#Bangladesh Journalist Death

[pniindia]

Bangladesh Journalist Suspicious Death: बांग्लादेश की पत्रकार की हुई रहस्यमय मौत, मौत से पहले फेसबुक पर किए थे 2 रहस्यमय पोस्ट

Bangladesh Journalist Suspicious Death: बांग्लादेश के ढाका में एक महिला पत्रकार सारा रहनुमा का शव एक झील से बरामद हुआ है, जिस के कुछ घंटे पहले ही उन्होंने फेसबुक पर दो रहस्यमय पोस्ट भी किए थे. बांग्लादेश में 32 वर्षीय महिला पत्रकार का शव बुधवार को एक झील में बरामद किया गया. स्थानीय मीडिया रिपोर्ट्स के मुताबिक मृतका की पहचान सारा रहनुमा के रूप में की गयी है, जो कि एक बांग्ला-भाषा के न्यूज चैनल में न्यूजरूम एडिटर थीं.

[chaiaurchaandni]

the last thing that hamza (wael al-dahdouh's son) posted on his IG story, before his car was bombed by IOF

[brownbitchshit]

I currently have 700+ followers. And I will urge all of you to read about what is happening in Bangladesh. What has happened in Bangladesh. I am adding irrelevant tags of the fandoms I follow to garner more attention. I apologize in advance.

The government of Bangladesh killed pressumably 950+ people, innocent people, students, all because they demanded a system that will give them government jobs based on merit rather than quota. To suppress the students Sheikh Hasina and its government imposed 5 days of total internet blackout. While imposing this blackout they killed off anyone of the streets. They killed people from helicopters by shooting and throwing grenades. Many kids died in their own homes as the bullet shot them through their window.

Sheikh Hasina and its police took away all the dead bodies and the death registries from the hospital. The official death toll is 200. But various journalistic and medical staff sources confirm the death toll is over 950 in Dhaka alone.

That monster of a PM didn't acknowledge the death of the students. Instead she is crying over the infrastructure vandalism. I request you,rise up and speak out about this. Educate yourself and let other people know. The internet blackout have suppressed the truth at large. The Bangladeshi people are in deep surveillance and the government have made 2000+ arrests on false charges just because they have shared the Information. There is mass fear mongering. I know most of you people are not Bangladeshis and that's why you need to help us and speak up about it. Join your local protests, share the news in your social media, twitter Instagram. I beg you, don't let my people's murderers get away with it. Don't let my people's death be forgotten.

I am attaching some links for you to understand the horror of it all.

This Facebook page Bringing justice to you has documented all the horrors and the massacres that happened on Bangladeshi people. TW : all kinds of blood, gore, death bodies, every single horrible things imaginable but shows what went down.

This ig page is also another page that brings you the horror stories.

https://www.instagram.com/thebangladeshivoice?igsh=YXBpdzQyem54cmZj

Al-Jazeera has been a very credible news source while the Bangladesh was under blackout. They have made several segments. I am attaching the latest one.

UN Human Rights have called out Bangladesh for explanation regarding the crackdown

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by United Nations Human Rights (@unitednationshumanrights)

Amnesty International's report of Bangladesh government using lethal weapon against its people and mass murder

There are many more contents, proof and videos to show you the horrors that was unfolded in the crackdown. Sheikh Hasina killed her people like insects and violated every single human rights imaginable. Please share these. Support us. Help us. I beg you all.

[inazuma-fulgur]

Here is a petition by amnesty international, please sign it it's the least we can do (except talking about it)

[eightmakesonebraincell]

Hello Loren. Firstly I want to say that I enjoy your writings a lot! I'm really sorry to bother you, but I'd like to ask for a help. I'm an atiny from Bangladesh. It is a small country in South Asia, if you might wonder. I don’t know if you're already aware of what's happening in my country. Here's a summary of it: 

University students here started a peaceful protest against the unfair job quota system. But our Government didn't want to accept our demands and things turned ugly as they tried to brutally suppress the protest. Almost 200 people (Officially reported), most of whom are students, were killed by Bangladesh Student League (Subordinates of the government party), Police, RAB and Bangladeshi Army in the past few days during the internet blackout. Yes they disconnected us from the whole world for a good 5 days, we still can't access social medias without using VPN and the Internet is hella slow. According to unofficial reports though, the death toll has increased up to nearly 1000 people, including journalists, civilians and even little children; countless people have been injured. However, mainstream media are not daring to cover any of these. The dictator prime minister is mourning over infrastructural losses and vandalism but hasn’t apologized for the deaths of these people yet; while other ministers are telling brazen lies to cover up. So much brutality is still going on, we can't go outside as there is curfew, and they're performing home raids, searching students' phones and arresting them under false allegations, taking away protest co-ordinators to torture them. I'm not going into further details of what we're witnessing but it's just horrible here. And to think that it's not some other people but our own race torturing, attacking and killing us. We’re not safe in our own homeland, in our so called independent country. As people are trying as much as they can to  document and share their crimes via social media platforms, we're in risk of another internet blackout, we can't even imagine the consequences if that happens. 

