Report on Midnight Massacre at Matijheel.pdf

7/30/2019 Report on Midnight Massacre at Matijheel.pdf

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BANGLADESH UPDATEMay 2016

A Massacre at MotijeelThe 5th May March saw religious protesters

owing into Dhaka from all around the coun-

try for 13 points, which addressed maers of

religious denigraon and protecons for all

the faith communies of the country. It fol-

lowed last months largely peaceful Long

March which saw hundreds of thousands

ock to Dhaka,which we covered in an earli-

er arcle. This me around , the government

appeared to have resolved to meet Hefazat

with violence, both during and aer the

main days protest. There are blog-based

accounts of the protest fromwitnessesas

well as of thefateful clampdown. In the ab-

sence of the condions for tradional inves-

gave reporng we build a picture of what is

available. One informant, curious to see

events for himself, late last night reported a

war zone with the police ring and ruling

party thugs being handed the wounded to

beat. He reected that what he saw resem-

bled what he had heard about the Pakistan

Army launching a crackdown on the Awami

League 43 years ago. Perhaps Tiananmen

Square and the Bale of Algiers help us to

understand how state violence is inicted on

such a scale and nature. The protesters con-

gregated around the Water Lily monu-

ment at the centre of the Mojeel district.

They set up for the night, rm in the convic-

on that they would stay unl their concerns

with suciently addressed. The Bangladesh

Naonalist Party, which has been on the

sidelines of late with much of its leadership

in detenon, announced its support.

Into the darknessAt 0230 am the security apparatus broke

the night with its clearing operaon, dispers-

ing a sleeping crowd of hundreds of thou-

sands with tear gas, gun re and more primi-

ve savagery. It would appear that the po-

lice, the disgraced rebranded Bangladesh

Ries and no shortage of armed Awami

League thugs are primarily responsible for

the killings that took place on Sunday and in

the early hours of Monday. The extent of

the media blackout is unprecedented in

recent years. Opposion Diganta and Islamic

TV channels were raided by the UK-trained

Rapid Acon Baalion. Mirroring the chilling

accounts of the much remembered Opera-

on Searchlight from the night of 25th

March 1971 in which the Pakistan govern-

ment lost much of its legimacy, the govern-

ment reportedly busied itself with carng

away the evidence and the bodies. As the

morning drew to noon, the events of the

night met recognion even from elements

of thesecular liberal establishment. The BBC

was reporngonly seven deadwell into the

morning, and mirrored the government line

of extremists and non lethal weapon-

ry Sources from nearer to the suering

have given death tolls of 431 (religious

scholars) , 1700 (Bashekella) and 2500 (a

leak from CID). Does the scale of the opera-

on suggest that the Bangladesh govern-

ment must have got clearance from its inter-

naonal backers? As the situaon becomes

clearer, or more blurred, diplomats, news-

paper editors and acvists who provided the

mood music and misframing of Hefazat must

ask themselves searching quesons about

their own humanity.Local human rights

NGOswho interpret the Bangladeshi situa-

on to the world display selecve humanitar-

ianism by eecvely ignoring the atrocity

that took place last night.
http://www.khichuri.org/the-long-march-to-another-contested-bangladeshi-narrative/http://www.khichuri.org/the-long-march-to-another-contested-bangladeshi-narrative/http://www.khichuri.org/the-long-march-to-another-contested-bangladeshi-narrative/http://talukdershaheb.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/a-day-in-pictures-photo-blog-of-5may.htmlhttp://talukdershaheb.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/a-day-in-pictures-photo-blog-of-5may.htmlhttp://chairmanbd.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/mass-killing-on-protesters-in-dhaka-at.htmlhttp://chairmanbd.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/mass-killing-on-protesters-in-dhaka-at.htmlhttp://alalodulal.org/2013/05/06/end-of-an-era/http://alalodulal.org/2013/05/06/end-of-an-era/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-22423979http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-22423979http://www.askbd.org/web/http://www.askbd.org/web/http://www.askbd.org/web/http://www.askbd.org/web/http://www.askbd.org/web/http://www.askbd.org/web/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-22423979http://alalodulal.org/2013/05/06/end-of-an-era/http://chairmanbd.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/mass-killing-on-protesters-in-dhaka-at.htmlhttp://talukdershaheb.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/a-day-in-pictures-photo-blog-of-5may.htmlhttp://www.khichuri.org/the-long-march-to-another-contested-bangladeshi-narrative/http://www.khichuri.org/the-long-march-to-another-contested-bangladeshi-narrative/


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Dead body of a Hefajot worker lying down on the street of Dhaka

RAB and Police operated a combined operation on Hefajot. A bullet wounded Hefajotworker lying on the floor.

