Asia in Review Archive 2021

Bangladesh

News summary

Bangladesh: Anti-graft watchdog has no authority to freeze assets, High Court observes

(lm) Bangladesh’s High Court has observed that the country’s Anti-Corruption Commission is not permitted to freeze assets without prior permission from a court. [The Daily Star]

Bangladesh: Rohingya observe fourth anniversary of Myanmar military crackdown

(ad) Hundreds of children on August 25 defied a ban on protests at Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar to mark the fourth anniversary of the Myanmar military crackdown, which forced over a million Rohingya to flee to other countries.

Bangladesh authorities had banned protests and rallies, saying they could spread the coronavirus. In fact, the country has been battling an alarming surge in infections and deaths in recent weeks, as the highly transmissible delta variant is driving an infection surge across the country. Around 20,000 infections and 200 deaths have been recorded so far in the southern region bordering Myanmar where the sprawling refugee camps are located [see AiR No. 33, August/2021, 3]. [The Straits Times]

Thousands of armed police and troops patrolled the camps in the Cox’s Bazar district but did not act against the children who took part in the march in Kutupalong camp, the world’s largest refugee settlement. Other members of the Rohingya community organized human chains or held prayer meetings. [Dhaka Tribune 1] [Dhaka Tribune 2]

Bangladesh has provided shelter and security to over 740,000 Rohingyas who fled across the border after the Myanmar military in mid-2017 launched a brutal offensive against the Muslim minority in Rakhine State following an attack on a military outpost by a Rohingya armed group. The new arrivals in Bangladesh joined more than 200,000 Rohingya who had fled earlier violence.

However, four years since the exodus, many of the refugees see no visible hope of going back to their homeland. Earlier in February, a long-awaited meeting of a working committee on the Rohingya repatriation between Bangladesh and Myanmar had been adjourned indefinitely, after the military overthrew Myanmar’s democratically elected government and declared a year-long state of emergency [see AiR No. 6, February/2021, 2].

Bangladesh: Prime Minister Hasina continues to settle scores with opposition BNP

(ad/lm) Several high-ranking members of the ruling Awami League (AL), including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, last week used a series of public events to further denounce an already marginalized opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the latest manifestation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s wish for vengeance.

Bangladesh is currently observing a month of mourning, commemorating the death anniversary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country’s founder and father of Prime Minister Hasina, who was killed in an army coup in 1975 along with most of his family.

Addressing a discussion virtually on August 26, the prime minister afresh alleged that Ziaur Rahman, founder of the BNP and a former President, had masterminded the plot for assassinating Sheikh Mujibur, as well as aiding and abetting the group of army officials involved in the killing by appointing them to important government posts during his presidency (1977-81). Moreover, when referring to recent clashes between stalwarts of the oppositional BNP and security forces in the capital, Dhaka [see AiR No. 34, August/2021, 4], Hasina alleged that the body of Ziaur Rahman – who was assassinated in 1981 in an army coup d’état – is not kept at the mausoleum complex in Chandrima Uddan. [Dhaka Tribune]

Using a similar language, Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque the same day called for the conduction of DNA tests on the remains present in the mausoleum to prove the existence of the ex-president’s body inside the tomb. [The Business Standard]

Minister of Information Hasan Mahmud, in turn, told journalists they could play a pivotal role in unveiling the “real” reasons behind the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The minister, who also serves as joint AL General Secretary, alleged that Zia Rahman had killed hundreds of members of armed forces to cling to power. [New Age]

Bangladesh: Taliban takeover in Afghanistan stokes terrorist fears

(ad/lm) The Taliban’s takeover of Kabul two weeks ago has fueled concerns of a revival of Islamist militancy in Bangladesh, amid a surge in social media posts by sympathizers and claims by police that some Bangladeshis have been seeking to travel to Afghanistan.

Earlier this year, police in the capital, Dhaka, arrested at least four suspected Islamists who wanted to travel to Afghanistan via India and Pakistan to join the Taliban. They were part of a group of 10 people who were searching for ways to become members of the fundamentalist group. [Deutsche Welle]

A day before Kabul fell, the Taliban issued a call for people to join the war in Afghanistan, and some Bangladeshis “left home” in response, police officials said last week. Moreover, since the fall of Kabul, thousands of users have been incessantly posting comments on social media to praise the Islamic fundamentalist group’s victory and denounce Western media outlets “for propagating” against it.

While Bangladesh’s problems with Islamist militancy aren’t as serious as they are in other South Asian countries – most notably Pakistan – given the presence of some groups, local and foreign, in the country, there should be some reason for concern, according to experts. [South China Morning Post]

In fact, the history of Bangladesh’s militancy trend that began in the 1990s has a deep connection with Taliban: Islamic fundamentalists who had travelled to Afghanistan to fight alongside the Afghan mujahideen against the Soviet Union later formed several local militant groups, including Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI) and Jama’at Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), upon their return to Bangladesh. For years, such groups have actively tried to destabilize the country by carrying out terror attacks [see e.g., AiR No. 29, July/2021, 3].

Bangladeshi police haven’t disclosed any information on how many fundamentalists they have kept under surveillance, but they have acknowledged identifying networks that have in the past lured youths into joining the Taliban. [Dhaka Tribune]

Thus, those seeking to join the Taliban are now doing so at a time of increased security measures, as the country has boosted its anti-terrorism efforts over the last 20 years, particularly following the 2016 attack on a cafe in the Bangladeshi capital in which 22 people, mostly foreigners, were killed.

Experts argue that while the government’s “iron fist” approach to curbing militancy had gained some initial success, it could backfire in the long run. For it should not be used as a pretext to clamp down on legitimate detractors of the government, thereby laying the groundwork for future radicalizations of non-militant Islamists that resent how they’ve been treated by the state. [The Diplomat]

Bangladesh’s foreign minister concludes official visit to South Africa

(ad/lm) Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen last week concluded an official visit to South Africa. Bilateral relations between the two countries are conducted within the framework of a senior officials meeting; the last session was held in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, in 2019.

Early on August 25, Momen met with his South African counterpart Naledi M. Pandor in Pretoria with both sides pledging to strengthen bilateral relations. During the meeting, the Bangladeshi top diplomat said his country is considered a model of economic development, and suggested a cooperation between the two countries in areas of ready-made garments and pharmaceuticals. [United News of Bangladesh 1]

During his visit, Momen also met with other South African government officials, including the minister of trade, industry and competition; and the minister of agriculture, land reform and rural development. [United News of Bangladesh 2]

Earlier this month, the Bangladeshi top diplomat met with South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit in Juba, with both sides pledging to strengthen bilateral engagements. Momen also met with his South Sudanese counterpart, and the country’s acting defense minister. [AiR No. 34, August/2021, 4]

Bangladesh’s foreign minister departs on three-country trip to Europe

(ad) Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on August 29 left for a three-nation tour to Europe. He is likely to return to Dhaka on September 8. [The Daily Prothom]

The first stop will be the Swiss capital, Geneva, where Momen will attend the Asia-Pacific regional review meeting on the implementation of the Istanbul Programme of Action (IPoA) until September 2. The meeting is held in preparation for the fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5), which will take place in Doha early next year. While in Geneva, the Bangladeshi top diplomat is also expected to hold meetings with heads of various UN agencies. [United News of Bangladesh]

Afterwards, Momen will meet with his British counterpart Dominic Raab in London. Further vaccine cooperation, removing Bangladesh from the red list for entering the United Kingdom and strengthening the relations between both countries are likely to be on the agenda. The two Commonwealth member countries are also scheduled to hold the fourth round of their joint Strategic Dialogue on September 9 to exchange views across the entire gamut of bilateral relations. [Dhaka Tribune]

While in London, Momen is also scheduled to have a separate meeting with Alok Sharma, President of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), which will take place from October 31 to November 12 in Glasgow.

Before returning to Dhaka, Momen will stop-over in the Netherlands to meet with his Dutch counterpart Sigrid Kaag, and attend a board meeting of the Global Centre on Adaptation, an international organization hosted by Amsterdam that works as a solutions broker for climate change adaptation solutions.

European Commission recommends temporary visa measures for Bangladesh, Iraq, The Gambia

(ad/lm) The European Commission earlier this month proposed to establish temporary restrictive on short-stay visas against applicants who are citizens of Bangladesh, Iraq, and The Gambia, after the three countries had showcased an insufficient level of cooperation on taking back their nationals who do not have the right to stay in the EU.

Under the revised Visa Code – in force since February 2020 – the Commission annually assesses readmission cooperation with non-EU countries and reports to the European Council, which is scheduled to meet next month. Depending on the assessment, temporary restrictions on certain short-stay may be introduced vis-à-vis non-EU countries whose nationals require visas to travel to the EU, where cooperation on readmission is not yet deemed sufficient. [European Commission 1]

In its Explanatory Memorandum, the Commission reports that two-thirds of the EU Member States that interacted with Bangladesh on readmission were confronted with practices deviating from the provisions outlined in the 2017 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), hampering all phases of the return process. [European Commission 2]

If the Council chooses to adopt the Commission’s proposal for implementing temporary visa measures for Bangladesh, Iraq and The Gambia, the measures will come into force immediately. Within six months of the measures entering into force, the Commission must report to the European Parliament and to the Council on the progress achieved. The Commission may then propose to repeal or amend these visa measures, taking into account the Union’s overall relations with the countries concerned.

Bangladeshi nationals currently constitute the largest group of migrants coming to Europe, exceeding the combined number of those travelling from Syria, Afghanistan and North Africa. By the end of June, over 3,300 Bangladeshis had entered Europe via dangerous sea crossings, mostly travelling via Libya. [AiR No. 34, August/2021, 4]

Bangladesh: Army chief returns from Turkey visit

(ad) Bangladesh’s Chief of Army Staff (CAS) General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed returned to Dhaka on August 26, completing an eight-day official visit to Turkey, which saw top military officials from both sides discussing possible areas of defense cooperation. [AiR No. 34, August/2021, 4]

While in Ankara, the army chief met with Turkish Land Forces Commander General Musa Avsever and General Yaşar Güler, Chief of the General Staff. Ahmed, who took over as head of the Bangladesh Army this June, also engaged with several other senior officials, including the country’s Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, and inspected the operation control room of the Turkish Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), Army Aviation Headquarters, and the Turkish Aerospace Industries. [Daily Sabah]

Talks between the army chief and top Turkish officials focused on possible areas of defense cooperation between the two countries. The top Turkish government officials assured full cooperation with Bangladesh, including those involving military equipment. [Anadolu Agency]

Bangladesh and Turkey signed an agreement on military training, education and joint cooperation between forces of both nations in 2004.

More recently, however, the two countries have particularly been stepping up defense exchanges, with Bangladesh becoming the fourth-largest arms buyer from Turkey, reportedly receiving up to $60 million worth of weapons out of Ankara’s roughly $1 billion in defense products exports in the first four months of 2021.

