Day: August 21, 2023

Rights activists and opposition political leaders in Bangladesh have expressed concerns over the country’s draft Cyber Security Act, saying it is as repressive as the existing controversial Digital Security Act that it is set to replace.

The activists, along with journalists and opposition parties, have long demanded the scrapping of the DSA — widely criticized as a law to harass people and silence dissent.

Law minister Anisul Huq said on August 7 that the government would replace the DSA with the CSA in the “better interest” of the people.

“We have not scrapped the DSA but are amending it. Many of the clauses of this act, which were not bailable before [in the DSA] will be bailable now [in the CSA]. To stop the misuse and abuse of the DSA, we have changed its name. By evaluating the amended legislation correctly now, we have named it the Cyber Security Act,” Huq said.

Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman, liaison officer of the Hong Kong-based rights group Asian Legal Resource Center, told VOA the government of Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has disregarded the independent human rights experts of the United Nations by keeping some provisions of the DSA in the new measure.

“While renaming the DSA, by keeping its repressive provisions largely unchanged and deciding to carry on the existing cases against the dissidents, the regime clearly aims to continue muzzling free expression and intensify arbitrary incarceration of citizens in the run-up to the general elections,” Ashrafuzzaman said.

Enacted under Sheikh Hasina

The DSA, enacted in 2018, has long been called a “black act” by critics for its alleged misuse against dissenters and freedom of expression.

Last year, Human Rights Watch reported that the Bangladeshi government used the DSA “to harass and indefinitely detain” people critical of the government, “resulting in a chilling effect on the expression of dissent.”

In March, Volker Türk, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, called for the immediate suspension of the DSA, noting that it was being used “to arrest, harass and intimidate journalists and human rights defenders, and to muzzle critical voices online.”

‘CSA a photocopy of DSA’

During the runup to the general elections in 2018, the government cracked down heavily on opposition activists, arresting many of them on charges of resorting to violence and indulging in subversive activities.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the largest opposition party in the country, said its leaders and activists faced trumped up charges to keep them away from the elections.

The elections were marred that year by allegations of vote rigging by the ruling Awami League party, a charge the party president, Hasina, repeatedly denied.

According to the information provided by the BNP, in the past five years, more than 30,000 cases were filed under the DSA, resulting in at least 17,150 arrests.

The BNP’s information and technology affairs secretary said at least 11,285 of those arrested under the DSA were from the BNP and other opposition parties and 368 were journalists. AKM Wahiduzzaman also told VOA that the law has been largely used to keep opposition leaders, activists and journalists from criticizing what he termed the government’s malpractices and anti-people activities.

“The CSA is nothing but a photocopy of the DSA. Under the CSA too, the police will have a free hand to arrest anyone they want, without any warrant,” Wahiduzzaman said.

The Ministry of Law and Justice has not responded to a VOA email requesting comment on the issue.

Source: Voice of America

Myanmar’s junta is threatening legal action against anyone found to be in possession of foreign currency without authorization in what observers said was a bid to kneecap black market exchangers after the kyat has tumbled to one-third of its value against the U.S. dollar since the coup.

On Aug. 18, US$1 spiked to 3,900 kyats, the highest in history and up 300% from 1,300 in January 2021, a month before the military seized power.

The Central Bank responded Monday with an announcement in pro-junta media that those in possession of foreign currencies without permission will face charges under the Foreign Currency Management Law.

The threat will do little to rein in the illegal currency exchange market, said an authorized foreign currency exchange business owner, who declined to be named citing security concerns.

"Based on this announcement, it looks like they are going to [try to] enforce their set exchange rate of 2,920 or even 2,100 in any way possible,” he told RFA Burmese. “But no one is going to sell their foreign currencies ... If they have bought at a price of 3,000, they will never sell at 2,000, as they have invested millions of kyats."

Under the Foreign Exchange Management Law, domestic residents are allowed to keep a maximum of US$10,000 or its equivalent in foreign currency for as long as six months from the date of receipt. After six months, the holder must sell the currencies to authorized exchangers or deposit it in a bank.

The law also states that exchanging and selling foreign currency without a business license is punishable by up to three years in prison, a fine, and the confiscation of related assets.

A domestic banking expert, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said the only way the junta can control the rising dollar in Myanmar is to “regularly meet the demand for U.S. dollars and adjust the exchange rate according to external market conditions.”

“The U.S. dollar exchange rate is going to rise as its demand is much higher than its supply,” he said. “There is no way to stop it. You can't stop it by issuing orders, nor by threats of arrest.”

He noted that authorities have recently been buying U.S. dollars from people’s foreign currency accounts at the Central Bank’s exchange rate.

On Saturday, junta Chairman of the Central Bank Than Than Swe told a meeting between Central Bank officials and local business owners in the capital Naypyidaw that “action will be taken” against illegal money exchangers and “those who write on the internet to inflate the value of the U.S. dollar.”