Dead body of another Hefajot Worker

Police Guarding the dead body of anotherHefajot Worker.

RAB and Police operated a combined operation on Hefajot. A bullet wounded Hefajotworker lying on the floor.

Police Guarding the dead body of anotherHefajot Worker.


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This transport worker was killed by government holligans


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BANGLADESH: A massacre ofdemonstrators

6 May, Asian Human Rights Commis-

sion: News reports from Bangladesh

allege that a series of aacks on de-

monstrators have taken place, at

around 3am today, May 6, 2013. The

extent of the injuries and death is di-

cult to be ascertained at the mo-

ment. The Daily Star, a Bangladeshi

newspaper, gave thegure of deaths as

5. However, several internet reports

have menoned that the number of

deaths could be as high as 2,500 or

more. Pictures of dead bodies have alsobeen distributed over the internet.

Major news channels in Bangladesh

have been silenced. Two private televi-

sion channels that were showing live

pictures of the aacks upon the de-

monstrators were immediately closed

down. The authories have, later in the

morning, imposed Secon 144 of

the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898,

(a provision similar to declaring internal

emergency) in the city of Dhaka, under

which more than four persons are not

allowed to converge in public places

and the declaraon absolutely prohib-

its public protest. Worse, the execuve

authories could use deadly force

against civilians under this provision. All

forms of public gatherings, rallies and

protests have been prohibited unl the

midnight today, May 6. The Asian Hu-

man Rights Commission (AHRC) has

learned that the security forces, includ-ing the Border Guards Bangladesh, the

Rapid Acon Baalion and the Police,

started a massive crackdown on the

demonstrators of the Fefazat-E-

Islam early morning on Monday. Ac-

cording to unveried informaon the

AHRC has received, a huge number of

lives have already been lost. Numerous

vicms have been shot at close range

by the state agencies. It appears that

the internaonal community staoned

in Dhaka is fully aware of the brutal

crackdown and the wanton extrajudi-

cial execuon happening within Dhaka

and in the outskirts of the city. Graphic

pictures and audiovisual records are

available through the social media,

from unveried sources, that reveal the

deadly reality on the ground. It is re-

ported that the security forces are us-

ing heavy arllery, which are normally

used in the war fronts. Bangladesh,recently has become extremely violent.

The violence surfaced over the issue of

objeconable blog-posngs concerning

Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon

Him). It is reported that a large number

of protesters gathered in Dhaka since

early morning yesterday, May 5, 2013,

under the umbrella of a group

namedFefazat-E-Islamdemanding pun-

ishment of the so called 'atheist blog-

gers', who allegedly remained under

the protecon of the state agents, for

wringblasphemousmaterials.Fefazat

-E-Islam

has been demanding 13 points

including a legislaon on blasphemy,

reformaon of the country's 'women

policy' and adopon of the name of

Allah in the constuon.

The AHRC does not agree with any of

the demands made by the Fefazat-E-

Islam. Our concern, however, is for the

right of everyone to parcipate in pro-

tests. At all mes the sacredness of the

right to life must be respected. The

violence that is going on in Bangladesh

must stop now. The internaonal com-

munity has a moral as well as a legal

obligaon to intervene, which couldsave lives and could prevent the situa-

on from deteriorang further. The

United Naons must take all necessary

acons, most importantly through the

oce of the Secretary General to bring

an immediate end to the bloody im-

passe that has befallen upon the coun-

try.

Police beating a Hefajot Worker during its midnight action on the peacefulprotesters.
http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/security-forces-start-operation/#disqus_threadhttp://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/security-forces-start-operation/#disqus_threadhttp://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/security-forces-start-operation/#disqus_threadhttp://bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd/sections_detail.php?id=75&sections_id=20789http://bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd/sections_detail.php?id=75&sections_id=20789http://bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd/pdf_part.php?id=75&vol=4http://bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd/pdf_part.php?id=75&vol=4http://bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd/pdf_part.php?id=75&vol=4http://bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd/sections_detail.php?id=75&sections_id=20789http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/security-forces-start-operation/#disqus_threadhttp://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/security-forces-start-operation/#disqus_thread

Report on Midnight Massacre at Matijheel.pdf

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