Rights lawyer for Sheikh Hasina

A prominent human rights lawyer defending Bangladesh's detained former prime minister called her case a "travesty of justice" on Monday and vowed to enlist the United Nations in the fight for her release.

Payam Akhavan, a Canadian law professor who has helped prosecute war criminals from the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, was named on Monday as international counsel to Sheikh Hasina, prime minister from 1996 to 2001.

"It is a military coup masquerading as an anti-corruption campaign," the Iranian-born Akhavan told a news conference in London to announce his appointment.

News via Reuters

UK MPs denounce Hasina's arrest

Six UK politicians have called for the Bangladesh authorities to release the former prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, who was arrested on extortion charges.

In a letter to The Times newspaper in London, they said they were gravely concerned about the manner in which Sheikh Hasina was arrested. "We are... gravely concerned about the undignified arrest this week of... Sheikh Hasina," the British politicians' letter published in The Times read.

Sheikh Hasina was arrested last week after a raid on her house in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka.

Her bitter rival, Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Khaleda Zia, also faces criminal charges and has been ordered to appear before a court by 26 August over tax evasion allegations.

News via BBC

Bangladesh: End of democracy

We do not want to go back to an elective democracy where corruption becomes all pervasive," General Moeen U Ahmed, the chief of the Bangladesh Army, told a conference in April.

Two political dynasties have ruled Bangladesh since 1991. Among the larger democracies, only in the USA have two families, monopolised executive power for a longer time.

Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister from 1996 to 2001, is the daughter of Mujibur Rahman, the "Father of Bangladesh", a former student agitator who led the movement for separation from Pakistan, then became the first leader of independent Bangladesh.

• Read full article by Gwynne Dyer

Related News > Bangladesh: Death of Human Rights

Security stepped-up after Hasina arrest

Police boosted security across Bangladesh on Tuesday fearing violent protests after ex-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was arrested on extortion charges.

Hasina, 59, who was prime minister from 1996 to 2001, was denied bail on Monday and ordered to be held in jail until her trial. She is being detained in a building inside the National Parliament complex that has been converted into a high security jail, authorities said.

Defense lawyer Abdul Matin Khasru said Hasina is accused of extorting about US$441,000 (€320,000) from a company in return for allowing it to build a power station while she was in office.

News via IHT

Bangladesh police detain Sheikh Hasina

DHAKA (Reuters) - Former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina was arrested from her Dhaka home on Monday and taken to a local court, her party said.

It was not immediately clear on what charges Hasina was detained, but she has previously faced murder charges during political violence late last year and allegations of extortion.

Television channels showed hundreds of policmen escorting Hasina, the chief of the Awami League party, to a metropolitan court. Police had surrounded Hasina's house since Sunday midnight, witnesses said.

Bangladesh: Military's Six Months in Power

When high-profile politicians were jailed in Dhaka for alleged corruption after an interim government took power in January, there was widespread incredulity in a country where political leaders were never seen as accountable.

Six months on, many people acknowledge that the army-backed administration is determined to root out corruption.

More than 170 political leaders are behind bars. The crackdown has earned accolades among ordinary people who are disillusioned with politicians.

Many of them have been accused of amassing personal wealth and ignoring the country's development needs.

Related Link: VOA News Report

Some analysts think the emergency administration will only hold elections when it has achieved its other major goal, reforming the country's two main political parties.

Despite the delay in elections, many people remain optimistic that the interim government can lead the country out of the crisis it faced in January. Then, differences between the two main political parties on how to hold elections triggered bloody street battles.

News via VOA

Former PMs lose control of parties

Former prime ministers Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina, are looking extremely isolated in the unofficial political-scene.

While there is a ban on political activities, the military-backed interim administration is allowing influential members of both-parties to discuss the inevitable possibilities of reforms, from within.

In recent round-table meetings, different factions in both parties have been eager to get their message to the media, after years of suppression from the very top. Critics have however suggested that, the military intelligence has been successful enough to pervade the once daunting barriers of both the leading parties.

Leading Awami League stalwart Tofael Ahmed, a former minister said that, "while a proposal to curb the power of party president is under discussion , no proposals would be taken leaving out Sheikh Hasina".

Bangladesh: Environments worst friend

In Chittagong, families of the recently deceased in the monsoon ravaged region are seeking answers from the current interim-administration, after years of constant depletion and destruction of their own environment.

Special NFB-Blog report

Image by Monsoon Lover

In the 1990's, after the inauguration of democracy, Bangladesh witnessed a boom in its real estate sector. What followed it, was shameless destruction of nature reserves all over Bangladesh. Chittagong was not the only victim.

Places like Sylhet, the greater region of Dhaka, and outskirts of other major cities like Barisal, Rajshahi, Khulna and Narayanganj became the prized property for fly-by real estate companies, who exploited their contacts in government through regular pay-offs.

Leading companies in the private sector were the main culprits, though, ironically government sector organizations played a pivotal role in depleting the environment to its current state.

While Chittagong has seen the worst display of human-exploitation, in recent years. In Sylhet, tea estates and other natural entities have been crushed, as companies exploited relaxed environmental legislations, aiming to build the so called mega-cities of the future, targeted towards the large expatriate community.