Defense links between the two countries have been further strengthened through training programs and military exercises: More than 3,000 Bangladeshi military officers have received training in Turkey. Bangladesh’s Navy, in particular, has developed close ties with its Turkish counterpart, which – along with South Korea and the United States – provides military training to the Special Warfare Diving and Salvage (SWADS), an elite special operational unit of the Bangladesh Navy.

Bangladesh: Officials face non-judicial punishment for illegal arrest and torture of journalist

(ad) Bangladesh’s Ministry of Public Administration has taken disciplinary action against officials from the country’s Kurigram District over the illegal arrest, detention and torture of a Dhaka Tribune journalist. [Dhaka Tribune]

In March of last year, the journalist was tortured while held in custody in the office of the district’s deputy commissioner, and later sentenced to a year’s imprisonment on charges of possession of narcotics. Ten months earlier, he had criticized the district administration in a report which highlighted the deputy commissioner’s purported intention to name a government pond in the town after herself following its renovation. [bdnews24.com]

Bangladesh: Over 150 supportes of opposition party sued over clash with police in capital

(ad) Police in Bangladesh on August 18 lodged cases against 155 leaders and activists of the oppositional Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in connection with violent clashes between security forces and some party members in the capital, Dhaka, the day before. The skirmish took place early on August 17 when a newly-formed local convening committee went to place wreaths at the grave of former President and founder of the BNP, Ziaur Rahman. [Dhaka Tribune]

Bangladesh: Violent clash between rivalling factions of governing party leaves 50 people injured

(ad) An intraparty feud between two local chapters of Bangladesh’s ruling Awami League (AL) on August 18 resulted in clashes between stalwarts of both sides in the city of Barishal, leaving at least 50 people injured. [Dhaka Tribune 1]

Twelve individuals have so far been arrested and police are conducting raids to arrest more people suspected of being involved in the incident. Cases have been filed against 30 leaders and activists of the AL and the party’s student organization, Bangladesh Chhatra League. Further, a 10-member unit of the Border Guard Bangladesh has been deployed, while police and Rapid Action Battalion have intensified patrols in the city. [Dhaka Tribune 2] [The Daily Prothom]

Being in firm control of the country, AL – once a grassroots party – increasingly appears intertwined with the state apparatus. While party and state are governed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as both undisputable leader, fragmentation and rivalries are common at lower echelons of the party structure.   

Bangladesh: Supreme Court upholds death sentence for raping and killing a child

(ad) The Appellate Division of Bangladesh’s Supreme Court on August 18 upheld the death sentence of one convict and commuted that of three others to life imprisonment in a case of raping and killing a child in 2004. [United News of Bangladesh]

In light of a surge in sex crimes in Bangladesh and subsequent protests on streets and social media, the Cabinet of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last October approved an increase in the maximum punishment in rape cases to death from life imprisonment. [AiR No. 41, October/2020, 2]

Women’s rights campaigners, however, called the elevation of the punishment for rape a ‘regressive step’ that would not reduce violence against women. Instead, rights groups suggested far-reaching reform of the legal system and more education to bring about real change.

Bangladesh: New data protection law must not be used to infringe on individual rights, editorial says

(ad) A recent editorial in Bangladesh’s largest circulating daily English-language newspaper – The Daily Star – emphasized the need for a future data protection law to protect the privacy and data of users from anyone, including state actors. [The Daily Star]

At present, the basic framework for data protection and privacy is laid out by the rights of privacy granted under the Constitution, along with the Information Communication Technology Act 2006 and the contentious Digital Security Act, 2018 (DSA).

Relying instead on provisions within a number of laws, however, Bangladesh lacks a comprehensive data protection and privacy law that regulates the collection, storage, and dissemination of personal data provided to various organizations, companies and corporations.

Against this backdrop, Bangladesh’s government is currently drafting a new data protection act, according to the minister of post and telecommunication.           

However, experts and rights activists have expressed concerns that the new law will focus less on data protection, and instead be used to infringe on individual rights — for example, by suspending social media handles of journalists, media outlets, and politicians.

Throughout the last year, more than 40 people have been arrested over social media posts about the COVID-19 pandemic, lending credence to concerns that the DSA in particular is being used as a pretense to muzzle critics of the government’s handling of the pandemic. [AiR No. 24, June/2020, 3]

Bangladeshis largest group of illegal migrants entering Europe due to climate change

(ad) For the first time since the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) began documenting the arrivals, Bangladeshi nationals have constituted the largest group of migrants coming to Europe, exceeding the combined number of those travelling from Syria, Afghanistan and North Africa. [The Telegraph]

By the end of June, over 3,300 Bangladeshis had entered Europe via dangerous sea crossings, mostly travelling via Libya. And while the overall number of Bangladeshis crossing the Mediterranean has fallen compared to previous years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions, this decrease has been far smaller compared to other nationalities.

Experts say that climate change drives the displacement, for few countries are considered as vulnerable as Bangladesh, where two-thirds of its 166 million citizens live less than five meters above sea level. It is estimated that by 2050 the number of Bangladeshis displaced by the varied impacts of climate change could reach 13.3 million, making it the country’s number-one driver of migration.    Currently, however, this climate-driven movement is limited to internal migration, as these typically poorer Bangladeshis cannot afford to send themselves and their families abroad.

Practitioners and rights advocates have called on the government to take a strong stance against human trafficking, and lamented a lack of proper and prompt implementation of related laws. Using a similar language, in its latest Trafficking in Persons Report on Bangladesh, the U.S. Department of State noted that Dhaka was making significant efforts to meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. [U.S. Department of State]

At present, however, there are more than 5700 lawsuits over human trafficking but barely 1 percent of the cases have led to a conviction. Further, police cannot rely on victims’ cooperation in the matter of investigating and convicting traffickers because they do not want to provide authorities with necessary information nor fill complaints, according to Bangladeshi law enforcement officials. [Anadolu Agency]

Bangladesh’s foreign minister on official visit in South Sudan

(ad) Bangladeshi Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on August 21 met with South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit in Juba, with both sides pledging to strengthen bilateral engagements. Momen also met with his South Sudanese counterpart, and the country’s acting defense minister. [Dhaka Tribune 1] [Dhaka Tribune 2]

During the meetings, Momen offered to build a development partnership with South Sudan and suggested that cooperation between the two countries may be built in areas like pharmaceuticals, ready-made garments, agriculture and Information and Communications Technology sectors. [The Policy Times]

Nearly 1600 members of the Bangladesh Armed Forces and Police are currently deployed in South Sudan under the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) to consolidate peace and security and to help establish conditions for development. [United Nations Peacekeeping]

Bangladesh’s Army Chief on official visit in Turkey

(ad) Chief of Army Staff General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed on August 18 left for an official eight-day visit to Turkey. The Army chief, who is leading an eight-member delegation, will be meeting with a number of senior Turkish defense officials, including Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and the Chief of the General Staff, Yaşar Güler. Thus, further cooperation between the Armies of both countries is likely to be discussed. [Dhaka Tribune] [The Daily Star]

Bangladesh: 14th session of Parliament to begin on September 1

(lm) Bangladesh’s President Abdul Hamid has summoned the Parliament for September 1 for the inaugural sitting of its 14th session. The previous session was prorogued on July 3 after 12 sittings. [Dhaka Tribune]

Bangladesh: Authorities vaccinate Rohingya refugees amid virus surge

(lm) Bangladesh began vaccinating thousands of Muslim Rohingya living in Cox Bazar’s refugee camps on August 10, as part of a national inoculation drive to curb the spread of COVID-19.

The government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina bolstered its effort to get vaccines from other sources – particularly China – after India stopped exporting AstraZeneca vaccines to Bangladesh in April, and launched a new round of vaccinations nationwide earlier this month.

Bangladesh has been battling an alarming surge in infections and deaths in recent weeks, as the highly transmissible delta variant is driving an infection surge across the country. Around 20,000 infections and 200 deaths have been recorded so far in the southern region bordering Myanmar where the sprawling refugee camps are located. [Associated Press] [France24]

The drive is being led by the Bangladesh authorities with technical support from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the World Health Organization (WHO) and other humanitarian partners. Over 65,000 of the nearly 900,000 Rohingya refugees will be vaccinated in the first cohort, with community leaders, frontline health care volunteers, and Rohingya aged 55 and above given priority. [UN News]

The vaccinations follow weeks of devastating monsoon rains that have pummeled the district of Cox’s Bazar, killing at least 11 Rohingya refugees and 15 of their Bangladeshi hosts. The flooding has particularly affected large parts of the Kutupalong refugee camp, displacing almost 25,000 refugees while ravaging thousands of facilities, including primary health clinics, distribution points and latrines. [AiR No. 31, August/2021, 1]

Bangladesh: Ex-President Rahman was involved in assassination of Sheikh Mujibur, law minister claims

(lm) Bangladesh’s Law Minister Anisul Haque on August 12 implicated that former President Ziaur Rahman was involved in the 1975 assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding President of Bangladesh and father of incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Evidence on Rahman’s alleged involvement would be made public through a commission constituted to identify the conspirators behind the assassination, according to the minister. [Dhaka Tribune]

Ziaur Rahman, who was killed in a military coup in 1981, is the founder of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). He was also the husband of Khaleda Zia, an arch-rival of Prime Minister Hasina’s who served two periods as prime minister and is currently on conditional release from jail in two corruption cases [see AiR No. 10, March/2021, 2].

Earlier in February, the National Freedom Fighter Council decided to revoke a gallantry title conferred to Rahman for his contributions to the War of Liberation that transformed East Pakistan into Bangladesh in 1971. The reasons behind the decision had been cited as involvement in the plot for assassinating Sheikh Mujibur, as well as aiding and abetting the group of army officials involved in the killing by appointing them to important government posts during his presidency (1977-81), among others. [AiR No. 7, February/2021, 3]

Crucially, the charges pertaining to the murder of Sheikh Mujibur to date have not been tried in any court.

Condemning Law Minister Haque’s statement, the BNP secretary general on August 14 said the government was “trying to mislead people by distorting history and falsehood only because of political retaliation”.

On August 15 then – the day Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family were killed as part of a coup d’état in 1975 – the law minister upped the ante, saying that the ruling Awami League would not stop until the death sentences of five absconding killers of Sheikh Mujibur are executed. [The Daily Star]

Bangladesh: Rights watchdog calls for UN probe, sanctions over enforced disappearances

(lm) United Nations human rights experts should lead an independent international investigation into enforced disappearances by security forces in Bangladesh, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released on August 16. [Al Jazeera]

In its report, the rights watchdog identified 86 political activists, businessmen and student members of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party who went missing over the past decade.

The organization also said disappearances had become a “hallmark” of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s rule since 2009, and called for “targeted sanctions” of members of the Rapid Action Battalion, an elite anti-crime and anti-terrorism unit accused of carrying out many of the disappearances. [Human Rights Watch]

Indo-Pacific forces from 21 partner nations kick off SEACAT

(lm) Maritime forces from Indo-Pacific partner nations on August 10 began the 20th iteration of the Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT) naval exercise in Singapore and virtually. [Al Jazeera] [NavyTimes]

Signifying the largest iteration to date, this year’s exercise involves ten ships and more than 400 personnel. 21 nations participate, including Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Canada, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, New Zealand, Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, United Kingdom, United States, and Vietnam.

