জাতির র্গব, ইতহিাসরে মহানায়ক, হাজার বছররে শ্রষ্ঠেতম বাঙালী জাতির জনক বঙ্গবন্ধু শেখ মুজিব জাতির শ্রেষ্ঠ সন্তান। হাজার বছর ধরে বাঙালি জাতি এমন একজন জননেতার জন্যই যেনো অপেক্ষা করছিল। বাংলার মায়েরা মেয়েরা বোনেরা বাংলার কৃষক শ্রমিক সাধারণ মানুযষ এমন একজন মানুষের জন্যই র্প্রাথনা করছেে পরম করুনাময়ের কাছে। বাংলার প্রকৃতজাত সন্তান বঙ্গবন্ধু শেখ মুজিবুর রহমান। তাঁর বিশ্বালত্বকে জানতে হলে হাজার বছরের আহ্বামান বাংলাকে জানতে হবে। জানতে হবে কিভাবে তিনি বাঙালি জাতির সংস্কৃতি ও ঐতিহ্যকে নিজের মধ্যে ধারণ করে এই ভূখন্ডের জনগোষ্ঠীর যুক্তির জন্য সংগ্রাম করেছেন। বঙ্গবন্ধু সম্পর্কে কোনো বিশেষনই প্রযুক্তি নয়। এটা শুধু আবেগের কথা নয়। এমন সাহসী ও নির্ভীক এবং বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা অর্জনের জন্য আর কোনো নেতা এদেশের জন্ম গ্রহণ করেন নাই। এই উপমহাদেশের দুশো বছরের বিদেশী শাসন আমাদের মধ্যে যে বিভেদ ও হানাহানির রাজনীতির জন্ম দিয়েছে, তার প্রতি চ্যালেঞ্জ দিয়েই শেখ মুজিব বাঙালির মুক্তি সংগ্রামে নেতৃত্ব দিয়েছেন। বাংলার মানুষের মুক্তির জন্য তিনি উপলব্ধি করেছিলেন যে, ধর্ম নিয়ে রাজনীতির পরিনামেই বাঙালী বার বার স্বীয় অধিকার অর্জনে সফল হতে পারেনি।
বঙ্গবন্ধুর স্বপ্ন ছিল বাঙালী জাতিকে শোষন ও নিপীড়ন মুক্ত করে এক উন্নত জীবনের অধিকারী করছে। আর এসবই বঙ্গবন্ধু শেখ মুজিবের কর্মে, চিন্তায় ও আচরণে মূর্ত হয়ে উঠেছিল আমরণ। বঙ্গবন্ধু শেখ মুজিব তার রাজনৈতিক অভিজ্ঞতা দিয়েই বাংলার মানুষকে ঐক্যবদ্ধ করেছেন। ভাষা আন্দোলনে বাংলার ছাত্র জনতার আত্মদান যুক্তফ্রন্টের বিজয়, সামরিক শাসন বিরোধী আন্দোলন ও উনসত্তরের গণঅভ্যুত্থান সম্ভব হয়েছিল শেখ মুজিবের বিচক্ষণ নেতৃত্বের কারণে আগরতলা ষড়যন্ত্র মামলার সময় তিনি বন্দিদশায় ছিলেন। কিন্তু বাংলার ছাত্র জনতা ছয় দফা কর্মসূচী দিয়েই এগিয়ে গিয়েছিল শাসকদের ষড়যন্ত্র ব্যর্থ করার জন্য। ১৯৬৬ সালের ৬ দফাই এই আন্দোলনের মূল্যে কাজ করেছে। তার সঙ্গে যুক্ত হয়েছে ছাত্রদের এগারদফা। এসব কর্মসূচী দিয়েই শেখ মুজিব রায় পেয়েছিলেন ১৯৭০ সালের সাধারণ নির্বাচনে। '৭০ সালরে নর্বিাচনে গোটা জগতকে বস্মিতি করে জনগণরে অবসিংবাদতি নতো হয়ে উঠছেনে। এরপর ৭ র্মাচ রসের্কোস ময়দানে তনিি যে ভাষণ দলিনে সটো হয়ে গলে ইতহিাস। বাঙালীর মনরে কথাটা উঠে এল তাঁর কণ্ঠ।ে এগয়িে গলেনে দশেবাসীকে নয়ি।ে ঘোষণা করে দলিনে এবাররে সংগ্রাম ভন্নিতর র্পযায়রে, 'এবাররে সংগ্রাম আমাদরে মুক্তি সংগ্রাম, এবাররে সংগ্রাম স্বাধীনতার সংগ্রাম।' তারপর অনকে ঘটনা। বন্দিুমাত্র বচিলতি নন তনি।ি তনিি জাননে এবং দখেছনে সারাদশে তাঁর সঙ্গ,ে দশেরে আপামর জনতা তাঁর সঙ্গ।ে তনিি নতো, তাঁর সঙ্গ,ে তাঁর নর্দিশেে চলছে সবাই। এভাবইে এল ২৫ র্মাচ কালরাত।সইে কালরাতরে শষে,ে ঊষালগ্নে তনিি ঘোষণা করে দলিনে স্বাধীনতার, যটো ২৬ র্মাচরে প্রথম প্রহররে সূচনা।অস্ত্র হাতে তুলে নলি দশেরে সোনার ছলেরো। শুরম্ন হলো দশেকে হানাদারদরে দখলমুক্ত করার কাজ। একদকিে হানাদারদরে গণহত্যা, লুণ্ঠন, নারীদরে অসম্মানরে র্ববরতা, অগ্িনসংযোগ। বপিরীত দকিে মুক্তবিাহনিীর প্রাণপণ প্রতরিোধ এবং যুদ্ধ। এল ১৬ ডসিম্বের। দশে শত্রম্নমুক্ত হলো। স্বাধীন দশেে উড়ল স্বাধীনতার পতাকা
।মানুষ আনন্দতি। আবগোপস্নুত। মনে এত আনন্দ সত্ত্বওে কী যনে নাই। কে যনে নাই। স্বাধীনতার স্বাদ র্পূণতম রূপে পাওয়া যাবে একজন এল।ে তনিি স্বাধীনতার স্থপত,ি মহানায়ক বঙ্গবন্ধু। তনিি বন্দী হানাদার পাকসিত্মানরে কারাগার।ে তাঁকে শষে র্পযনত্ম আটকে রাখা গলে না। ছাড়তে বাধ্য হলো তারা। তনিি মুক্ত হয়ে এলনে ১০ জানুয়ারি ১৯৭২-এ। বাংলাদশে স্বাধীন হলওে তখন ধ্বংসসত্মূপ। দশে গড়ার কাজ শুরম্ন করলনে তনি।ি দায়ত্বি নলিনে হাত।ে স্বাধীনতা এসছেে এখন গড়তে হবে সোনার বাংলা সইে জন্যই কাজ চলছ।ে কন্তিু শত্রম্নরা বসে নইে। চক্রান্ত্ চলল। সইে চক্রান্ত্রে জাল পাতল তাঁরা। সদেনি ১৯৭৫ সালরে ১৫ আগস্ট যা কল্পনাতওে ছলি না, তাই হলোথ সপরবিারে নহিত হলনে স্বাধীনতার মহানায়ক। বদেনাবধিুর ও কলঙ্করে কালমিায় কলুষতি বভিীষকিাময় ইতহিাসরে এ এক কলঙ্কতি অধ্যায়।
একটি জাতির আত্মশক্তির উদ্বোধন বঙ্গবন্ধু শেখ মুজিবের অন্যতম অবদান। কোনো প্রলোভন তাকে লক্ষ্যচ্যুত করতে পারেনি। কোনো নিপীড়ন ও ভয়ভীতির নিকট তিনি আত্মসমর্পণ করেননি। বঙ্গবন্ধু বাংলাদেশের দু:খী মানুষের আপন জন ছিলেন। তিনি আজীবন সংগ্রাম করেছে তাদের অধিকার প্রত্যিষ্ঠায়। বাল্যকাল থেকেই তিনি ছিলেন রাজনৈতিক সচেতন। গণমানুষের অধিকার আদায়ে জেল জুলুম বরণ করেছেন অসংখ্যবার। বঙ্গবন্ধু এমন একজন ব্যক্তি জন্মদিয়েই যিনি ১৯৩৯ সালে প্রথম গ্রেফতার হয়েছিলেন। সেই থেকে জীবনে বহুবার গ্রেফতার হন তিনি। জেলখানা হয়ে উঠে বঙ্গবন্ধুর দ্বিতীয় বাসস্থান। জীবনের বড় একটা সময় যিনি কাটিয়েছেন জেলখানায়। তাঁর স্বপ্ন ছিল সোনার বাংলা গড়ে তোলার। এই স্বপ্নই ছিল তার রাজনৈতিক জীবনে প্রেরণার উৎস। তিনি বলতেন, বাংলার মানুষ রাজনৈতিক মুক্তিই তার আন্দোলন সংগ্রামের লক্ষ্য। জাতি হিসেবে বাঙালিদের এই মুক্তির লক্ষ্যে জাতীয় মুক্তি সংগ্রামে ধর্ম-বর্ণ-নির্বিশেষে সকল বাঙালিকে ঐক্যবদ্ধ করে মুক্তির সংগ্রামে নেতৃত্ব দিয়েছেন। ধর্ম ও রাজনীতিকে তিনি পৃথক করেছেন। ধর্মভিত্তিক জাতীয়তাবাদের পরিবর্তে তিনি এনেছিলেন আধুনিক ভাষাভিত্তিক জাতীয়তাবাদ। রাজনীতি, সংস্কৃতি ও অর্থনীতিতে সেক্যুলারিজমই যে গণতন্ত্রের প্রকৃত স্বরূপ, সেই পরম সত্বকে তিনি প্রতিষ্ঠা করেছিলেন।
শুক্রবার, ২৭ জানুয়ারী, ২০১২
মঙ্গলবার, ২৭ সেপ্টেম্বর, ২০১১
A Short Biography of Sheikh Hasina
Shariful Islam Selim
SHEIKH HASINA, Prime Minister of Bangladesh, was born on 28 September, 1947 at Tungipara under Gopalganj district. She is the eldest of five children of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founder of independent Bangladesh.
She graduated from the University of Dhaka in 1973. She was elected Vice President of the Students Union of Government Intermediate Girl’s College. She was a member of the students League Unit of Dhaka University and Secretary of the Students League Unit of Rokeya Hall. She actively participated in all the mass movements since her student life.
Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with the members of his family was martyred on the fateful night of 15 August 1975. Sheikh Hasina and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana were the only survivors as they were in West Germany at that time. Later she went to the United Kingdom from where she started her movement against the autocratic rule in 1980. Sheikh Hasina was unanimously elected President of Bangladesh Awami League in 1981 in her absence, while she was forced to live in exile in New Delhi. Ending six years in exile, she returned home finally on 17 May 1981.
In the parliamentary election held in 1986, she won three seats. She was elected Leader of the Opposition. She led the historic mass movement in 1990 and announced the constitutional formula for peaceful transfer of power through Articles 51 and 56 of the Constitution.
Following the election of 1991 Sheikh Hasina became Leader of the Opposition in the country’s Fifth Parliament, She steered all the political parties in the parliament towards changing the Presidential system into the Parliamentary one.
Sheikh Hasina created awareness among the people and waged a struggle for Non-party Caretaker Government to ensure free and fair polls. Her movement reached the peak after a non-cooperation movement in March 1996 and the provision for Non-party Caretaker Government was incorporated in the Constitution.
At the call of Sheikh Hasina a large number of people of all walks of life expressed solidarity with the movement at the ‘Janatar Mancha’. In the Parliamentary election held on 12 June 1996, Bangladesh Awami League emerged as the majority party and she assumed the office of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh on 23 June 1996.
After becoming the Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina adopted a number of pragmatic policies for overall development of the nation including poverty alleviation. During the last four years her government achieved laudable success including signing of the historic 30 year Ganges Water Sharing Treaty with India, signing of historic peace Accord on Chittagong Hill Tracts and inauguration of the Bangabandhu Bridge on the river Jamuna.
Sheikh Hasina was conferred Degree of Doctor of Law by the Boston University of the USA on 6 February 1997 and Honorary Doctor of Law by the Waseda University of Japan on 4 July 1997. She was also conferred the Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy in Liberal Arts by University of Abertay Dundee of the United Kingdom on 25 October, 1997. She was conferred Honorary Degree of Desikottama (Doctor of Literature, honoris causa) by Visva-Bharati University of West Bengal, India on 28 January 1999. She was also conferred the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, on the ground of her distinguished creative contributions in the service of society by the Australian National University on 20 October 1999. Dhaka University conferred Honorary ‘Doctor of Laws’ degree to Sheikh Hasina on 18 December, 1999 for her outstanding contribution towards peace and democracy. The World famous Catholic University of Brussels, Belgium conferred Honorary Doctorate degree (Doctor Honoris Causa) on Sheikh Hasina on 04 February, 2000 for her decisive role in establishing democracy, protecting human rights and peace. Sheikh Hasina has been conferred Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by the Bridgeport University, USA on 5 September, 2000.
Sheikh Hasina has been awarded UNESCO’s Houphouet-Boigny Peace Prize for 1998 for her remarkable contribution to bringing peace through ending the 25 years of conflict in Chittagong Hill Tracts with political courage and statesmanship.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina received prestigious Pearl S. Buck Award ’99 on 9 April 2000 in recognition of her vision, courage, achievements in political, economic and humanitarian fields by Randolph Macon Women’s College of USA. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has been awarded the prestigious CERES’ medal to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in recognition to her fight against hunger on 02 August, 1999. The All India Peace Council awarded her ‘Mother Teresa Award’ in 1998. The Mahatma M K Gandhi Foundation of Oslo, Norway awarded Sheikh Hasina ‘M K Gandhi Award’ for 1998 for her contribution towards promotion of communal understanding, non violent religions harmony and growth of democracy at the level of grassroots in Bangladesh. Sheikh Hasina was named Paul Haris Fellow by the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. She was also given Medal of Distinction in 1996-97 and 1998-99 and Head of State Medal in 1996-97 by the International Association of Lions Clubs.