Dhaka's environment has been brought to its current depleted state by companies like the Bashundhara Group (East West Property Development), Rangs Group, Partex Group and other leading private sector developers. Critics of Bangladeshi governments since the 90's, have widely accused politicians of profiting from deals worth millions.

Some have even alleged that, the leading ladies Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia were the recipients of prized real-estate possessions from some leading real-estate developers. The current caretaker government has been forced to look deeply behind the cause of the death of more than a hundred people, in a night of stormy-weather.

It has formed a high-level team to investigate, why for years, the beautiful mountains of Chittagong were savaged by profiteering & land-grabbing rackets, led by politicans, businesses and high-ranking government officials.

Whatever the outcome of the investigations of the environment-trade carried out by businesses and politicians alike, It will take many-years for Bangladesh to regain its lost environmental treasures.

However, we hope criminals, whether politicians or businesses; are brought to justice, so Bangladesh can be saved from becoming the worst friend to world-environment.

Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia to be exposed

Following the leakage of sensitive-tapes to the media, regarding interviews with leading politicians. Preparations are on full-swing among the current Bangladeshi administrators to expose the leading ladies to the Bangladeshis, who have been long revered as idols.

The investigative-unit (TFI) is preparing a case for a humiliating exit for Sheikh Hasina & Khaleda Zia, leaders of Awami League & the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, respectively. Reports from Dhaka suggest; to build a platform for their exit, edited details of these controversial interviews will be shown on television.

Both leaders are likely to be questioned at their homes, and, if the investigators aren't greeted with cooperation, they will use evidence from the interrogations.

Bangladesh joins the political spin game!

The airwaves of Dhaka is rife with the news of how much Sheikh Hasina extorted from businesses, offering them generous licenses to operate in the public domain.

Apparent conversations of officials with the arrested politicans, including Awami League's 'Abdul Jalil', are increasingly occupying the discussions in tea-stalls among the rural communities in Bangladesh.

While the majority of the public are supportive of the current interim-government's actions, some have questioned the leakage of such sensitive materials.

The defense argues that, this leakage of interviews of the accused, proves that it's 'the-end' for both Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia.

Related Link: Political Spin

> Image by Little Tramp

Sheikh Hasina's USA trip fails

Following a tide of questions from her own party members about the ongoing corruption charges, Sheikh Hasina, the Awami League leader has been barred from traveling abroad.

She was due to leave for the USA to see her pregnant daughter.

The last time Sheikh Hasina travelled abroad was in April, when Bangladesh's army-backed interim government tried to prevent her return and force her into exile.

Earlier this week, she was prevented from going to the port of Chittagong to see victims of a recent mudslide. She said then that the move was "inhuman, undemocratic, unconstitutional and against the freedom of an individual".

News enhanced via BBC South Asia

Sheikh Hasina's empathy

In a statement read out by her spokesperson Sajeda Chowdhury in Dhaka today, Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina has expressed her sorrow at the loss of lives in Chittagong, due to the landslides.


She said, "I am empathetic at the loss of lives, and feel that, my basic rights are being restricted by the interim administration; by not allowing me to visit the affected area."

Former PMs reject corruption charges

DHAKA, June 8 (Reuters) - Bangladesh's two former prime ministers have rejected accusations of corruption and abuse of power and said the country's army-backed interim administration had targeted them to tarnish their image.

"All these charges are false and baseless," immediate past prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia told reporters, breaking a long silence since January when the administration launched a drive to clean up politics ahead of elections late next year.

Khaleda's rival Sheikh Hasina, chief of the Awami League and a former prime minister, also denied allegations of extortion and corruption against her. "They are telling all lies. They are devoid of any truth," she told reporters.

News via Reuters AlertNet

Khaleda Zia in murder probe

A court in Bangladesh has told police to investigate whether former prime minister Khaleda Zia should face murder charges over a 2004 grenade attack.

Twenty-seven others, including her son Tareque Rahman and senior members of her Bangladesh Nationalist Party, are also under investigation.


At least 20 people died in the attack on the Awami League rally in Dhaka. Its leader Sheikh Hasina was injured. Ms Zia, who was in power at the time, denied she had tried to kill her rival.

News via BBC

Sheikh Hasina's delusion

Dhaka, May 30
Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina has stated that the ongoing drive against corruption is targeted at her.

She enquired, if that was not the case, why has the MiG-29 and frigate case resurfaced? She commented, "While there is a pursuit to modernise the army, how can a case be filed against buying MiG 29 and frigates."

Web-link: Govt appeals to HC to resume MiG-29 case against Hasina

Sheikh Hasina's concern

After the arrest of several high-profile politicians in Bangladesh today, Sheikh Hasina has expressed deep concern that, the current administration is pursuing its policies on silencing critics.

Several politicians, inlcluding Abdul Jalil (General Secretary of Awami League), were arrested by the joint-forces of the Bangladeshi administration in Dhaka.

Although critics of the Awami League have suggested, corruption during Sheikh Hasina's reign in power is finally being accounted for. Some sources also suggest, Sheikh Hasina is likely to be the next target of the joint-forces.