This year’s also presents a new element by incorporating international organizations and nongovernmental organizations, whose objective is to create an even more realistic scenario to “enhance understanding and adherence to accepted rules, laws, and norms,” the US Navy said in a statement. Participants include United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC), EU Critical Maritime Route Wider Indian Ocean (CRIMARIO), and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). [Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet]

The SEACAT exercises commenced just a day after more than 10,000 troops from China and Russia began a major exercise, West-Interaction 2021, in China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. [AiR No. 32, August/2021, 2]

Last year, the event was conducted as part of a virtual symposium amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bangladesh: Thousands displaced as floods hit Rohingya camps

(lm) At least 11 Rohingya refugees were killed by landslides or drowned in flooding after heavy monsoon rains inundated refugee camps in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar district last week, turning settlements into fast-flowing rivers overnight. [The New York Times] [The Guardian] [The Straits Times]

The flooding has particularly affected large parts of the Kutupalong refugee camp, which has existed since the early 1990s but was expanded on uneven, landslide-prone terrain in 2017, when it became the world’s largest refugee camp for the more than 730,000 members of the Rohingya ethnic group escaping military massacres in Myanmar. Initial reports by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) revealed that more than 21,000 refugees had been “affected” by the flooding, while nearly 4,000 shelters had been damaged or destroyed. [UNHCR]

After repeated lockdowns, recent coronavirus outbreaks and a major fire that killed at least 15 people and left tens of thousands homeless in March [see AiR No. 12, March/2021, 4], there is a sense among refugees that they are being increasingly forgotten by the world.

Bangladesh: Islamist extremist executed for 2005 bomb attack

(lm) Bangladesh has executed a hardline Islamist for a 2005 bomb attack on a secular cultural group in the northeastern district of Netrokona, which killed eight people. The defendant had previously exhausted all his appeals, with his death sentence upheld by the Supreme Court and President Abdul Hamid rejecting a clemency appeal last month. [Dhaka Tribune] [The Straits Times]

The man was believed to be a member of Jama’at Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), a Bangladeshi Sunni violent extremist group established in 1998 which aims to institute an Islamic state in the country. In 2005, the group launched a high-profile series of explosive attacks across 63 of the 64 districts in Bangladesh. Following the attacks, local authorities arrested 656 JMB members, laying charges against 356 of those by 2011. 

Bangladesh summons British envoy to convey ‘disappointment’ over report on Khaleda Zia’s status

(lm) Bangladesh last week summoned the British Acting High Commissioner to convey disappointment over an “insinuating and misleading” comment on the current status of Khaleda Zia, the chairperson of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party who served two periods as prime minister. [South Asia Monitor]

An arch-rival of Prime Minister Hasina’s, Zia had served 25 months out of 17 years of prison sentences in two corruption cases when the government granted her conditional release for six months in March of last year to seek medical treatment in hospital under the supervision of the prison authorities [see AiR No. 13, March/2020, 5]. The suspension was subsequently extended twice – first in September of last year and, more recently, in March – on condition that the former prime minister cannot go abroad [see AiR No. 10, March/2021, 2].

Earlier this month, the British Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in its “Human Rights and Democracy Report 2020” had stated that Khaleda “remained under house arrest […] throughout 2020”. [Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office]

Dhaka clarified that the government had – as per the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 – suspended her Khaleda’s sentence and “released” her in March 2020 on condition that she would receive medical treatment at home and would not travel abroad. The British envoy was told that it would be advisable to consult the authorities concerned of the government in case of any confusion over such legal issues. [Dhaka Tribune]

It was further suggested that any official document of the British government also refrain from using any form of insinuating and misleading statements about the government of Bangladesh or the ruling Bangladesh Awami League.

Indian Air Force chief visits Bangladesh to strengthen defense ties

(lm) India’s Air Chief Marshal R.K.S. Bhadauria on June 29 concluded a two-day working visit to neighboring Bangladesh, where he held extensive talks with high-ranking military officials, including his Bangladeshi counterpart Shaikh Abdul Hannan and the Chief of Army Staff, General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed. [The Economic Times]

During his visit, Bhadauria also attended passing-out parade and commissioning ceremony at the Bangladesh Air Force Academy in Jashore. [Frontline]

Cannot lodge Rohingyas for an indefinite period, says Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Hasina

Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has renewed her call on the global community to ensure a timely repatriation of the more than 1.2 million Muslim Rohingya refugees currently seeking shelter in the sprawling refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar.

Addressing the 9th Moscow Conference on International Security via pre-recorded video message, the prime minister called the Rohingya refugees a “huge security threat to Bangladesh as well as the region”, adding that “such a huge population can’t be lodged for indefinite period.” [The Independent]

Bangladesh: National human rights commission failed to solve half the cases filed within last decade

(lm) Bangladesh’ s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) was able to resolve less than 50 percent of the cases filed with it within the past decade, latest date has shown. Between 2011 and June 2021, a total of 6,736 complaints were lodged with the NHRC, the nation’s rights custodian, but the average case disposal rate over the decade was 55.11 percent. [The Daily Star]

What is more, last year, only three out of 22 cases taken up by the commission against law enforcement agencies were resolved, according to the NHRC’s 2020 annual report.

A recent report by Ain O Salish Kendra, a national legal aid and human rights organization lists an acute lack of manpower as one of the main reasons behind the NHRC’s deficit. Significantly, the organization also criticizes the legal framework, saying it would restrict the NHRC from investigating any disciplined forces, including Bangladesh Police and its elite anti-crime and anti-terrorism unit, the Rapid Action Battalion.

Bangladesh: Rohingya refugees protest against living conditions on remote island

(lm) Several thousand Rohingya refugees on May 31 staged “unruly” protests against living conditions on the remote island of Bhasan Char, with some suffering baton injuries. [Reuters]

Since last December, Bangladeshi authorities have shifted 18,000 out of a planned 100,000 people to the island to ease chronic overcrowding in the sprawling refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar, where more than 1.2 million Muslim Rohingya have taken shelter.

But many refugees fear they will be exposed to torrid conditions during the impending monsoon season, and are struggling with “inadequate” health and education facilities, according to a recently published Human Rights Watch report. [Human Rights Watch]

The protests coincided with an inspection visit by a two-member delegation from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which also visited the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar the following day, before returning to Dhaka to meet with senior government officials. [Al Jazeera]

In statement issued after the visit, the UNHCR observed that the refugees currently on the island “have protection and assistance needs. That is, access to meaningful livelihood opportunities, skills development, education, health and access to cash to facilitate their daily lives,” adding that it proposes further discussions with the Bangladeshi government for the agency’s operational engagement on the island. [Arab News]

New Bangladeshi passport fuels speculation over Israel ties

(lm) Bangladesh has removed the clause “except Israel” from its new e-passport, fueling debates on whether the country might normalize ties with Israel and pave the way for Bangladeshi nationals to visit the Middle Eastern country. The government hadn’t made any public comments on the change until two Bangladeshi nationals claimed two weeks ago they received passports with “this passport is valid for all countries of the world” written on them. [Deutsche Welle]

The timing of the change assumes added significance, coming on the heels of Israel’s military assault on Gaza Stripe, which Bangladesh condemned. Like all Muslim-majority countries in South Asia, Bangladesh does not recognize Israel as a state and has kept citizens from visiting for decades.

In response, Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen said the move does not represent a change in policy and that the travel ban to Israel remains in place. He explained the change was “made to maintain the global standards,” as no other country’s passports feature the “except Israel” clause.

Bangladesh: Prominent journalist arrested and charged over alleged document theft

(lm) One of Bangladesh’s most prominent investigative journalists, known for her strong reporting on official corruption, was granted bail on May 23, after her detention on charges of violating the colonial-era Official Secrets Act had sparked days of nationwide protests. [The Straits Times] [The Wire]

Rozina Islam, a senior reporter at the daily Prothom Alo newspaper faces criminal charges under the Penal Code and Official Secrets Act for the theft and photographing of sensitive state documents related to government negotiations to purchase coronavirus vaccines. If convicted, she faces up to 14 years in prison and the possibility of a death penalty. Several journalists’ bodies and rights organizations condemned the government’s move. [Committee to Protect Journalists] [Human Rights Watch] [The Guardian]

She was detained on May 17; her family claims she suffered physical assaults and “mental torture” while being held for more than five hours in a room of a personal assistant at the Ministry of Health before being handed over to police. The following day, she appeared in court, where police sought to remanded in their custody for five days and defense lawyers sought her release on bail. The magistrate rejected both appeals and sent her to jail until her next court appearance. [The Washington Post]

While being taken to the jail from the courts, Islam briefly told reporters that she is facing charges because of her anti-corruption reporting, including her investigations into bribery and corruption in the recruitment of medical staff and irregularities in the health ministry’s procurement of health equipment.

Bangladesh orders lockdown in Rohingya camps as COVID-19 cases jump

(lm) Authorities on May 20 ordered a strict lockdown in five of the 34 sprawling Rohingya refugee camps Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar District after test results showed a higher rate of transmission of the coronavirus. [Reuters]

The government has said it will include Rohingya refugees in the nation’s vaccine roll-out, but vaccination efforts have been hit hard after neighboring India halted its exports in April. Bangladesh was supposed to receive about 30 million doses of Covishield (the local name for the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine developed in the United Kingdom) from India this year, but has only received 7 million, and has so far vaccinated just 2 percent of its 170 million people.

Against this backdrop, Bangladesh’s Refugee, Relief and Repatriation Commission (RRRC) has requested the UN Refugee Agency and held meetings with the World Health Organization to initiate a vaccination campaign in the sprawling camps in southeastern Bangladesh. The country’s Foreign Ministry also asked Canada and China to provide COVID-19 vaccines. [Anadolu Agency]

Separately, the Organization for Migration (IOM) and UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on May 28 launched a $943 million plan to “safeguard the well-being and dignity” of the more than 880,000 Rohingya refugees and 472,000 Bangladeshis in the surrounding host communities in Cox’s Bazar District. [UN News]

Comments from Chinese envoy illustrate Beijing’s concerns on possible expansion of Quad

(lm) A recent statement by China’s Ambassador to Bangladesh, Li Jimming, and subsequent remarks from the Chinese Foreign Ministry have again shed light on Beijing’s trepidation over a possible expansion of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), a loose strategic coalition comprising of France, the United States, India and Australia. [The Diplomat]

The Chinese envoy on May 10 had told Bangladeshi and Chinese reporters that Bangladesh participating in the Quad – which Li called a “narrow-purposed” grouping – would “substantially damage” ties between Dhaka and Beijing. To observers, the remarks came as a surprise, for Dhaka’s navy can hardly be considered consequential player in Indo-Pacific security. The comments of the Chinese ambassador were thus considered a pre-emptive move to caution Bangladesh from drawing too close to the US. [South China Morning Post]

Li’s comments prompted a rebuke from Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen, who said Li’s message was “regrettable” and “aggressive”. Momen also said that Bangladesh, as a sovereign nation, would decide whether to join any alliance.

