shesh korechi!

Today I finished my 3 months of language training! yippee! It feels really good! I'm a bit nervous to go to a more rural place and really have to use Bangla all the time, but I can at least manage the basics, and with time should be able to understand more. I have a number of HIV materials to learn some more technical language, a bible to learn more spiritual language, and Sisimpur, the Bengali version of Sesame Street to learn all those essentials I learned as a kid ("who are the people in your neighborhood..."!) But here's my favourite little paragraph to say when I'm feeling a need to let off steam....bear in mind, although it may sound like words that would result in a good mouth with soap washing out in America, it is completely benign here!

Rastar Facka, khub shit, onek karap. (roads are empty, very cold, really bad)

I am supposed to move to my site on Tuesday but the roads may be closed again so who knows when I'll actually leave. However, I have lots to do here meeting with HIV organizations, gathering materials, and orienting myself to work being done in Bangladesh.

I think this is maybe describes how people here are feeling about the current political situation here. Subject: FW: Mrs. Khaleda Zia, President Iaz Uddin and Mrs. Sheik Hasina


Mrs. Khaleda Zia, President Iaz Uddin and Mrs. Sheik Hasina are flying on
an airplane to find a solution of the existing political crisis. Why in an
airplane?

They wanted to avoid the over enthusiastic media including Munni Shaha and
Talat Mahmud.

Mrs. Khaleda Zia looks at Sheik Hasina and says, "You know, I could throw
a 500 taka note out the window right now and make one person very happy."

Mrs Sheik Hasina shrugs her shoulders and says, "Well, I could throw ten
100 taka notes out the window and make 10 people very happy." President
Iaz Uddin says, "Of course then, I could throw five-hundred 1 taka notes
out the window and make five-hundred people very happy."

At this point, the pilot of the aircraft looks at all of them and says, "I
could throw all of you out the window and make the whole country happy."

Update

Just be aware...I did not take the photos in the preceding entry, nor was I present, nor did I see anything untoward. Yesterday I had a meeting across town, in the rich part of town where all the foreigners live. I took a rickshaw, giving a couple cyclists a bit of a workout, but they seemed happy for a big fare. I did mess up coming back and ended up walking right through a demonstration, but it was peaceful and there were no problems. Overall though, it was easier to travel since for the most part, vehicles have been taken off the road. Ambulances are used to transport people when necessary ie: to pick people up from the airport.

Yes, I said next time. The blockade has been lifted as of this morning and will remain so until Monday. The 14 party coalition is still demanding that the election commission be revamped. They are giving the interim government until Sunday to make do so at which point it will be resumed. At least it will give an opportunity for some things to move through the ports and for supplies to get through to Dhaka. I know fresh foods were becoming a bit scarce.

Local Newspaper views of current situation

Mayhem at peaceful Karwan Bazar
Police truck runs over 14-party men, killing 1 on second day of blockade; rail line uprooted in Mymensingh, train derails injuring 50; sporadic clashes elsewhere
Star Report

An Awami League (AL) activist was killed and 50 others were injured, including one critically, when a police van drove through a group of 14-party coalition activists at Karwan Bazar in the capital on the second day of the countrywide programme of an indefinite blockade by the coalition yesterday.

The activists reigned over the streets across the country to enforce the blockade yesterday to press home their 11-point charter of demands.


The killing, reminiscent of a similar killing of two Dhaka University students at Fulbaria in February 1983, happened a few minutes after police had doused the demonstrators mercilessly with hot water using a water cannon, and beat them up while they were holding a rally peacefully blocking the street at Saarc Fountain intersection.


Police fired teargas shells and also allegedly fired live ammunition as the demonstrators clashed with the law enforcers there, turning the important business hub of the city into a battlefield.


In another clash between demonstrators and police at Tarabo in Narayanganj, police fired teargas shells to disperse a mob, which vandalised vehicles on Kanchpur-Narsingdi road, leaving 20 people injured.