She has authored several books including “Why Are They Street Children”, “The Origin of Autocracy”, ‘Miles to Go”, “Elimination of Poverty and Some Thoughts”, “People and Democracy”, “My Dream My Struggle” and “Development for the Masses.” She performed holy Hajj and Umrah several times.
Sheikh Hasina is the Chairperson of “The Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Trust”. She has been helping a lot of poor boys and girls for their education.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, throughout her life has been a strong proponent of peace, freedom and democracy. From an early age, inspired by the lofty ideals and love for the people of her father, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the liberator of Bangladesh, she developed a strong sense of identity for the common people. She always spoke out against oppression and violation of human rights. This commitment has hardened over the years, particularly when her parents, brothers and scores of relatives were brutally assassinated by the misguided members of the military in 1975 soon after the independence of Bangladesh.
Since that time her resolve for democracy and development for the teeming millions of Bangladesh has become firmly entrenched. She struggled for the return of democracy in Bangladesh and fought valiantly for its establishment in the country in every possible manner. She was committed to making Parliament the centre of all national activities.
In 1996, the people of Bangladesh gave her a strong mandate as the Prime Minister of the country. Despite serious resource and constraints and recurrent natural calamity as well as widespread poverty, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, during the first two years of her government, has lived up to her unswerving commitment to the cause of peace, democracy, development and human rights.
Her first act of peace within months of her assumption of office was the initiative for resolution of the long-standing water-sharing dispute with India through a 30-years treaty. This put an end to a very complex regional dispute.
Her visionary idea of a business summit among the political and private sector leaders of Bangladesh, India and Pakistan has added a new chapter in the history of South Asia.
Her dedicated leadership also made possible a peace agreement in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, thereby solving the 23-year old insurgency in the Hill districts of Bangladesh. This peace accord brought an area inhabited by nearly 5 million people out of violence and into a time of peace and development. Though the international media has not given much prominence to this accord, it is uniquely remarkable because the peace accord benefited such a large number of people and the whole area has been brought under development programs following the complete surrender of arms by the insurgents.
Her quest for peace has taken her to India and Pakistan to talk to the leaders of these two countries soon after the nuclear test urging reduction of tension in the region.
Prime Minister Hasina has been a strong advocate for the Culture of Peace at global, regional and national levels. In many major conferences, she espoused the concept of the Culture of Peace, most recently in South Africa at the 12th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) which has a membership of 114 countries. Her initiative has resulted in the first-ever resolution by the Plenary of the United Nations General Assembly on the Culture of Peace. She also provided leadership for the declaration by the UN of the period 2001 to 2010 as the International Decade for Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World.
Prime Minister Hasina’s determination for the eradication of poverty, in particular through wide-ranging microcredit programmes, has been recognized world-wide. Her co-chairpersonship of the Microcredit Summit in February 1997 which resolved to bring 100 million families of the world out of poverty by 2005 focused world attention to her strong commitment to the eradication of poverty and enlistment of the poorest of the poor. She has been a champion of microcredit by spreading the message in major international forums. Her leadership led to the adoption for the first time by UN General Assembly a far-reaching resolution on the role of microcredit in the eradication of poverty.
Along with poverty eradication, she has focused on the empowerment of women and has successfully completed legislation to ensure adequate representation of women in the local government bodies, leading to the election of more than 14,000 women to these bodies in 1997. She has taken major initiatives to stop violence against women and children.
She has also provided leadership in the field of education, particularly for the education of girls in her own country as well as advocating it for global support. Her government has greatly enhanced budgetary allocation for primary education focusing on girls’ education.
To improve the quality of life of the people of Bangladesh, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has particularly focused on human development, paying special attention to healthcare, family planning, nutrition, women’s rights and survival and development of children. At the UN and other forums, she has been a major voice in support of the cause of children and their rights.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has, all along her life, defended human rights in every possible way. Her active promotion of the rights of women and children has drawn appreciation by both government and NGOs as well as international organizations. She has promoted the right to development as having centrality in the human rights regime. At the NAM Summit in South Africa in 1998, her proposal for a Convention on the Right to Development received welcoming endorsement of the Heads of State and Government. She initiated the establishment of a National Human Rights Commission and the office of Ombudsperson as well as Bangladesh’s recent accession to six major human rights instruments including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Her keen interest resulted in the signature by Bangladesh of the Statute for the International Criminal Court (ICC) and ratification of the Landmines Treaty, being the first country in South Asia to do so.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s initiative resulted in the hosting of the first-ever conference of the Asian parliamentarians devoted to peace and cooperation in Dhaka in September 1999 which elected her as the first President of the Association of Asian Parliaments for peace established at the conference.
At present, as someone who has lost so much personally and has been a victim of oppression and denial of freedom, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stands out as a messenger of peace, democracy, development and human rights.
Writer: Activist, Bangladesh Chatro League(BCL), Rajshahi University Unit
SHEIKH HASINA, Prime Minister of Bangladesh, was born on 28 September, 1947 at Tungipara under Gopalganj district. She is the eldest of five children of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founder of independent Bangladesh.
She graduated from the University of Dhaka in 1973. She was elected Vice President of the Students Union of Government Intermediate Girl’s College. She was a member of the students League Unit of Dhaka University and Secretary of the Students League Unit of Rokeya Hall. She actively participated in all the mass movements since her student life.
Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with the members of his family was martyred on the fateful night of 15 August 1975. Sheikh Hasina and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana were the only survivors as they were in West Germany at that time. Later she went to the United Kingdom from where she started her movement against the autocratic rule in 1980. Sheikh Hasina was unanimously elected President of Bangladesh Awami League in 1981 in her absence, while she was forced to live in exile in New Delhi. Ending six years in exile, she returned home finally on 17 May 1981.
In the parliamentary election held in 1986, she won three seats. She was elected Leader of the Opposition. She led the historic mass movement in 1990 and announced the constitutional formula for peaceful transfer of power through Articles 51 and 56 of the Constitution.
Following the election of 1991 Sheikh Hasina became Leader of the Opposition in the country’s Fifth Parliament, She steered all the political parties in the parliament towards changing the Presidential system into the Parliamentary one.
Sheikh Hasina created awareness among the people and waged a struggle for Non-party Caretaker Government to ensure free and fair polls. Her movement reached the peak after a non-cooperation movement in March 1996 and the provision for Non-party Caretaker Government was incorporated in the Constitution.
At the call of Sheikh Hasina a large number of people of all walks of life expressed solidarity with the movement at the ‘Janatar Mancha’. In the Parliamentary election held on 12 June 1996, Bangladesh Awami League emerged as the majority party and she assumed the office of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh on 23 June 1996.
After becoming the Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina adopted a number of pragmatic policies for overall development of the nation including poverty alleviation. During the last four years her government achieved laudable success including signing of the historic 30 year Ganges Water Sharing Treaty with India, signing of historic peace Accord on Chittagong Hill Tracts and inauguration of the Bangabandhu Bridge on the river Jamuna.
Sheikh Hasina was conferred Degree of Doctor of Law by the Boston University of the USA on 6 February 1997 and Honorary Doctor of Law by the Waseda University of Japan on 4 July 1997. She was also conferred the Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy in Liberal Arts by University of Abertay Dundee of the United Kingdom on 25 October, 1997. She was conferred Honorary Degree of Desikottama (Doctor of Literature, honoris causa) by Visva-Bharati University of West Bengal, India on 28 January 1999. She was also conferred the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, on the ground of her distinguished creative contributions in the service of society by the Australian National University on 20 October 1999. Dhaka University conferred Honorary ‘Doctor of Laws’ degree to Sheikh Hasina on 18 December, 1999 for her outstanding contribution towards peace and democracy. The World famous Catholic University of Brussels, Belgium conferred Honorary Doctorate degree (Doctor Honoris Causa) on Sheikh Hasina on 04 February, 2000 for her decisive role in establishing democracy, protecting human rights and peace. Sheikh Hasina has been conferred Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by the Bridgeport University, USA on 5 September, 2000.
Sheikh Hasina has been awarded UNESCO’s Houphouet-Boigny Peace Prize for 1998 for her remarkable contribution to bringing peace through ending the 25 years of conflict in Chittagong Hill Tracts with political courage and statesmanship.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina received prestigious Pearl S. Buck Award ’99 on 9 April 2000 in recognition of her vision, courage, achievements in political, economic and humanitarian fields by Randolph Macon Women’s College of USA. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has been awarded the prestigious CERES’ medal to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in recognition to her fight against hunger on 02 August, 1999. The All India Peace Council awarded her ‘Mother Teresa Award’ in 1998. The Mahatma M K Gandhi Foundation of Oslo, Norway awarded Sheikh Hasina ‘M K Gandhi Award’ for 1998 for her contribution towards promotion of communal understanding, non violent religions harmony and growth of democracy at the level of grassroots in Bangladesh. Sheikh Hasina was named Paul Haris Fellow by the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. She was also given Medal of Distinction in 1996-97 and 1998-99 and Head of State Medal in 1996-97 by the International Association of Lions Clubs.
She has authored several books including “Why Are They Street Children”, “The Origin of Autocracy”, ‘Miles to Go”, “Elimination of Poverty and Some Thoughts”, “People and Democracy”, “My Dream My Struggle” and “Development for the Masses.” She performed holy Hajj and Umrah several times.
Sheikh Hasina is the Chairperson of “The Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Trust”. She has been helping a lot of poor boys and girls for their education.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, throughout her life has been a strong proponent of peace, freedom and democracy. From an early age, inspired by the lofty ideals and love for the people of her father, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the liberator of Bangladesh, she developed a strong sense of identity for the common people. She always spoke out against oppression and violation of human rights. This commitment has hardened over the years, particularly when her parents, brothers and scores of relatives were brutally assassinated by the misguided members of the military in 1975 soon after the independence of Bangladesh.
Since that time her resolve for democracy and development for the teeming millions of Bangladesh has become firmly entrenched. She struggled for the return of democracy in Bangladesh and fought valiantly for its establishment in the country in every possible manner. She was committed to making Parliament the centre of all national activities.
In 1996, the people of Bangladesh gave her a strong mandate as the Prime Minister of the country. Despite serious resource and constraints and recurrent natural calamity as well as widespread poverty, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, during the first two years of her government, has lived up to her unswerving commitment to the cause of peace, democracy, development and human rights.
Her first act of peace within months of her assumption of office was the initiative for resolution of the long-standing water-sharing dispute with India through a 30-years treaty. This put an end to a very complex regional dispute.
Her visionary idea of a business summit among the political and private sector leaders of Bangladesh, India and Pakistan has added a new chapter in the history of South Asia.
Her dedicated leadership also made possible a peace agreement in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, thereby solving the 23-year old insurgency in the Hill districts of Bangladesh. This peace accord brought an area inhabited by nearly 5 million people out of violence and into a time of peace and development. Though the international media has not given much prominence to this accord, it is uniquely remarkable because the peace accord benefited such a large number of people and the whole area has been brought under development programs following the complete surrender of arms by the insurgents.
Her quest for peace has taken her to India and Pakistan to talk to the leaders of these two countries soon after the nuclear test urging reduction of tension in the region.
Prime Minister Hasina has been a strong advocate for the Culture of Peace at global, regional and national levels. In many major conferences, she espoused the concept of the Culture of Peace, most recently in South Africa at the 12th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) which has a membership of 114 countries. Her initiative has resulted in the first-ever resolution by the Plenary of the United Nations General Assembly on the Culture of Peace. She also provided leadership for the declaration by the UN of the period 2001 to 2010 as the International Decade for Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World.
Prime Minister Hasina’s determination for the eradication of poverty, in particular through wide-ranging microcredit programmes, has been recognized world-wide. Her co-chairpersonship of the Microcredit Summit in February 1997 which resolved to bring 100 million families of the world out of poverty by 2005 focused world attention to her strong commitment to the eradication of poverty and enlistment of the poorest of the poor. She has been a champion of microcredit by spreading the message in major international forums. Her leadership led to the adoption for the first time by UN General Assembly a far-reaching resolution on the role of microcredit in the eradication of poverty.
Along with poverty eradication, she has focused on the empowerment of women and has successfully completed legislation to ensure adequate representation of women in the local government bodies, leading to the election of more than 14,000 women to these bodies in 1997. She has taken major initiatives to stop violence against women and children.
She has also provided leadership in the field of education, particularly for the education of girls in her own country as well as advocating it for global support. Her government has greatly enhanced budgetary allocation for primary education focusing on girls’ education.
To improve the quality of life of the people of Bangladesh, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has particularly focused on human development, paying special attention to healthcare, family planning, nutrition, women’s rights and survival and development of children. At the UN and other forums, she has been a major voice in support of the cause of children and their rights.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has, all along her life, defended human rights in every possible way. Her active promotion of the rights of women and children has drawn appreciation by both government and NGOs as well as international organizations. She has promoted the right to development as having centrality in the human rights regime. At the NAM Summit in South Africa in 1998, her proposal for a Convention on the Right to Development received welcoming endorsement of the Heads of State and Government. She initiated the establishment of a National Human Rights Commission and the office of Ombudsperson as well as Bangladesh’s recent accession to six major human rights instruments including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Her keen interest resulted in the signature by Bangladesh of the Statute for the International Criminal Court (ICC) and ratification of the Landmines Treaty, being the first country in South Asia to do so.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s initiative resulted in the hosting of the first-ever conference of the Asian parliamentarians devoted to peace and cooperation in Dhaka in September 1999 which elected her as the first President of the Association of Asian Parliaments for peace established at the conference.
