Mon 10 Dec 2007
President “Pardons” 4 RU teachers (”Dhonni Rajar Punni Desh”)
Posted by tiktiki under Judiciary , reform
photo: Daily Star
As part of the “package proposal” offered by the military high ups in their meeting with Dhaka University Teachers’ Association couple of days ago, the four RU teachers have been pardoned by the President and subsequently released.
If any one had any doubt about where the real powers lie in today’s Bangladesh, the people representating the government in the negotiating table should remove all that doubt.
In the meantime, verdicts in a similar case keep on getting postponed. Coincidence? Hardly. While the teachers’ get released through this pardon, the whole episode truly exposes the state of the “independent” judiciary in our country.
Institutional reforms — R.I.P.
Dhonni rajar punni desh.
Relevant comment from SC in a previous thread
Three DGFI’s representative met DUTA and as per different newspapers, gave some sort of proposal for releasing the teachers/students. Does that bother anyone? Even after that, Fakhruddins will call themselves as the government of the country? Shame on us! Either we stop them here or we are in for a grueling long haul against the Gestapo.
It shows KGazi is partly right; our Universities lost their moral authority little bit. They are sitting down with army to free their colleagues, not with the head of the government or the head of the state.
December 10th, 2007 at 11:47 am
Now Bangladesh is truly Hirak Rajar desh.
This is so called independence of Judiciary.
By the way Pardons for what reason? Silent procession?
It is a big insult to all academic.
Better They should say sorry to the teachers.
Shame on the This regime !
December 10th, 2007 at 1:23 pm
Tiktiki, you are right. I also read another newsreport (www. thedailystar.net), which unrelated, but confirm your observation. Saudi Prince revised the earlier offer (reduced by $271 million) to buy Rupali Bank. The most interesting fact is that the offer sent to “Somoyer Sahosi Sontan” (as described in a Bangla Newspaper in NY) Gen Moeen U Ahmed!
I am surprised how long Mr. Hobuchondro, sorry, Mr. Fakhruddin will act as “Mukhos”?
December 10th, 2007 at 6:08 pm
Do you recall the first line of the Khonar Bochon?
” Jodi Borshe magher Sheshe
Dhonni Rajar punni Deshe”
Well its not Magh mash yet. It is Agrahayan Mash.
The same Khonar bochon says what catastrophy may happen if it rains in the month Agrahayan.
” Jodi Borshe aghone
Raja Jay Magone”
( If it rains in the month of Agrahayan, the King goes begging.)
A very bad time awaits us.
December 10th, 2007 at 9:21 pm
The following page some information about the teachers case.
http://www.manooshnetwork.org
December 11th, 2007 at 12:18 pm
I guess things are moving in wrong direction. Here is the latest from bdnews24:
A Dhaka court Tuesday framed charges against four senior teachers and 15 students of Dhaka University for breaching emergency powers rules during the August campus unrest.
The move came a day after four Rajshahi University teachers convicted for similar charges were freed from prison after a presidential pardon.
Judge Md Golam Rabbani of the Court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Dhaka-3 framed the charges at 12:50pm and set Dec 17 for recording statements of the witnesses.
December 11th, 2007 at 2:42 pm
This post of mine isn’t anything a serious comment, just as humorous response in line with Rumi’s Khonar Bachan. Another Khanar Bachan says,” Khoar Sheshe Je Haage, Taar Rog aage” means If someone goes to toilet for #2 just after eating indicates disease.
CTG was so welcomed by all as if it were a ‘Meyoa’ a fruit from heaven that gives immortality if eaten. We ate that fruit with so much of hopes and we, no sooner, started indigestion and diarrhea. What does it indicate of us per Khonar Bachan! Are we healthy or diseased?
December 11th, 2007 at 11:08 pm
Comment 5, things are moving like they did against the RU teachers. Here is what will happen:
- Despite a number of legal reasons why the accused people should be acquitted, they will be found guilty of some offence like ‘lighting a candle when the army left DU’.
- Zafar Iqbal, Asif Nazrul et will write columns in Prothom Alo saying this is a travesty of justice. There will be articles in the foreign press about the dangers of instability in Bangladesh.
- There will be a bunch of comments from the usual suspects in UV saying: nothing good ever happened in Bangladesh before 11 January 2007, questioning the verdicts show disrespect for the rule of law, and our universities are full of mastans and hooligans anyway.
- Then some senior army officer will say that we need to respect the teachers and the president will issue a pardon order.
December 12th, 2007 at 1:18 am
Jyoti bhai’s comment is unfortunately likely to be one hundred percent true. I’d only like to add that anyone who finds anything wrong with this while process will be told to examine our “moral bankruptcy” or “original sin.”