Author: Ravi Adhikari
Publication: News India-Times,
New York, USA
Date: December 22, 2000
NEW YORK: Despite claims by the
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina-led government that minorities in Bangladesh
are doing well under Awami League, members of minority community-- now
living in the US -- has said, the claims are nothing but media gimmicks.
Several members of the Human Rights
Congress for Bangladeshi Minorities (http://www.hrcbm.org),a watchdog organization
registered in Sant Clare,Calif., talking to News India Times Dec. 15 said,
the situation back home is not as rosy as the government boasts.
"A recent example in this regard,
could be cited fromthe government's attempt to seize the publication of
the Mayer Dak,(mother's call-- aweekly news paper focusing primarily on
the plight of minorities)" an HRCBM member in New York, said on the condition
of anonymity.
The Bangladeshi Hindu, who holds
an American passport, said: "it is a difficult situation. I goBangladesh
almost every year and Idon't want to be in trouble (by revealing his name
in this news report) after landing in Dhaka Air port".
A letter received by this reporter,
signed by almost three dozen people, also details the tactics Bangladesh
government used in order to get the paper to 'shut down'
"Keeping in mind the fact that Mayer
Dak (http://www.mayerdak.com) is being published from calcutta, how can
the Bangladeshi government shut down the publication?" this reporter asked
the activist.
"This paper presents events in Bangladesh
and focuses on the minority communities in Bangladesh. Few month ago, the
press counsel of the Bangladesh Consulate in Calcutta, threatened the editort
on telephone.The Bangladesh Foreign Ministry has also lodged aformal complaint
with its Indian counterpart, against the newspaper."he said, detailing
the modalities practiced by Dhaka in this regard.
ASSAULT ON FREEDOM
"The (Bangladesh) government's attempt
is an assault on the freedom of press and information in India and elsewhere.
We strongly condemn such action and ask the government of Bangladesh to
withdraw this reprehensible attempt,"the letter said .
Inanother letter written to the
External Affairs Ministry in New Delhi, Bangladesh governmrnt has also
requested that Indian government should take appropriate action to ban
the newspaper.
"In that letter, it has been mentioned
that this publication is spreading disinformation about Bangladesh in India
and internationally," the member of the umbrella association, which claims
to have over 300 members in the United States alone, said.
According to members of the minority
group, the monthly publication, which documents events related to persecution
of minorities on a regular basis, has a circulation of 5,000 in India and
almost the same number is distributer in Bangladesh, Europe and the United
States.
It is believed that the newspaper's
owner and editor Subhas Chakraborty is a citizen of Bangladesh, who lives
in Calcutta seeking political asylum. Commenting on the episode, the editor
said: "We won't submit to any kind of pressuer, the newspaper will continue
as it always has. Instead we will be promoting the paoer further internationally."
In fact, editor Chakraborty is very
much encouraged by the response and attention the issue has received around
the world. He has decided to bring out a full-fledged English editor of
the paper from this month and another editor in Hindi to be added from
March," the HRCBM member in New York, said.
Keeping with the latest developments,
Amnesty International has also condemned the Bangladesh government's attempt
to block the circulation of the Mayer Dak.