U.S. dollar ‘only safe asset’

An economist monitoring gold and currency markets in Yangon told RFA that the Central Bank is using a “scare tactic” to control the value of the kyat, and warned that even if it works, it would only result in a “short-term solution.”

“The real problem is the financial crisis,” he said, referring to junta mismanagement that has sent the economy into a nosedive. “Those who have money buy US dollars, which they consider [one of the only] safe assets … It’s impossible to try to change the situation by issuing orders.”

Attempts by RFA to contact the Central Bank's Foreign Exchange Management Department by telephone rang unanswered on Monday.

The junta’s store of U.S. dollars has been hit by U.S. Treasury Department sanctions, as well as a decision by Bangladesh's Sonali Bank last week to freeze the accounts of two junta-controlled banks with more than US$1.1 million after the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka sent a letter to the government requesting that Bangladesh comply with such sanctions

The U.S. Treasury said the two banks – Myanma Foreign Trade Bank and Myanma Investment and Commercial Bank – “facilitate much of the foreign currency exchange within Burma and enable transactions between the military regime and foreign markets, including for the purchase and import of arms and related material.”

Junta Chairman Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing accused “some countries” of “using the dollar as a weapon” during remarks he made on Aug. 15 at the 11th International Security Conference in Russia.

The junta’s Central Bank revoked 43 foreign currency exchange licenses this year on the pretext that they did not comply with the Foreign Exchange Management Law.

Source: Radio Free Asia

Dhorpatan (Baglung), Aug 21: The Jomsom-Korala road has been obstructed by a local flooded river. The road under the national pride Kaligandaki corridor has been disrupted at Tanbe of Barangung Mukti Rural Municipality in Mustang district, said Chief District Officer Anup KC.

As a result, traffics operating between Jomsom-Korala and Upper Mustang-Jomsom-Pokhara-Kathmandu have come to a halt, he said. Particularly, domestic and foreign tourists returning to Upper Mustang have been affected the most by the road obstruction, said local people. Efforts are on to clear and restore the road by this evening, said KC.

Source: National News Agency-Nepal

Kathmandu, Aug 21: The Parliamentary Hearing Committee has endorsed the recommendation of Constitutional Council to appoint Bishwambhar Prasad Shrestha the new Chief Justice (CJ).

A meeting of the Committee held at the Singha Durbar today approved his nomination as the chief judge of the Supreme Court. The meeting was held under the chair of Committee senior-most member (by age) Pashupati Shumsher JB Rana.

During the meeting, Shrestha presented his an 18-page action plan. Prior to this, the Committee addressed complains it received against the proposed Chief Justice.

As per the constitutional provision, the recommendation for the appointment of Chief Justice shall be made by the Constitutional Council and it requires to be endorsed by the Parliamentary Hearing Committee before the President makes appointment on the post.

Shrestha has been taking charge of the acting Chief Justice since August 5 after erstwhile Chief Justice Hari Krishna Karki was retired due to age-limit.

The Constitutional Council had on August 3 nominated Shrestha, 63, who is the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, as the Chief Justice. The Committee on August 9 had sought complaints, if any, against the proposed Chief Justice, and it has received three complaints. The complaint was required to be in decent language and supported by evidences. ---

Source: National News Agency-Nepal

Kathmandu, Aug 21: The second edition of Kathmandu Kalinga Literary Festival (KLF) will be held on September 1 through 3, 2023 in Kathmandu.

Central theme of the festival is 'Shakti, Bhakti, Civilizational connection: Nepal As centre of Global Thought'.

Yashaswi Prangya Pratisthan, Himalayan Diary Pvt Ltd from Nepal and Kalinga Literary Festival from India join hands for Kathmandu KLF Edition to celebrate the spirit of Lord Shiva and Gautama Buddha in the context of Nepal-India literary ties.

According to the organizers, the festival will focus on the glorious traditions of Nepal and India. Kalinga Literary Festival Kathmandu will showcase literature, music, dance, poetry and other art forms. It will be a lifetime experience for the lovers of Music, Dance, art, poetry and literature.

More than 300 authors and litterateurs from Nepal, India, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka among several countries will participate in the Festival that will see presentations and discussions on South Asian art, literature, music, cinema, dance, poetry, journalism, tourism, politics, among the contemporary topics.

Source: National News Agency-Nepal

Patan (Lalitpur), Aug 21: Nepali Congress (NC) President and former Prime Minister, Sher Bahadur Deuba, has termed Pradeep Giri as the second most intellectual socialist analyst after the party's founding leader BP Koirala.

In his address to a programme organised in commemoration of the first death anniversary of Giri at the NC central office, Sanepa, today, the NC President said,"He (Giri) is the second most prominent intellectual and socialist thinker after the late BP. I personally assess him as a tireless person."

He was a voracious reader and a writer with wits, Deuba said of Giri, promising to support from the party level to publish his works if they are released posthumously.