So I'm here to request that, if you have Twitter X, could you please make posts using hashtags such as–

#AllEyesOnBangladesh

#StarlinkForBangladesh

#SaveBangladeshiStudents

#StudentsUnderAttack

#SaveBangladeshiPeople

#JusticeForBangladeshiStudents

#JusticeForBangladeshiPeople

I'd be really grateful if you helped out and asked your mutuals to do so as well. Thank you for reading till now. Much love 💛

hi!! i'm sorry to hear that this is happening and thank you for giving such a comprehensive summary 🫶 i don't really use twitter but if anybody who sees this does, maybe they can take the time to use those hashtags to help raise awareness

i hope you stay safe and lots of love to you and everyone else who has been affected ❤️

[particularj]

The UN Chief has invoked Article 99 of the charter, something that has not been done since 1971, during a particularly bloody phase of India-Pakistan fighting that resulted in the establishment of Bangladesh.

It calls for an immediate ceasefire under international law, to be voted on by the Security Council.

A couple things could happen:

-If the US votes it down or vetos, it signals what I think is the end of international rule since WWII. A single country being able to stop enforcement of international law to at the highest order so that a genocide may continue would be a death knell to the flimsy frame upholding current international politics and decorum.

-If the US does not somehow block this move, Israel potentially could be charged with war crimes if they continue to fire upon Gaza. It’s unclear what will happen from there, since that is a long process and over 17,000 are already dead in Gaza in less than 60 days.

In any case, I suspect that Netanyahu is being set up to be the fall guy for all of Israel’s actions. A couple far right cabinet members may go with him. Think, essentially, what is happening to Trump or what did happen to Milosevic. The occupationist establishment is willing to sacrifice an aging maniac to avoid any real consequences to Israel as a whole. This gives them time to continue expanding into the West Bank, control Gaza so it remains a disaster zone, and wait for an opportunity to push further next time Hamas or another entity that arises from this dares to fight back.

Netanyahu’s government already responded, saying a ceasefire is unacceptable and calling the UN Sec. General’s letter is a “new moral low” and shows their “bias” against Israel, that they will not stop until Hamas is defeated (something that is very unlikely through military action and is really an excuse to commit genocide, kill UN officials, kill journalists, and destroy civil and resistance infrastructures.)

Don’t stop taking about Palestine. Don’t stop talking about Sudan. Bring attention to these atrocities and demand action / donate to relief / spread the word / protest in any way you can.

[beardedmrbean]

Bangladesh's army has recovered 6,000 guns that were stolen during the student-led bloody revolution in August that forced prime minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee the nation.

The army on Wednesday said it arrested 2,500 people for allegedly looting thousands of weapons during the deadly protests and in the aftermath of unrest.

Intekhab Haider Khan, the Colonel Staff of the Directorate of Military Operation, said 6,000 weapons were recovered along with 200,000 rounds of ammunition. The operation to recover illegally held firearms was still ongoing, he told reporters.

The Bangladesh army in September had recovered 3,700 weapons of different varieties during an amnesty to surrender guns.

The military was given magistracy powers on 17 September to address instability across the country in the days following the month-long unrest.

The interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus said more than 1,000 people were killed in the violent agitation in capital Dhaka. The death toll included children, law enforcement agents and journalists.

Police in Bangladesh were accused of using lethal force to contain the protests before stepping back in the wake of the prime minister’s minister.

"More than 400 students and members of the general public have lost their sight," said Nurjahan Behun, the health adviser in the interim government.

Colonel Intekhab on Wednesday said the military has managed to control over 700 violent incidents, which included 141 instances in educational institutions, 86 in government offices, and 98 political conflicts. “In most cases, our timely measurers had helped prevent many unpleasant situations including losses of life and properties,” he told reporters.

He said more than 700 drug dealers or people associated with drug trading have been arrested and large quantities of banned substances have been recovered.