At present, as someone who has lost so much personally and has been a victim of oppression and denial of freedom, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stands out as a messenger of peace, democracy, development and human rights.
Writer: Activist, Bangladesh Chatro League(BCL), Rajshahi University Unit
মঙ্গলবার, ২৬ এপ্রিল, ২০১১
কাঁটাতারের বলি : ফেলানী
নাম তার ফেলানী। বয়স পনেরো হয়ে গেছে। মা-বাবা, ভাই-বোনের সঙ্গে বর্ডারের কাঁটাতার পেরিয়ে ভারতে গিয়েছিল। বাবা সেখানে মজুরের কাজ করতো। দরিদ্র ঘরের মেয়ে। তবে সে যে বাপের সঙ্গে বাধ্য হয়ে গিয়েছিল সেটাই সত্য ও বাস্তব কথা।
কুড়িগ্রামের অনন্তপুর সীমান্ত এলাকায় বানারীভাটা গ্রামের নূর হোসেনের মেয়ে ফেলানী। গত ৭ জানুয়ারী সে পিতার সঙ্গে কাঁটাতার পেরিয়ে ঘরে ফেরার পথে বিএসএফের গুলিতে নিহত হয়। ঝুলন্ত অবস্থায় তার লাশের ছবিটি দেখে যে কোনও মানুষই ক্ষুদ্ধ হবে, ধিক্কার দেবে। পত্রিকার খবর ফেলানীর বিয়ে ঠিক হয়েছিল বলে তার বাবা তাকে নিয়ে আসছিল।
বাংলাদেশ ভারতের অনেক অংশই কাঁটাতারের বেড়া দিয়ে ঘেরা। আবার অনেক অংশই খালি শুধুমাত্র ইট দিয়ে চিহ্ণিত করা আছে। কাঁটাতারে ঘেরা বেশ উঁচু পর্যন্ত। পেটের দায়ে হোক, চিত্তের আনন্দে হোক, চোরা কারবারের স্বার্থে হোক – এসব অবৈধ পথেই যাতায়াত করে থাকে অনেকে। বর্ডার এবং কাঁটাতারের ভয় এদের থাকে না। যেতে হবে, তা সে যেমন করেই হোক এদের মনে কোনও শঙ্কা থাকে না। প্রভাবশালীরা অর্থ দিয়ে পার যায়। আর যারা অর্থ দিতে পারে না, তাদের ভাগ্যে জোটে বুলেট। বৈধ পথেও কি যাওয়া খুব সহজ ? পাসপোর্ট তৈরি ও ভিসা পাওয়া মানে অনেক টাকার মামলা। ঝামেলা সামলে পাসপোর্ট পাওয়া গেলেও আবার ভিসার জন্যও নানা ফ্যাকরা। কত কাগজপত্র লাগে কত প্রশ্নের উত্তর দিতে হয়। সঙ্গে বিদেশি টাকাও নিতে হয়। এতো কিছু করা সাধারণ মানুষের পক্ষেও সম্ভব নয়।
বৈধ পথের এইসব নানা নিয়ম কানুনের বেড়াজাল পেরিয়ে যারা যেতে পারেন তারা তো অবশ্যই ভাগ্যবান। কিন্তু একেবারে দারিদ্র ও সাধারণ মানুষ কোনও উপায় না দেখে এই অবৈধ পথের আশ্রয় নেয়। কাঁটাতারের বেড়া বা নিরাপত্তা নিয়ম নীতির কোনও পরোয়া তারা করে না। আর চোরাকারবারী ও পাচারকারীরা তো অর্থের বিনিময়ে নির্বিঘ্নে কাজ সারে। সেখানে তারা খাদ্য-বস্ত্রসহ নানা মালপত্র নিয়ে যাওয়া আসা তো করেই আবার নারী, শিশু ও গরু পাচার করে মোটা অর্থের কারবার করে থাকে। এসব বন্ধের জন্য উভয় পক্ষের সরকারি উদ্যোগ মাঝে মাঝে পত্রিকায় আসে সত্য কিন্তু বন্ধ হয় না।
আমাদের দেশের গরীব ঘরের মেয়ে ফেলানী অবৈধ পথেই যাতায়ত করতো। কাঁটাতারের বেড়া পার হতো জীবনের ঝুঁকি নিয়ে। এবারে সে ধরা পড়ে যায় নিরাপত্তা রক্ষীদের চোখে। ফলে তার ভাগ্যে জোটে বুলেট নামক নিষ্ঠুর নৃশংস আঘাত। এ আঘাতে তাকে মৃত্যুবরণ করতে হয় কাঁটাতারের বেড়ায় ঝুলে। নিরাপত্তা প্রহরী তার কাজ করেছে, কেন এমন অবৈধভাবে মানুষ চলাচল করবে ? তারা তাদের আইন শৃঙ্খলা বা নিয়ম নীতির আদর্শ অনুসারী। তাদের কাছে মানবাধিকারের বিষয়টি বিবেচনায় থাকে না। সে বিবেচনা থাকলে তো আর ফেলানী মারা যেত না। আমি জানি না সরকারিভাবে যখন দুদেশের নিরাপত্তা কর্মকর্তারা বসেন তখন তারা মানবাধিকার বলে কোন বিষয় আলোচনায় রাখেন কি না। নিজ নিজ দেশের আইন-শৃঙ্খলা বা নিরাপত্তা রক্ষার জন্য তারা যে কোনও গুরুত্বপূর্ণ সিদ্ধান্ত নিতে পারেন সত্য কিন্তু মানুষ হত্যার সিদ্ধান্ত নিশ্চয় নিতে পারেন না।
এ সিদ্ধান্ত নেয়াটা কোন সভ্য সমাজের সংস্কৃতি হতে পারে না। ফেলানী তো চোর নয়, সে এমন কিছু চুরি করে বা কোন সহিংস ঘটনা ঘটিয়ে ফিরছিল না। তাকে এই অবৈধ পথে যাতায়াত করার জন্য জিজ্ঞাসাবাদ করা যেত, গ্রেফতার করে শাস্তি দেয়া যেত। কিন্তু গুলি ছুড়ে হত্যা করে কাঁটাতারের বেড়ায় ঝুলিয়ে দেয়া হলো কেন ? কোন সিন্ধান্তে ? কোন আইনে ? সে আইনে তো পাচারকারী ব্যবসায়ী ও দালালরা মরে না ? কিশোরী ফেলানী কী এমন মহা অপরাধ করেছিল যে তাকে মেরে ফেলা হবে ?
কুড়িগ্রামের অনন্তপুর সীমান্ত এলাকায় বানারীভাটা গ্রামের নূর হোসেনের মেয়ে ফেলানী। গত ৭ জানুয়ারী সে পিতার সঙ্গে কাঁটাতার পেরিয়ে ঘরে ফেরার পথে বিএসএফের গুলিতে নিহত হয়। ঝুলন্ত অবস্থায় তার লাশের ছবিটি দেখে যে কোনও মানুষই ক্ষুদ্ধ হবে, ধিক্কার দেবে। পত্রিকার খবর ফেলানীর বিয়ে ঠিক হয়েছিল বলে তার বাবা তাকে নিয়ে আসছিল।
বাংলাদেশ ভারতের অনেক অংশই কাঁটাতারের বেড়া দিয়ে ঘেরা। আবার অনেক অংশই খালি শুধুমাত্র ইট দিয়ে চিহ্ণিত করা আছে। কাঁটাতারে ঘেরা বেশ উঁচু পর্যন্ত। পেটের দায়ে হোক, চিত্তের আনন্দে হোক, চোরা কারবারের স্বার্থে হোক – এসব অবৈধ পথেই যাতায়াত করে থাকে অনেকে। বর্ডার এবং কাঁটাতারের ভয় এদের থাকে না। যেতে হবে, তা সে যেমন করেই হোক এদের মনে কোনও শঙ্কা থাকে না। প্রভাবশালীরা অর্থ দিয়ে পার যায়। আর যারা অর্থ দিতে পারে না, তাদের ভাগ্যে জোটে বুলেট। বৈধ পথেও কি যাওয়া খুব সহজ ? পাসপোর্ট তৈরি ও ভিসা পাওয়া মানে অনেক টাকার মামলা। ঝামেলা সামলে পাসপোর্ট পাওয়া গেলেও আবার ভিসার জন্যও নানা ফ্যাকরা। কত কাগজপত্র লাগে কত প্রশ্নের উত্তর দিতে হয়। সঙ্গে বিদেশি টাকাও নিতে হয়। এতো কিছু করা সাধারণ মানুষের পক্ষেও সম্ভব নয়।
বৈধ পথের এইসব নানা নিয়ম কানুনের বেড়াজাল পেরিয়ে যারা যেতে পারেন তারা তো অবশ্যই ভাগ্যবান। কিন্তু একেবারে দারিদ্র ও সাধারণ মানুষ কোনও উপায় না দেখে এই অবৈধ পথের আশ্রয় নেয়। কাঁটাতারের বেড়া বা নিরাপত্তা নিয়ম নীতির কোনও পরোয়া তারা করে না। আর চোরাকারবারী ও পাচারকারীরা তো অর্থের বিনিময়ে নির্বিঘ্নে কাজ সারে। সেখানে তারা খাদ্য-বস্ত্রসহ নানা মালপত্র নিয়ে যাওয়া আসা তো করেই আবার নারী, শিশু ও গরু পাচার করে মোটা অর্থের কারবার করে থাকে। এসব বন্ধের জন্য উভয় পক্ষের সরকারি উদ্যোগ মাঝে মাঝে পত্রিকায় আসে সত্য কিন্তু বন্ধ হয় না।
আমাদের দেশের গরীব ঘরের মেয়ে ফেলানী অবৈধ পথেই যাতায়ত করতো। কাঁটাতারের বেড়া পার হতো জীবনের ঝুঁকি নিয়ে। এবারে সে ধরা পড়ে যায় নিরাপত্তা রক্ষীদের চোখে। ফলে তার ভাগ্যে জোটে বুলেট নামক নিষ্ঠুর নৃশংস আঘাত। এ আঘাতে তাকে মৃত্যুবরণ করতে হয় কাঁটাতারের বেড়ায় ঝুলে। নিরাপত্তা প্রহরী তার কাজ করেছে, কেন এমন অবৈধভাবে মানুষ চলাচল করবে ? তারা তাদের আইন শৃঙ্খলা বা নিয়ম নীতির আদর্শ অনুসারী। তাদের কাছে মানবাধিকারের বিষয়টি বিবেচনায় থাকে না। সে বিবেচনা থাকলে তো আর ফেলানী মারা যেত না। আমি জানি না সরকারিভাবে যখন দুদেশের নিরাপত্তা কর্মকর্তারা বসেন তখন তারা মানবাধিকার বলে কোন বিষয় আলোচনায় রাখেন কি না। নিজ নিজ দেশের আইন-শৃঙ্খলা বা নিরাপত্তা রক্ষার জন্য তারা যে কোনও গুরুত্বপূর্ণ সিদ্ধান্ত নিতে পারেন সত্য কিন্তু মানুষ হত্যার সিদ্ধান্ত নিশ্চয় নিতে পারেন না।
এ সিদ্ধান্ত নেয়াটা কোন সভ্য সমাজের সংস্কৃতি হতে পারে না। ফেলানী তো চোর নয়, সে এমন কিছু চুরি করে বা কোন সহিংস ঘটনা ঘটিয়ে ফিরছিল না। তাকে এই অবৈধ পথে যাতায়াত করার জন্য জিজ্ঞাসাবাদ করা যেত, গ্রেফতার করে শাস্তি দেয়া যেত। কিন্তু গুলি ছুড়ে হত্যা করে কাঁটাতারের বেড়ায় ঝুলিয়ে দেয়া হলো কেন ? কোন সিন্ধান্তে ? কোন আইনে ? সে আইনে তো পাচারকারী ব্যবসায়ী ও দালালরা মরে না ? কিশোরী ফেলানী কী এমন মহা অপরাধ করেছিল যে তাকে মেরে ফেলা হবে ?
Cyber law and its weakness: Bangladesh perspective
MD.MEHEDI HASAN
The world over cyber crime has taken deep root and the use of cyberspace by
sophisticated cyber criminals has assumed serious proportion today.
Criminals and terrorists associated with drug trafficking, terrorist outfits
are employing Internet for anti social, anti national and criminal
activities with impunity.Terrorist groups are deftly using Internet for
passing on information with regard to executing various terrorist acts
having serious negative impact on human life. The cyber-terrorists have even
acquired the capability to enter computer systems using“logic bombs” (coded
devices that can be remotely detonated), electro magnetic pulses and
high-emission radio frequency guns, which blow a devastating electronic wind
through a computer system. The hackers have gone to the extent of
distributing free hacking software — *Rootki*t, for instance — to enable an
intruder to get root access to a network and then control as though they
were the system’s administrators.Many instances of cyber crime involve
techno-trespass and unauthorized access to the computer system and data or
programmes stored in computers. This access could be without authorization
or exceeding the authorization given to an individual. The un authorized
access may lead to theft, alteration or destruction of data, tampering with
computer programmes or other software, damage to computers or computer
systems including damage to data stored on storage devices, such as hard
disks,floppy disks, CD-ROMs, etc. This would, in turn, lead to serious
financial loss to theorganisation. Thus computer crime today has emerged as
a challenge for criminaljustice system and law enforcement.Studies have
shown that computer criminals are generally computer professionals or
computer-literate persons and are not history sheeters and mostly without
previous criminal record. Studies also show that the threat is mostly from
employees or from those with access to the system, such as maintenance
personnel, hardware and software vendors, etc. however, external threats via
remote access have shown an increasing trend.