Also speaking on the occasion, NC general secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa said Giri was among those intellectuals who possessed a profound consciousness of history. "He always encouraged us to keep oneself updated about history to anlayse the social, political and economic dimensions of the given society and find out ways for addressing current challenges."

Thapa remembered the late leader as an eloquent speaker endowed with wit.

NC joint general secretary Mahalaxmi Upadhya 'Dina' said Giri was in politics for change and not for holding the post.

Bharati Silwal Giri, the spouse of the late Giri, said with the passing of the leader, she felt his absence in the democratic socialist movement. He was always eager to see positive transformation in the NC, sometimes voicing his reservations to the party policies and actions, she added.

Source: National News Agency-Nepal

The national booters started their first training session today (Monday) at the Bashundhara Kings Arena under the supervision of team's head coach Javier Cabrera for the upcoming FIFA Friendly matches against Afghanistan.

The two matches will be held at the Bashundhara Kings Arena on September 4 and 7.

Speaking to the pressmen during the training session, striker Sumon Reza said some players of the preliminary selected squad missed the first day's training session because they are engaged with other tournaments for Abahani Limited and Bashundhara Kings.

However, we are enjoying the training session because after a long time we all have got together in the camp. On the first day our coach emphasized to increase the fitness level of the players, he added.

Team's manager Amer Khan, who was also present on the first day's training, said all sportsmen want a good venue for play and Bashundhara Kings Arena is the best at the moment.... we are happy for getting this venue for Afghanistan matches and we all are aiming to make a favorable start against Afghanistan.

Bangladesh Football Federation's vice president Imrul Hasan also came to watch the first day's training session.

Afghanistan team will arrive in Dhaka on August 26 and the visitors will attend training session at the same venue.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

State Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid today said that political wisdom and foresightedness of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman are the foundation of Bangladesh's development.

"The purchase of five gas fields from a British company with a nominal price of 4.5 million pounds sterling (Taka 17.86 crore) was the outcome of Bangabandhu's foresightedness," he told a discussion as the chief guest at Bidyut Bhaban here.

Former Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor spoke as the main discussant at the discussion organized marking the 48th martyrdom anniversary of Bangabandhu and the National Mourning Day with Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) Chairman Engineer Md Mahbubur Rahman in the chair, said a press release.

Nasrul said gas worth of Taka 621,000 crores has already been sold out from the five gas fields while gas worth of Taka 317,000 crores still remains reserved there.

Sending officials and students abroad for training was another landmark decision of Bangabandhu for the human resource development, he said, adding that Bangabandhu's contribution to economic, social and administrative sectors in just three and a half years is rare in the world history.

"But a vested quarter halted the country's development and progress by killing him (Bangabandhu)," the state minister said.

AL Science and Technology Affairs Secretary and IEB President Engineer Md Abdus Sabur, Bangabandhu Prokoushol Parishad central committee General Secretary Engineer Md Nuruzzaman and Bangabandhu Prokoushol Parishad BPDB unit General Secretary Engineer ANM Tarique Abdullah spoke at the event, among others.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Senior Journalist leaders under the banner of "Muktijouddher Chetanar Sangbadik Forum (Journalists Forum being imbued with the spirit of Liberation War)" in a meeting today called upon the pro-Liberation forces and countrymen to forge unity against terrorists and murderers of the BNP-Jamaat clique ahead of the upcoming national polls.

Held at the Jatiya Press Club here, former and current leaders of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) and Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) and Jatiya Press Club (JPC) also reiterated their demand for the immediate execution of the 21 August grenade attack case verdict as they were holding a discussion marking the 21 August grenade attack.

They strongly condemned the grisly grenade attack on the day in 2004, saying that the then BNP-Jamaat government patronized the attack only to kill incumbent Prime Minister and AL President Sheikh Hasina but also to destroy the AL leaderships forever.

The meeting demanded immediate execution of the verdict against BNP leader Tarique Rahman, the then state minister for Home Affairs Lutfuzzaman Babor and others.

The journalist leaders held the top leadership of the BNP-Jamaat government, especially BNP leader Tarique Rahman, responsible for the heinous attack that left 24 people including senior AL leader Ivy Rahman killed and injured many others.

Forum president Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury presided over the meeting.

Senior journalist and former JPC president Shahfiqur Rahman, MP, Managing Director and Chief Editor of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) Abul Kalam Azad, BFUJ President Omar Faroque, former BFUJ presidents Manzurul Ahsan Bulbul and Molla Jalal, former JPC President Saiful Alam, former JPC general secretary Swapan Saha, former BFUJ secretary general Abdul Jalil Bhuiyan, Jatiya Press Club (JPC) president Farida Yasmin and General Secretary Shyamal Dutta, DUJ President Sohel Haider Chowdhury and General Secretary Akhter Hossain, former DUJ president Abu Jafor Surya and general secretary Sazzad Alam Topu also spoke at the meeting.

In the meeting, they stood in a solemn silence for a minute to pay respect to the victims who had embraced martyrdom in the deadly grenade attack.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha