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Mahmudur on ‘Hunger Strike’

Amar Desh Acting Editor Mahudur Rahman has embarked on Hunger Strike pressing three demands

Mahmudur’s three demands include 1) lifting any sort of bar to publish Amar Desh, 2) letting the nineteen Journalists of Amar Desh be released immediately and 3) the withdrawal of ‘false case’ filed against his mother

Meanwhile, today (Wednesday) at noon he has been sent to the Jail, though thirteen day remand yet to be finished.

Earlier on Thursday, Police arrested Daily Amar Desh acting editor Mahmudur Rahman from his office in the capital’s Karwanbazar.

Mauhmudur has been arrested on charge of publishing Skype scandal by former Chairman of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT). He was receiving continued threats from high levels of government prior to this arrest.

There had been a speculation for long among the public that he might be arrested at any time in the wake of recent grand demonstration by Hefazat-e-Islam at Motijheel the hub of capital Dhaka.

Amar Desh announced to publish a series of reports on Shiekh Mujibur Rahman’s government, based on some files of U.S. Foreign Ministry. On the very morning of this Thursday, the government arrested the Editor of the daily, Mahmudur Rahman.

Oliullah Noman, the correspondent who reported the scandal, have been forced to leave the country by serious life-risky situations. He is now in the U.K under political asylum.

In a press conference held at Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, the deputy commissioner Mausdur Rahman, said that a case was filed in Tejgaon Thana, with the appeal of High Court Division on the charge of publishing Skype conversation by the ICT judge on Amar Desh, in December, 2012.

Mahmudur Rahman has been arrested in that case, he confirmed. Mahamud would be brought into trial by section 56 and 57 of the Information Technology Act and section 1, 4, 1, 4 (a), 1 0 (b) and 511 of the Penal Code, the officer informs.

Nijamul Haque Nasim, the chairman of the first International Crime Tribunal had counseled about the procedure of the running case in court and its possible verdict with a lawyer on Skype. British magazine, The Economist reported the scandal first. Mahumudur Rahman’s Amar Desh published the Skype conversations later in the country.

Nasim resigned his position as ICT chairman after these leaks. However, the judge returned to his previous position in High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh.

A day before Mahmudur’s arrest, Daily Amar Desh has also published a report titled. “Reign of Sheikh Mujib in Wikileaks”.

 

The senior reporter of the daily, Iliyas Hossain states in the report, “The documents published by Wikileaks are to be published continually from tomorrow.”

 

“Wikileaks, the website which gained global attention by publishing top secret documents, now has published different sides of Bangladesh’s first President, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s rule,” the report states.

The confidential documents from the U.S. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, revealing many information regarding Bangladesh’s economy and political situation during Awami League’s reign in 1973-75. Diplomatic relations of Bangladesh with other countries got importance in the documents. Different aspects of India – Bangladesh relation and our diplomatic relations with China and Pakistan of that time are detailed.

These diplomatic reports assess Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s rule. They also give out rare information including famine and food scarcity of then Bangladesh. Descriptions of economic crisis, smuggling, corruption and law and order situation are also found in the documents.

The foundation of Bakshal banning all parties, limiting Freedom of Press, announcing state of emergency in the country- all these incidents received dispassionate analysis in the confidential documents. The files also include many unknown facts about Farakka dam construction, Julfikar Ali Bhutto’s heroic reception in Dhaka and Sheikh Mujib’s death itself, with the rise of an army regime.

The report of Amar Desh announces to publish the first report heading, “Sheikh Mujib: The New Mughal”.

Police on Thursday night raided the press of the Daily Amar Desh in the city’s Tejgaon area, hours after its acting editor Mahmudur Rahman was taken on a 13-day remand following his arrest in three cases.
Executive Editor of the daily Abdal Ahmed told reporters that police entered the press around 8:30pm and forced all of its workers out.

After the raid, police sealed off the office at about 10:45 pm.

DMP Additional Deputy Commissioner (Tejgaon Zone) Biplob Kumar, who led the drive, told reporters that police conducted the raid as they needed some documents as instructed by the High Court.

http://bdinn.com/news/mahmudur-on-hunger-strike/