*Cybercrime and Scenario in Bangladesh:*
In 2008 a petty hacker of Bangladesh named Shahi Mirza hacked the RAB’s
website. Moreover he confessed to police that not only RAB’s website but
also other national govt. and non govt. and international site had been
hacked by him for a long time. Totally he hacked 21 website together with
Army’s website. So it is clear to us that the cyberspace of Bangladesh is
not secured.
Today the cyber criminals enter into the computer system or network with
their talents, sufficient and special higher knowledge and technique
neglecting legal process. That is why they cause great harm or loss to
individuals and state by theft of important and private information by
selling that information by theft of bank accounts money by transferring
civil information to the opponent party. There are some laws regarding this
but the cyber crime is not controlled. Recently the Bangladesh ICT Act-2006
has added to the list. Its some sections was amended in 2009 where as the
highest punishment is 10 years imprisonment or find up to 1 crore. Though
this Act is not sufficient to prevent the cyber crime. Then everyday should
have knowledge about that act and penalty. On the otherhand the govt and
concerned authority should continuously amend this law. Because some harm
derived from cyber crims is beyond the crore money which encourage the cyber
criminals.
To define and amend certain parts of law relating to legal recognition and
security of information and communication technology and related matters the
Information and Communication Technology Act- 2006 was enacted.According to
the ICT Act the cybercrime shall be treated as non cognigible offence that
is why the police can’t arrest the criminals without warrent except some
cases.
Chapter eight section 54 to 67 of the ICT Act 2006 describe the cybercrimes
both civil and criminal matters. The followings shall be treated as crime;
- Unauthorized copying, extracting and downloading of any data, database
- Introduction of virus
- Damage and disruption to computer system and computer network
- Denial of access to authorized person to computer
- Providing assistance to make possible to commit to crime
- Hacking with computer system
- Tampering computer source documents
- Electronic forger for the purpose of cheating and harming reputation
- Using a forged Electronic record
- Publication of digital signature certificate for the fraudulent purpose
- Confiscation of computer, network etc
- Publication of information which is obscene in electronic form
- Misrepresentation and suppressing material facts for obtaining digital
signature certificate
- Breachof confidentiality and privacy
- Publishing false digital signature certificate
If any person does any crime under section 54 of the ICT Act 2006 he will be
given penalty of maximum 10 years rigorous imprisonment or fined up to 10
lacs taka or for the both of above.
If any person does any crime under section 55 he will be given penalty of
maximum 3years imprisonment or fined up to 3 lacs taka or with both.
Whoever commits hacking under this act shall be punished of maximum 3 years
imprisonment or fined up to 1 crore taka or with both. Whoever commits such
crime
under section 57 of this act shall be punished of maximum 10 years
imprisonment or fined up to 1 crore taka or with both. Penalty for failure
to surrender license is 6 month imprisonment or fined up to 10 thousand
taka or with both. Penalty for failure to comply with order made by the
controller is maximum 1 years imprisonment or fined up to 1 lacs taka or
with both.Penaly for violation of the order of the controller in emergency
period is maximum 5 years or fined up to 5 lacs or with both.Punishment for
unauthorized access to protected system is the maximum 10 years or fined up
to 10 lacs or with both. Penalty for false representation and hiding
information is maximum 2 years imprisonment or fined up to 2 lacs or with
both.Penaly for discloser of confidentiality and privacy is
maximum 2 years imprisonment or fined up to 2 lacs or with both.Punishment
for publishing false digital signature certificate is maximum 2 years
imprisonment or fined up to 2 lacs or with both. Penalty for Publication of
digital signature certificate for the fraudulent purpose is maximum 2 years
imprisonment or fined up to 2 lacs or with both.
*Analysis of the statutory provisions:*
The Information Technology Act 2006 was undoubtedly a welcome step at a time
when there was no legislation on this specialised field. The Act has however
during its application has proved to be inadequate to a certain extent. The
various loopholes in the Act are-
1.* The hurry in which the legislation was passed, without sufficient public
debate, did not really serve the desired purpose** * *-*
Experts are of the opinion that one of the reasons for the inadequacy of the
legislation has been the hurry in which it was passed by the parliament and
it is also a fact that sufficient time was not given for public debate.
2. *“Cyberlaws, in their very preamble and aim, state that they are targeted
at aiding e-commerce, and are not meant to regulate cybercrime*” –
Mr. Pavan Duggal holds the opinion that the main intention of the
legislators has been to provide for a law to regulate the e-commerce and
with that aim the I.T.Act 2006 was passed, which also is one of the reasons
for its inadequacy to deal with cases of cyber crime.
At this point I would like to express my respectful dissent with Mr. Duggal.
I feel that the above statement by Mr. Duggal is not fundamentally correct.
The reason being that the preamble does state that the Act aims at
legalising e-commerce. However it does not stop here. It further amends the
I.P.C., Evidence Act, Banker’s Book Evidence and RBI Act also. The Act also
aims to deal with all matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. It
is a cardinal rule of interpretation that “*text should be read as a whole
to gather the meaning”. It seems that the above statement has been made in
total disregard of this rule of interpretation. * The preamble, if read as a
whole, makes it very clear that the Act equally aims at legalising
e-commerce and to curb any offences arising there from.
3.*Cyber torts-*
The recent cases including Cyber stalking cyber harassment, cyber nuisance,
and cyber defamation have shown that the I.T.Act 2006 has not dealt with
those offences. Further it is also contended that in future new forms of
cyber crime will emerge which even need to be taken care of. Therefore
India should sign the cyber crime convention. However the I.T.Act 2006 read
with the Penal Code is capable of dealing with these felonies.
4.*Cyber crime in the Act is neither comprehensive nor exhaustive*-
Mr. Duggal believes that we need dedicated legislation on cyber crime that
can supplement the Indian Penal Code. The contemporary view is held by Mr.
Prathamesh Popat who has stated- “The IT Act, 2006 is not comprehensive
enough and doesn’t even define the term ‘cyber crime”*.** * Mr. Duggal has
further commented, “India, as a nation, has to cope with an urgent need to
regulate and punish those committing cyber crimes, but with no specific
provisions to do so. Supporters of the Indian Penal Code School vehemently
argue that IPC has stood the test of time and that it is not necessary to
incorporate any special laws on cyber crime. This is because it is debated
by them that the IPC alone is sufficient for all kinds of crime. However, in
practical terms, the argument does not have appropriate backing. It has to
be distinctly understood that cyber crime and cyberspace are completely new
whelms, where numerous new possibilities and opportunities emerge by the day
in the form of new kinds of crimes*.”** *
I feel that a new legislation on cyber crime is totally unwarranted. The
reason is that the new legislation not come alone but will bring with it the
same confusion, the same dissatisfaction and the same desire to supplant it
by further new legislation. Mr. Duggal has stated above the need to
supplement IPC by a new legislation. If that is the issue then the present
legislation along with the Penal Code when read harmoniously and co- jointly
is sufficient to deal with the present problems of cyber crime. Further
there are other legislations to deal with the intellectual property crimes
on the cyber space such as the Patents Act, Copy Right Act, Trade Marks Act.
5.*Ambiguity in the definitions-*
The definition of hacking provided in section 66 of the Act is very wide and
capable of misapplication. There is every possibility of this section being
misapplied and in fact the Delhi court has misapplied it. The *infamous * *
go2nextjob** * has made it very clear that what may be the fate of a person
who is booked under section 66 or the constant threat under which the
netizens are till s. 66 exists in its present form.
Further section 67 is also vague to certain extent. It is difficult to
define the term *lascivious information or obscene pornographic informa
tion. * Further our inability to deal with the cases of cyber pornography
has been proved by *the Bal Bharati case*.* *
6. *Uniform law*- * *
Mr. Vinod Kumar holds the opinion that the need of the hour is a worldwide
uniform cyber law to combat cyber crime. Cyber crime is a global phenomenon
and therefore the initiative to fight it should come from the same level.
E.g. the author of the love bug virus was appreciated by his countrymen.
7.*Lack of awareness-*
One important reason that the Act of 2006 is not achieving complete success
is the lack of awareness among the s about their rights. Further most of the
cases are going unreported. If the people are vigilant about their rights
the law definitely protects their right. E.g. the Delhi high court in
October 2002 prevented a person from selling *Microsoft pirated software*over an auction site. Achievement was also made in the case before the court
of metropolitan magistrate Delhi wherein a person was convicted for *online
cheating *by buying Sony products using a *stolen credit* * card*.* 7*
8*. Jurisdiction issues*-
Jurisdiction is also one of the debatable issues in the cases of cyber crime
due to the very universal nature of cyber space. With the ever-growing arms
of cyber space the territorial concept seems to vanish. New methods of
dispute resolution should give way to the conventional methods. The Act of
2006 is very silent on these issues.
9. *Extra territorial application-*
Though S.4 provides for extra-territorial operations of this law, but they
could be meaningful only when backed with provisions recognizing orders and
warrants for Information issued by competent authorities outside their
jurisdiction and measure for cooperation for exchange of material and
evidence of computer crimes between law enforcement agencies.
10. *Raising a cyber army-*
By using the word ‘cyber army’ by no means I want to convey the idea of
virtual army, rather I am laying emphasis on the need for a well equipped
task force to deal with the new trends of hi tech crime. The government has
taken a leap in this direction by constituting cyber crime cells in all
metropolitan and other important cities. Further the establishment of the*Cyber Crime Investigation Cell (CCIC of the Central Bureau of Investigation
(CBI 11 *is definitely a welcome step in this direction. There are man cases
in which the C.B.I has achieved success. The present position of cases of
cyber crime* 7* is –
*Case 1:* When a woman at an MNC started receiving obscene calls, CBI found
her colleague had posted her personal details on Mumbaidating.com.
*Status:* Probe on
*Case 2:* CBI arrested a man from UP, Mohammed Feroz, who placed ads
offering jobs in Germany. He talked to applicants via e-mail and asked them
to deposit money in his bank account in Delhi.
*Status:* Chargesheet not filed
*Case 3:* The official web-site of the Central Board of Direct Taxes was
hacked last year. As Pakistan-based hackers were responsible, authorities
there were informed through Interpol.
*Status:* Pak not cooperating.
11. *Cyber savvy bench-*
Cyber savvy judges are the need of the day. Judiciary plays a vital role in
shaping the enactment according to the order of the day. One such stage,
which needs appreciation, is the *P.I.L., which the Kerela High Court* has
accepted through an email. The role of the judges in today’s word may be
gathered by the statement- judges carve ‘law is’ to ‘law ought to be’. *Mr
T.K.Vishwanathan*, member secretary, *Law Commission* , has highlighted the
requirements for introducing e-courts in India. In his article published in
The Hindu he has stated “*if there is one area of Governance where IT can
make a huge difference to Indian public is in the Judicial System”.*
12. *Dynamic form of cyber crime-*
Speaking on the dynamic nature of cyber crime FBI Director Louis Freeh has
said, “*In short, even though we have markedly improved our capabilities to
fight cyber intrusions the problem is growing even faster and we are falling
further behind**.” * The* *(decreativity of human mind cannot be checked by
any law. Thus the only way out is the liberal construction while applying
the statutory provisions to cyber crime cases. * *
13. *Hesitation to report offences*-
As stated above one of the fatal drawbacks of the Act has been the cases
going unreported. One obvious reason is the non-cooperative police force.
This was proved by the *Delhi time theft case*. “The police are a powerful
force today which can play an instrumental role in preventing cybercrime. At
the same time, it can also end up wielding the rod and harassing innocent s,
preventing them from going about their normal cyber business.”*0 * This
attitude of the administration is also revelled by incident that took place
at *Merrut and Belgam*. (for the facts of these incidents refer to
naavi.com. For complete realisation of the provisions of this Act a
cooperative police force is require.
14. Time limitation-
Chapter eight of the ICT Act creates a cyber tribunal to
adjudicate of cybercrimes. The judge of the tribunal will complete the
judgment procedure within 6 month of filing the case. The judgment will be
given within 10 days from the date of finishing examination of witness or
evidenc or hearing.
* ** * I want to conclude in the following way* *that if we
look upon the present context of our country we easily notice some
drawbacks of existing cyber related law.Ruling govt. desire to digitalise
Bangladesh. The precondition of satisfying vision 2021is to ensure cyber
security.So to establish digital Bangladesh the concernd authority should
give concentration about the improvement, amendment and due implementation
of cyber law.
*MD.MEHEDI HASAN *
*THIRD YEAR*
*ROLL: 09029015*
*DEPT.OF LAW & JUSTICE*
*RAJSHAHI UNIVERSITY*
The world over cyber crime has taken deep root and the use of cyberspace by
sophisticated cyber criminals has assumed serious proportion today.
Criminals and terrorists associated with drug trafficking, terrorist outfits
are employing Internet for anti social, anti national and criminal
activities with impunity.Terrorist groups are deftly using Internet for
passing on information with regard to executing various terrorist acts
having serious negative impact on human life. The cyber-terrorists have even
acquired the capability to enter computer systems using“logic bombs” (coded
devices that can be remotely detonated), electro magnetic pulses and
high-emission radio frequency guns, which blow a devastating electronic wind
through a computer system. The hackers have gone to the extent of
distributing free hacking software — *Rootki*t, for instance — to enable an
intruder to get root access to a network and then control as though they
were the system’s administrators.Many instances of cyber crime involve
techno-trespass and unauthorized access to the computer system and data or
programmes stored in computers. This access could be without authorization
or exceeding the authorization given to an individual. The un authorized
access may lead to theft, alteration or destruction of data, tampering with
computer programmes or other software, damage to computers or computer
systems including damage to data stored on storage devices, such as hard
disks,floppy disks, CD-ROMs, etc. This would, in turn, lead to serious
financial loss to theorganisation. Thus computer crime today has emerged as
a challenge for criminaljustice system and law enforcement.Studies have
shown that computer criminals are generally computer professionals or
computer-literate persons and are not history sheeters and mostly without
previous criminal record. Studies also show that the threat is mostly from
employees or from those with access to the system, such as maintenance
personnel, hardware and software vendors, etc. however, external threats via
remote access have shown an increasing trend.