Li, in turn, later clarified that he had been expressing his personal views in response to a question asked by a journalist, and he was not making any suggestion to the Bangladeshi government. The Chinese Foreign Ministry, however, on May 12 defended the envoy’s remarks, calling the Quad an “exclusive clique” against Beijing and saying Li had made Beijing’s position “clear” on the issue. [The New Indian Express]

EU and India to boost trade, Indo-Pacific partnership

(lm) The European Union and India have agreed to resume long-stalled talks on a free trade deal, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on May 8. Brussel and New Delhi will also launch negotiations on reciprocal investments and on the protection of so-called geographical indications. [South China Morning Post]

Earlier on May 8, the first EU-Indian Leaders’ Meeting brought together all 27 heads of the EU member states and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Considering that previous EU-India summits have involved only the Indian prime minister and the heads of the European Commission and the European Council, the recent summit signals the bloc’s renewed interest in the Indo-Pacific region. [Reuters]

Last month, the EU Council asked the European Commission and high representatives to draw up the bloc’s Indo-Pacific strategy by September this year. In doing so, the Council unveiled the strategy’s main thrust, which included exploring closer economic ties with India and pledging to foster a rules-based order with “free and open maritime supply routes in full compliance with international law”, without naming China.

Earlier last week, the EU also said that efforts to ratify the proposed EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI) with China had been suspended after Beijing imposed sanctions on several high-profile members of the European Parliament, three members of national parliaments, two EU committees, and several China-focused European academics.

For a comprehensive examination of the decision, please consider Chris Devonshire-Ellis’ comment for [China Briefing].

Bangladesh, Indonesia push for early trade deal

(lm) During the inaugural session of their Foreign Office Consultations (FOC), Bangladesh and Indonesia on April 29 agreed to work towards the singing of a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) to boost bilateral trade between the two countries. [Prothom Alo] [United News of Bangladesh]

With the third phase of the IBTA (Indonesia-Bangladesh Trade Agreement) still pending, both sides agreed to sign pending Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) and agreements on a fast-track basis to expand the volume of bilateral trade and investment.

Chinese defense minister visits Sri Lanka, Bangladesh

(lm) China’s Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe on April 28 arrived in Sri Lanka on a two-day visit for bilateral talks with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and other top officials. Earlier the day, Wei visited Bangladesh to meet with President Abdul Hamid and Chief of Bangladesh Army Staff General Aziz Ahmed. [South China Morning Post] [The Daily Star] [The Hindu]

General Wei is the second high-ranking Chinese official to visit the strategically located island nation within months. A Chinese seven-member delegation led by Yang Jiechi, a Communist Party Politburo member and top foreign policy official, had visited Sri Lanka on October of last year, preceding the four-nation tour by then US Secretary of State Pompeo, which aimed to bolster allies against Beijing’s growing assertiveness in the region. [AiR No. 44, November/2020, 1]

Wei’s visit assumes added significance, for it is likely to coincide with a ruling by Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court on a bill related to the contentious Colombo Port City (CPC), a Chinese-funded $1.4 billion development project to be built on reclaimed land. Several petitions have been lodged against the proposed piece of legislation since it was tabled in parliament earlier this month, with opponents saying it violates the country’s sovereignty, constitution and labor laws. [see AiR No. 16, April/2021, 3, AiR No. 17, April/2021, 4].

Bangladesh: Al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group behind anti-Modi protests, say officials

(lm) According to Bangladeshi officials, investigations into the violent protests against last month’s visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have revealed the resurgence of an al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group, which was believed to have been lying dormant for over a decade. [The Daily Star]

Reports indicate that members of the radical Islamist outfit Harkat-ul Jihad al-Islami-Bangladesh (Movement of Islamic Holy War-Bangladesh, HUJI-B) have secured themselves significant influence within Hefazat-e-Islam, a tightly-knit coalition of a dozen or so Islamist organizations that had led the violent protests.

The main aim of HUJI-B is the creation of an Islamic regime in Bangladesh modelled on the former Taliban regime in Afghanistan. In fact, Bangladesh’s history is replete with HUJI-B’s violent campaigns against the ruling Bangladesh Awami League (AL) – a traditionally secular, center-left party – and other civil society members. The group was banned in October 2005 but remains one of the most violent jihadist groups in Bangladesh’s history.

In February, a High Court upheld the death sentence of 10 members of HUJI-B and acquitted one, in a two-decade-old case related to an attempted assassination of Prime Minister Hasina. [AiR No. 8, February/2021, 4]

Bangladesh: Islamist leader arrested after violent protests over Modi visit

(lm) Police on April 18 arrested an influential leader of hardline Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam that led violent protests against last month’s visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bangladesh. The arrest follows on a stern warning by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who in a speech to parliament earlier this month said her government would not tolerate arson and violence in the name of Islam [see AiR No. 14, April/2021, 1]. [Associated Press]

The Indian prime minister had arrived in Dhaka for a two-day visit on 26 March, Bangladesh’s Independence Day. It also coincided with the birth centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country’s founder and father of Prime Minister Hasina [see AiR No. 12, March/2021, 4]. Critics accuse Modi’s Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of stoking religious polarization in India and discriminating against minorities, particularly Muslims.

The same day, clashes between protesters and government forces began after weekly prayers in three cities, and at least 17 supporters of Hefazat-e-Islam were killed in separate clashes with police. On March 28, Hefazat-e-Islam called for a nationwide shut down to protest the attacks on those who held rallies against Prime Minister Modi’s visit [see AiR No. 13, March/2021, 5].

Bangladesh: Five people killed as police fire tear gas at protesting workers

(lm) At least five people were killed and dozens injured on April 17 after police opened fire on a crowd of workers protesting over unpaid wages and to press demands for a pay raise at a power plant in the southeastern city of Chittagong. Authorities said about 2,000 protesters threw rocks and bricks at police, who responded with gunfire. [The Straits Times]

With 29 power plants being at varying stages of development, Bangladesh has one of the largest coal power pipelines in the world. The $2.4 billion power plant in Chittagong is one of a series of projects that China – which dominates both the EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) and equity investment market in Bangladesh – is pushing to cultivate closer ties with Dhaka. [Al Jazeera]

Malaysia to criticize Bangladesh High Commission over job portal

(nd) Following the launch of a job portal by the Bangladesh High Commission last November, Malaysian Ministry of Human Resources said it was “shocked” about this move without prior consultation. Such a portal contravenes Malaysia’s own employment portal and licensed private recruiters, confusing employers, possibly causing an influx of illegal workers and jeopardizing Malaysians’ job prospects. The High Commission in Kuala Lumpur clarified its portal purely targeted undocumented Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia and therefore aims to assist the Malaysian government in legalizing such workers, who are mostly employed in palm oil plantations. Out of 1.7 million legal foreign workers, 268,000 are Bangladeshis. According to an estimate by the World Bank, between 1.23 million and 1.46 million undocumented migrants worked in Malaysia in 2017. [Benar News]

Indian Army chief visits Bangladesh

(lm) Indian Army Chief General Naravane completed a five-day working visit to Bangladesh on April 12, as the two countries are jointly commemorating the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan. General Naravane’s trip follows on the heels of an official two-day Dhaka visit from Prime Minister Modi, a trip that had sparked both violent protest and enthusiasm that relations between the two neighbors will continue to grow [see AiR No. 13, March/2021, 5].

During his visit, General Naravane met with the Force Commanders of the United Nations peacekeeping operations in Mali, South Sudan and the Central African Republic. The Indian army chief also attend the closing ceremony of Exercise Shantir Ogrosena, a ten-day multinational military exercise comprising the armed forces of India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka along with observers from the United states, the United Kingdom, Turkey and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Singapore. [The Hindu]

US Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry discusses climate challenges in Bangladesh

United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry travelled to Bangladesh on April 9 for consultations with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and other top officials on increasing climate ambition ahead of the virtual “Leaders Summit on Climate” from 40 nations hosted by US President Biden later this month. Prior to his Dhaka visit, the US climate envoy also visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and India [see article this edition].

This was the first time a senior representative of the US Biden-Harris Administration visited Bangladesh. While Kerry’s conversations initially focused on advancing climate resilience and adaptation, various other issues of cooperation between Washington and Dhaka came up for discussion. [U.S. Department of State]

Bangladeshi Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen, who appeared with Kerry, took the opportunity to ask for US help in repatriating about 1.1 million Myanmar Rohingya refugees from crowded camps in the border district of Cox’s Bazar, saying they were destroying vast areas of forests. [The Washington Post]

Indian Army delegation in Bangladesh for multinational military exercise

(lm) A 30-member contingent of the Indian Army on April 4 arrived in Bangladesh to partake in the “Shantir Ogroshena” joint military exercise, alongside with military personnel from Bhutan and Sri Lanka. The eight-day military training is being held to commemorate the birth centenary of the country’s founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and 50 years of independence from Pakistan[see AiR No. 12, March/2021, 4]. [The Times of India]

Further, military observers from the United States, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Singapore will be in attendance throughout the exercise.

Bangladesh: Authorities take foreign envoys to new Rohingya camp

(lm) Ten Dhaka-based foreign diplomats on April 3 visited the remote island of Bhasan Char to get an idea of the living conditions of the more than 18,000 Rohingya refugees who have been relocated there since December of last year. [Anadolu Agency]

Bangladesh plans to relocate in phases 100,000 of the more than 1.2 million Rohingya refugees who have taken shelter in sprawling refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar, where a major blaze in four conjoined camps earlier this month left at least 15 people dead and nearly 50,000 homeless [see AiR No. 12, March/2021, 4]. The government has repeatedly justified the move by saying it would ease chronic overcrowding, ignoring concerns about the low-lying island’s vulnerability to cyclones and floods [see AiR No. 49, December/2020, 2].

The first-ever trip to the island by foreign dignitaries was preceded by a United Nation (UN) delegation’s three-day visit to the remote island. The UN earlier said it had not been allowed to carry out a technical and safety assessment of the island and was not involved in the transfer of refugees there [see AiR No. 50, December/2020, 3].

A five-member delegation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) also went to Bhashan Char days after the UN visit. At the time, Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen had urged the OIC to help start the repatriation of Rohingya refugees to their home country Myanmar. [AiR No. 11, March/2021, 3]

Bangladesh: Prime Minister Hasina slams anti-Modi protests

(lm) Following the violent protests set off by Indian Prime Minister Modi’s presence at Bangladesh’s 50th independence anniversary celebrations last week, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on April 4 came down hard on hardline Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam, stressing that her government would not tolerate arson and violence in the name of Islam. [Punjab News Express]

Calling the clashes between protesters at government forces “very unfortunate and shocking”, the prime minister also attacked the country’s two major opposition parties, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami, alleging that both had provided support to the violent protests.

