1st SAARC award for Bangladesh President, founder father of SAARC
VognoDuut 358
SAARC Award conferred on Zia
This is a mark of recognition of the concept of institutionalized regional
cooperation in South Asia
Wednesday July 21 2004 01:45:50 AM BDT
South Asian Foreign Ministers at a meeting in Islamabad Tuesday unanimously
decided to confer the first SAARC Award on Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman,
reports UNB.
The SAARC Council of Ministers took the decision on the first day of a two-day
meeting they began in the Pakistan capital to review progress on various agenda
of the seven-nation grouping.
"This is a mark of recognition of the concept of institutionalized regional
cooperation in South Asia as envisioned by slain President Zia in 1980," DGEP
Zahirul Huq told UNB over phone in the evening, quoting a message from
Islamabad.
The posthumous award will be formally conferred during the 13th SAARC summit in
Dhaka in January next year, Zahirul Huq said.
An official communiqué said the Foreign Ministers, while participating in the
discussion, highly acknowledged his contribution and paid rich tributes to the
"charismatic leader and statesman of South Asia".
The progress that SAARC has achieved in the past two decades vindicates
President Zia's conviction in the spirit of friendship and cooperation among
the people of South Asia, they said.
The Council Meeting was inaugurated by Prime Minister Chaudhry Sujaat Hussain.
The inaugural session was attended, among others, by Foreign Ministers of SAARC
countries and their spouses, members of Cabinet and many heads of diplomatic
missions.
Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan MP addressed the inaugural session on behalf of
the SAARC Foreign Ministers as Bangladesh will host the next SAARC Summit.
While recalling the declaration of poverty alleviation by the SAARC leaders as
its overarching goal, Khan called for creating an enabling environment to
pursue shared economic and social agenda.
The Council of Ministers adopted the recommendation made by the Standing
Committee. Khan, in his intervention, highlighted the achievements SAARC has so
far made and exchanged views on the focus of the 13th SAARC Summit that
Bangladesh would host in January 2005.
Morshed Khan and the other SAARC Foreign Ministers called on President General
Pervez Musharraf and joined a lunch hosted by the President.
Khan had a bilateral meeting with Pak Prime Minister Chaudhry Sujaat at his
residence. He was accompanied by Foreign Secretary Shamsher Mobin Chowhdury and
Bangladesh High Commissioner to Pakistan Shamim Ahmed.
They discussed bilateral matters and exchanged views on regional issues. The
Bangladesh Foreign Minister had a bilateral meeting with his Indian counterpart
Natwar Singh. They discussed bilateral matters, including border, trade and
other economic issues.
Khan gave an interview with Pakistan Television (PTV) where he highlighted role
of Bangladesh in the evolution of SAARC as envisioned by late President Ziaur
Rahman. The Foreign Minister underscored the commitment and leadership of Prime
Minister Khaleda Zia in realising the objectives of SAARC.
Torpedo
Letter To Bangladesh Government, Chittagong Hill Tracts Human Rights
Violations
Monday July 19 2004 00:40:43 AM BDT
Hermann Beer, Member of Amnesty International
Dear President, More than six years after the signing of the Chittagon Hill
Tracts Peace Accord, the tribal inhabitants of the area continue to live in
fear of attacks from Bengali settlers. Amnesty International is concerned
about the climate of impunity surrounding human rights violations by
security personnel in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
The Letter is posted Below
============================================================================
=============
Dr. Hermann Beer
Wehlauerstrasse 103
76139 Karlsruhe
Germany
Professor Dr. Iajuddin Ahamed
Presidential Secretariat
Old Sangsad Bhaban
Tejgaon
Dhaka
BANGLADESH
Telefax: (00 880) 2 9566242
Karlsruhe,16 July 2004
Dear President,
More than six years after the signing of the Chittagon Hill Tracts Peace
Accord, the tribal inhabitants of the area continue to live in fear of
attacks from Bengali settlers. Amnesty International is concerned about the
climate of impunity surrounding human rights violations by security
personnel in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
In this letter I refer to attacks which took place in August 2003 in the
Mahalchari area of the Khagrachari District. The villages where the
incidents ocurred are Mahalchari Bazaar,Ramesu Karbari Para, and
Kerenganala. According to testimonies given to Amnesty
International by eye witnesses a man was killed in front of his family, a
nine month old baby was strangled to death, nine women were sexually
assaulted, one of whom was subjected to gang rape, several people sustained
serious injuries, hundreds of houses were burnt down and dozens were looted.
According to witnesses, police initially refused to accept complaints from
the tribal people although they filed complaints on behalf of the Bengali
settlers against tribalinhabitants of the area.
It is my urgent request that the Government of Bangladesh takes decisive
measures to provide justice to the victims and survivors of these Mahalchari
attacks and to ensure the protection of the tribal inhabitants of the
Chittagon Hill Tracts against future attacks. I urge the Government of
Bangladesh to institute an independent and impartial investigation by a
competent authority into the attacks against the tribal people in
Mahalchari. The authorities should ensure the protection of witnesses and
other survivors of the attacks so that they are able to testify before the
inquiry without fear of further attack and intimidation.
The scope of investigation should be broad enough to include the following:
1) Killings: Identify the killers of Binud Bihari Khisha and nine-month-old
Kiriton, and
make recommendations of the prosecution of those responsible. Families of
the victims should receive full reparations.
2) Rape and sexual assault : The inquiry should identify the individuals,
including any
army soldiers, responsible for the rape and sexual assault of women during
the attacks,
and make recommendations for the prosecution of those involved. Survivors of
sexualattacks and rape shouls receive compensation and be provided with
adequate resources for their rehabiliation.
3) Burning and looting tribal houses : The inquiry should identify the
Bengali settlers
responsible for burning and looting tribal houses and make recommendations
for the
prosecution of those involved. Adequate resources should be provided for
rebuilding
tribal homes and rehabiliation of those who have lost property and
belongings.
4)Access and redress : The inquiry should establish the identity of the
police officers who refused to file complaints from the tribal people
following the attacks, and make
recommendations for disciplinary action and criminal charges to be brought
against
those involved.
I urge the Government of Bangladesh to ensure the safety and security of the
tribal people in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and to act immediately to
prevent future attacks.
I call on the Government to ensure that the law enforcement personnel are
fully trained in upholding internationally recognized human rights
standards, and that any security personnel involved in violations of human
rights are brought to justice without delay in accordance with international
standards for a fair trial.
Yours sincerely,
Cc:Begum Khaleda Zia
Office of the Prime Minister
Gona Bhaban
Old Sangsad Bhaban
Tejgaon
Dhaka
BANGLADESH
Cc:Md. Lutfuzzamann Babar
Ministry of Home Affairs
Bangladesh Secretariat
Building 4
Dhaka
BANGLADESH
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