Harassment cases are on the rise across the country. Many innocent people are being accused in these cases and are spending their days in extreme anxiety and fear. The daily Khoborer Kagoj published an editorial on Sunday urging the interim government to take effective action. For the readers of Barta24.com, the editorial is published:

Cases are being filed across the country in connection with the anti-discrimination student movement and the killings in the student uprising. Unbelievable but it is true that the people who are at the forefront of this movement have also been charged with murder.

Complaints have been raised; many are being accused of harassment. Women are also among them. The plaintiff in the case does not even know these women accused. A female accused in the case has been identified as male. Even though the capital's Sutrapur area was the scene of the murder, many people outside Dhaka have been accused.

It is alleged that the BNP or party's organs and affiliates and Jamaat leaders of the concerned areas are controlling and determining who will be accused in the case. That is, doing the work of arranging the case. Due to this, many innocent people are accused of murder cases. More than 766 people died during the student uprising and its aftermath.

Cases have been filed in various districts including Dhaka in these incidents. Hundreds of people have been charged in each case. Such cases are still happening. The defendants in these cases are ordinary people including businessmen, journalists, artists, sportsmen and civic activists. There is a mixed reaction among the people of the country.

Other than the political leaders in this case, most of the defendants do not know they are defendants. According to the newspaper investigation, the housewife Shamima is involved in a business owned by her husband! She never went to Sutrapur. Apart from this, she was at the forefront of the march as a guardian in the anti-discrimination student movement in Dhanmondi-Mohammedpur. Despite this, she has been charged with murder. Several such facts have emerged in the search of the newspaper.

A warning notice issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday said that the law enforcement agencies have been directed to take legal action against those who are doing mischief through false and harassing cases. The anti-discrimination student movement also requested not to harass innocent people with false or fake cases without verification.

According to Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) sources, the case was filed as soon as possible in the post-August 5 situation. Apart from this, it is not possible to know who is being accused due to the case being filed in the court.

Sara Hossain, Honorary executive director of Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), said that various cases have been seen for two weeks. Some have 30-40 and more than 50 accused. Many may have anger and resentment, but writing such cases will not work, will not last. It can't pass the first step. The cases are of agitation and demonstration.

Commenting on questioning the crop, she said, it must be stopped.

There should be clarity and transparency in the statement of the murder cases surrounding the anti-discrimination movement. If there is ambiguity, the innocent will be punished and the real criminals will go into hiding. There is a lot of video footage from the time of the anti-discrimination movement, which needs to be scrutinized to present the correct information. Government has to play an effective role to stop harassment cases. No injustice to anyone. Due process of law should be followed keeping in place the transparency and accountability of the case. Hopefully, the interim government will consider the matter seriously. -Courtesy of the Khoborer Kagoj.

The shadow companion of the revolution is the counter-revolution. Wherever there is revolution, there is a sign of counter-revolution. Somewhere it is successful. Fail somewhere. Discussions about the revolution of Bangladesh are now intense at home and abroad. A multifaceted campaign. There are many tables. A section within the government is also dreaming of a counter-revolution. Although many plans or schemes have failed before. But the losers don't sit still. They want to smile in victory. So saying, see how many days go! There is a lot of tension on social media right now. It is said that counter-revolution is only a matter of time. This is normal in the age of freedom. This also happened in the Philippines after the revolution. So the government is worried? I put the question to the head of the government. To Muhammad Yunus. He said, this is not new news. We all know and see. Attempts are being made to weaken the government in various ways. Are you worried then? He answered directly. He said, I kept my eyes and ears open. I am taking action. After the revolution, counter-revolution is inevitable! History says so. We are doing our job. There are some mistakes. By removing it we want to go to the destination. Where is the destination? Why this question? We have said reforms and elections, we want both. We don't want to be out of time. All my work has stopped. You know I dream. Dream, now I can't even dream anymore. Where I was a free man.

Aren't you free here? I don't know if it's free, but it's on file. I have to sign the enter file every day. I can spend less time on other work - it is true. real truth

Are all files readable? Not all files are read. But you have to sign. Files are going up in the world, everything is digital. We are still 'bound by red tape'. When will this situation end?

Sir, when I get a chance I would like to know how your council is doing? Counter question - what do you think? I don't think it's important here, but people are saying different things. He said with a natural smile, there are both good and bad. Some are weak, some are strong. I am watching their work, people are watching too. After reaching a place, I have to give the number. It is currently being worked on. People are looking at us. It is not known under what circumstances we took responsibility. There is unrest all around. People want relief. If the prices of daily commodities continue to rise, the situation may take a different turn. People want to see change. And this is where the sixty minute discussion ended.

Author: Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, Editor-in-Chief, ManabJamin

Courtesy: ManabJamin 

Within 10/12 days, the mountain is heated again. The situation in the Chattogram Hill Tracts is becoming fragile. There is increasing ethnic violence, mistrust and hatred. What is the cause of frequent unrest and tension in the mountains? Who is responsible for these misdeeds? Knowing the answers to these questions is very important to tackle serious problems like racial resentment.

