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by Zahid Al Amin
February 25, 2009
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After passing of 3 days of the terrorist attack on the office and editor of Blitz, police did not take any action against the attackers. Instead of arresting the attackers or investigating the case, police is sitting tight on the matter, as the attackers were mostly thugs belonging to ruling party.
On February 22, 35-40 armed terrorists belonging to the ruling party, led by Ruhul Amin attacked the office of Blitz newspaper. They instructed the caretaker named Anwar of the commercial center named Skylark Point [where the Blitz office is located] to lock the outside gate and continued their notorious actions in the broad day light for hours in presence of members of law enforcing and various intelligence agencies. The CCTV of the building was also put switched off by the management of the building as the attackers were influential and notorious goons belonging to Bangladesh Awami League.
Despite lodging of a case more than 3 days back [Case No. 65, under section 143, 448, 323, 342, 384, 380, 427 and 506], members of law enforcing agencies in Bangladesh are showing extreme reluctance in arresting any of the attackers, mostly belonging to the ruling party, who attacked the office of Weekly Blitz on Sunday [February 22, 2009], physically assaulted the editor and other members, abused the female staffs and looted laptop and other valuables in a broad day light, in presence of One Shamim from DGFI [Directorate General of Forces Intelligence]. Members of law enforcing agencies were witnessing the incident silently as the attackers were mostly activists and members of the ruling party in Bangladesh.
Others who were in the gang are identified as Ruhul Amin, Shintu, Liton, Yunus, Anwar, Siraj, Lavlu, Kajol etc. According to police sources, most of them were thugs belonging to the ruling party.
At 10am Sunday, local time, internationally-acclaimed journalist Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, was attacked as he was working in the office of his newspaper, Weekly Blitz, by a gang of thugs belonging to Bangladesh's ruling Awami League. Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury is now under medical treatment for eye, neck, and other injuries those he suffered in the attack. The renewed violence marks the first against him since he was abducted by Bangladesh's dreaded Rapid Action Battalion in March 2008. It may be mentioned here that, the military backed interim regime withdrew police protection from the residence of the Blitz editor in May last year.
A large group of armed hooligans, led by one Shamim introducing himself to be an official of DGFI stormed Blitz premises and attacked newspaper staff until they found the editor. They locked the editor in a room and continued various forms of physical assaults thus abusing him to be a 'Mossad Agent', 'Israeli Agent' etc. Culprits are continuing to occupy the Blitz office.
Choudhury was arrested in 2003 by government agents, in cooperation with Islamist forces, because of his advocacy of relations with Israel and religious equality, and his articles exposing the rise of radical Islam in Bangladesh. He was tortured and held for seventeen months and only released after strong pressure by human rights activist Dr. Richard Benkin and US Congressman Mark Kirk [R-IL]. In 2007, the US Congress passed a Kirk-introduced resolution 409-1 calling on Bangladesh to stop harassing Choudhury and drop capital charges against him after extensive evidence confirmed them to be false, contrary to Bangladeshi law, and as admitted by successive Bangladeshi officials, maintained only to appease Islamists. The Bangladeshi government continues to remain in defiance of that resolution and its provisions.
Meanwhile, one of the leaders of the attacker's gang named Ruhul Amin is continuing to give threats to the Weekly Blitz editors and other members of the newspaper on immediately withdrawing the case. In a phone call, Ruhul Amin said, "I give you people only 24 hours time. Withdraw the case; otherwise our next target is Choudhury's residence."
Earlier a person named Advocate Shintu, claiming to be the advisor of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, phoned the Blitz editor and demanded TK. 500,000 [US$ 8,400 approximately] as extortion. Shintu also told the Blitz editor that, he is one of the decision makers helping Sheikh Hasina in appointing her cabinet colleagues.
Weekly Blitz tried to find the reason behind reluctance of police in taking any action against the culprits as to why the attackers are yet to be arrested. On condition of anonymity, a source in police said, "We have already become captive in the grips of the political government and its cadres. We can watch crime, but cannot take actions. Because, if we take any action against those party activists, then we shall face various forms of departmental harassments and humiliations."