Prime Minister Modi had arrived in Dhaka for a two-day visit on 26 March, Bangladesh’s Independence Day. It also coincided with the birth centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country’s founder and father of Prime Minister Hasina [see AiR No. 12, March/2021, 4].

The same day, clashes between protesters and government forces began after weekly prayers in three cities – Dhaka, the capital; Brahmanbaria, near the Indian border, and the coastal city of Chittagong. Over the course of the following days, protests spread to other parts of the country, with Hefazat-e-Islam calling for a nationwide shut down on 28 March to protest the attacks on those who held rallies against Prime Minister Modi’s visit [see AiR No. 13, March/2021, 5].

Bangladesh: Fourteen Islamist militants sentenced to death for assassination attempt on prime minister

(lm) A Bangladeshi court on March 23 handed sentenced to death 14 militants in a two-decade-old case related to an attempted assassination of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The convicts are members of Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI), an Islamic fundamentalist organization that was banned in Bangladesh in 2005. [The Hindu]

In the case dating back to 2000, security officials recovered a time bomb near the stage where the prime minister was scheduled to speak. Among those accused in the case, 13 are in prison, while 11 have absconded. Last week’s verdict came after a High Court in February had upheld the death sentence of 10 militants and acquitted one [see AiR No. 8, February/2021, 4].

Bangladesh: Authorities defend use of fences after Rohingya camp blaze

(lm) Authorities defended on March 24 the use of barbed-wire fencing surrounding Bangladesh’s Rohingya camps, after a major blaze in four conjoined camps near Cox’s Bazar had left at least 15 people dead and nearly 50,000 homeless [see AiR No. 12, March/2021, 4].

In the wake of early assessments, the United Nations (UN), aid groups and Rohingya leaders said on March 23 that the fences erected by the military had hampered rescue work and made it difficult to evacuate, though it wasn’t yet clear how significant an obstacle they were. Bangladesh’s refugee commissioner came out defending the fences, saying they were not built inside the camps to act as barriers between blocks of shanties. [The New Humanitarian] [The Straits Times]

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. An early report from the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) suggested an exploding gas cylinder may have been responsible. Rohingya households receive cylinders of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for cooking fuel as part of their aid supplies. [BRAC]

Meanwhile, the UN’s migration agency, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said the fire destroyed a number of facilities, including key medical facilities, food distribution centers, and a market. [ReliefWeb]

Bangladesh: Violent protests spread after visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

(lm) At least 13 people were killed and dozens injured in protests against a two-day visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bangladesh. Clashes between protesters and government forces began on March 26 after weekly prayers in three cities – Dhaka, the capital; Brahmanbaria, near the Indian border, and the coastal city of Chittagong – and have since spread across the country. [Al Jazeera 1] [Reuters] [The Straits Times]

Prime Minister Modi arrived in Bangladesh on March 26 to attend the concluding event of Bangladesh’s 10-day-long grand celebration commemorating the birth centenary of the country’s founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and 50 years of independence from Pakistan [see AiR No. 12, March/2021, 4]. Critics accuse Modi’s Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of stoking religious polarization in India and discriminating against minorities, particularly Muslims. In recent weeks, demonstrators in Muslim-majority Bangladesh had urged the Indian leader not to visit and criticized Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for issuing the invitation, saying the two countries have many unresolved disputes, including the killing of Bangladeshis by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) [see AiR No. 7, February/2021, 3].

A few hundred members of Hefazat-e-Islam, a tightly-knit coalition of a dozen or so Islamist organizations [see AiR No. 7, February/2021, 3], led street processions through Chittagong and Dhaka on March 27, protesting the deaths of four of their supporters, who were killed the day before when police had opened fire at protesters who allegedly attacked a police station. Violence continued in Brahammanbaria the following day, resulting in five more deaths, according to Bangladeshi media. When the protest march turned violent, security forces opened fire to disperse the crowds. [Al Jazeera 2] [New York Times]

Other groups – including students and other Islamist outfits – also staged protests, criticizing the government for what they described as growing authoritarianism, including forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. At least 20 people, including two journalists, were injured when members of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BSL), the student wing of the ruling Awami League, carried out multiple attacks on protests at a university in the capital Dhaka. [Dhaka Tribune]

Separately, protests were held on March 25 across Bangladesh to observe the “Bengali Genocide Remembrance Day”. Approved unanimously in 2017, the national day commemorates “Operation Searchlight”, a military operation carried out by the Pakistan Army which sought to curb the Bengali independence movement by eliminating the Awami League apparatus, alongside Bengali civilians, intelligentsia, students, politicians, and armed personnel [see AiR No. 10, March/2021, 2]. [Hindustan Times]

Bangladesh stresses importance of infrastructure project to develop trade with Bhutan

(lm) Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on March 24 held a meeting with visiting Bhutanese Prime Minister Lotay Tshering, discussing various fields of cooperation between the two countries, notably trade and connectivity. The Bhutanese prime minister was in Dhaka to attend the 10-day-long grand celebration commemorating the birth centenary of the country’s founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and 50 years of independence from Pakistan [see AiR No. 12, March/2021, 4].

The two leaders discussed the possibility of a bilateral or tripartite agreement to build a hydropower project in Bhutan. Prime Minister Hasina also offered to her country’s waterways to expand bilateral trade. In December, both countries had signed a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), the first such agreement Bangladesh signed with any country since its independence in 1971. [The Daily Star]

Bangladesh visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi a boost for trade, connectivity

(lm) Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 27 concluded a two-day official visit to Bangladesh, a trip that sparked both violent protest [see article in this edition] and enthusiasm that relations between the two neighbors will continue to grow. [The Indian Express]

The Indian Prime Minister arrived on March 26 to attend the concluding event of Bangladesh’s a 10-day-long grand celebration commemorating the birth centenary of the country’s founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and 50 years of independence from Pakistan. Leaders from Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives have already attended the festivities, which started on March 17 [see AiR No. 12, March/2021, 4].

On the first day of Prime Minister Modi’s visit, the two leaders witnessed the signing of five agreements involving trade, disaster management, information technology and sports. They also jointly laid the foundation stones for infrastructure development for power evacuation facilities of an under-construction nuclear power plant in Bangladesh. A new train service between Bangladesh and India was also launched by the two leaders. [Associated Press] [The Straits Times 2]

During the talks Bangladesh Prime Minister Skeikh Hasina requested India, currently a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), to play a “strong role” in the early repatriation of the displaced Rohingya back to Myanmar. [NDTV]

Prime Minister Modi also bore the gift of an additional 1.2 million doses of Covishield (the local name for the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine developed in the United Kingdom), after Dhaka had previously received 2 million free doses of the shot. Bangladesh in November signed a deal with the Serum Institute of India (SII), the world’s largest vaccine maker whose coronavirus shots are being used in New Delhi’s “vaccine diplomacy” [see AiR No. 5, February/2021, 1]. Coming at a time when New Delhi has told its international partners that it will prioritize domestic inoculations over exports of vaccines as it battles a rise in new infections, the gift lends further credence to the importance of the India-Bangladesh relationship. [Reuters] [South China Morning Post]

In December, the two countries had signed seven Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in a range of areas including trade, energy and agriculture AiR No. 51, December/2020, 4. The virtual summit marked the first high-level meeting of the two leaders since bilateral relations had nosedived after India in 2019 had passed its controversial religion-based citizenship law [see AiR No. 2, January/2020, 2]. New Delhi has since been making overtures to smoothen relations with Dhaka, with the Indian foreign secretary visiting Bangladesh twice last year [see AiR No. 35, September/2020, 1, AiR No. 33, August/2020, 3].

Bangladesh invites leaders of five nations to visit on Independence Day

(lm) Bangladesh on March 17 witnessed the inaugural session of a 10-day-long grand celebration in Dhaka commemorating the birth centenary of the country’s founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahmanand 50 years of independence from Pakistan. The South Asian nation had postponed the 100th birthday celebrations of its founding leader last year due to the looming pandemic. [Anadolu Agency]

Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih delivered a speech as a guest of honor, while Bangladesh’s President Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also addressed the nation. Chinese President Xi Jinping, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga delivered recorded welcome speeches.

Heads of state from Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan also attended the celebrations under separate schedules due to the coronavirus pandemic. All five South Asian leaders held talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, which yielded several bilateral memorandums of understanding (MoUs). [Daily Financial Times] [The Kathmandu Post] 

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be attending as chief guest at the concluding event on March 26, signifying the importance of the India−Bangladesh relationship, for it will be Modi’s first foreign visit since the outbreak of the pandemic. As to possible outcomes of the visit, attention is paid to the signing of a water-sharing agreement between Bangladesh and India for the Teesta River.

Dhaka has long been pressing New Delhi for signing off a deal on the sharing of Teesta River water. Negotiations were expedited in 2009 and, since 2011, have aimed at ensuring that the river would get the necessary water during the lean season to ensure a minimum level to help the agriculture sector of north Bangladesh. However, as India uses dams upstream to generate electricity and needs water to irrigate farms in West Bengal state, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has so far refused to sign off a respective agreement.

Last August, then, talks between Bangladesh and China on a loan deal to implement a proposed irrigation project on the Teesta River had entered an advanced stage, leaving flat India which had hitherto initiated a series of measures to regain long-standing good relations with its eastern neighbor [see AiR No. 34, August/2020, 4].

Bangladesh: Thousands flee ‘massive fire’ at Rohingya refugee camps

Authorities have begun investigating a huge blaze that ripped through a sprawling Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar in southeastern Bangladesh on March 22, forcing at least 50,000 people to flee and left seven people believed dead. The fire, which marks the largest of multiple fires that have plagued the camps this year alone, was believed to have started in one of the 34 camps, before spreading to two other camps. [CNN] [France 24] [The Straits Times 1] [The Straits Times 2]

Meanwhile, a United Nations delegation on March 12 completed a three-day visit to a remote island in the Bay of Bengal where authorities have moved more than 13,000 Rohingya refugees since December, ignoring ongoing complaints by rights groups concerned about the low-lying island’s vulnerability to cyclones and floods. The UN earlier said it had not been allowed to carry out a technical and safety assessment of the island and was not involved in the transfer of refugees there [see AiR No. 50, December/2020, 3]. [Arab News]

To ease chronic overcrowding in the sprawling refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar [see AiR No. 23, June/2020, 2], Bangladesh wants to eventually transfer 100,000 of the more than one million refugees to Bhasan Char. The government routinely dismisses concerns of floods, citing the construction of a 2m embankment to prevent flooding along with facilities such as cyclone centers and hospitals [see AiR No. 49, December/2020, 2].