*Cybercrime and Scenario in Bangladesh:*
In 2008 a petty hacker of Bangladesh named Shahi Mirza hacked the RAB’s
website. Moreover he confessed to police that not only RAB’s website but
also other national govt. and non govt. and international site had been
hacked by him for a long time. Totally he hacked 21 website together with
Army’s website. So it is clear to us that the cyberspace of Bangladesh is
not secured.
Today the cyber criminals enter into the computer system or network with
their talents, sufficient and special higher knowledge and technique
neglecting legal process. That is why they cause great harm or loss to
individuals and state by theft of important and private information by
selling that information by theft of bank accounts money by transferring
civil information to the opponent party. There are some laws regarding this
but the cyber crime is not controlled. Recently the Bangladesh ICT Act-2006
has added to the list. Its some sections was amended in 2009 where as the
highest punishment is 10 years imprisonment or find up to 1 crore. Though
this Act is not sufficient to prevent the cyber crime. Then everyday should
have knowledge about that act and penalty. On the otherhand the govt and
concerned authority should continuously amend this law. Because some harm
derived from cyber crims is beyond the crore money which encourage the cyber
criminals.
To define and amend certain parts of law relating to legal recognition and
security of information and communication technology and related matters the
Information and Communication Technology Act- 2006 was enacted.According to
the ICT Act the cybercrime shall be treated as non cognigible offence that
is why the police can’t arrest the criminals without warrent except some
cases.
Chapter eight section 54 to 67 of the ICT Act 2006 describe the cybercrimes
both civil and criminal matters. The followings shall be treated as crime;
- Unauthorized copying, extracting and downloading of any data, database
- Introduction of virus
- Damage and disruption to computer system and computer network
- Denial of access to authorized person to computer
- Providing assistance to make possible to commit to crime
- Hacking with computer system
- Tampering computer source documents
- Electronic forger for the purpose of cheating and harming reputation
- Using a forged Electronic record
- Publication of digital signature certificate for the fraudulent purpose
- Confiscation of computer, network etc
- Publication of information which is obscene in electronic form
- Misrepresentation and suppressing material facts for obtaining digital
signature certificate
- Breachof confidentiality and privacy
- Publishing false digital signature certificate
If any person does any crime under section 54 of the ICT Act 2006 he will be
given penalty of maximum 10 years rigorous imprisonment or fined up to 10
lacs taka or for the both of above.
If any person does any crime under section 55 he will be given penalty of
maximum 3years imprisonment or fined up to 3 lacs taka or with both.
Whoever commits hacking under this act shall be punished of maximum 3 years
imprisonment or fined up to 1 crore taka or with both. Whoever commits such
crime
under section 57 of this act shall be punished of maximum 10 years
imprisonment or fined up to 1 crore taka or with both. Penalty for failure
to surrender license is 6 month imprisonment or fined up to 10 thousand
taka or with both. Penalty for failure to comply with order made by the
controller is maximum 1 years imprisonment or fined up to 1 lacs taka or
with both.Penaly for violation of the order of the controller in emergency
period is maximum 5 years or fined up to 5 lacs or with both.Punishment for
unauthorized access to protected system is the maximum 10 years or fined up
to 10 lacs or with both. Penalty for false representation and hiding
information is maximum 2 years imprisonment or fined up to 2 lacs or with
both.Penaly for discloser of confidentiality and privacy is
maximum 2 years imprisonment or fined up to 2 lacs or with both.Punishment
for publishing false digital signature certificate is maximum 2 years
imprisonment or fined up to 2 lacs or with both. Penalty for Publication of
digital signature certificate for the fraudulent purpose is maximum 2 years
imprisonment or fined up to 2 lacs or with both.
*Analysis of the statutory provisions:*
The Information Technology Act 2006 was undoubtedly a welcome step at a time
when there was no legislation on this specialised field. The Act has however
during its application has proved to be inadequate to a certain extent. The
various loopholes in the Act are-
1.* The hurry in which the legislation was passed, without sufficient public
debate, did not really serve the desired purpose** * *-*
Experts are of the opinion that one of the reasons for the inadequacy of the
legislation has been the hurry in which it was passed by the parliament and
it is also a fact that sufficient time was not given for public debate.
2. *“Cyberlaws, in their very preamble and aim, state that they are targeted
at aiding e-commerce, and are not meant to regulate cybercrime*” –
Mr. Pavan Duggal holds the opinion that the main intention of the
legislators has been to provide for a law to regulate the e-commerce and
with that aim the I.T.Act 2006 was passed, which also is one of the reasons
for its inadequacy to deal with cases of cyber crime.
At this point I would like to express my respectful dissent with Mr. Duggal.
I feel that the above statement by Mr. Duggal is not fundamentally correct.
The reason being that the preamble does state that the Act aims at
legalising e-commerce. However it does not stop here. It further amends the
I.P.C., Evidence Act, Banker’s Book Evidence and RBI Act also. The Act also
aims to deal with all matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. It
is a cardinal rule of interpretation that “*text should be read as a whole
to gather the meaning”. It seems that the above statement has been made in
total disregard of this rule of interpretation. * The preamble, if read as a
whole, makes it very clear that the Act equally aims at legalising
e-commerce and to curb any offences arising there from.
3.*Cyber torts-*
The recent cases including Cyber stalking cyber harassment, cyber nuisance,
and cyber defamation have shown that the I.T.Act 2006 has not dealt with
those offences. Further it is also contended that in future new forms of
cyber crime will emerge which even need to be taken care of. Therefore
India should sign the cyber crime convention. However the I.T.Act 2006 read
with the Penal Code is capable of dealing with these felonies.
4.*Cyber crime in the Act is neither comprehensive nor exhaustive*-
Mr. Duggal believes that we need dedicated legislation on cyber crime that
can supplement the Indian Penal Code. The contemporary view is held by Mr.
Prathamesh Popat who has stated- “The IT Act, 2006 is not comprehensive
enough and doesn’t even define the term ‘cyber crime”*.** * Mr. Duggal has
further commented, “India, as a nation, has to cope with an urgent need to
regulate and punish those committing cyber crimes, but with no specific
provisions to do so. Supporters of the Indian Penal Code School vehemently
argue that IPC has stood the test of time and that it is not necessary to
incorporate any special laws on cyber crime. This is because it is debated
by them that the IPC alone is sufficient for all kinds of crime. However, in
practical terms, the argument does not have appropriate backing. It has to
be distinctly understood that cyber crime and cyberspace are completely new
whelms, where numerous new possibilities and opportunities emerge by the day
in the form of new kinds of crimes*.”** *
I feel that a new legislation on cyber crime is totally unwarranted. The
reason is that the new legislation not come alone but will bring with it the
same confusion, the same dissatisfaction and the same desire to supplant it
by further new legislation. Mr. Duggal has stated above the need to
supplement IPC by a new legislation. If that is the issue then the present
legislation along with the Penal Code when read harmoniously and co- jointly
is sufficient to deal with the present problems of cyber crime. Further
there are other legislations to deal with the intellectual property crimes
on the cyber space such as the Patents Act, Copy Right Act, Trade Marks Act.
5.*Ambiguity in the definitions-*
The definition of hacking provided in section 66 of the Act is very wide and
capable of misapplication. There is every possibility of this section being
misapplied and in fact the Delhi court has misapplied it. The *infamous * *
go2nextjob** * has made it very clear that what may be the fate of a person
who is booked under section 66 or the constant threat under which the
netizens are till s. 66 exists in its present form.
Further section 67 is also vague to certain extent. It is difficult to
define the term *lascivious information or obscene pornographic informa
tion. * Further our inability to deal with the cases of cyber pornography
has been proved by *the Bal Bharati case*.* *
6. *Uniform law*- * *
Mr. Vinod Kumar holds the opinion that the need of the hour is a worldwide
uniform cyber law to combat cyber crime. Cyber crime is a global phenomenon
and therefore the initiative to fight it should come from the same level.
E.g. the author of the love bug virus was appreciated by his countrymen.
7.*Lack of awareness-*
One important reason that the Act of 2006 is not achieving complete success
is the lack of awareness among the s about their rights. Further most of the
cases are going unreported. If the people are vigilant about their rights
the law definitely protects their right. E.g. the Delhi high court in
October 2002 prevented a person from selling *Microsoft pirated software*over an auction site. Achievement was also made in the case before the court
of metropolitan magistrate Delhi wherein a person was convicted for *online
cheating *by buying Sony products using a *stolen credit* * card*.* 7*
8*. Jurisdiction issues*-
Jurisdiction is also one of the debatable issues in the cases of cyber crime
due to the very universal nature of cyber space. With the ever-growing arms
of cyber space the territorial concept seems to vanish. New methods of
dispute resolution should give way to the conventional methods. The Act of
2006 is very silent on these issues.
9. *Extra territorial application-*
Though S.4 provides for extra-territorial operations of this law, but they
could be meaningful only when backed with provisions recognizing orders and
warrants for Information issued by competent authorities outside their
jurisdiction and measure for cooperation for exchange of material and
evidence of computer crimes between law enforcement agencies.
10. *Raising a cyber army-*
By using the word ‘cyber army’ by no means I want to convey the idea of
virtual army, rather I am laying emphasis on the need for a well equipped
task force to deal with the new trends of hi tech crime. The government has
taken a leap in this direction by constituting cyber crime cells in all
metropolitan and other important cities. Further the establishment of the*Cyber Crime Investigation Cell (CCIC of the Central Bureau of Investigation
(CBI 11 *is definitely a welcome step in this direction. There are man cases
in which the C.B.I has achieved success. The present position of cases of
cyber crime* 7* is –
*Case 1:* When a woman at an MNC started receiving obscene calls, CBI found
her colleague had posted her personal details on Mumbaidating.com.
*Status:* Probe on
*Case 2:* CBI arrested a man from UP, Mohammed Feroz, who placed ads
offering jobs in Germany. He talked to applicants via e-mail and asked them
to deposit money in his bank account in Delhi.
*Status:* Chargesheet not filed
*Case 3:* The official web-site of the Central Board of Direct Taxes was
hacked last year. As Pakistan-based hackers were responsible, authorities
there were informed through Interpol.
*Status:* Pak not cooperating.
11. *Cyber savvy bench-*
Cyber savvy judges are the need of the day. Judiciary plays a vital role in
shaping the enactment according to the order of the day. One such stage,
which needs appreciation, is the *P.I.L., which the Kerela High Court* has
accepted through an email. The role of the judges in today’s word may be
gathered by the statement- judges carve ‘law is’ to ‘law ought to be’. *Mr
T.K.Vishwanathan*, member secretary, *Law Commission* , has highlighted the
requirements for introducing e-courts in India. In his article published in
The Hindu he has stated “*if there is one area of Governance where IT can
make a huge difference to Indian public is in the Judicial System”.*
12. *Dynamic form of cyber crime-*
Speaking on the dynamic nature of cyber crime FBI Director Louis Freeh has
said, “*In short, even though we have markedly improved our capabilities to
fight cyber intrusions the problem is growing even faster and we are falling
further behind**.” * The* *(decreativity of human mind cannot be checked by
any law. Thus the only way out is the liberal construction while applying
the statutory provisions to cyber crime cases. * *
13. *Hesitation to report offences*-
As stated above one of the fatal drawbacks of the Act has been the cases
going unreported. One obvious reason is the non-cooperative police force.
This was proved by the *Delhi time theft case*. “The police are a powerful
force today which can play an instrumental role in preventing cybercrime. At
the same time, it can also end up wielding the rod and harassing innocent s,
preventing them from going about their normal cyber business.”*0 * This
attitude of the administration is also revelled by incident that took place
at *Merrut and Belgam*. (for the facts of these incidents refer to
naavi.com. For complete realisation of the provisions of this Act a
cooperative police force is require.
14. Time limitation-
Chapter eight of the ICT Act creates a cyber tribunal to
adjudicate of cybercrimes. The judge of the tribunal will complete the
judgment procedure within 6 month of filing the case. The judgment will be
given within 10 days from the date of finishing examination of witness or
evidenc or hearing.
* ** * I want to conclude in the following way* *that if we
look upon the present context of our country we easily notice some
drawbacks of existing cyber related law.Ruling govt. desire to digitalise
Bangladesh. The precondition of satisfying vision 2021is to ensure cyber
security.So to establish digital Bangladesh the concernd authority should
give concentration about the improvement, amendment and due implementation
of cyber law.
