Tanvir Mohammad Twaki, 17, son of Rafiur Rabbi, the convener of the Narayanganj replica of Shahbagh’s ‘Ganajagaran Mancha’, was found dead on the Shitalakkhya River there, two days after he had gone missing.
Family members suspect that Twaki was killed by Jamaat-e-Islami and its student front Islami Chhatra Shibir in a covert mission.
The dead body of Wahidul Alam Junu, who had deposed on Feb 12 as the 19th witness against Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, was delivered at a Chittagong hospital on Feb 22.
On Friday afternoon, four homemade bombs exploded near the Ganajagaran Mancha, the epicentre of the anti-Jamaat protest, leaving a senior security official injured.
Hours before, on Thursday night, unknown miscreants stabbed Saniur Rahman, a blogger favouring the Shahbagh movement, in the city's Pallabi.
On Feb 15 night, another blogger and Shahbagh civil uprising activist Ahmed Rajib Haider was murdered in front of the gate of his house at Palash Nagar in Pallabi.
Rajib’s friends and family say he was murdered by assailants tied to Jamaat and Shibir.
Detectives on Mar 2 arrested the five students of North South University for their alleged involvement in the killing. Two machetes, four knives, one bicycle, one pair of shoes, seven cellphones and a school bag were recovered from them.
Two of them admitted to police that they were directly engaged in the murder, while three others assisted them. They also admitted that a Shibir activist orchestrated the killing of blogger Rajib.
The Jamaat and Shibir faithful have unleashed a wave of deadly violence after the International Crimes Tribunal-2 on Feb 28 handed down death sentence on party number two Delwar Hossain Sayedee for war crimes.

Generation of 71

WHO IS DOING WHAT - another example from Daily Independent, 6 March, 2013.


"Jamaat vandalism threatens paddy crop on 8,000 hectares
Dhaka, Mar 5: Around 8,000 hectares of agricultural land with standing paddy crop have been disconnected from irrigation pumps in Shibganj upazila under Chapainawab-ganj district following violence during the hartal organised by Jamaat on February 28. Power supply to 45,000 consumers in Shibganj and surrounding areas was disconnected after picketers damaged the office and substation of the Rural Electrification Board (REB) at Kansat. “We have failed to restore power supply in the last six days as we need to rebuild the substation first. All the equipment and accessories were burned down. However, we are working on it,” REB chairman Brigadier General Moinuddin told media persons at a press conference at the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) office on Tuesday.
The REB chairman said 181 deep tube wells — of which 173 are in Shibganj, seven are in Chapainawabganj Sadar and one is in Gomostapur upazila — have stopped functioning because there is no electricity. As a result, the ‘boro’ crop on thousands of hectares of land is threatened. “Whom has this vandalism benefited?” he asked.
The REB chairman claimed that properties worth around Tk. 200 crore were set ablaze during the arson at Chapainawabganj Palli Bidut Somity. Of this, property valued at Tk. 2 crore belongs to the officials and employees who are residential members of Kansat Palli Bidyut Somity.
Taking part in the discussions, BERC member Dr. Salim Mahmood said the people should take initiatives to protect their properties in the power and energy sector. “The people are the owners of this property as well as its beneficiaries. So they will have to come forward to protect public installations like substations as these have a great impact on their livelihoods and the national economy,” Dr. Salim Mahmood said.
Violence by Jamaat-Shibir activists resulted in major damage to the REB office and substation at Kansat on February 28. They also set the REB office at Kansat, its general manager’s residence, three staff quarters, a godown, around 8,130 transformers and the substation on fire. They also set ablaze all the personal belongings of the residents, including their furniture, official documents, a pick-up van, the general manager’s car, 25 motorcycles and bicycles and all machinery. They also looted gold ornaments and other valuables belonging to the residents.
“Four committees have been formed to investigate the issue. The REB, the power ministry, the REB’s divisional office and the local administration have formed the committees. Three cases have been filed in this connection,” the REB chairman told media persons."

The truth99

Dear Generation 71

You born at 1971, but we fought for the independence. Meaning that you came to know about 1971 from your parents and history. But as a conscious human being, it is your responsibility to seek for the truth even it goes against your parents and history. At the end of the day, you will be accountable for your deeds.


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