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Protest in Birmingham against kangaroo trial and authoritarian politics of Hasina Government in Bangladesh

Bangladesh

Birmingham. Today, Friday, 4 October 2013, a crowd of Bangladeshis, organised by the 18 Party Alliance and their supporters, trailed along the busy street of Coventry Road, Small Health Birmingham in their twos and threes to denounce and protest against what they called the trial of Kangaroo-Court set by Bangladesh Government and against her atrocities, genocides, murders, kidnaping, detention and torture on innocent citizens who happened to stand on the political opposition. The crowd carried placards and posters carrying the names of the victims to Kangaroo-Court giving death sentences and, to some, life sentences; detainees of human right workers, media workers and politicians. Some of the salient names were Qader Mullah, Mawlana Delwar Hussain Syedi, Mufti Muhammad Wakkas, SQ Choudhury, Mahmudur Rahman, Adilur Rahman Khan and others.

This is one of the hundreds of protestations that are taking place all-over the spread of Bangladeshis in the world and violent protests in homeland Bangladesh. This lampooned Kangaroo-Tribunal has been highly criticised by legal and human rights campaigners, time and again, for its failure to uphold international standard and in recent times they have attributed it to be ‘politically motivated’. Although the Tribunal carries the adjective, ‘international’, i.e. International War Crime Tribunal, it is nothing but a ‘domestic’ tribunal.

Lord Carlile QC, the Vice-Chair of UK Parliament's All Party Parliamentary Group on Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity, expressed his ‘concerns’ about the set up and working of the Tribunal and recently he spoke of its process as being 'profoundly compromised’. On this issue he has recently made some very strong criticism. 'As an experienced voice on the subject of war crimes and human rights’, he stated, ‘I feel it is my duty to press for an urgent international response to this flawed process. The Bangladeshi Government has ignored the genuine concerns of the international legal community, as well as human rights organisations and governments. The judgment given today in the case of SQ Chowdhury shines another light on a legal process that is not fit for purpose. Witnesses were abducted and there have been proven cases of interference from the executive.’ (Quotation cited in RTNN Desk Report, [online], dated 02 Oct 2013) 

The Birmingham protest, today, with their placards and speeches had the following demands:  (1) The immediate suspension of the present ‘kangaroo-Tribunal’ and institution of a proper ‘war crime tribunal’ on international standard; (2) immediate suspension of all politically motivated judgements against Qader Molla and others; (3) an independent investigation into and trial of the genocides committed on 28 February and 6 May 2013; (4) an end to the boarder killing and justice for Felany and other murders; (5) immediate release of all human right workers, media workers, reporters illegally held in detention and lifting of ban on print and electronic media; (6) release of political leaders and activists held illegally and the withdrawal of false charges against brought them; and (7) the institution of people’s right to vote in a free and fair election to be held under a non-partisan Caretaker Government.

The crowd shouted slogans and some delivered speeches. Some of the leaders and speakers were Angur Miah, ATM Mukarram Hasan, Enamul Hasan Saber, Shafayat Ali Khan, Jalal Choudhury and others. The protest ended peacefully and there has the presence of police the whole time.

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