Bangladesh government has blocked my website for the poem “Anti State”:

[William Gomes]

Dear Comrades,

Bangladesh government has blocked my website www.williamgomes.org for writing and publishing the poem Änti State”. I have taken the pen and they have taken the censorship tools. I have broken the silence. Please take your pen and break the silence.

Please give your comment on this poem with your name and professional identity.

Please send your comment within 26^th May 2012. The  comments will send to the Media around the world.

I am always thankful for your support.

I believe that Censorship is a possible way for the powerful to terminate individualism; and promotes governmental coercion and totalitarianism. Some people urge that restrictions are valid only if they are for the sake of a greater good, a greater liberty. But I believe that Censorship is a restriction that is not for greater liberty, but for the deprivation of liberty.
I strongly protest about the Block of my website www.williamgomes.org
I do publish rights based issues and the poems i wrote again is regarding rights .
There should not be any reason to block my site and it is clearly violations of right to freedom of expression. 

 

The poem - http://www.williamgomes.org/anti-state/

Thanks

William Gomes

--
William Nicholas Gomes
Journalist & Human Rights Activist
80/ B Bramon Chiron, Saydabad,
Dhaka-1203, Bangladesh.
Cell: +88 019 7 444 0 666
E-mail:William [at] williamgomes.org,editorbd[at]gmail.com
Skype: William.gomes9
Face book: www.facebook.com/williamnicholasgomes
Twitter: twitter.com/williamgomes
Web site :www.williamgomes.org

[Zafar Mehdi]

Well, this is an utterly reprehensible and a cowardly act by the government. It's clear that the regime finds itself cornered, with activists and writers breaking their silence. We need to speak in one voice against these bullying tactics adopted by the government and its agencies in Bangladesh.

I extend my full support to you Gomes. 

Syed Zafar Mehdi

Senior Correspondent

Hindustan Times

New Delhi

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Syed Zafar Mehdi
Hindustan Times 
New Delhi
 

[naveed Shibli]

Dear William Gomes   I read your different poem. It is full of emotions with the flare of aggression and overwhelming desire to change and an outstanding intention to resist the existing and established description of state. Well that is your personal expression and expression is purely a private affair. I personally feel that if we the journalists poets writers critics and intellectuals are convinced to change something as you proposed than we first turn the world into a Hide park London so that the change we the intellectual propose may be acceptable to the humanity that has been tuned to live within the orbits of so-called socially approved features of living and such is a Herculean job that you know and I am also aware of the fact that is why that although I liked a different creation that is full of ‘something different’ but as an editor of a daily newspaper I shall  hesitate to register such approval and that is what the life is and it is humanity that has unanimously decided to live the prison of existing rules and procedures. I am thankful to you for sending me a very different creative effort. I do hope that we shall be interacting in future also. Whenever you come to Pakistan please do let me know about your visit.   Sincerely   Dr. Naveed Shibli Assistant Professor Applied Psychology Government College University Faisalabad Pakistan And Editor Daily Easy English 430/E Millat Town Faisalabad 092-41-8814799     --- On Thu, 5/24/12, William Gomes <williamg...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Mehmud Ahmed]

Dear Mr Gomes: I wanted to access your poem but cannot. A notice repeated appears

proclaiming the edict "FORBIDDEN". Does the daughter of Bangla Bundhu know

about it? If yes then she is another female tyrant South Asian has hoisted

to power. Do not worry. Have patience. Tyranny in Bangla Desh always had

a short run.  This has been the history so far. Remember what Faiz Saheb

said: 

                   

                        Jab takht ultaey jain gay, Taj uchhallay jain gay.

Is it possibel to send that poem to me directly on my mail unless the Censors have

extended their claws into you mail account also.

Mehmud Ahmed

Brampton- ON

Canada

[nadeem mirza]

where is poem? as u told ur site is blocked than why u r giving link of ur site for poem this site is not working? 

---

Date: Thu, 24 May 2012 17:23:03 +0800

Subject: Bangladesh government has blocked my website for the poem “Anti State”:

From: williamg...@gmail.com
To: williamg...@gmail.com

[William Gomes]

The site is blocked in Bangladesh , hope you will be able to see in Pakistan.
Thanks
William

[Mehtab Haider]

Below info is self evident Reg Mehtab Bangladesh has placed extraordinary security clearance arrangements for granting visas to Pakistani journalists, exposing level of mistrust in relations between the two countries. Even in case of seeking visa for India, such security clearance is not required as recently experienced in case of Bangladesh where journalists trying to get visa for professional purpose are asked to give undertaking that they will not conduct any interview, will have to abide by ban on taking snaps, making commitment not to file any report and restrict movement to specified placed during their stay in Bangladesh. “Even this all is not required if u seek visa from India,” a seasoned and experienced journalist said. The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of World Bank Group, had arranged three day media workshop for South Asian journalists on issue of corporate governance in Dhaka by mid of this ongoing month. For initiative of corporate governance, the IFC launched a project and it wanted to promote this concept by extending training to working journalists to equip them with skills to ensure enforcement of prescribed rules, procedures and mechanism to maximize benefits for inhabitants of nations of this region. When visa form along with invitation of IFC was submitted into Bangladesh High Commission (BHC) in  Islamabad one week ago, the designated Press Attaché of BHC told this scribe that security clearance from Interior Ministry of their country as well as from concerned intelligence agencies took almost two weeks to accomplish the required procedures so it seemed difficult to give visa for participating into this scheduled training workshop. He also claimed that Pakistani side took more time for giving visa to Bangladeshi journalists. However, he said that there was nominal visa fee to the tune of only Rs 200 for getting visa of Bangladesh and common Pakistani citizen could get visa within two to three days. The IFC high-ups took extra pain and wrote letter to Dhaka authorities for granting No Objection Certificate for granting visa. On condition of anonymity, they admitted that they never faced such a difficult situation for getting visa of any country as they faced in case of seeking visa for Journalists from Bangladeshi authorities. After one week, one IFC representative contacted and told that partial clearance was given with the condition of giving undertaking that you would not undertake any journalistic activities during their stay in Dhaka. Even you will not get photos or conduct any interviews while staying in Dhaka. They were told that being a journalist it was not possible to give such kind of undertaking that compromised u professional duties. According to BHC’s press section, it was confirmed that partial clearance was given for Pakistani journalists who are supposed to participate into scheduled training workshop in Dhaka. When asked reasons for such kind of arrangements placed by Bangladeshi authorities, he said that these were the instructions which could not be violated by BHC. (Ends)     --- On Thu, 5/24/12, nadeem mirza <nade...@hotmail.com> wrote:

[Atif Aleem]

Dear Mr. William Gomes,

I wanted to read your poem that has faced the "Holy Scissor" of censorship but unfortunately due to unknown reasons I found the following messaged:

Forbidden

You don't have permission to access /anti-state/ on this server.

Additionally, a 403 Forbidden error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.

I live in a country, called Pakistan, which is far more weak, intolerant and afraid state than that of Bangladesh. So, I can understand the very mind set that showed Bangladeshi State toward your poem. I wish I could have read your poem by any means.

In Solidarity,

Muhammad Atif Aleem

Fiction Writer, Playwright and a commercial right based in Rawalpindi, Pakistan

[mhmedi...@gmail.com]

I fully endorse the statement made by Mehtab Haider. In March when I being part of media delegation for BD arrived in BD capital, was held at Dhaka airport for several hours without any reason.
Immigration authorities were even not ready to accept the visas issued by BDHC Islamabad and made several unwarranted questions.

One can imagine the feelings of BD people and government on winning Asia cup by Pakistan.

I also agree that being muslim country BD people and government are more hostile against Pakistan thn India.

They forgot Quaid e Azam who made Pakistan comprising east and west Pakistan and just remembers 1971 debacle. It was not a mistake by people of Pakistan. Where is our FO and where are SAARC declarations and agreements for enhancing regional cooperation through media.

Despite this there are indeed few lovely people in BD.

Regards
Mateen Haider
Dawn News
Islamabad

*** This Message Has Been Sent Using BlackBerry Internet Service from Mobilink ***

---

From: Mehtab Haider <mehtab...@yahoo.com>

Sender: pressp...@googlegroups.com

Date: Thu, 24 May 2012 08:32:51 -0700 (PDT)

To: <pressp...@googlegroups.com>

ReplyTo: pressp...@googlegroups.com

[William Gomes]

Hi ,
I am attaching the poem , Please read and share your comment regarding the block that i can include your comment on the press release that i will send at the end of 26th. I also ask all journalist friends please give your comment and very thankful to PressPakistan group for helping on the issues of right to freedom of expression. I agian ask all journalist friend your little comment will break the silence.
Thanks
William

[Asad Khan Betini]

Dear william gomes,

It is very depressing to observe that your site has been blocked by
your government, apart from your sedition type of poem, it is
pertinent to tell you that i read a report about the people in
Bangladesh, have been disappearing, Bangladesh and Balochistan both
face the same situation, we are victim of the unknown monster, so
take care of your self.

Regards
Asad

On May 24, 2:23 pm, William Gomes <williamgomes....@gmail.com> wrote:
> Dear Comrades,
>
> Bangladesh government has blocked my websitewww.williamgomes.orgfor
> writing and publishing the poem Änti State”. I have taken the pen and they
> have taken the censorship tools. I have broken the silence. Please take
> your pen and break the silence.
>
> Please give your comment on this poem with your name and professional
> identity.
>
> Please send your comment within 26th May 2012. The  comments will send to
> the Media around the world.
>
> I am always thankful for your support.
>
> I believe that Censorship is a possible way for the powerful to terminate
> individualism; and promotes governmental coercion and totalitarianism. Some
> people urge that restrictions are valid only if they are for the sake of a
> greater good, a greater liberty. But I believe that Censorship is a
> restriction that is not for greater liberty, but for the deprivation of
> liberty.
> I strongly protest about the Block of my websitewww.williamgomes.org
> I do publish rights based issues and the poems i wrote again is regarding
> rights .
> There should not be any reason to block my site and it is clearly
> violations of right to freedom of expression.
>

> The poem -http://www.williamgomes.org/anti-state/
>
> Thanks
>
> William Gomes
>
> --
> *William Nicholas Gomes*
> *Journalist & Human Rights Activist *
> *80/ B Bramon Chiron, Saydabad,

> Dhaka-1203, Bangladesh.
> Cell: +88 019 7 444 0 666

> E-mail:**William [at] williamgomes.org* <Will...@williamgomes.org>*,
> editorbd[at]gmail.com <edito...@gmail.com>
> Skype: William.gomes9
> Face book: **www.facebook.com/williamnicholasgomes*<http://www.facebook.com/williamnicholasgomes>
> *
> Twitter: **twitter.com/williamgomes* <http://www.twitter.com/persecutionbd>*
> **Web site :www.williamgomes.org*<http://www.williamgomes.org/>