ABOUT SAPI
South Asian Policy Initiative Inc (SAPI) is a transnational research-oriented initiative that assesses, discusses, and evaluates policies aimed at promoting human rights and democracy in the Southeast Asian region. SAPI envisions countries in Southeast to uphold and promote human rights and democracy where democratic and civil society institutions are strengthened and protected. SAPI’s primary focus is to undertake policy-relevant research and analysis that informs and influences decision-making processes in the region supported by credible, transparent and collaborative research.
To further this goal, SAPI has established Global Voice for Humanity (GVH) to operate as a platform for regional human rights activists…Read more
Special Research Report by SAPI
Bangladesh Awami League: A Case Study of its Militant Politics and Crimes Against Humanity
This report serves to compile and document the extensive history of violent political crimes committed by Bangladesh Awami League (hereinafter referred to as โBALโ) and its affiliated organizations. The BAL, being one of the largest political parties in Bangladesh and the incumbent ruling party, has been involved in a wide range of heinous acts, including murder, torture, vandalism, looting, robbery, abduction, gang rape, and targeted attacks on minority groups. It is important to acknowledge that these crimes, as outlined in Article-7 of the Rome Statute, constitute as crimes against humanity. By highlighting these atrocities, the report aims to draw attention to the gravity and systematic nature of the offences committed by the BAL.
The objective of this report is to investigate whether these criminal practices have been deeply ingrained in the ideology and psyche of the BAL since its inception. The compilation of reports and factual evidence makes it apparent that despite operating as a major political party in Bangladesh, the BAL functions more like a terrorist organization. Evidence suggests that these criminal activities have persisted since the partyโs establishment in 1949, with a notable intensification of violence during the autocratic rule of BALโs all-time supreme leader and ideological lord, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, after Bangladesh gained independence in 1971. Reports from that period describe a society plagued by fear and violence, with rural populations becoming refugees due to the actions of party cadres…
DOCUMENTARY
The Thieves of Dhaka : A Tale of Grand Corruption in Bangladesh
On the morning of 5th January 2017, a series of strange but significant events started to unfold in Bangladesh. High-ranking officers of the military intelligence, known as DGFI, called up the Chairman, Vice-chairman and Managing Director of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited, the country’s largest private bank. Soon, all three of them were picked up from their houses by the armed DGFI convoy and brought to Dhaka Cantonment...
LATEST RESEARCH
Bangladesh Awami League: A Case Study of its Militant Politics and Crimes Against Humanity
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STATEMENTS
BANGLADESH: Daily Amar Desh Editor Mahmudur Rahman Must be Released from Prison and Sentence Quashed
Oct 1, 2024
Joint Statement by the Capital Punishment Justice Project, the South Asian Policy Initiative, the Sydney Policy and Analysis Centre and the Global Voice for Humanity.
The Capital Punishment Justice Project (CPJP), the South Asian Policy Initiative (SAPI), the Sydney Policy and Analysis Centre (SPAC) and the Global Voice for Humanity (GVH) express grave concern over the imprisonment of Dr. Mahmudur Rahman, a renowned journalist, human rights defender, and founding president of SAPI.It has come to our attention that Dr. Rahman, who has consistently spoken truth to power in Bangladesh, was sent to jail on 29 September 2024, having voluntarily surrendered after returning to the country to visit his critically ill mother. The Interim Government of Bangladesh must immediately release Dr. Rahman, former Acting Editor of the …
Statement on the Brutal Genocide of Student Protesters in Bangladesh
July 20, 2024
Joint Statement by the Capital Punishment Justice Project, the South Asian Policy Initiative, the Sydney Policy & Analysis Centre and the Global Voice for Humanity.
The Capital Punishment Justice Project (CPJP), the South Asian Policy Initiative (SAPI), the Sydney Policy and Analysis Centre (SPAC)and the Global Voice for Humanity (GVH) express grave concern over the imprisonment of Dr. Mahmudur Rahman, a renowned journalist, human rights defender, and founding president of SAPI.
Statement Protesting the Arrest of Elderly Woman in Bangladesh after Sonโs Facebook Post
August 22, 2023
The South Asian Policy Initiative is deeply troubled by the recent events surrounding the arrest of Anisa Siddika, a 60-year-old woman from the Khulna district of Bangladesh, following her sonโs Facebook post. The incident, which occurred on 20 August 2023, raises serious concerns about the state of freedom of expression and government tactics in the country.
Denouncing the Unjust Imprisonment of Bangladeshi Human Rights Advocates
September 15, 2023
The South Asian Policy Initiative (SAPI) vehemently denounces the recent verdict handed down on 14 September 2023 by a Bangladesh court, which sentenced renowned Bangladeshi human rights advocates Adilur Rahman Khan and ASM Nasiruddin Elan to a two-year prison term.This decision not only constitutes a flagrant violation of their basic human rights but also underscores…