Meanwhile, several local and international organization have sent strong message of condemnation at the notorious attack on the office of Blitz.
In a message, Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature said, "The attack on Blitz is condemnable by all standards. This is a ghastly tactics by attackers, whatsoever their allegiance or affiliation, to nail down the voice of dissent and freedom in a democracy, worst of all. We are writing to you now in solidarity. It is indeed a matter of great shame and horror on behalf of perpetrators of such dastardly acts. We are sure you are brimming with unprecedented courage and enthusiasm and will, by all accounts, ride the transient tempest."
Bangladesh Editor's Forum in a message said, "Blitz office came under attack for the fourth time since 2005. But the latest attack on the office of this newspaper is not only worrying for the members of media, but it shows very clearly that terrorism is on rise in Bangladesh and media is becoming the first target of such notoriety. We urge the members of law enforcing agencies to remain neutral and take action against the culprits immediately."
Eminent Indian journalist Sunita Paul in a message said, the latest attack on Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury and Weekly Blitz shows clearly to the world that, both Islamists and so-called Seculars are inclined in a single platform. They both are anti-Israel, anti-Semitic and anti-US. Blitz defends the 'right' against 'wrong'.
She said, conspiracy against Blitz is continuing for years. Recently Bangladesh government denied granting visa to the U.S. Correspondent of this newspaper, Dr. Richard L Benkin. It is even rumored that some veteran anti-American and so-called Secularists had hands behind denial of Dr. Benkin's visa. Even some of such elements officially met the Bangladeshi foreign minister to request her for refusing Benkin's visa.
Sunita said some vested interest groups are actively trying to divert the case of attack on Blitz office into different direction.
Conspirators have successfully gathered influential local people including some cowed-down naïve diplomats of Western countries in telling the international community that the Blitz office was not attacked.
Sunita Paul said it is responsibility of Bangladesh government to take stern actions right now.
Bangladesh Minority Lawyer's Association has strongly condemned the attack on the office of Weekly Blitz. Bangladesh Hindu Mohajote [Hindu Grand Alliance] leaders phoned the Weekly Blitz editor and expressed their solidarity with the newspaper and demanded stern action against the attackers.
Kazi Azizul Huq, international affairs secretary of Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan [BKA] expressed concern at the attack on the office of Weekly Blitz. He said BKA believes in freedom of press. Blitz is the only newspaper promoting interfaith harmony and the attack indicates that evil elements are active in sabotaging the atmosphere of interfaith harmony by suffocating the voice of Blitz.
They said, when BKA was waiting for holding an interfaith seminar in Dhaka which Dr. Richard Benkin was expected to participate representing the Jewish Community and the West, a local reporter named Jahangir Alam Akash sent an abusive mail to Dr. Benkin and subsequently some leftists met the Bangladesh Foreign Minister thus finally creating obstacles in issuance of visa to Dr. Richard. Finally, the attack on Blitz office shows a chronological actions by the anti interfaith harmony elements not only in spoiling the entire atmosphere of continuation of Muslim-Jewish dialogue, but also, the attack on Blitz office shows evidently that they [the leftists] want to put Shoaib into isolation.
Leaders of BKA rushed to the residence of Blitz editor and assured to stand by him under any situation to defend the newspaper and its staffs and employees.
Human Rights Forum leader Sanjib Chowdhury phoned the editor of Weekly Blitz and expressed solidarity. Mr. Chowdhury assured all possible help from the Human Rights Forum in standing with Blitz in this crucial time.
Hundreds of friends and supporters of Blitz around the world are continuing to send mails, making phone calls to Weekly Blitz and its editor to express their renewed support.
Meanwhile, Weekly Blitz has already sent separate complaints with the Home Secretary, Inspector General of Police, Commissioner of Police and various intelligence agencies seeking proper investigation into the matter. But, till writing of this report, police continues to show extreme reluctance in taking any action.
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