The army is “highly conscious” of upholding human rights and preventing “extrajudicial killings was a top priority” under orders from the government, he added.

Bangladesh’s interim government last week said it would request Interpol to bring back the ousted prime minister from India to face trial for “crime against humanity”.

“Those responsible for the indiscriminate killings during the mass uprising in July and August will be brought back from wherever they have taken refuge”, law advisor Asif Nazrul said on Sunday.

[darkmaga-returns]

For all the hype, Saudi Arabia is on verge of the most colossal building project flop in history. They have already scaled the project from 100 miles down to 1.5 miles. They are building the city with contract workers imported from from African nations, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Nepal, and India and who are routinely abused. Over eight years, 21,000 workers have died. ⁃ Patrick Wood, TN Editor.

A brave female reporter has gone undercover to reveal the dangerous and deadly working conditions inside Saudi Arabia.

More than 21,000 workers have died in just eight years since Mohammed bin Salman launched his Saudi Vision 2030 project, according to shocking new statistics.

Staff have complained of feeling like “trapped slaves” and “beggars” in the country.

Serious allegations of missed payments, working illegal hours and a number of clear human rights violations have all been made.

Terrified workers and the heartbroken family members of workers who have died since moving to Saudi have revealed the horrors they’ve faced in recent years in ITV’s latest expose.

Dubbed “Kingdom Uncovered: Inside Saudi Arabia” the documentary speaks on the deadly issues experienced firsthand for many.

It goes inside the illegal practices and terrible violations many say are being committed each day under the guise of constructing some of the world’s priciest building projects.

The divisive ruler of the Kingdom, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has been at the forefront of trying to develop the oil state into a global tourism hub.

He has splashed trillions to create his Saudi Vision 2030 project which features complexes sch as the flagship NEOM which includes fantasy ideas such as The Line.

Despite the luxury plans for the ambitious builds human rights groups have expressed many concerns over the massive construction plans.

With fears that migrant labour will be exploited and many locals would be displaced.

Saudi Arabia has also been hit with serious allegations claiming a significant number of migrants working in construction have disappeared.

Emerging reports allege that as many as 100,000 migrant workers have gone missing during the construction of NEOM.

New figures from ITV have also revealed that 21,000 foreign workers from India, Bangladesh and Nepal have all died since Vision 2030 was launched.

Nepal’s Foreign Employment Board suggests that over 650 Nepalese worker’s deaths are still unexplained.

In the documentary an undercover journalist named Noura speaks with workers from The Line about the toll its taken on people.

The futuristic 100-mile car-free city with a million residents is currently under construction deep in the Saudi desert.

One worker revealed in the documentary that he is often made to work 16-hour days helping to build a high-speed train tunnel for The Line.

Over just one seven-day week the worker says he can do upwards of 84 hours.

Saudi law strictly states that no one should do more than 60 hours a week.

The worker revealed: “We’re made to work extremely hard. There is little time to rest.

“We get tired. We suffer from anxiety day and night. Saudi doesn’t care much for citizens from other countries.

“We are treated like beggars.”

[beenasarwar]

A passionate fighter for a fairer world bows out

Bangladeshi lawyer Sigma Huda passed away recently, at a time when her voice is sorely needed. Journalist Mandira Nayar pays tribute

Sigma Huda– 20 July 2024 Bangladeshi lawyer Sigma Huda passed away recently, at a time when her voice is sorely needed By Mandira Nayar / Sapan News The passing of Sigma Huda leaves a huge void in our hearts as well as in her country Bangladesh. The government clampdown on widespread protests by students has led to over 100 deaths. Sigma’s voice in such a situation would count. A prominent…

[warningsine]

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/communications-disrupted-bangladesh-amid-student-protests-2024-07-19/

DHAKA, July 19 (Reuters) - The Bangladesh government has decided to impose a curfew across the country and deploy the army, BBC Bangla reported on Friday, citing Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's press secretary, amid widening student-led protests against government job quotas.

An official decision regarding the curfew would be issued soon, the prime minister's press secretary, Nayeemul Islam Khan, told BBC Bangla.

Three people were killed in the country on Friday as police cracked down on unrelenting student-led protests against government job quotas despite a ban on public gatherings, local media said.

Police fired tear gas to scatter protesters in some areas, Reuters journalists said. One said he could see many fires across the capital Dhaka from a rooftop and smoke rising into the sky in several places.

