After almost two years in office, something of real significance has been suggested by the chairman of the Bangladesh's National Human Rights Commission. In the backdrop of increasing incidents of disappearances, the worried NHRC chairman, Professor Mizanur Rahman has said that 'Disappearances have emerged as a new trick of torturing citizens'   (   HRC boss worried at 'disappearances'   ).  Statistics compiled by rights group, Odhikar (   odhikar .org   ) show that while the number of so-called cross-fire deaths has fallen from 101 in 2010 to 44 during January to August 2011, number of abductions reported during the same period has risen to two per month against 1.5 in the previous year.  Invariably, victims are either ending up dead or remained untraceable.  And, the most worrying thing is that security forces have consistently denied any role in those disappearances while family members of the victims have alleged that abd...

Charges of extortion, laid against the editor of Sheershanews.com, a Bangladeshi news portal, is nothing new in Bangladesh - especially when the rich and powerful need to teach some lesson to somebody who is annoying or causing problem for them. It's an overused tool of harassment.   Perhaps, some of them of forgotten that in 2008, the current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was also arrested on charges of extortion. At least, three extortion cases were lodged against her - and one of the accusers was a member of her party who also sought nominations from her Awami League in the following elections.   Similar extortion cases were also lodged against two sons of former Prime Minister, Khaleda Zia and several other leading politicians.     All those extortion cases against leading politicians filed by some millionaires during the army-backed caretaker government were either withdrawn well before the general election in 2008 or quashed by the High Court later. And, surpris...

The American writer and journalist, Lawrence Lifschultz's call for setting up of an independent commission to investigate disappearances of the members of the Bangladesh Army is a long overdue one ( Probe disappearances , unresolved killings ). Unfortunately, this demand for justice from the families of victims of crude power struggles of some over-ambitious army commanders has never been highlighted by the local press. It required a foreign journalist's plea to a sympathetic government and favorable political environment to be printed in the local press (allegedly governments under both BNP and General Ershad had denied his visa requests). Mr Lifschultz was a key witness in the case heard by a High Court bench, also under the current government, that ruled Col Taher's execution by a military court as an unlawful killing. ( Trial of Taher illegal ) Reports appearing in Bangladesh press quoting Mr Lifschultz indicate that his call was for only to probe into the...

As the world's most popular newspaper, News of the World, kills itself in shame, politicians in Britain have started the most difficult task of soul-searching. And, everyone across the isle - Tories and Labour alike are asking themselves how could they allow someone to establish him as the powerbroker of the world's finest democracy by virtue of his holdings in various media outlets. Obituary writers of this 168-year old newspaper ( Tabloid culture on trial ) have expressed their sadness in the sudden demise of the title because it earned its fame through investigative journalism and almost certainly breaking the barriers. However, in the end, this trait not only led them to engage in criminal enterprises, but commit immoral and despicable acts. There's strong suspicion that the media mogul has sacrificed this much-loved British institution in a desperate act to save his bid for gaining full control of TV network BskyB. Perhaps, that's the reason the NoTW scandal has ...

It's been announced that the Indian PM Dr Manmohon Singh has made a personal phone call on Monday (4th of July) to his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina to tell her that he has accepted her invitation to visit Dhaka and he will make the trip in early September. (PM talks with Sheikh Hasina on the phone) . The announcement of the visit follows a controversial and uncharacteristic comment by Dr Singh that at the least caused embarrassment to the politicians and diplomats of both the countries who have become very optimistic about improving relations between these neighbours since the election of Sheikh Hasina's Awami League led government in Bangladesh. His visit will be preceded by his foreign minister, home minister and the chairperson of the ruling Congress Sonia Gandhi. Issues on the agenda include, but not limited within, transit, narrowing of the trade gap, border killings, electricity import, water resources management, enclaves, border demarcation and cooperation i...