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 BANGLADESH: Daily Amar Desh Editor Mahmudur Rahman Must be Released from Prison and Sentence Quashed Date: 1 October 2024 The Capital Punishment Justice Project (CPJP), the South Asian Policy Initiative …
Statement on the Brutal Genocide of Student Protesters in Bangladesh Date: 20 July 2024 The South Asian Policy Initiative (SAPI) strongly condemns the ongoing genocide of college and university students by the autocratic Government of Bangladesh. According to unofficial estimates, the combined forces of Police, RAB, and BGB have killed nearly 100 students in a …
Statement on the Brutal Genocide of Student Protesters in Bangladesh Read More »
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…
A dark era of recent abductions and enforced disappearances in Bangladesh started in 2009.
Since then-
Children are in tears for their fathers.
Wives have been crying for years for their husbands.
Parents’ eyes are still longing to see their sons once more.
Bangladesh’s law enforcers took these people away. Nobody knows where they are. Some secret investigation reports from international media, such as Deutsche Welle, suggest that the abducted individuals are being held in a secret detention centre known as ‘Aynaghar’, House of Horror, operated by the Bangladesh Defense Forces Intelligence. International calls for investigations by the United Nations have been repeatedly denied. The current unelected dictator of Bangladesh has ignored numerous requests from United Nations and international human rights organisations.
Roundtable meeting in USA on human rights issues in Bangladesh Location: Washington, DC Date: 17 October 2023 On October 17th, the SAPI team in Washington, DC, gathered for a roundtable meeting with local journalists and community leaders. Mahtab Uddin Ahmed, a board member of SAPI and the US country representative, presided over the meeting. The …
SAPI Releases Research Report on Militant Politics in Bangladesh Location: Sydney, Australia Date: 1 October 2023 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V84wTVMD1XU Location: Sydney, Australia Date: 1 October 2023 On October 1, 2023, at 6 pm Dhaka time, the South Asian Policy Initiative (SAPI) marked a significant moment with the launch of its first major research report titled “Bangladesh Awami …
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 a disturbing pattern of suppressing the voices that advocate for justice, freedom, and equality in Bangladesh under the current regime.
Khan and Elan documented the tragic deaths of 61 individuals during the 5 May 2013 Shapla Massacre. That night, Bangladeshi law enforcement agencies mercilessly killed civilians in a rally of protesters, primarily composed of students and educators from Islamic educational institutions, peacefully demonstrating against religious defamation. Rather than being celebrated for their exceptional humanitarian endeavours through their human rights organisation ‘Odhikar’, the Bangladeshi government has chosen to subject them to this punitive sentence through a compromised judiciary.
Sydney Event Pays Tribute to Victims of Enforced Disappearances in Bangladesh Location: Sydney, Australia Date: 10 September 2023 In a solemn gathering held in Sydney on the evening of 10 September 2023, the victims of enforced disappearances in Bangladesh were remembered. Over the past decade, hundreds of individuals in Bangladesh have been forcibly abducted and …
An equitable investigation and prosecution must be guaranteed for all incidents of disappearance within the country. Location: London, UK Date: 30August 2023 Description An equitable investigation and prosecution must be guaranteed for all incidents of disappearance within the country. The local Bangladeshi community recently commemorated those who have gone missing in Bangladesh during a significant …
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 son’s 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.
Ms. Siddika’s arrest is characteristic of the deteriorating state of civil liberties and the alarming erosion of free expression in Bangladesh. The circumstances of her apprehension, without a warrant or specific charges, are disconcerting and suggest a disregard for due process and human rights. The subsequent invocation of the Special Powers Act to detain her further highlights the extent to which authorities can wield broad powers to suppress dissenting voices.