*MD.MEHEDI HASAN *
*THIRD YEAR*
*ROLL: 09029015*
*DEPT.OF LAW & JUSTICE*
*RAJSHAHI UNIVERSITY*
Intellectual Killing Bangladesh: respective
Aninda Mondal
We, everyone like to express ourselves as a civil one. But what is civility? Is it an example of civil society? Definitely not; because we still cannot help using our brutality. No civil society can endure such inhuman activities. However I am talking about extra judicial killing. How will we bear such rudeness towards any special person or group of person? No democratic state of the world can concede such killing. Our constitution also interdicts that administrative cowardice. How can we stay in silence observing that very cruelty? We, with the proud of, get introduced ourselves to the international world as a democratic one, for example the constitution is displayed. But how much do we obey the constitution? Article32 of our constitution declares that
“No person shall be deprived of life or personal liberty saves in accordance with law.” Where the supreme law of the country apprises us about democratic
apprehension, the so-called administration on the other hand, goes on rustic violation of human rights and constitution. is it our dreamy Bangladesh? What
dream was cherished in the heart of the martyrs? To tell the truth, extra judicial killing is a crime of the state. Because we know the principles of natural justice. The rule of natural justice is “Nobody should be condemned
unheard”. A man whom is sending to be murdered, in the name of crossfire, gunfight, shootout etc. may be a accused of grievous offence, has a right of getting legal and ethical assistance from the state. Article 3 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights express that “Everyone has the right to life liberty and the security of person” According to article 2 of that declaration “Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in public trail at which he has all the guarantees
necessary for his defense”. So where are human rights and where are we? Here a question will arise that how long will we have to bear.
We, everyone like to express ourselves as a civil one. But what is civility? Is it an example of civil society? Definitely not; because we still cannot help using our brutality. No civil society can endure such inhuman activities. However I am talking about extra judicial killing. How will we bear such rudeness towards any special person or group of person? No democratic state of the world can concede such killing. Our constitution also interdicts that administrative cowardice. How can we stay in silence observing that very cruelty? We, with the proud of, get introduced ourselves to the international world as a democratic one, for example the constitution is displayed. But how much do we obey the constitution? Article32 of our constitution declares that
“No person shall be deprived of life or personal liberty saves in accordance with law.” Where the supreme law of the country apprises us about democratic
apprehension, the so-called administration on the other hand, goes on rustic violation of human rights and constitution. is it our dreamy Bangladesh? What
dream was cherished in the heart of the martyrs? To tell the truth, extra judicial killing is a crime of the state. Because we know the principles of natural justice. The rule of natural justice is “Nobody should be condemned
unheard”. A man whom is sending to be murdered, in the name of crossfire, gunfight, shootout etc. may be a accused of grievous offence, has a right of getting legal and ethical assistance from the state. Article 3 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights express that “Everyone has the right to life liberty and the security of person” According to article 2 of that declaration “Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in public trail at which he has all the guarantees
necessary for his defense”. So where are human rights and where are we? Here a question will arise that how long will we have to bear.
The Bestiality of Middle Age in Modern Civilization
Shantanu Kumar Mondal
At present time fatwa is one of the most discussable and challenging issue
to us. The mandatory rule imposed by rural barons and lords on the mass
people that has no legal entity with the consisting of the statutory law is
called fatwa. It is implemented upon the victim with big rope or
intertwining wet gamcha. Though statutory laws are applicable in Bangladesh
for its citizens for simple matters and religion based personal laws for
family matters. About 90 percent of the population in Bangladesh is Muslim
and most dispute belonging to family related matters are judicially settled
in the Family Court of Bangladesh however a few issues may be mitigated
extra judicially by designated forums in accordance with the Muslim law.
Despite the fact that there are Muslim personal statutory law with the clear
indication as to how the controversies are to be disposed of it is often
seen that moulovies with the support of a few local barons and lords holding
influential power interfere in any dispute (marital, sexual and others) by
stating fatwa that may not be in accordance to Islam thus resulting in a
disruption of formal order of a family.
A fatwa literally means to express a decision, suggestion,
opinion , consult etc. It is a custom related to Muslim judicial system and
shows the practical expression of the rules of legal advice. It is a
juristic opinion delivered by an Islamic scholar. In prior time a fatwa was
given by renowned and learned scholars to help clear ambiguous and doubtful
personal and public matters as well as any subtle points of Muslim law.
There are some rules about who are eligible and not eligible to deliver
fatwa. According to the usul al fiqh following conditions are obligatory for
a valid fatwa-
1. The fatwa is delivered by a due knowledge gained person.
2. Consistency with contemporary world.
3. Absence of nepotism and political view.
4. Relevant with Islamic laws.
The person asking for it is called Mustafi and the person giving it is
called Mufti. The act of asking for an answer is called Istifa and the
answer so given is called fatwa.
A person having vast knowledge of Islamic law can issue
fatwa. Specially a student of Qawami Madrasah passing out from the fatwa
dept. and Ifta Board is termed as a Mufti who is qualified to issue fatwa.
In Bangladesh a few areas of Islamic law has been codified and interpreted
by judicial system according to the national jurisprudence. Fatwa has no
direct place in the system except to clarify very subtle points of law for
experts or judges or to give moral authority to a given interpretation of a
rule.
But a matter of great sorrow that according to a publication
of the Jamiya Quraniya Madrasah FIVE conditions are prerequisite for
delivering fatwas. The first two conditions say that “ The one who issues
fatwa must be learned in fiqah and acquire knowledge in fiqah from a
recognized teacher.” Hardly anyone of these issuing fatwa in Bangladesh
really qualifies to do. [THE INDEPENDENT – EDITORIAL PAGE 8th FEBRUARY
2011.]
The fatwas of famous jurists are usually collected in books
and can be used as precedents in courts of law. Since the 18th century
British Indian Rules banned following the sharia and have given less
importance to fatwa in the courts of the Indian Subcontinent and have
instead adopted secular legal systems, fatwas are issued mostly on
individual basis or political views.
Rural Bangladesh has seen an increase in the issuing of
fatwa since the late 1980s enduring various social, economic and political
implications. It causes tremendous adverse implications on female social and
economic lifestyle and their families.
A fatwa can deal with women social life in the right to
marriage, divorce, veiling, family planning, sensual desire, rape, love
affairs, right to movement and so on.
The fatwa given in rural society results in penalty of
whipping with broom, shaving off head, declaring apostate, beating of one’s
spouse by the other, wearing of shoe garland, stoning by embedding in earth,
ostracizing to force out of village, declaration of divorce and so on.
In order to protect society as well as country law and
order is compulsory. Yet some extrajudicial law and order were forced and
are now being forced like fatwa.
Few days ago on 24th January 2011 a teen aged adolescent (
14 years ) named Hena Akter daughter of a poor daily worker Darbesh Kha of
Chamta village of Naria upazilla under the dist. of Sariatpur became the
victim of fatwa and as a result died on 31st January 2011. Only in the name
of justice she was whipped seriously after being raped by Mahabub in a rural
justice authorized by Member of Union Council, Imam of Mosque, Teacher of
Madrasah and Local Barrons and Lords. They verdict to hit Hena 100 whip as a
punishment. But her physical fitness was quietly unable to bear such a
ferocious decision. So after about 70 whip she became senseless and
consequently died. (PROTHOM ALO EDITORIAL PAGE 10-2-2011.) So after death
the whole matter was tried to keep secret and for this during filing case
the claim of rape was avoided very smoothly by concerned police officer and
in local medical report there was no evidence of rape. Besides a
relationship of love was made between the rapist and the victim. It makes us
astonished. [ NEWS FROM MEDIA SPECIALLY TV CHANNELS]. Knowing these from The
Daily Star the court applied suomoto power and ordered to make autopsy
again. This time the evidence of hit and rape was proved. [ The Daily Star 7
th February]
It is only an example of recent brutality published in media.
Many happenings like this occurs often in our country-
Death of Sufia by hit of lashes at Tanor in Rajshahi
(18-02-2010), In Sylhet 101 lashes to Kamla Begum(31-05-2010), In
Brahamnbaria a girl was left from village after 101 lashes(21-05-2010), In
Dhaka Ayshea became victim of Dorrha 500 by father and uncle(01-02-2009),
Dorrha to housewife at Dupchapia(01-09-2009). [ The Prothom Alo Editorial
Page (10-02-2011).In Moulovibazar 101 stones were openly thrown at Nurjahan
and her husband Abdul Motaleb in accordance with fatwa. In Meherpur in 1997
a couple named Aman Ali and Fazila Khatun became victim of fatwa. [ RAJSHAHI
UNIVERSITY LAW JOURNAL]
The Bangladesh Mahila Parisad records issuance of fatwa as
many as 375 fatwas between 2002 and 2008. [ The Editorial Page of The Daily
Independent 8-02-2011].
In the judgment of “,Editor, The Daily Banglabazar Patrika V
Dist. Magistrate and Deputy Commissioner Naogoan, Writ petition no -5897 of
2000, 6MLR (HC) 2001, on January 1, 2001, two judges of the High Court
Division Bench Justice Mohammed Golam Rabbani and Justice Najmun Ara Sultana
ruled that any form of fatwa was illegal and was a punishable crime. If
anyone gives fatwa it will be punishable under sec.190 of CrPC. [ The
Prothom Alo Editorial Page 10-02-2011]
The case was pending for about 9 years in the Appellate
Division of SC but on July 8, 2010 in a landmark verdict the High Court
Bench of Justices Syed Mohamud Hossen and Gobinda Chandra Tagore had
declared all kinds of extrajudicial punishments in the name of fatwa or
Islamic Shariah in our country as illegal. [ The Daily Independent Editorial
Page 8-02-2010]
But now questions arise how does fatwa happen in our country
neglecting the verdict of SC.
For today’s scandalous happenings we are responsible fully.
We can never refuse these. The demotion of our morality, good conscience,
social values and lack of mutual respect, love and affection, the loose of
character, distinction of family relation, negligence of responsibility, the
threading touch of western culture and style of life, the negative influence
of modern technology are destroying our motive, intention, culture and
custom of thousand years. Besides religious orthodox and lack of public
awareness and the activity of the devils in society are also responsible too
much for inhuman justice and happenings. The avoidance and inactiveness of
law and order inspire us to occur scandalous and brutal happenings.
To remove these unexpected and brutal happenings from the
society as well as country at first we should change our lower mentality,
raise public awareness, mutual love, respect and affection in mind, raise of
good conscience, morality, social values, practice of family tolerance,
maintain religious rules and regulations and try to love all. For these we
have to be self-educated not educated in namely certificate. We should
change our mentality in male exploited society that women are not only goods
of consumption, entertainment and machine of producing children. We should
think that today’s girl is the wife and mother in future. We all were in
their womb. Nobody can neglect this universal truth. So we should give their
higher class honorable dignity for the quality of maternity. Besides these
we should maintain and follow the rules and regulation of our country. Then
we will be able to claim ourselves as a citizen of civilized and ideal
nation.
Shantanu Kumar Mondal
2nd year,
Roll-10059021
Session- 2009-2010
Dept. of Law & Justice
University of Rajshahi
At present time fatwa is one of the most discussable and challenging issue
to us. The mandatory rule imposed by rural barons and lords on the mass
people that has no legal entity with the consisting of the statutory law is
called fatwa. It is implemented upon the victim with big rope or
intertwining wet gamcha. Though statutory laws are applicable in Bangladesh
for its citizens for simple matters and religion based personal laws for
family matters. About 90 percent of the population in Bangladesh is Muslim
and most dispute belonging to family related matters are judicially settled
in the Family Court of Bangladesh however a few issues may be mitigated
extra judicially by designated forums in accordance with the Muslim law.
Despite the fact that there are Muslim personal statutory law with the clear
indication as to how the controversies are to be disposed of it is often
seen that moulovies with the support of a few local barons and lords holding
influential power interfere in any dispute (marital, sexual and others) by
stating fatwa that may not be in accordance to Islam thus resulting in a
disruption of formal order of a family.
A fatwa literally means to express a decision, suggestion,
opinion , consult etc. It is a custom related to Muslim judicial system and
shows the practical expression of the rules of legal advice. It is a
juristic opinion delivered by an Islamic scholar. In prior time a fatwa was
given by renowned and learned scholars to help clear ambiguous and doubtful
personal and public matters as well as any subtle points of Muslim law.
There are some rules about who are eligible and not eligible to deliver
fatwa. According to the usul al fiqh following conditions are obligatory for
a valid fatwa-
1. The fatwa is delivered by a due knowledge gained person.
2. Consistency with contemporary world.
3. Absence of nepotism and political view.
4. Relevant with Islamic laws.
The person asking for it is called Mustafi and the person giving it is
called Mufti. The act of asking for an answer is called Istifa and the
answer so given is called fatwa.
A person having vast knowledge of Islamic law can issue
fatwa. Specially a student of Qawami Madrasah passing out from the fatwa
dept. and Ifta Board is termed as a Mufti who is qualified to issue fatwa.
In Bangladesh a few areas of Islamic law has been codified and interpreted
by judicial system according to the national jurisprudence. Fatwa has no
direct place in the system except to clarify very subtle points of law for
experts or judges or to give moral authority to a given interpretation of a
rule.
But a matter of great sorrow that according to a publication
of the Jamiya Quraniya Madrasah FIVE conditions are prerequisite for
delivering fatwas. The first two conditions say that “ The one who issues
fatwa must be learned in fiqah and acquire knowledge in fiqah from a
recognized teacher.” Hardly anyone of these issuing fatwa in Bangladesh
really qualifies to do. [THE INDEPENDENT – EDITORIAL PAGE 8th FEBRUARY
2011.]
The fatwas of famous jurists are usually collected in books
and can be used as precedents in courts of law. Since the 18th century
British Indian Rules banned following the sharia and have given less
importance to fatwa in the courts of the Indian Subcontinent and have
instead adopted secular legal systems, fatwas are issued mostly on
individual basis or political views.
Rural Bangladesh has seen an increase in the issuing of
fatwa since the late 1980s enduring various social, economic and political
implications. It causes tremendous adverse implications on female social and
economic lifestyle and their families.
A fatwa can deal with women social life in the right to
marriage, divorce, veiling, family planning, sensual desire, rape, love
affairs, right to movement and so on.
The fatwa given in rural society results in penalty of
whipping with broom, shaving off head, declaring apostate, beating of one’s
spouse by the other, wearing of shoe garland, stoning by embedding in earth,
ostracizing to force out of village, declaration of divorce and so on.