SIPRI international arms transfers report 2020

(dql) According to the 2020 international arms transfers report of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), released last week, the US remains the world’s largest arms supplier in 2016-2020 accounting for 37% of the global arms exports, followed by Russia (20%), France (8.2), Germany (5.5%) and China (5.2%). Together, these five countries accounted for 76% of all exports of major arms. Besides China, Asian countries listed among the top 25 countries which accounted for 99% of global arms exports include South Korea (2.7%, ranking at 7), the United Arab Emirates (0.5%, 18), and India (0.2%, 24)

Against the backdrop of the US-China rivalry, the US allies Australia (accounting for 9.4% of US arms exports), South Korea (6.7%) and Japan (5.7%) were among the five largest importers of US arms.

23 Asian countries were among the 40 largest importers including Saudi-Arabia, India, China, South Korea, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Iraq, Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Thailand, Oman, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Jordan, the Philippines, Azerbaijan, Myanmar, Taiwan, and Malaysia. [Reliefweb]

Bangladesh proposes strengthening intra-OIC trade, seeks Saudi investment

(lm) Bangladesh has urged Saudi Arabia to sign Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) for further enabling Saudi investors to invest in public–private partnership projects in the South Asian nation. Dhaka’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs proposed as much during a bilateral meeting wit his Saudi counterpart in Riyadh on March 7, Bangladesh Foreign Ministry said the following day. [The Financial Express]

During his three-day working visit to Saudi Arabia, the Bangladeshi diplomat also met with the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Yousef Al-Othaimeen, on March 8. During the meeting, the two sides reviewed areas and prospects of close cooperation between the OIC and Bangladesh. The meeting followed on a visit by a five-member delegation two weeks earlier to take stock of the situation of Rohingya refugees on the ground. At the time, Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen had urged the OIC to help start the repatriation of Rohingya refugees to their home country Myanmar. [Prothom Alo]

Bangladesh criticizes international community nor not doing enough to repatriate Rohingya refugees

(lm) Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momin has appealed to the international community to work sincerely, instead of paying ‘lip service’ regarding the repatriation of Rohingyas refugees to their home country Myanmar. Addressing a discussion at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital Dhaka on March 8, the foreign minister also urged countries to re-evaluate their commercial ties with Myanmar, and criticized that some countries had even increased their trade volume with Myanmar since the military crackdown on the Muslim Rohingya that began in August 2017. [The Daily Star]

Momin also took a potshot at international organizations and rights groups that had criticized Bangladesh’s decision to send some of the refugees to a remote island in the Bay of Bengal. Since early December, authorities have relocated about 10,000 Rohingya to Bhasan Char, an island specifically developed to accommodate 100,000 of the 1 million Rohingya [see AiR No. 52, December/2020, 5]. Bangladesh has repeatedly justified the move saying it would ease chronic overcrowding in sprawling refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar [see AiR No. 23, June/2020, 2].

Bangladesh: Rally held against Quran petition in India

(lm) The largest Islamist political party in Bangladesh, Jamaat-e-Islami, organized a rally in the capital Dhaka on March 15 to protest against a petition filed in India’s Supreme Court seeking the removal of 26 verses from the Holy Quran. [Anadolu Agency]

A local Shia Muslim leader from the state of Uttar Pradesh had previously filed petition with the Indian Supreme Court seeking the removal of 26 verses from the Holy Quran over claims that these were introduced to the religious book at a later date and are violent in nature and against the basic tenets of Islam.

In India, clerics from both Sunni and Shiite Muslim sects have strongly condemned the move and issued a fatwa – a death sentence – against the petitioner, calling on community members to ostracize him from the community and Islam. A prominent Shia Muslim cleric even urged the Supreme Court to reject the petition and sent a memorandum to Indian Prime Minister Modi to urge Indian authorities to arrest the petitioner for blasphemy and making an attempt to breach peace by vitiating the communal atmosphere in the country. [The Free Press Journal]

Bangladesh seeks economic, not security relations with United States, says foreign minister

(lm) Bangladesh has conveyed to the United States that it would prioritize support in infrastructure projects and investment over purchasing defense equipment, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said on March 2. Momen recently completed a working visit to Washington, during which he held a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to discuss bilateral cooperation to jointly address major challenges, including climate change, in South Asia and the greater Indo-Pacific region [see AiR No. 9, March/2021, 1]. [Dhaka Tribune]

Earlier this year the US ambassador to Bangladesh had ensured Dhaka that the new Biden-Harris Administration would continue to make the Indo-Pacific and South Asia a significant priority. The remarks came after months of coordinated effort by Washington to entice Dhaka into closer embrace as a key Indo-Pacific partner to counter China’s growing financial and political footprint in the region [see AiR No. 42, October/2020, 3, AiR No. 37, September/2020, 3].

Bangladesh: Cartoonist arrested under contentious internet law granted bail after protests

(lm) Bangladesh’s High Court granted bail on March 3 to a jailed cartoonist who has been held for ten months in pre-trial detention for drawing cartoons mocking a powerful businessman close to the government. According to his lawyer, he has developed major health problems and has been tortured in custody. [Al Jazeera] [Voice of America]

The same day, several hundred people rallied in Dhaka in the sixth days of widespread protests over the death in custody of a prominent writer earlier this month [see AiR No. 9, March/2021, 1]. The protesters gave Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government an ultimatum to abolish the contentious Digital Security Act (DSA) by March 26 – Bangladesh’s Independence Day – or face intensified protests. [The Straits Times]

Both accused were among 11 individuals arrested in May 2020 under the DSA for allegedly creating confusion over the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The men were repeatedly denied bail and remained in pre-trial detention for nearly nine months before they were officially charged in late January this year for posting “propaganda, false or offensive information, and information that could destroy communal harmony and create unrest”.

Against this backdrop, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, urged Bangladesh on March 1 to ensure a transparent probe into to the death in custody of the writer. Bachelet also called on Dhaka to “conduct a review of the Digital Security Act […]; suspend its application; and release all those detained under it for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and opinion.” [UN News]

Separately, Bangladesh’s Supreme Court (SC) on March 7 heard a bail petition concerning a 61-old man who was arrested under the DSA in March last year. The High Court granted him bail seven months later for one year on medical grounds, but the government filed a petition, challenging the court’s ruling. By the time of the SC’s decision, the accused had been in jail for a year without being charged, although the DSA gives authorities a maximum of 105 days to complete a probe and file charges. While the SC upheld the High Court’s ruling from last year, the Chief Justice remarked that the SC would not consider granting bail to people accused of “tarnishing the country’s image”, but on medical grounds. [The Daily Star]

Bangladesh: Anniversary of Sheikh Mujib Rahman’s historic March 7 speech observed

(lm) Bangladesh has observed the 50^th anniversary of the historic speech given by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding president of Bangladesh and father of incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, on March 7, 1971. Delivered during a period of escalating tensions between East Pakistan and the powerful political and military establishment of West Pakistan, the speech effectively declared the independence of Bangladesh. [bdnews24.com]

At that time, Pakistani military rulers refused to transfer power to Rahman’s Awami League, the largest East Pakistani political party which had gained majority in the National Assembly of Pakistan in 1970. The Bangladesh Liberation War began 18 days later when the Pakistan Army launched a military operation aimed at eliminating the Awami League apparatus, alongside Bengali civilians, intelligentsia, students, politicians, and armed personnel.

Bangladesh: Suspension of prison term of former PM Khaleda likely to be extended

(lm) Bangladesh’s Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs recommended on March 8 to extend the freeze on the jail sentences of Khaleda Zia, the chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) who served two periods as prime minister. [The Siasat Daily]

An arch-rival of Prime Minister Hasina’s, Zia had served 25 months out of 17 years of prison sentences in two corruption cases when the government granted her conditional release for six months in March last year to seek medical treatment in hospital under the supervision of the prison authorities. [AiR No. 13, March/2020, 5].

The suspension was extended last September by another six months on condition that the former prime minister cannot go abroad. The same month, the Supreme Court’s (SC) Appellate Division upheld the suspension of trial proceedings in four more cases against Zia. The cases, carrying charges of vandalism, arson and defamation, were filed in 2015. [AiR No. 38, September/2020, 4].

Bangladesh, US agree to jointly address challenges in South Asia and greater Indo-Pacific region

(lm) Bangladesh and the United States have agreed to further strengthen bilateral ties and to jointly address major challenges, including climate change, in South Asia and the greater Indo-Pacific region. The consensus was reached during a phone conversation between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Bangladesh Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen held on February 23. [The Hindu]

Momen is currently on a visit to Washington DC – his first since US President Joe Biden was inaugurated and announced his administration’s commitment to pursuing a foreign policy centered on democracy, human rights, and equality with the use of multilateral tools. Apart from the phone conversation with Blinken, which could not be held in-person due to COVID-19 restrictions, Momen delivered two speeches on the Rohingya crisis, met with US Congressmen and gave interviews in response to ‘negative propaganda’ against Bangladesh, especially regarding extrajudicial killings. [The Daily Star]

Earlier this year the US ambassador to Bangladesh ensured Dhaka that the Biden-Harris Administration would continue to make the Indo-Pacific and South Asia a significant priority. The remarks came after months of coordinated effort by Washington to entice Dhaka into closer embrace as a key Indo-Pacific partner to counter China’s growing financial and political footprint in the region [see AiR No. 42, October/2020, 3, AiR No. 37, September/2020, 3].

Bangladesh: Hundreds march in Dhaka to protest death of writer in prison

(lm) Hundreds of Bangladeshi students and activists took to the streets on March 1 in the fourth day of protests sparked by the death of a prominent writer who had collapsed and died in prison on February 25 after being arrest last year on charges of violating the contentious Digital Security Act (DSA). Riot police stopped demonstrators shortly before the Bangladesh Secretariat, which houses the majority of ministries. [Al Jazeera]

During clashes between police and protesters during previous demonstrations, dozens were injured as security forces fired rubber bullets and tear gas at demonstrators marching at the University of Dhaka and the National Press Club. [The Straits Times] [France 24]

Authorities have ordered a committee to determine whether a negligence by jail officials may have caused the death of the writer. But protesters call the incident a ‘custodial murder’, pointing out that the writer was denied bail six times during his ten months in prison. Speaking at a press conference the same day, Prime Minister Hasina brushed aside international concerns over the DSA and the writer’s death saying the law was necessary to prevent ‘the youth from taking a wrong path or getting involved in militancy and terrorism.’ [Deutsche Welle]

Meanwhile, thirteen ambassadors from countries including the United States, France, Britain, Canada, and Germany expressed ‘grave concern’ over the case in a joint statement on February 26. The diplomats called on Bangladesh’s government to conduct ‘a swift, transparent and independent inquiry’ into the writer’s death, while also questioning the DSA’s ‘compatibility with Bangladesh’s obligations under international human rights laws and standards.’ [bdnews24.com] [South China Morning Post]

Throughout the last year, more than 40 people have been arrested over social media posts about the pandemic, lending credence to concerns that the DSSA is used as a pretense to muzzle critics of the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic [see AiR No. 24, June/2020, 3]. In January Amnesty International had published a report calling on authorities in Bangladesh to immediately and unconditionally release all artists unlawfully detained and to repeal the Digital Security Act 2018 or substantially amend its repressive provisions. [AiR No. 4, January/2021, 4]

Bangladesh: Lawyer files sedition case over Al Jazeera investigative report

(lm) A government-linked Bangladeshi lawyer filed a sedition case on February 17 over an Al Jazeera investigative report that had revealed disturbing facts about the family of Bangladesh’s Chief of Army Staff (CAS), General Aziz Ahmed [see AiR No. 7, February/2021, 3]. [Al Jazeera]

The lawyer behind the case is the founder and president of the Bangabandhu Foundation, a government-owned and supported welfare foundation for athletes in Bangladesh. The accused in the lawsuit are Al Jazeera Media Network’s acting Director General and several other people featured in the documentary.