AL-led 14-party activists disrupted road and rail communications by stopping buses and trains and by uprooting railway sleepers at different train stations across the country. At least 50 people were injured when a passenger train was derailed due to uprooting of 126 feet of railway tracks in Gafargaon upazila of Mymensingh.


No other major incident of violence occurred in the rest of the capital, and similar reports came from elsewhere in the country while normal life and business activities remained disrupted.


Activities at all courts across the country including the Supreme Court also remained suspended for the second consecutive day yesterday.


Business at Chittagong and Mongla ports and all land ports also remained virtually suspended for the second consecutive day.


Delivery of goods, and container handling inside Chittagong port remained suspended causing 54 vessels, including 23 carrying containers, to sit idle at different jetties and at the outer anchorage of the port.


THE CAPITAL
Residents of the capital woke up to find the entire city blockaded and its streets free of everyday traffic jam yesterday as 14-party activists took to the streets to enforce the blockade.


Blocking the city streets at different points, the activists were singing patriotic songs at intervals of speeches by their leaders to keep the tempo up standing on makeshift podiums.


As the blockade was going ahead peacefully in the capital, unlike other traditional violent political demonstrations, suddenly Karwan Bazar erupted into violence around 11:30am.


Led by AL leader HBM Iqbal, 14-party activists were holding a rally at Saarc Fountain intersection blocking the busy street. The leaders were delivering speeches from a truck used as a makeshift stage.


All of a sudden, a police truck fitted with a water cannon started jetting hot water from the direction of Panthapath on the activists who were singing songs at intervals of the speeches without provoking any violence.


Members of police and Armed Police Battalion started to club the demonstrators mercilessly prompting the demonstrators to retaliate with brickbats.


Dispersed, the demonstrators attacked the law enforcers while police fired teargas shells and rubber bullets to scare the demonstrators away.


As the whole area turned into a battlefield, a police truck from the direction of Farmgate drove through the activists at Saarc Fountain and sped away towards Bangla Motor critically injuring two blockade supporters, one of whom was identified as Waziullah, 40, AL publicity secretary of unit 2 of the party under ward no 37.


Enraged by the incident, the demonstrators set fire to a police van in front of TK Bhaban there.


As the situation gradually calmed down, police took the injured two to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where doctors declared Waziullah dead.


AL leader HBM Iqbal was taken to Samorita Hospital with injuries.


Leaders of 14-party coalition alleged that police deliberately drove the van through the crowd to create a situation for army deployment.


"It was a totally peaceful rally until police doused us with water, clubbed us and fired teargas canisters at us," said Delwar Hossain, a folk singer who was singing songs on the podium. Several others echoed Delwar.


Talking to The Daily Star yesterday evening, Deputy Commissioner (Tejgaon) Kohinoor Mian admitted to ordering the police to turn water cannon on the demonstrators. "I gave the order to disperse the demonstrators for clearing the busy street after the demonstrators had refused to free the street despite repeated requests," he said.

Meanwhile, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) authorities formed a three-member committee headed by Deputy Commissioner (Motor and Transport) Faruq Ahmed to investigate yesterday's violence at Karwan Bazar and the incident of driving a police van through the crowd.


"Punitive measures will be taken against those responsible for the incident as per the recommendations of the inquiry committee," said a news release issued from the public relations section of the Detective Branch of police.


The release claimed that the two demonstrators were injured when a police truck unintentionally hit them while it was being driven to a safer place towards Bangla Motor from Farmgate area after being attacked during chase and counter chase between police and 'illegal public'.

A case was lodged with Tejgaon police station in this connection, the release added.

In Mirpur, law enforcers and demonstrators locked in a clash at Mirpur-10 roundabout when police charged batons and chased some demonstrators who were vandalising an auto-rickshaw there at 11:00am. The demonstrators threw stones at the law enforcers.


Normalcy was restored in a few minutes after intervention by 14-party leaders and top police officials.


Demonstrators broke windshields of some auto-rickshaws also on Dhaka-Chittagong highway.


In Savar, hundreds of activists gathered at different points. They vandalised 15 vehicles at Savar Bazar bus stop.