In particular, 27 years after the signing of the peace agreement, the resurgence of conflict and tension in the mountains is a matter of concern. A peace treaty was signed with an armed group. There are now 5/6 armed groups voicing various demands. What is more serious is that trivial or ordinary incidents, which can be settled through arbitration or litigation, are also taking the form of horrific group or communal riots.

Police and local sources said that soon after the incident, agitated people from both sides split into factions and started rehearsing at the headquarters. Aggressive slogans were chanted by both sides. In order to pacify the agitated crowd on both sides, many times government officials were also attacked. Section 144 was finally issued in all cases. After the incident, the situation was very tense for a few days. Common people on both sides and their houses and businesses are affected.

On October 1, the administration issued Section 144 after a teacher was beaten to death on charges of rape in the hill district of Khagrachari when tension broke out between the hills and the Bengalis. Army and police patrols have been strengthened to control the situation. After this incident, Pahari and Bengalis took a position facing each other at Khagrachari Sadar. Both sides took out separate processions. A few shops in Sadar's Mahajanpara were also vandalized. Apart from this, a house was set on fire.

Earlier on September 18, after a youth was beaten to death on the charge of stealing a motorcycle, there was a clash between the Pahari-Bengali communities. Then the deceased Mamun's wife filed a murder case against the absconding three Awami League leaders. Later Pahari-Bengali conflict spread around Mamun's death. On September 19, shops were set on fire at Larma Square in Dighinala. A person named Dhananjay Chakma died in the clash at Dighinala. On the night of September 19, two people, Rubel Tripura and Junan Chakma, were killed in the firing by law and order forces in Khagrachari Sadar. Due to this incident on September 20, there was a clash in Rangamati. There, shops and houses were set on fire. A person named Anik Kumar Chakma died. Section 144 was imposed in Rangamati and Khagrachari on September 20. It was later withdrawn. Five cases were filed in two districts in these incidents.

It needs to be noted that ethnic discontent and communal riots are not a matter of solution only through force. If there are seeds of violence, mistrust and hatred in the society, then it will grow. While it is possible for the law and order forces to establish peace temporarily, it is not possible to uproot the seeds of trouble. As a result, there are seeds of problems, so many unpleasant things are happening in the mountains.

The question is, who is responsible for these incidents and what are the reasons? It is necessary to know in order to solve the problem. We know that the Chittagong Hill Tracts were on an armed path after independence. Through the peace agreement in 1997, it progressed in a systematic way. It is definitely a political success. But peace and harmony are not established overnight when agreements are executed. For this, it is necessary to take appropriate initiatives, through which violence and mistrust among people will be reduced and stability will come.

The task of establishing communal harmony in the hills is neglected. As a result of the agreement, Pahari and Bengali leaders are intoxicated with various titles. No one came forward to establish social peace and harmony. All are fighting against each other from group and party political positions. As a result, the larger society is also divided. In the name of party, in the name of clan, in the name of nation, they do not retreat from facing each other because this division between them has not been removed.

The surprising thing is that despite the violence and communal riots in the hills, the political leaders could not hold hands for a single alliance rally. There was no all-party harmony march or march. Groups and groups live there with suspicion and mistrust of each other.

However, after the peace treaty, along with various political changes, social and cultural changes were also necessary. There was a need to organize dialogue between groups and parties. There was also a need for mutual understanding and exchange. Then the distance between the groups could decrease by reducing the violence and hatred.

It was the responsibility of political leaders, civil society and citizens society to create an environment of social and communal harmony and peaceful coexistence. It is depressingly noticeable that they are all so engrossed in the petty political interests of their respective groups and factions that no thought or effort for the overall welfare and peace of the society is seen from them at all. Walls of divisiveness have grown and often incidents of beatings or communal riots have taken place. As a result of which there is a huge loss of life and property of common people. And tension and violence are spreading in the hills. Common people's lives and livelihoods are being affected as a whole.

Promulgation of Section 144 after riots or taking the stand of law and order forces temporarily calms the situation, but it is not a permanent solution. It is not the case that after a few days there will be unrest and the government forces will go and establish peace will come rather, the whole matter is a matter of decision by the political leadership and depends on the attitude of the peaceful position of all socially. If the people of the society do not protect their lives and property by maintaining peace for their own sake, then it is not possible for any force to establish lasting peace. Permanent peace has to be established by those who live there permanently.

Even after so many years of peace agreement, the creation of communal riots and communal tensions in the hills cannot be accepted in any way. After a few days, the warlike behavior of the two sides is also not desirable. In particular, the deaths of civilians, damage to citizens' homes and shops are completely unacceptable. No sane person can accept the picture of medieval riots in a free country. Political and social leadership must come forward to break the walls of violence and mistrust and create an atmosphere of peaceful coexistence with all. Otherwise, if the social and political leadership spreads the poison of violence and hatred for the interests of small groups and parties, then the green mountain of peace will be burnt to ashes by mutual conflicts and conflicts, which will not be good and beneficial for anyone.

Dr. Mahfuz Parvez: Associate Editor, Barta24.com; Professor and Chairman, Department of Political Science, Chattogram University and Executive Director, Chattogram Center for Regional Studies, Bangladesh (CCRSBD).

There is no need to say more about this contrast. In his farewell address to the UN General Assembly last week, US President Joe Biden spoke proudly of how he had defended Ukraine and its people against Russian aggression. But he took a different track when it came to the Middle East.

They were cast as 'victims' without showing any concern for the plight of the Palestinian people under Israeli aggression and oppression. Biden urged the world to help Ukraine win the war, saying the United States would not look to a just and lasting peace based on the UN Charter.

Biden focused on the "horror of October 7th" and hostages held by Hamas in the Middle East context, though he said little about the death and destruction wrought by Israel's year-long war in Gaza. Calls for adherence to the UN Charter have not been voiced despite Israel's countless transgressions. Biden cited the need for a cease-fire in Gaza and called for a full-scale war to be avoided in the region. But those words ring hollow given the role his administration has played over the past few months.

This role is evident from the multiple US vetoes of cease-fire resolutions at the UN Security Council and Israel's continued armed aggression. In the past year, Washington has provided Israel with more than 12 billion dollars in arms and deployed additional military forces to the region to 'protect Israel'. Last week, Israel allocated an additional 8.7 billion dollars in US military aid. Over the past 11 months, the Biden administration has said little about the more than 41,000 innocent Palestinians killed so far by Israeli military aggression and bombing. The US has not even condemned repeated Israeli attacks on hospitals and medical personnel. The country's government spokesmen are often confused when asked by the media about such blatant violations of international humanitarian law.

This US position has given Israel license to defy UNSC calls for a ceasefire to allow atrocities, ethnic cleansing and aid to Gaza. It is also a violation of the judgment of the International Court of Justice. This US role not only encouraged Israel to continue its genocidal war, but also to launch crackdowns on the occupied West Bank, kill Hamas and Hezbollah commanders in third countries, and intensify attacks on Lebanon. The rest of the states, with the exception of Western countries like the Andes and Norway, have shown complete disregard for international law and basic human rights in their blind support for Israel. Western nations have condemned Russia's military actions and targeting of civilians in Ukraine, but have refused to apply the same policy to Gaza. They never asked if there was any justification for targeting civilians, killing children, bombing hospitals, displacing people and starving the population in Gaza.

On the contrary, they stand up for Israel's right to self-defense and allow Tel Aviv to violate every international law and order, commit war crimes, usurp state sovereignty, and attempt to destroy a nation. This, far from ensuring Israel's security, only increases the number of its enemies and strengthens resistance to the occupation over time.

Arab states have also not glorified themselves by failing to do anything to stop Israel from continuing its genocidal war. There has been a lot of criticism. But their (the Arab states') inaction has helped Israel continue its military aggression.

The Middle East stands at a dangerous crossroads. Israeli tensions have pushed the region to the brink of full-scale conflict. For the brave Palestinian people, this is the darkest time in their oppressed history. But the past proves that their will to resist will challenge this ongoing brutality.

When Israel detonated pagers in Lebanon, not a murmur was heard from Washington and many Western capitals. If any other country had done it, the West would have condemned it as a terrorist attack. Israel has waged a hellish campaign across the West Bank, resulting in the deaths of many civilians and the complete destruction of infrastructure.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has exploited the outgoing President Biden administration's 'lame-duck phase' during the US election season to act with impunity and ignore Washington's warnings about the dangers of regional war. Netanyahu also reckons that the US is unwilling to use its leverage (suspension of arms deliveries) to restrain Tel Aviv, especially as the US continues to reiterate its support for Israel's 'right to unconditional self-defence'.

The US's delayed efforts to seek a cease-fire and hostage agreement without putting pressure on Israel and pursuing peace are nothing more than giving enough time to wage a brutal war. Netanyahu has shown no interest in a cease-fire or peace deal because his political survival depends on continuing the war. There are allegations of corruption against him. Netanyahu, a humanitarian, rejected international calls for a ceasefire in his address to the UN General Assembly.

Some officials in the Biden administration could be said to be taking the argument to a 'new level' over Israel's de-escalation of the war. Following this, Tel Aviv carried out devastating airstrikes in Lebanon that killed more than 700 people, the largest in decades. Israel's aggression has also raised fears of a larger multi-front war that could push the entire region to the brink of full-scale conflict.

Iran has reached a critical position by losing its close ally Hezbollah's top leader Hassan Nasrullah in the Israeli attack. So far, Tehran has dealt with moderation. President Massoud Pezeshkian has avoided Israeli baiting to go to war. He did not order a retaliatory response to Israel's killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Iranian soil. While attending the UN General Assembly in New York, Pezeshkian said that Israel was trying to drag his country into a larger war that it had no desire for. Israel has already ordered its troops to prepare for a ground attack on Lebanon, threatening Iran if they cross another red line.

Although the UN General Assembly has seen international support for the Palestinians and strong condemnation of Israel from leaders of the Global South, it has highlighted the hypocrisy and duplicity practiced by Western governments. Spain, Ireland.

Author: Former High Commissioner of Pakistan and Political Scientist in United States, United Kingdom and United Nations

Translated from Dawn: Ashraful Islam