In order to protect society as well as country law and
order is compulsory. Yet some extrajudicial law and order were forced and
are now being forced like fatwa.
Few days ago on 24th January 2011 a teen aged adolescent (
14 years ) named Hena Akter daughter of a poor daily worker Darbesh Kha of
Chamta village of Naria upazilla under the dist. of Sariatpur became the
victim of fatwa and as a result died on 31st January 2011. Only in the name
of justice she was whipped seriously after being raped by Mahabub in a rural
justice authorized by Member of Union Council, Imam of Mosque, Teacher of
Madrasah and Local Barrons and Lords. They verdict to hit Hena 100 whip as a
punishment. But her physical fitness was quietly unable to bear such a
ferocious decision. So after about 70 whip she became senseless and
consequently died. (PROTHOM ALO EDITORIAL PAGE 10-2-2011.) So after death
the whole matter was tried to keep secret and for this during filing case
the claim of rape was avoided very smoothly by concerned police officer and
in local medical report there was no evidence of rape. Besides a
relationship of love was made between the rapist and the victim. It makes us
astonished. [ NEWS FROM MEDIA SPECIALLY TV CHANNELS]. Knowing these from The
Daily Star the court applied suomoto power and ordered to make autopsy
again. This time the evidence of hit and rape was proved. [ The Daily Star 7
th February]
It is only an example of recent brutality published in media.
Many happenings like this occurs often in our country-
Death of Sufia by hit of lashes at Tanor in Rajshahi
(18-02-2010), In Sylhet 101 lashes to Kamla Begum(31-05-2010), In
Brahamnbaria a girl was left from village after 101 lashes(21-05-2010), In
Dhaka Ayshea became victim of Dorrha 500 by father and uncle(01-02-2009),
Dorrha to housewife at Dupchapia(01-09-2009). [ The Prothom Alo Editorial
Page (10-02-2011).In Moulovibazar 101 stones were openly thrown at Nurjahan
and her husband Abdul Motaleb in accordance with fatwa. In Meherpur in 1997
a couple named Aman Ali and Fazila Khatun became victim of fatwa. [ RAJSHAHI
UNIVERSITY LAW JOURNAL]
The Bangladesh Mahila Parisad records issuance of fatwa as
many as 375 fatwas between 2002 and 2008. [ The Editorial Page of The Daily
Independent 8-02-2011].
In the judgment of “,Editor, The Daily Banglabazar Patrika V
Dist. Magistrate and Deputy Commissioner Naogoan, Writ petition no -5897 of
2000, 6MLR (HC) 2001, on January 1, 2001, two judges of the High Court
Division Bench Justice Mohammed Golam Rabbani and Justice Najmun Ara Sultana
ruled that any form of fatwa was illegal and was a punishable crime. If
anyone gives fatwa it will be punishable under sec.190 of CrPC. [ The
Prothom Alo Editorial Page 10-02-2011]
The case was pending for about 9 years in the Appellate
Division of SC but on July 8, 2010 in a landmark verdict the High Court
Bench of Justices Syed Mohamud Hossen and Gobinda Chandra Tagore had
declared all kinds of extrajudicial punishments in the name of fatwa or
Islamic Shariah in our country as illegal. [ The Daily Independent Editorial
Page 8-02-2010]
But now questions arise how does fatwa happen in our country
neglecting the verdict of SC.
For today’s scandalous happenings we are responsible fully.
We can never refuse these. The demotion of our morality, good conscience,
social values and lack of mutual respect, love and affection, the loose of
character, distinction of family relation, negligence of responsibility, the
threading touch of western culture and style of life, the negative influence
of modern technology are destroying our motive, intention, culture and
custom of thousand years. Besides religious orthodox and lack of public
awareness and the activity of the devils in society are also responsible too
much for inhuman justice and happenings. The avoidance and inactiveness of
law and order inspire us to occur scandalous and brutal happenings.
To remove these unexpected and brutal happenings from the
society as well as country at first we should change our lower mentality,
raise public awareness, mutual love, respect and affection in mind, raise of
good conscience, morality, social values, practice of family tolerance,
maintain religious rules and regulations and try to love all. For these we
have to be self-educated not educated in namely certificate. We should
change our mentality in male exploited society that women are not only goods
of consumption, entertainment and machine of producing children. We should
think that today’s girl is the wife and mother in future. We all were in
their womb. Nobody can neglect this universal truth. So we should give their
higher class honorable dignity for the quality of maternity. Besides these
we should maintain and follow the rules and regulation of our country. Then
we will be able to claim ourselves as a citizen of civilized and ideal
nation.
Shantanu Kumar Mondal
2nd year,
Roll-10059021
Session- 2009-2010
Dept. of Law & Justice
University of Rajshahi
নব বারতা নিয়ে আসুক পহেলা বৈশাখ
শরিফুল ইসলাম সেলিম
পয়লা বৈশাখ। বাঙ্গালী জাতির জীবনে এক অবিস্মরনীয় দিন। বৈশাখ মানে- শুরু, আগামী দিনের স্বপ্নের। হাজার হাজার বছর ধরে বাঙ্গালী জাতি বৈশাখকে শুভসূচনা হিসেবে বরণ করেছে। বছরের নতুন সূর্যের সামনে বাঙালি আজ প্রণতি রাখবে এই বলে যে, জীর্ণপুরাতন যাক ভেসে যাক, মুছে যাক গ্লানী/তাপস নিঃশ্বাস বায়ে মুমূষর্ুরে দাও উড়ায়ে'। বৈশাখ আসে নতুন করে। নতুনের আলোয় আবহমান বাংলার দিক-দিগন্ত উদ্ভাসিত করে আসে নতুন দিন। নবপ্রভাতে বাঙালির জীবনে চারদিকে নতুনের কেতন উড়িয়ে এসেছে বৈশাখ। আকাশ-বাতাস ও প্রকৃতিকে অগি্নস্নানে শূচি করে তুলতে আসছে বৈশাখ। এরই সাথে বিদায় নিবে হাসি-কান্না আর আনন্দ বেদনার ১৪১৭ সন। নতুন করে যাত্রা শুরু করেবে বাঙ্গালী । এ যাত্রা আবার বিলিন হবে আগামী বৈশাখে। বাঙ্গালী পরম্পরায় এদিনটি কেবলই আনন্দের, নতুন করে শুরু করার। বর্ষবরণের উৎসবের আমেজে মুখরিত বাংলার চারদিক। একই সাথে বিশ্বের বিভিন্ন স্থানে ছড়িয়ে ছিটিয়ে থাকা সকল বাঙ্গালী আজ নতুনের আবাহনে কবিগুরু রবীন্দ্র নাথ ঠাকুরের লেখা গীত সেই চিরায়ত সুর বাঙালির প্রাণে প্রাণে অনুরণন তুলবে। বাঙ্গালী এক সাথে গাইবে, 'এসো হে বৈশাখ এসো এসো'। আবার একইভাবে জাতীয় কবি নজরুলের কালজয়ী রচনা-, তোরা সব জয়ধ্বনি কর /তোরা সব জয়ধ্বনি কর/ঐ নূতনের কেতন ওড়ে কাল বোশেখীর ঝড়'। এ সুরধ্বনির মধ্যে দিয়েই বাঙালি নতুন বছরে সব অপ্রাপ্তি ভুলে নতুন সম্ভাবনার দ্বার উন্মোচন করবে। মাঠে-ঘাটে কচি-কাঁচার কলরব আর পেঁতপুঁত বাঁশি আর ঝুনঝুনির এলোপাথারি হরেক রকমের সুরধ্বনি। বাংলার গ্রামীন জীবনে পয়লা বৈশাখ বাংলা নববর্ষের ঘনিষ্ঠ সম্পর্ক বহুদিনের। এই সন প্রবর্তনের সূচনা থেকেই। চিরকাল ঋতুর উপর ভিত্তি করেই হয় ফসলের চাষাবাদ। মোগল সম্রাট আকবর প্রচলন করেন বাংলা সনের। এর আগে মোগল বাদশাহগণ রাজকাজে ও নথিপত্রে ব্যবহার করতেন হিজরী সন। হিজরী হচ্ছে চন্দ্র বছর, যা নূ্যনধিক ৩৫৪ দিনে পূর্ণ হয় । কিন্তু সৌর বছর পূর্ণ হয় নূ্যনধিক ৩৬৫ দিনে। বছরে প্রায় ১১ দিনের পার্থক্য হওয়ায় হিজরী সন আবর্তিত হয় এবং ৩৩ বছরের মাথায় সৌর বছরের তুলনায় এক বছর বৃদ্ধি পায়। কৃষকের কাছ থেকে রাজস্ব আদায় করতে হলে সারাদেশে একটি অভিন্ন সৌর বছরের প্রয়োজন। এই ধারণা থেকেই সম্রাট আকবর ১৫৮৪ খৃস্টাব্দের ১০ বা ১১ মার্চ থেকে বাংলা সনের প্রবর্তন করেন এবং তা কার্যকর হয় তার সিংহাসন আরোহনের সময় অর্থাৎ ১৫৫৬ খৃস্টাব্দের ৫ নভেম্বর থেকে। আকবরের নবরত্ন সভার আমির ফতেউল্লাহ খান সিরাজী বাংলা সন প্রবর্তন করেন। প্রথমে এই সনের নাম ছিল ফসলী সন। পরে তা বঙ্গাব্দ নামে পরিচিত হয়। বৈশাখ নামটি নেয়া হয়েছিল নক্ষত্র বিশাখার নাম থেকে। 'বিশাখা হতে নাম হল বৈশাখ। অতীতে বাংলা নববর্ষের মূল উৎসব ছিল হালখাতা। চিরাচরিত এ অনুষ্ঠানটি আজও পালিত হয়। ক্রমান্বয়ে নববর্ষের ব্যাপ্তি আরো বিস্মৃত হয়। রূপান্তরিত হয় লোকজ উৎসবে। কালের বিবর্তনে নববর্ষের সঙ্গে সম্পর্কিত অনেক পুরনো উৎসবের বিলুপ্তি ঘটেছে, আবার সংযোগ ঘটেছে অনেক নতুন উৎসবের। এদেশে ১৯৬৫ সাল থেকে রমনার বটমূলে প্রতিবছর ছায়ানট বর্ষবরণ অনুষ্ঠানের আয়োজন শুরু করলে পহেলা বৈশাখের অনুষ্ঠানমালা নগরীতে নতুন তাৎপর্য পায়। একে একে আরো অনেক সংগঠন প্রতিবছর নিয়মিতভাবে বর্ষবরণ অনুষ্ঠানের আয়োজন করছে। আধুনিক জীবন-পদ্ধতির নানা উপাচারের সমারোহে খেরো খাতায় হিসাব রাখার প্রচলন এখন উঠেই গেছে। তবু বাঙালির চিরায়ত উৎসবের দিন পহেলা বৈশাখে বিভিন্ন ব্যবসা প্রতিষ্ঠানে অনুষ্ঠিত হয় হালখাতা, মিষ্টিমুখ করান হয় ক্রেতাদের।
পয়লা বৈশাখ। বাঙ্গালী জাতির জীবনে এক অবিস্মরনীয় দিন। বৈশাখ মানে- শুরু, আগামী দিনের স্বপ্নের। হাজার হাজার বছর ধরে বাঙ্গালী জাতি বৈশাখকে শুভসূচনা হিসেবে বরণ করেছে। বছরের নতুন সূর্যের সামনে বাঙালি আজ প্রণতি রাখবে এই বলে যে, জীর্ণপুরাতন যাক ভেসে যাক, মুছে যাক গ্লানী/তাপস নিঃশ্বাস বায়ে মুমূষর্ুরে দাও উড়ায়ে'। বৈশাখ আসে নতুন করে। নতুনের আলোয় আবহমান বাংলার দিক-দিগন্ত উদ্ভাসিত করে আসে নতুন দিন। নবপ্রভাতে বাঙালির জীবনে চারদিকে নতুনের কেতন উড়িয়ে এসেছে বৈশাখ। আকাশ-বাতাস ও প্রকৃতিকে অগি্নস্নানে শূচি করে তুলতে আসছে বৈশাখ। এরই সাথে বিদায় নিবে হাসি-কান্না আর আনন্দ বেদনার ১৪১৭ সন। নতুন করে যাত্রা শুরু করেবে বাঙ্গালী । এ যাত্রা আবার বিলিন হবে আগামী বৈশাখে। বাঙ্গালী পরম্পরায় এদিনটি কেবলই আনন্দের, নতুন করে শুরু করার। বর্ষবরণের উৎসবের আমেজে মুখরিত বাংলার চারদিক। একই সাথে বিশ্বের বিভিন্ন স্থানে ছড়িয়ে ছিটিয়ে থাকা সকল বাঙ্গালী আজ নতুনের আবাহনে কবিগুরু রবীন্দ্র নাথ ঠাকুরের লেখা গীত সেই চিরায়ত সুর বাঙালির প্রাণে প্রাণে অনুরণন তুলবে। বাঙ্গালী এক সাথে গাইবে, 'এসো হে বৈশাখ এসো এসো'। আবার একইভাবে জাতীয় কবি নজরুলের কালজয়ী রচনা-, তোরা সব জয়ধ্বনি কর /তোরা সব জয়ধ্বনি কর/ঐ নূতনের কেতন ওড়ে কাল বোশেখীর ঝড়'। এ সুরধ্বনির মধ্যে দিয়েই বাঙালি নতুন বছরে সব অপ্রাপ্তি ভুলে নতুন সম্ভাবনার দ্বার উন্মোচন করবে। মাঠে-ঘাটে কচি-কাঁচার কলরব আর পেঁতপুঁত বাঁশি আর ঝুনঝুনির এলোপাথারি হরেক রকমের সুরধ্বনি। বাংলার গ্রামীন জীবনে পয়লা বৈশাখ বাংলা নববর্ষের ঘনিষ্ঠ সম্পর্ক বহুদিনের। এই সন প্রবর্তনের সূচনা থেকেই। চিরকাল ঋতুর উপর ভিত্তি করেই হয় ফসলের চাষাবাদ। মোগল সম্রাট আকবর প্রচলন করেন বাংলা সনের। এর আগে মোগল বাদশাহগণ রাজকাজে ও নথিপত্রে ব্যবহার করতেন হিজরী সন। হিজরী হচ্ছে চন্দ্র বছর, যা নূ্যনধিক ৩৫৪ দিনে পূর্ণ হয় । কিন্তু সৌর বছর পূর্ণ হয় নূ্যনধিক ৩৬৫ দিনে। বছরে প্রায় ১১ দিনের পার্থক্য হওয়ায় হিজরী সন আবর্তিত হয় এবং ৩৩ বছরের মাথায় সৌর বছরের তুলনায় এক বছর বৃদ্ধি পায়। কৃষকের কাছ থেকে রাজস্ব আদায় করতে হলে সারাদেশে একটি অভিন্ন সৌর বছরের প্রয়োজন। এই ধারণা থেকেই সম্রাট আকবর ১৫৮৪ খৃস্টাব্দের ১০ বা ১১ মার্চ থেকে বাংলা সনের প্রবর্তন করেন এবং তা কার্যকর হয় তার সিংহাসন আরোহনের সময় অর্থাৎ ১৫৫৬ খৃস্টাব্দের ৫ নভেম্বর থেকে। আকবরের নবরত্ন সভার আমির ফতেউল্লাহ খান সিরাজী বাংলা সন প্রবর্তন করেন। প্রথমে এই সনের নাম ছিল ফসলী সন। পরে তা বঙ্গাব্দ নামে পরিচিত হয়। বৈশাখ নামটি নেয়া হয়েছিল নক্ষত্র বিশাখার নাম থেকে। 'বিশাখা হতে নাম হল বৈশাখ। অতীতে বাংলা নববর্ষের মূল উৎসব ছিল হালখাতা। চিরাচরিত এ অনুষ্ঠানটি আজও পালিত হয়। ক্রমান্বয়ে নববর্ষের ব্যাপ্তি আরো বিস্মৃত হয়। রূপান্তরিত হয় লোকজ উৎসবে। কালের বিবর্তনে নববর্ষের সঙ্গে সম্পর্কিত অনেক পুরনো উৎসবের বিলুপ্তি ঘটেছে, আবার সংযোগ ঘটেছে অনেক নতুন উৎসবের। এদেশে ১৯৬৫ সাল থেকে রমনার বটমূলে প্রতিবছর ছায়ানট বর্ষবরণ অনুষ্ঠানের আয়োজন শুরু করলে পহেলা বৈশাখের অনুষ্ঠানমালা নগরীতে নতুন তাৎপর্য পায়। একে একে আরো অনেক সংগঠন প্রতিবছর নিয়মিতভাবে বর্ষবরণ অনুষ্ঠানের আয়োজন করছে। আধুনিক জীবন-পদ্ধতির নানা উপাচারের সমারোহে খেরো খাতায় হিসাব রাখার প্রচলন এখন উঠেই গেছে। তবু বাঙালির চিরায়ত উৎসবের দিন পহেলা বৈশাখে বিভিন্ন ব্যবসা প্রতিষ্ঠানে অনুষ্ঠিত হয় হালখাতা, মিষ্টিমুখ করান হয় ক্রেতাদের।
Capital Punishment should be banned…
Talukdar Rasel Mahmud
Punishment is a mode of controlling crimes & criminality and it treated as a basic objective of criminal justice. However, there are different form of punishment, as to example: capital punishment, deportation, corporal punishment ( i. e-flogging, branding, mutilation, chaining etc.), imprisonment, fine etc.