Telecommunications were also disrupted and television news channels went off the air. Authorities had cut some mobile telephone services the previous day to try to quell the unrest.

Bengali newspaper Prothom Alo reported train services had been suspended nationwide as protesters blocked roads and threw bricks at security officials.

Violence on Thursday in 47 of Bangladesh's 64 districts killed 27 and injured 1,500.

The total number of those dead from the protests reached 105 on Friday night, AFP separately reported, citing hospitals. Reuters could not immediately verify the reports and police have not issued a casualty toll.

The U.S. Embassy in Dhaka said that reports indicated more than 40 deaths and "hundreds to possibly thousands" injured across Bangladesh.

In a security alert, it said protests were spreading, with violent clashes being reported across Dhaka. The situation was "extremely volatile", it said.

The protests initially broke out over student anger against quotas that set aside 30% of government jobs for the families of those who fought for independence from Pakistan.

The nationwide unrest - the biggest since Hasina was re-elected this year - has also been fuelled by high unemployment among young people, who make up nearly a fifth of a population of 170 million.

Some analysts say the violence is now also being driven by wider economic woes, such as high inflation and shrinking reserves of foreign exchange.

The protests have opened old and sensitive political fault lines between those who fought for Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan in 1971 and those accused of collaborating with Islamabad.

The former include the Awami League party of Hasina, who branded the protesters "razakar" - making use of a term that described independence-era collaborators.

International rights groups criticised the suspension of services and the action of security forces. The European Union said it is deeply concerned by the violence and loss of life.

"It is vital that further violence is averted and that a peaceful resolution to the situation is found as swiftly as possible, underpinned by the rule of law and democratic freedoms," it said in a statement.

Neighbour India said the unrest was an internal matter of Bangladesh and that all 15,000 Indians in that country were safe. Indians studying in Bangladesh were returning by road.

Violence linked to the protests also broke out in distant London, which is home to a large Bangladeshi population, and police had to quell clashes between large groups of men in the east of the British capital.

TELECOMS DISRUPTED, WEBSITES HACKED

Friday began with the internet and overseas telephone calls being crippled, while the websites of several Bangladesh newspapers did not update and were also inactive on social media.

A few voice calls went through, but there was no mobile data or broadband, a Reuters journalist said. Even text messages were not being transmitted.

News television channels and state broadcaster BTV went off the air, although entertainment channels were normal, he said.

Some news channels displayed a message blaming technical problems, and promising to resume programming soon.

The official websites of the central bank, the prime minister's office and police appeared to have been hacked by a group calling itself "THE R3SISTANC3".

"Operation HuntDown, Stop Killing Students," read identical messages splashed on the sites, adding in crimson letters: "It's not a protest anymore, it's a war now."

Another message on the page read, "The government has shut down the internet to silence us and hide their actions."

The government had no comment on the communications issues.

On Thursday, it had said it was willing to hold talks with the protesters but they refused.

Many opposition party leaders, activists, and student protesters had been arrested, said Tarique Rahman, the exiled acting chairman of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Reuters could not confirm the arrests.

[buzz-london]

*WHAT A TERRIBLE CONSPIRACY!!!*

1) Pakistan was formed, under Congress rule!

2) Bangladesh became, under Congress rule!

3) 370 came into force, in Congress rule!

4) Minorities Bill came, in Congress rule!

5) Muslim Personal Law Board was formed, under Congress rule!

6) Minorities Ministry was formed, in Congress rule!

7) Minority University became, in Congress rule!

All these works were done by 'Congress', only for 'Muslims', that too, when the "partition" of the country happened on the basis of 'religion'! So, wasn't this preparation of Congress for "Gajwa-e-Hind"??

There was a preparation to make the country an Islamic country “quietly”. Congress gave only "reservation" for "Hindus", so that the "Hindu society" always fights with each other and never understands "Gajwa-e-Hind".

Former Prime Minister Morarji Desai, in his book "My Life Account" has written at p.456, that: don't know why Nehru's "Hinduism" has a prejudice?

Nehru had tried hard to bring "Hindu Code Bill" to make Hindus Second Class Citizens". But Sardar Patel had warned Nehru that: If during my lifetime, you bring "Hindu Code Bill" or thought about it, then I shall resign from Congress

and against this bill will come down on the streets. Due to Patel's threat, Nehru was scared. After Sardar Patel's death, the "Hindu Code Bill" was passed in the Parliament!