Furthermore, the country’s High Court later the same day ordered the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to remove all content of the report from social media and other online platforms. The BTRC had earlier approached YouTube to remove the investigation from the video platform – a request that was rejected as the content did not violate the company’s community guidelines. In addition, Bangladesh’s telco regulator had also called on US social media giants Facebook and Twitter to pull down the documentary. [The Straits Times]

Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s foreign ministry has slammed the documentary as a “smear campaign” by Jamaat-e-Islami, the country’s largest political party, which since 2013 is banned from contesting national elections. Its predecessor, Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, strongly opposed the independence of Bangladesh and break-up of Pakistan. During the War of Liberation that transformed East Pakistan into Bangladesh in 1971, the group collaborated with the Pakistan Army in its operations against Bengali nationalists and pro-liberation intellectuals. Under Hasina’s government, which has been in power since 2009, five of Jamaat’s senior leaders have been executed over war crimes committed during the war [also see AiR No. 48, December/2020, 1].

Bangladesh: Court upholds death penalty for ten militants

(lm) A Bangladeshi High Court upheld on February 18 the death sentence of 10 militants, and acquitted one, in a two-decade-old case related to an attempted assassination of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. [The Daily Star]

The convicts are members of Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI), an Islamic fundamentalist organization that was banned in Bangladesh in 2005. In the case dating back to 2000, security officials recovered a time bomb near the stage where the prime minister was scheduled to speak. Among those accused in the case, 13 are in prison, while 11 have absconded. [Anadolu Agency]

Bangladesh: Court sentences to death five members of Islamist militant group for killing US blogger

(lm) A special tribunal sentenced to death five members of an Islamist militant group on February 16 for killing a Bangladeshi-American blogger critical of religious fundamentalism six years ago. The court also jailed one man for life in the attack, which was part of a string of deadly attacks between 2013 and 2016 targeting secular activists, bloggers and atheist writers, claimed by Islamic State or al Qaeda-aligned groups. [The Straits Times]

All men convicted on February 16 belong to the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), an Islamic Jihadi organization in Bangladesh, which the police say was behind the murders of more than a dozen atheist bloggers. Earlier this month Bangladesh’s Special Anti-Terrorism Tribunal sentenced to death eight Islamist militants, two of whom are at large, in the 2015 killing of a publisher of books on secularism and atheism [see AiR No. 7, February/2021, 3]. [Jurist]

Bangladesh: Islamist to hang over publisher’s murder

(lm) A special tribunal has sentenced to death eight Islamist militants, two of whom are at large, in the 2015 killing of a publisher of books on secularism and atheism. The attack was part of a wave of violence between 2013 and 2016 targeting secular activists, bloggers and atheist writers. [The Straits Times] [Al Jazeera]

The verdict comes at a time when Bangladesh is witnessing a surge in Islamist activism and violence, all the while the ruling Bangladesh Awami League (AL) – a traditionally secular, center-left party – continues to grapple with its relations to Hefazat-e-Islam, the biggest Islamic group in the country.

A tightly-knit coalition of a dozen or so Islamist organization, Hefazat-e-Islam burst onto the scene in 2010, ostensibly to defend Islam from AL’s allegedly anti-Islamic policies, especially a proposed policy to confer equal inheritance rights to women. The group then shot to prominence in 2013, staging mass protests and sit-ins in Dhaka with a 13-point charter of demands which included implementing the death penalty for blaspheming Islam or the prophet. [The Jamestown Foundation]

Importantly, the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina facilitated Hefazat-e-Islam’s rise, as it decided to offer ideological concessions in order to deter unrest. Moreover, the AL government considered the group a useful Islamist ally to counter its political rival, the Islamist-friendly Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

Consequently, in the years between 2013 to 2016, when secular bloggers were killed by militant groups, the government resorted to blaming the victims for their offensive writings. A case in point, authorities in 2017 responded to Hefazat-e-Islam’s demand by removing 17 popular poems and stories by non-Muslim writers as the group accused such writings of promoting secularism. [Prothom Alo]

Understandably, the religious groups considered such appeasement policies as empowering, and have since continued to push their agendas to further Islamize the society and public sphere. In October and November last year, for example, Hefazat-e-Islam organized a series of mass-protests in Dhaka to protest against French President Emanuel Macron’s defense of free speech laws that allow cartoon depictions of the Prophet Mohammed [see AiR No. 44, November/2020, 1]. Weeks later, the group started an agitation against the construction of a sculpture of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding president of Bangladesh and father of incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in Dhaka [see AiR No. 48, December/2020, 1]. Islamist groups deem such statues to be anti-Islamic, often associating them with idol worship – a strictly forbidden practice in Islam.

Bangladesh: Gallantry award of former President and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman revoked

(lm) The National Freedom Fighter Council [see AiR No. 2, January/2021, 2] decided on February 9 to revoke a gallantry title awarded to Ziaur Rahman, founder of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and former President of Bangladesh. The decision, however, has not yet been implemented; it depends on the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs, which may decide to send the proposal to the Cabinet for final approval.

Originally an officer of the Bangladesh Army, Ziaur Rahman quickly ascended to leadership in the months following the 1975 assassination of Sheikh Mujibur, the founding president of Bangladesh and father of incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Rahman, who was killed in a military coup in 1981, was the husband of Khaleda Zia, an arch-rival of Prime Minister Hasina’s who served two periods as prime minister and is currently on conditional release from jail in two corruption cases [see AiR No. 38, September/2020, 4].

The awards had been conferred to Rahman for his contributions to the War of Liberation that transformed East Pakistan into Bangladesh in 1971. The reasons behind the decision against him have been cited as involvement in the plot for assassinating Sheikh Mujibur, as well as aiding and abetting the group of army officials involved in the killing by appointing them to important government posts during his presidency (1977-81), among others. However, the charges pertaining to the murder of Sheikh Mujibur have not been tried in any court. [Dhaka Tribune 1]

Protesting the decision, members of the BNP questioned the motive behind the decision, suggesting it had been made for “political vengeance”. They also said the National Freedom Fighters Council did not have the authority to revoke the gallantry title, considering that the body was formed to look after the welfare of members of the Freedom Fighters – the so-called Mukti Bahini – who fought for Bangladesh during the War of Liberation. [Dhaka Tribune 2] [United News of Bangladesh]

Bangladesh: Authorities to move more Rohingya to remote island, despite outcry

(lm) Authorities in Bangladesh have sent another 3,000 to 4,000 Rohingya refugees to a remote island in the Bay of Bengal, ignoring ongoing complaints by rights groups concerned about the low-lying island’s vulnerability to cyclones and floods. [The Straits Times] [Anadolu Agency]

Since early December, authorities had already relocated about 7,000 Rohingya to Bhasan Char, an island specifically developed to accommodate 100,000 of the 1 million Rohingya [see AiR No. 52, December/2020, 5]. Bangladesh justifies the move saying it would ease chronic overcrowding in sprawling refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar [see AiR No. 23, June/2020, 2]. The government also routinely dismisses concerns of floods, citing the construction of a 2m embankment to prevent flooding along with facilities such as cyclone centers and hospitals [see AiR No. 49, December/2020, 2].

Earlier this month a long-awaited meeting of a working committee on the Rohingya repatriation between Bangladesh and Myanmar had been adjourned indefinitely, after the military overthrew Myanmar’s democratically elected government and declared a year-long state of emergency [see AiR No. 6, February/2021, 2].

Bangladesh: Investigative report exposes close relationship between crime family and prime minister

(lm) Bangladesh’s Chief of Army Staff (CAS) General Aziz Ahmed is the pivotal figure of a disturbing investigation by Qatar-based news channel Al Jazeera. A two-year investigation, “All the Prime Minister’s Men” reveals how his family has all the tools of the state at its disposal, including the commuting of sentences, obtaining false documents and the arrest of political opponents, all the while maintaining powerful links with the country’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

To begin with, leaked documents obtained by Al Jazeera show how General Aziz is using his position to protect his four brothers, two of whom are wanted for their involvement in the 1996 murder of a member of a rival political party of the ruling Awami League. Following that murder, the two men had fled abroad to escape law enforcement, with General Aziz using military officers to help one of his brothers creating a false identity, which was then used to set up businesses in Europe and buy properties around the world. [Al Jazeera Investigations 1]

Furthermore, the investigation revealed that the Bangladeshi government had secretly bought highly invasive surveillance equipment from Israel – a country that Bangladesh officially does not recognize – with one of the brothers wanted by law enforcement serving as a key figure in the procurement. The contract for the acquisition of spyware was signed one day after General Aziz Ahmed became head of the Bangladesh Army. [Al Jazeera Investigations 2]

The Bangladesh military reacted to the evidence by saying that the equipment was for an “army contingent due to be deployed in the UN peacekeeping mission.” The UN on February 4, however, denied that it was deploying such equipment with Bangladeshi contingents in UN peacekeeping operations. [YouTube]

Maldives, Bangladesh sign two Memoranda of Understanding

(lm) During a visit of Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid to Bangladesh last week, both countries signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) pertaining to the recruitment of manpower and the training of foreign service officers. [Dhaka Tribune]

The two South Asian nations further agreed to establish two regular consultation mechanisms to boost cooperation on trade and business, in addition to a direct shipping line. The two mechanisms include a joint commission for comprehensive cooperation led by the respective foreign ministers and annual foreign office consultations led by the respective foreign secretaries. [The Daily Star]

Talks between on Rohingya repatriation deferred due to military coup in Myanmar

(lm) A long-awaited meeting of a working committee on the Rohingya repatriation between Bangladesh and Myanmar has been adjourned indefinitely, after the military overthrew Myanmar’s democratically elected government and declared a year-long state of emergency. Earlier this month Dhaka its neighbor to resume the repatriation process this year, after Myanmar had earlier said it was committed to the repatriation as per the 2017 bilateral agreement, in spite of two failed attempts in the past [see AiR No. 1, January/2021, 1]. [Dhaka Tribune 1]

Furthermore, the new administration has explained in writing to Bangladesh the reasons for the coup, citing alleged discrepancies such as duplicated names on voting lists in scores of districts in the national election held in November last year [see AiR No. 2, January/2021, 2]. [The Daily Star]

What is more, Bangladesh last week turned down a proposal to import 100,000 metric tons of rice under a government-to-government agreement from Myanmar, at a time when Dhaka is trying to replenish its depleted reserves after floods last year ravaged crops and sent prices to a record high. In December last year, Bangladesh agreed to buy 150,000 tons of rice from the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED), one of the largest procurement and marketing agencies for agricultural products in India. [Dhaka Tribune 2]

Bangladesh: Military coup in Myanmar may scuttle plans to repatriate Rohingya refugees

(lm) The military coup in neighboring Myanmar on February 1 [see article this edition] has raised fears in Bangladesh that the new regime may not make genuine efforts to revive the stalled process of voluntary repatriation of Rohingya Muslim refugees. Myanmar had earlier said it was committed to the repatriation as per the 2017 bilateral agreement, despite to failed attempts in the past [see AiR No. 1, January/2021, 1]. [The Straits Times 1] [Forbes]

Bangladesh is hosting more than a million Rohingya refugees who fled a brutal military crackdown three years ago [see AiR No. 5, August/2017,12]  at cramped makeshift camps in Cox’s Bazar, which is considered the world’s largest refugee settlement. Earlier this month Dhaka urged Myanmar to resume the repatriation process this year, after the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) approved a resolution strongly condemning rights abuses against Rohingya Muslims and other minority groups in Myanmar, including arbitrary arrests, torture, rape, and deaths in detention [see AiR No. 1, January/2021, 1].

Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s government sent two more groups of Rohingya refugees to a remote Bay of Bengal island on January 30, ignoring complaints by rights groups concerned about low-lying island’s vulnerability to cyclones and floods. [South China Morning Post] [Bloomberg]

Since early December, authorities had relocated about 3,500 Rohingya to Bhasan Char, an island specifically developed to accommodate 100,000 of the 1 million Rohingya [see AiR No. 52, December/2020, 5]. Bangladesh justifies the move saying it would ease chronic overcrowding in sprawling refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar [see AiR No. 23, June/2020, 2]. The government also routinely dismisses concerns of floods, citing the construction of a 2m embankment to prevent flooding along with facilities such as cyclone centers and hospitals [see AiR No. 49, December/2020, 2]. [The Straits Times 2]

US climate envoy phones Bangladesh’s foreign minister, discusses climate change

(lm) Recognizing that Bangladesh is exceptionally vulnerable to climate change, the newly appointed United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry, has assured Dhaka of continued support and cooperation on tackling the effects of climate change. [South Asia Monitor]

During a phone conversation with Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on January 26, Kerry also said this year’s 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) might be the world’s last chance to hit the target of carbon emission.

Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries in terms of climate change. In the 2020 edition of Germanwatch’s Climate Risk Index (CRI), Dhaka ranked seventh in the list of countries most affected by climate calamities during the period 1999–2018. [Germanwatch]

Myanmar, Indonesia to urge safe return conditions for Rohingyas

(nd) In an effort to weigh in on the solution of the Rohingya refugees, Indonesia urged Myanmar to create safe conditions to return from Bangladesh to Rakhine state. During a virtual ASEAN meeting, the bloc members supported the repatriation plan. The ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) reminded the bloc members of the ongoing clashes between Myanmar’s military and Arakan Army, creating an unsafe environment into which a return cannot be forced. APHR renewed calls to exert more pressure on the Burmese government in this regard.

In November 2018 and August 2019, previous plans to repatriate Rohingya refugees failed due to the lack of a guarantee for their safety and rights. Indonesia took in over 11,000 Rohingya refugees since 2015, according to the Indonesian Foreign Ministry. With regards to the about 400 Rohingya refugees residing in Aceh province, Amnesty International Indonesia emphasized the government should not rush repatriation unless the conditions in Myanmar are safe. [Benar News]

Brokered by China, Bangladesh and Myanmar met last week to discuss the repatriation of Rohingya refugees last week. While Bangladesh has announced a successful agreement on the repatriation of 1 million Rohingya refugees, the Burmese side has downplayed the significance of the meeting’s conclusion. The media coverage was either non-exiting or listed under “national” in an unprominent location. Observers see this as a sign of how little pressure with regard to this issue is felt by — the Burmese civilian and military leadership. [Anadolu Agency]

Bangladesh: Amnesty International voices concerns over detention of artists

(lm) Amnesty International has expressed its deep concern about the recent arbitrary detention and other forms of harassment of artists who are facing increasing attacks on their right to freedom of expression for addressing social injustice, police brutality, inequality and discrimination. In a report published on January 21, the UK-based organization also authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all artists unlawfully detained and to repeal the Digital Security Act 2018 or substantially amend its repressive provisions. [Dhaka Tribune] [Amnesty International]

Taking place against the larger backdrop of an increasingly repressive government, this trend is hardly surprising: Throughout the last year, more than 40 people have been arrested over social media posts about the pandemic, lending credence to concerns that the Digital Security Act 2018 is used as a pretense to muzzle critics of the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic [see AiR No. 24, June/2020, 3].

Dhaka-Washington ties will remain strong under new US administration, says US envoy

(lm) The United States ambassador to Bangladesh has said that the bilateral relations between Washington and Dhaka will only get stronger, with no major changes under President-elect Joe Biden. Further elaborating, the ambassador also ensured that Biden‘s administration will continue to make the Indo-Pacific, and South Asia in particular, a significant priority. [United News of Bangladesh]

The remarks come after months of coordinated effort by the United States to entice Bangladesh into closer embrace as a key Indo-Pacific partner in South Asia, at a time when China has increased engagement with countries in the region through its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) [see AiR No. 42, October/2020, 3, AiR No. 37, September/2020, 3].

They also come just days after Bangladesh on January 13 strongly condemned remarks by United States’ Secretary of State Mike Pompeo implicating the South Asian nation as a possible location for operations of Islamist terrorist group al-Qaeda. [Al Jazeera] [Anadolu Agency]

Bangladesh, China, Myanmar to hold tripartite meeting on Rohingya repatriation on January 19

(lm) A secretary-level meeting between Bangladesh and Myanmar will be held on January 19 in Dhaka to discuss the repatriation of Rohingya refugees. China will join the meeting as mediator. The last tripartite meeting on Rohingya repatriation was held in January last year. While Myanmar has shown little cooperation since then, Bangladesh is hopeful some headway will made at the upcoming meeting, according to Bangladesh’s foreign minister. [South Asia Monitor] [Radio Free Asia]

Bangladesh and Myanmar first signed a repatriation deal in November 2017, followed by a physical agreement in January 2018, to facilitate the return of Rohingyas to Rakhine State in Myanmar. The countries had set two dates to begin the repatriation – November 2018 and August 2019 – but refugees were reluctant to return to what they said was a hostile environment in Rakhine. Authorities in Bangladesh more recently then started relocating Rohingya refugees from crammed camps near the Myanmar border to a settlement on what the UN and rights groups worry is a dangerous low-lying island prone to cyclones and floods [see AiR No. 52, December/2020, 5].

The upcoming meeting assumes added significance, because recent developments may spur China to pressure Myanmar on the issue: In a 134-9 vote with 28 abstentions the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on December 31 approved a resolution strongly condemning rights abuses against Rohingya Muslims and other minority groups in Myanmar, including arbitrary arrests, torture, rape, and deaths in detention [see AiR No. 1, January/2021, 1].

China in the “U.S. Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific” 

(dql) Shortly before Joe Biden will be sworn in as US President in this week, the Trump administration declassified and published the “U.S. Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific”, approved by President Trump in 2018 and stamped secret and not for release to foreign nationals until 2043. 

The 10-page national security strategy paper identifies maintaining “U.S. strategic primacy over the Indo-Pacific region,” and promoting “a liberal economic order, while preventing China from establishing new, illiberal spheres of influence and cultivating areas of cooperation to promote regional peace and prosperity” one of three national security challenges, along with North Korea’s threat to the US and its allies as well as the advancement of US global economic leadership. 

Furthermore, the document assumes that the “[s]trategic competition between the United States and China will persists,” with China “circumvent[ing] international norms and rules to gain advantage,” and seeking to “dissolve U.S. alliances and partnerships,” in order to “exploit vacuums and opportunities created by these diminished bonds.”

As an desired outcome with regards to China, the “United States and its partners on every continent” shall become “resistant to Chinese activities aimed at undermining their sovereignty, including through covert or coercive influence.” [White House, USA]

For a concise assessment of what has been achieved under this strategic framework, see Grant Newsham in [Asia Times] who argues that “Trump and his staff are handing off to Joseph Biden an Indo-Pacific that is better off than it was in 2017. 

Bangladesh: Court orders halt of demolition of structure carrying memories of anti-British movement

(lm) A High Court issued a status quo order on January 6 to temporarily halt demolition of a historical structure housing the former house of Jatindra Mohan Sengupta, a late 19th century-Indian revolutionary against the British. Previously, a minority rights body had submitted a memorandum to local authorities, urging the government to take necessary steps to protect the complex. [South Asia Monitor] [Dhaka Tribune]

Bangladesh: Government deprives 52 people of their status as members of Mukti Bahini

(lm) Bangladesh`s government has cancelled the freedom fighter certificates of 52 people, following the 70th meeting of the National Freedom Fighters Council. The decision also affected a former army officer, who was involved in the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding president of Bangladesh and father of incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. [bdnews24]

An autonomous Bangladesh government body, the National Freedom Fighters Council was formed to look after the welfare of members of the Mukti Bahini – the so-called freedom fighters – who fought for Bangladesh during the War of Liberation that transformed East Pakistan into Bangladesh in 1971. Civilian fighters and their heirs are entitled to numerous privileges, including honorarium. To this end, the council is also charged with preparing a list of freedom fighters, which is also known as the “Red Book”.

Bangladesh invites Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said to join founding father’s birth centenary

(lm) Bangladesh has invited the Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, to join the birth centenary celebrations of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding president of Bangladesh and father of incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The sultan was also invited to attend celebrations taking place on March 26 – the Independence Day of Bangladesh to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the country’s declaration of independence from Pakistan. [Dhaka Tribune]

Bangladesh wants repatriation of Rohingya refugees to begin this year

(lm) Bangladesh’s foreign minister on January 3 informed that a letter had been sent to Myanmar’s government, requesting to resume the repatriation process of more the more than 1 million Rohingya refugees this year. Context and timing of the announcement are noteworthy: In a 134-9 vote with 28 abstentions the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on December 31 approved a resolution strongly condemning rights abuses against Rohingya Muslims and other minority groups in Myanmar, including arbitrary arrests, torture, rape, and deaths in detention. [India Today] [Dhaka Tribune] [New York Times]

Bangladesh and Myanmar had signed a repatriation deal in November 2017 followed by a physical agreement in January 2018 to facilitate the return of Rohingyas to the Rakhine province. However, there has been no success in the repatriation of Rohingyas despite two failed attempts in the past. Meanwhile, authorities in Bangladesh have started relocating Rohingya refugees from crammed camps near the Myanmar border to a settlement on what the UN and rights groups worry is a dangerous low-lying island prone to cyclones and floods [see AiR No. 52, December/2020, 5].