Now question arises that what is capital punishment? The common answer is that the death sentence is most popularly known as capital punishment.
If we go back to the history of punishment then we will find that capital punishment was very available in the ancient times, even in the middle ages, it was very common kind of punishment. But we are now living in civilized world & the world is becoming civilized day by day. Now we are talking about human rights , fundamental rights of citizens & so on. So the outlook towards the inhuman mode of capital punishment is also changing.
However, under the influence of the European Enlightenment, there began a movement to limit the scope of capital punishment in the latter part of the 18th century. Until then a very wide range of offenses, including even common theft, were punishable by death. From the Encyclopedia Britannica Library we found the history of movement against capital punishment. In 1794 the U.S. state of Pennsylvania became the first jurisdiction to restrict the death penalty to first-degree murder, and in 1846 the state of Michigan abolished capital punishment for all murders and other common crimes. In 1863 Venezuela became the first country to abolish capital punishment for all crimes, even for different serious offenses against the state, as to example: treason and military offenses in time of war. Then Portugal was the first European country to abolish the death penalty, doing so in 1867; by the early 20th century some other countries, including The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Italy, had followed suit (though it was reintroduced in Italy under the fascist regime of Benito Mussolini). By the mid-1960s some 25 countries had abolished the death penalty for murder, though only about half of them also had abolished it for offenses against the state or the military code. For example, Britain abolished capital punishment for murder in 1965, but treason, piracy, and military crimes remained capital offenses until 1998.
During the last third of the 20th century, the number of abolitionist countries increased more than threefold. These countries, together with those that are “de facto” abolitionist—i.e., those in which capital punishment is legal but not exercised—now represent more than half the countries of the world. One reason for the significant increase in the number of abolitionist states was that the abolition movement was successful in making capital punishment an international human rights issue, whereas formerly it had been regarded as solely an internal matter for the countries concerned. In 1971 the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution that, “in order fully to guarantee the right to life, provided for in…the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” called for restricting the number of offenses for which the death penalty could be imposed, with a view toward abolishing it altogether. This resolution was reaffirmed by the General Assembly in 1977. Optional protocols to the European Convention on Human Rights (1983) and to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1989) have been established, under which countries party to the convention and the covenant undertake not to carry out executions. The Council of Europe (1994) and the EU (1998) established as a condition of membership in their organizations the requirement that prospective member countries suspend executions and commit themselves to abolition. This decision had a remarkable impact on the countries of central and eastern Europe, prompting several of them—e.g., the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia—to abolish capital punishment. In the 1990s many African countries—including Angola, Djibouti, Mozambique, and Namibia—abolished capital punishment, though most African countries retained it. In South Africa, which formerly had one of the world's highest execution rates, capital punishment was outlawed in 1995 by the Constitutional Court, which declared that it was incompatible with the prohibition against cruel, inhuman, or degrading punishment and with “a human rights culture.”
Countries that had abolished the death penalty for all crimes numbered 84 at the start of 2005, following the addition of Greece and Senegal to the list at the end of 2004. The gradual movement toward universal abolition continued. The death penalty was abolished for all crimes in Mexico. Uzbekistan's Pres. Islam Karimov signed a decree abolishing the death penalty from Jan. 1, 2008. Indian leaders proposed amending the penal code by replacing the death penalty with life imprisonment without parole. Kenyan Justice Minister Kiraitu Murungi stated that his country was committed to abolishing the death penalty and that death row inmates in Kenya would have their sentences commuted to life imprisonment. In Uganda 417 prisoners on death row sought a declaration that the punishment violates a constitutional prohibition of cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment. Steps were taken to begin the gradual abolition of the death penalty in Taiwan; the country's criminal code was amended to prohibit the execution of those aged under 18 or over 80. The U.S. also stopped the use of the death penalty against individuals aged under 18 at the time they committed their offenses; the Supreme Court concluded by a slim majority that such executions were unconstitutionally cruel. By contrast, in Nigeria the Committee on Judicial and Legal Reform recommended the use of the death penalty against juveniles who had committed “heinous offenses.” Four men who had confessed to murders were executed by Palestinian security forces, reversing a stay imposed by the late leader Yasir Arafat in 2001. Despite a 29-year moratorium on executions in Sri Lanka, the country's Justice Ministry and attorney general recommended that the death sentences imposed on the men who in 1998 had gang-raped and murdered Rita John, a newlywed Indian woman, be carried out. In the U.S. confessed serial killer Michael B. Ross was put to death in Connecticut's first execution in 45 years.
We know that capital punishment violates the condemned person's right to life and is fundamentally inhuman and degrading. A person’s right to life is also recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Our constitution also has recognized right to life as a fundamental right. The death penalty is not a more effective deterrent than the alternative sanction of life or long-term imprisonment. Some people think that the poor and ethnic and religious minorities often do not have access to good legal assistance, that racial prejudice motivates predominantly white juries in capital cases to convict black and other nonwhite defendants in disproportionate numbers, and that, because errors are inevitable even in a well-run criminal justice system, some people will be executed for crimes they did not commit. Finally, they argue that, because the appeals process for death sentences is protracted, those condemned to death are often cruelly forced to endure long periods of uncertainty about their fate. The most important point is that long-term imprisonment or life imprisonment can be provided to the offender instead of death sentence and they can be engaged in different productive works. Thus their maintenance cost will be easily affordable by the government. So, this inhuman mode of punishment is totally unnecessary. In conclusion, we can strongly say, ’No more death sentence & stop this immediately.’ Because the state is doing itself a great crime by taking a life away. For this the capital punishment should be banned in our country also like Germany, Austria, Denmark and other abolishing countries.
BIBLOGRAPHY:
1. JURISPRUDENCE & LAGAL THEORY; By V.D. Mahajan; Fifth Edition; (Page:149-160).
2. An Introduction to JURISPRUDENCE & LEGAL THEORY; By Dr. Md. Ahsan Kabir ; Student Edition;(Page:112-115).
3. The Encyclopedia Britannica Library;(the Ultimate Reference Suite,2009)
জাতীয় ভাবে আইন দিবস পালন করা হোক
জাতীয় ভাবে আইন দিবস পালন করা হোক
শরিফুল ইসলাম সেলিম
কথায় বলে সকলের জন্য আইন। আইনের চোখে ধনী-দরিদ্রের কোনও পার্থক্য নেই। অথচ বাস্তব চিত্রটা একেবারেই আলাদা। অনেক ক্ষেত্রেই যাদের অর্থের জোর নেই, সুবিচার তাদের কাছে অধরা থেকে যায়। মামলা-মোকদ্দমা করতে টাকার প্রয়োজন। এই অনুধাবন থেকেই দরিদ্র, পিছিয়ে পড়া মানুষের কাছে বিনা খরচে আইনি সহায়তা পৌঁছে দিতে দেশের সর্বোচ্চ আদালত থেকে নিম্ন আদালত পর্যন্ত সর্বত্র গড়ে তোলা হয়েছে আইনি সচেতনতা কেন্দ্র। যেখানে সম্পূর্ণ বিনা খরচে আইনি সাহায়তা পেতে পারেন দরিদ্র, পিছিয়ে পড়া মানুষ, শিশু, মহিলা, প্রতিবন্ধীরা। কিন্তু প্রচারের অভাবে আইন পাশের ১০ বছর পেরিয়ে গেলেও দেশের বেশিরভাগ মানুষই এই সেবা থেকে বঞ্চিত অথবা অজ্ঞাত ।
সাধারণ মানুষকে আইন সর্ম্পকে সচেতন করে তুলতে দরিদ্র,পিছিয়ে পড়া মানুষের স্বার্থে ২০০০ সালে লিগাল এইড সার্ভিসেস এ্যাক্ট ২০০০” পাস করা হয়। কিন্তু আজও অনেকেই এই সেবা সর্ম্পকেই জানেনই না। অনেকে জানলেও দ্বিধা থেকে আসেন না। আবার আইনের আশ্রয় নিতে গেলে অনেক সময় পুলিশ ও রাজনৈতিক নেতাদের হাতে হেনস্থা হতে হয়, আদালতে বিচারক থেকে কর্মচারী সঙ্কটের কারনে মামলা নিস্পত্তিতে র্দীর্ঘসূত্রিতা- সবমিলিয়ে আদালত সর্ম্পকে মানুষের এক ধরনের অনাস্থার প্রসঙ্গও উঠে আসে প্রয়ই । আইনের আশ্রয় নেওয়ার পরও অনেক সময় পুলিশ বা রাজনৈতিক দলদ্বারা হয়রানি হওয়ার অভিযোগও ওঠে। আবার অনেকে ভাবেন আদালত মানেই তো সেই কাঁড়ি কাঁড়ি টাকার খরচ। এই ভ্রান্ত ধারনা থেকেই অনেকে আদালতমুখী হন না। আবার মামলা নিস্পত্তিতে দীর্ঘসূত্রিতার কারনে হতাশা থেকে অনেকে আদালতে যেতে চান না। বাংলাদশের অধিকাংশ মানুষের মনে এ ধারনা বদ্ধমূল।তাই আইনের সেবা যাতে অতি সহজেই সবাই পেতে পারে সেজন্য ব্যাপক প্রচারনা চালানোর জন্য একটি দিনকে জাতীয় আইন দিবস হিসেবে ঘোষনা করে পালন করা যেতে পারে। পৃথিবীর অনেক দেশেই জনগনকে আইন সম্পর্কে সচেতন করার জন্য জাতীয় ভাবে ব্যাপক উদ্দীপনার সাথে আইন দিবস উদজাপন করা হয়।তাই আমাদের দেশেও আইন দিবসের ঘোষনা এখন সময়ের দাবি।
(ছাত্র,৪র্থ বর্ষ,আইন ও বিচার বিভাগ,রাজশাহী বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়)
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