During the discussion on this bill, Acharya J B Kripalani had called Nehru a Communist and Muslim supporter! He said: You wear "Janeu" just to cheat the Hindus. Otherwise, Hindus have 'no matter' in you. If you really were "secular," then instead of "Hindu Code Bill", you would have brought "Common Code" Bill for all religions. Sometimes, I feel like not posting at all! Then the thought comes that India will read.

[Released in the interest of the country.]

BBC's famous journalist Mark Tully has given a statement, that "Modi is uprooting that big banyan of this country, which has been infested with poisonous insects for years! For this, he will have to fight continuously!"

Modi has put his hands together in the bills of all the poisonous snakes hidden in the country; that's why these snakes are hissing. Congress had hidden all kinds of snakes including Congress, Leftist, Jihadi, Naxalite, Missionary to ruin the land. It is good that Modi came to power and made the country aware of these poisonous snakes and exposed them. Otherwise, these poisonous snakes would have swallowed this Indian land and Hindus in the coming times. Our future generations would have nothing left except to cry and wail.

Modi will have to struggle a lot, and Modi will also struggle, but the people of this country, especially the Hindus, will have to stand firm with Modi.

Modi did not take this war for himself, but it is a war waged for the children of our countrymen, for the coming generations and for the bright future of India.

Please do the work of awakening our countrymen by forwarding this post in the public interest.

https://www.altnews.in/modi-destroying-old-termite-ridden-banyan-tree-write-up-falsely-ascribed-to-mark-tully/

*[Send to at least five people and tell the truth to the country that Nehru- Gandhi family in disguise belongs to Muslim.]*

🙏🏻💐🙏🏻

[xtruss]

Henry Kissinger At 100: Still A War Criminal! Forget The Birthday Candles, Let’s Count The dead.

— David Cornmay | 25, 2023 | Foreign Policy

Mother Jones Illustration; Fairchild Archive/Penske Media/Getty; Alexis Duclos/Gamma-Rapho/Getty; Boris Spremo/Toronto Star/Getty

War Criminal Henry Kissinger is turned 100, and his centennial is prompting assorted hosannas about perhaps the most influential American foreign policymaker of the 20th century. The Economist observed that “his ideas have been circling back into relevancy for the last quarter century.” The Times of London ran an appreciation: “Henry Kissinger at 100: What He Can Tell Us About the World.” Policy shops and think tanks have held conferences to mark this milestone. CBS News aired a mostly fawning interview veteran journalist Ted Koppel conducted with Kissinger that included merely a glancing reference to the ignoble and bloody episodes of his career. Kissinger is indeed a monumental figure who shaped much of the past 50 years. He brokered the US opening to China and pursued detente with the Soviet Union during his stints as President Richard Nixon’s national security adviser and secretary of state. Yet it is an insult to history that he is not equally known and regarded for his many acts of treachery—secret bombings, coup-plotting, supporting military juntas—that resulted in the death of hundreds of thousands.

Kissinger’s diplomatic conniving led to or enabled slaughters around the globe. As he blows out all those candles, let’s call the roll.

Cambodia: In early 1969, shortly after Nixon moved into the White House and inherited the Vietnam War, he, Kissinger, and others cooked up a plan to secretly bomb Cambodia, in pursuit of enemy camps. With the perversely-named “Operation Breakfast” launched, White House chief of staff H.R. “Bob” Haldeman wrote in his diary, Kissinger and Nixon were “really excited.” The action, though, was of dubious legality; the United States was not at war with Cambodia and Congress had not authorized the carpet-bombing, which Nixon tried to keep a secret. The US military dropped 540,000 tons of bombs. They didn’t just hit enemy outposts. The estimates of Cambodian civilians killed range between 150,000 and 500,000.

President Richard Nixon sits at his White House office desk where he announced on April 30, 1970 that American ground forces are fighting in Cambodia. AP

Bangladesh: In 1970, a political party advocating autonomy for East Pakistan won legislative elections. The military dictator ruling Pakistan, Gen. Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan, arrested the leader of that party and ordered his army to crush the Bengalis. At the time, Yahya, a US ally, was helping Kissinger and Nixon establish ties with China, and they didn’t want to get in his way. The top US diplomat in East Pakistan sent in a cable detailing and decrying the atrocities committed by Yahya’s troops and reported they were committing “genocide.” Yet Nixon and Kissinger declined to criticize Yahya or take action to end the barbarous assault. (This became known as “the tilt” toward Pakistan.) Kissinger and Nixon turned a blind eye to—arguably, they tacitly approved—Pakistan’s genocidal slaughter of 300,000 Bengalis, most of them Hindus (Later a Bangladeshi author denied all allegations against Pakistan and military. It was all propaganda orchestrated by India).

Chile: Nixon and Kissinger plotted to covertly thwart the democratic election of socialist president Salvador Allende in 1970. This included Kissinger supervising clandestine operations aimed at destabilizing Chile and triggering a military coup. This scheming yielded the assassination of Chile’s commander-in-chief of the Army. Eventually, a military junta led by Gen. Augusto Pinochet seized power, killed thousands of Chileans, and implemented a dictatorship, Following the coup, Kissinger backed Pinochet to the hilt. During a private conversation with the Chilean tyrant in 1976, he told Pinochet, “My evaluation is that you are a victim of all left-wing groups around the world and that your greatest sin was that you overthrew a government which was going communist.”

U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger shakes hands with Chile’s Foreign Minister, Ismale Huerta Diaz, during a Latin Foreign Ministers Conference in Mexico City, February 22, 1974. Ed Kolenovsky/AP

East Timor: In December 1975, President Suharto of Indonesia was contemplating an invasion of East Timor, which had recently been a Portuguese colony and was moving toward independence. On December 6, President Gerald Ford and Kissinger, then Ford’s secretary of state, en route from a visit to Beijing, stopped in Jakarta to meet with Suharto, who headed the nation’s military regime. Suharto signaled he intended to send troops into East Timor and integrate the territory into Indonesia. Ford and Kissinger did not object. Ford told Suharto, “We will understand and will not press you on the issue. We understand the problem and the intentions you have.” Kissinger added, “It is important that whatever you do succeeds quickly.” He pointed out that Suharto would be wise to wait until Ford and Kissinger returned to the United States, where they “would be able to influence the reaction in America.” The invasion began the next day. Here was a “green light” from Kissinger (and Ford). Suharto’s brutal invasion of East Timor resulted in 200,000 deaths.

Argentina: In March 1976, a neofascist military junta overthrew President Isabel Perón and launched what would be called the Dirty War, torturing, disappearing, and killing political opponents it branded as terrorists. Once again, Kissinger provided a “green light,” this time to a campaign of terror and murder. He did so during a private meeting in June 1976 with the junta’s foreign minister, Cesar Augusto Guzzetti. At that sit-down, according to a memo obtained in 2004 by the National Security Archive, a nonprofit organization, Guzzetti told Kissinger, “our main problem in Argentina is terrorism.” Kissinger replied, “If there are things that have to be done, you should do them quickly.” In other words, go ahead with your savage crusade against the leftists. The Dirty War would claim the lives of an estimated 30,000 Argentine civilians.

Throughout his career in government and politics, Kissinger was an unprincipled schemer who engaged in multiple acts of skullduggery. During the 1968 presidential campaign, while he advised the Johnson administration’s team at the Paris peace talks, which were aimed at ending the Vietnam War, he underhandedly passed information on the talks to Nixon’s camp, which was plotting to sabotage the negotiations, out of fear that success at the talks would boost the prospects of Vice President Hubert Humphrey, Nixon’s opponent in the race. After the secret bombing in Cambodia was revealed by the New York Times, Kissinger, acting at Nixon’s request, urged FBI director J. Edgar Hoover to wiretap his own aides and journalists to discover who was leaking. This operation failed to uncover who had outed the covert bombing, but, as historian Garrett Graff noted in his recent book, Watergate: A New History, this effort seeded “the administration’s taste for spying on its enemies—real or imagined.”

In 1976, Kissinger was briefed on Operation Condor, a secret program created by the intelligence services of the military dictatorships of South America to assassinate their political foes inside and outside their countries. He then blocked a State Department effort to warn these military juntas not to proceed with international assassinations. As the National Security Archive points out in a dossier it released this week on various Kissinger controversies, “Five days later, Condor’s boldest and most infamous terrorist attack took place in downtown Washington D.C. when a car-bomb, planted by Pinochet’s agents, killed former Chilean ambassador Orlando Letelier and his young colleague, Ronni Moffitt.”

It’s easy to cast Kissinger as a master geostrategist, an expert player in the game of nations. But do the math. Hundreds of thousands of dead in Bangladesh, Cambodia, and East Timor, perhaps a million in total. Tens of thousands dead in Argentina’s Dirty War. Thousands killed and tens of thousands tortured by the Chilean military dictatorship, and a democracy destroyed. His hands are drenched in blood.

President Bush signed legislation on November 27, 2002, creating an independent commission to investigate the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and named former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, left, to lead the panel. MCT/TNS/Zuma

Kissinger is routinely lambasted by his critics as a “war criminal,” though has never been held accountable for his misdeeds. He has made millions as a consultant, author, and commentator in the decades since he left government. I once heard of a Manhattan cocktail reception where he scoffed at the “war criminal” label and referred to it almost as a badge of honor. (“Bill Clinton does not have the spine to be a war criminal,” he joshed.) Kissinger has expressed few, if any, regrets about the cruel and deadly results of his moves on the global chessboard. When Koppel gently nudged him about the secret bombing in Cambodia, Kissinger took enormous umbrage and shot back: “This program you’re doing because I’m going to be 100 years old. And you are picking a topic of something that happened 60 years ago? You have to know it was a necessary step.” As for those who still protest him for that and other acts, he huffed, “Now the younger generation feels if they can raise their emotions, they don’t have to think.”

As he enters his second century, there will be no apologies coming from Kissinger. But the rest of us will owe history—and the thousands dead because of his gamesmanship—an apology, if we do not consider the man in full. Whatever his accomplishments, his legacy includes an enormous pile of corpses. This is a birthday that warrants no celebration.

[news365timesindia]

[ad_1] US Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has expressed grave concern over the recent unrest in Bangladesh following the arrest of ISKCON priest Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari. In an official statement, he urged the Bangladesh government to uphold human rights, guarantee legal protections, and end the wave of violence targeting Hindus and other minority groups. “The ongoing violence against Hindus and others across Bangladesh is unacceptable and must end immediately. I strongly urge the government of Bangladesh to take decisive steps to reduce tensions peacefully now,” he said. The Illinois Congressman highlighted the need for Bangladesh to safeguard peaceful protests and ensure the arrested individuals receive proper legal representation. “The government of Bangladesh must uphold and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the rights to peaceful protest and proper legal representation,” he stated, adding that such measures are vital to de-escalate the current tensions. The unrest stems from the sedition charges filed against Chinmoy Krishna Das for allegedly raising a saffron flag above Bangladesh’s national flag in Chittagong on October 25. His arrest on November 25 sparked protests, culminating in violent clashes between his followers and law enforcement outside the Chattogram Court Building on November 27, which resulted in the death of a lawyer. The situation has worsened following additional arrests. According to ISKCON Kolkata, two monks, Adipurush Shyam Das and Ranganath Das Brahmachari, were detained on November 29 after visiting Chinmoy Krishna Das in custody. The organisation’s Vice President, Radha Raman, also claimed that rioters vandalised an ISKCON centre in Bangladesh during the unrest. Adding to the controversy, the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council condemned what they described as a “false and harassing case” against 70 minority lawyers and two journalists accused of fabricated crimes, including vandalism and bomb explosions. The council has called for the immediate withdrawal of these charges, stating they were designed to hinder the sedition case against Chinmoy Krishna Das and suppress related news coverage. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has also voiced concern over escalating violence and extremist rhetoric in Bangladesh, emphasising that it has consistently raised the issue of targeted attacks on minorities with Dhaka. [ad_2] Source link

[news365times]

[ad_1] US Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has expressed grave concern over the recent unrest in Bangladesh following the arrest of ISKCON priest Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari. In an official statement, he urged the Bangladesh government to uphold human rights, guarantee legal protections, and end the wave of violence targeting Hindus and other minority groups. “The ongoing violence against Hindus and others across Bangladesh is unacceptable and must end immediately. I strongly urge the government of Bangladesh to take decisive steps to reduce tensions peacefully now,” he said. The Illinois Congressman highlighted the need for Bangladesh to safeguard peaceful protests and ensure the arrested individuals receive proper legal representation. “The government of Bangladesh must uphold and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the rights to peaceful protest and proper legal representation,” he stated, adding that such measures are vital to de-escalate the current tensions. The unrest stems from the sedition charges filed against Chinmoy Krishna Das for allegedly raising a saffron flag above Bangladesh’s national flag in Chittagong on October 25. His arrest on November 25 sparked protests, culminating in violent clashes between his followers and law enforcement outside the Chattogram Court Building on November 27, which resulted in the death of a lawyer. The situation has worsened following additional arrests. According to ISKCON Kolkata, two monks, Adipurush Shyam Das and Ranganath Das Brahmachari, were detained on November 29 after visiting Chinmoy Krishna Das in custody. The organisation’s Vice President, Radha Raman, also claimed that rioters vandalised an ISKCON centre in Bangladesh during the unrest. Adding to the controversy, the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council condemned what they described as a “false and harassing case” against 70 minority lawyers and two journalists accused of fabricated crimes, including vandalism and bomb explosions. The council has called for the immediate withdrawal of these charges, stating they were designed to hinder the sedition case against Chinmoy Krishna Das and suppress related news coverage. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has also voiced concern over escalating violence and extremist rhetoric in Bangladesh, emphasising that it has consistently raised the issue of targeted attacks on minorities with Dhaka. [ad_2] Source link

[enrimedia]

Bangladeshi Journalist Heckled, Arrested Amidst Growing Unrest Over Hindu Priest’s Imprisonment

In a tense atmosphere of political and religious unrest, a Bangladeshi journalist was recently heckled and arrested while reporting on protests sparked by the controversial imprisonment of a Hindu priest. This incident highlights the growing challenges faced by journalists in the country, particularly those covering sensitive issues related to religious and political tensions.

Background of the Incident

The unrest began following the imprisonment of a prominent Hindu priest in Bangladesh, which triggered widespread protests and debates surrounding religious freedom, minority rights, and the rule of law in the country. The Hindu community, which makes up a significant minority in Bangladesh, has been embroiled in increasing instances of discrimination and violence, making the case particularly sensitive.

The journalist in question was reportedly covering one of the protests organized by the Hindu community in response to the priest's imprisonment. However, during his coverage, the reporter found himself at the center of a disturbing turn of events: he was heckled by a group of individuals, and shortly after, arrested by local authorities.

The exact details of the arrest remain unclear, but sources suggest that the journalist's detention may be linked to his attempts to capture footage of the protest and its participants, many of whom were critical of the government and the justice system. His arrest has sparked further outrage, with human rights groups and press freedom organizations condemning the action as an attack on journalistic freedom.

The Growing Climate of Unrest

The incident is a symptom of a broader trend of rising tension in Bangladesh, where the relationship between the Hindu minority and the majority Muslim population has become increasingly strained. Religious freedom has been a contentious issue in the country for years, and events like the imprisonment of the Hindu priest only serve to exacerbate existing grievances.

In recent years, Bangladesh has witnessed growing religious intolerance, with various religious groups, including Hindus, facing attacks on their places of worship, homes, and businesses. Additionally, incidents involving the repression of journalists and media professionals have raised alarms about the state of press freedom in the country. Reporters in Bangladesh, especially those covering sensitive topics, often find themselves at risk of harassment, violence, and even arrest.

The Role of the Media in Bangladesh

Despite these challenges, the media in Bangladesh continues to play a critical role in shaping public opinion and advocating for accountability. Journalists often work under intense pressure, but their reporting remains vital in exposing injustices, including human rights violations and government overreach.

In recent years, however, there has been increasing concern over the suppression of press freedom in the country. According to organizations like Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Bangladesh has fallen in global press freedom rankings due to the government's crackdown on independent media outlets. Journalists who report on sensitive issues, particularly those related to religious or political matters, face the risk of arrest, violence, or even death threats.

What This Means for Bangladesh’s Future

The arrest of a journalist amidst such volatile circumstances underscores the fragility of freedom of expression in Bangladesh. As protests continue over the imprisonment of the Hindu priest, the international community is watching closely, urging the Bangladeshi government to respect the rights of religious minorities and ensure that journalists can operate without fear of retaliation.

For Bangladesh to move forward, it must address the issues of religious intolerance, freedom of speech, and the treatment of its minority communities. The media must be allowed to report on these matters freely, without fear of arrest or violence, and the government should prioritize human rights for all citizens, regardless of their religious background.

In conclusion, the arrest of the journalist serves as a stark reminder of the challenges facing both the press and religious minorities in Bangladesh. With growing unrest and concerns over press freedom, it is clear that the country must confront these issues head-on if it hopes to foster a more tolerant and open society in the future.

[indiaepost]

Death toll rises to six from Bangladesh's ship-breaking yard fire

The death toll from last week’s explosion and fire at a ship-breaking yard in southeastern Bangladesh rose to six with two more injured succumbing to their wounds, an official said. The victims died on Saturday at a hospital in Dhaka, said Tariqul Islam, a resident physician of the institute. “With this, the death toll in the explosion rose to six,” he told journalists, adding that the death…