COUNTRY
In Narayanganj, at least 20 people were injured when 14-party activists clashed with police on Dhaka-Sylhet highway at Tarabo point under Rupganj upazila around 11:00am.


As police obstructed an AL procession at Tarabo, the pickets threw brickbats, breaking the windshield of the vehicle of Police Superintendent Shahabuddin Khan.


Police clubbed the pickets, lobbed 20 teargas canisters and sprayed 70 rubber bullets, leaving 20 people injured.


In Mymensingh, at least 50 passengers were injured when three compartments along with the engine of Seven-up, a Bahadurabad Ghat bound passenger train from Dhaka, derailed and fell into a roadside ditch at Golabari village between Mashakhali and Kawridh railway stations at 2:15am yesterday.


The train derailed as 126 feet of railway tracks had been uprooted at Golabari, railway sources said.


Fifteen of the injured were rushed to Gafargaon Upazila Health Complex for treatment.


Rescue trains from Dhaka and Mymensingh reached the spot at 8:00am and reinstalled the damaged railway tracks and train compartments at 1:30pm.


In Netrakona, 11 people were injured in two incidents. At Gotora on NetrokonaKalmakanda road, pickets threw stones leaving five injured while six people were wounded as a passenger bus was torched at Razur Bazar.


In Brahmanbaria, pickets threw stones at the Bhoirab bound Balla local train at Poyertala outer signal of Brahmanbaria Railway Station. At about 10:00am, they stopped Dhaka bound Mahanagar Express. Later, all the services were cancelled.


Meanwhile, Akhaura land port remained paralysed.


In Rajshahi, demonstrators stopped Titumir and Modhumoti intercity trains at Arani of Bagha upazila. Goods-laden trucks remained stranded at Sona Mosque land port.


In Sylhet, activists forced Dhaka bound Joyontika Express train to a halt at Longla Station of Kulaura upazila. They vandalised the train until police brought the situation under control.


In Khagrachhari, pickets vandalised a vehicle of a pharmaceutical company at Alutila and beat up the staff. They also vandalised a truck at Bhaibonchhara and later set fire to an effigy of the chief election commissioner.


The blockade programme was observed peacefully in other parts of the country, report our correspondents.


Two bodies lie motionless at the Sonargaon intersection in the capital after a police truck ploughed through 14-party activists yesterday. Awami League activist Waziullah, lying furthest away in the photo, later succumbed to his injuries at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. PHOTO: STAR

And more mayhem

Don't worry mom....it's not my photo! I've only observed peaceful demonstrations...from a safe distance!

Last time Dhaka was under siege I was stranded about 6 hours from home. This time I'm at least home. Since Sunday movement in Bangladesh has come to almost a complete stop, most of the business are closed, imports and exports have come to a standstill.

Bangladesh has a caretaker government for the 3 months preceding the election. This government is supposed to be neutral as is the election commisions. A large party alliance is protesting the current election commissioner and demanding that he step down. He is not doing so. As a result, Dhaka has completely been barricaded, the ports have been stopped, transport has been almost stopped with only the rickshaws allowed to pass through unhindered. Vehicles risk being stoned or set on fire. Our office has remained open, and I walk to the office every day anyway, so it hasn't been too much of a hindrance although I've had to cancel some meetings which is disppointing. I live quite near the opposition leader, so am near the hub of some of the activity, although I haven't observed anything that was not peaceful.

Here's the BBC explanation:

Election protests grip Bangladesh
Thousands of opposition activists are protesting in Bangladesh on the second day of a nationwide blockade to demand electoral reform.
Transport in and around Dhaka has been severely disrupted. One person died when a police van ran into protesters.

The opposition Awami League and its allies called the protest in an attempt to force the administration to sack election officials they accuse of bias.

An interim government is in power ahead of general elections due in January.

On Sunday, all major towns and cities were affected by the blockade, as well as the country's main sea port, Chittagong.

Protesters blocked railway lines and set fire to a train and a bus on the outskirts of Dhaka.

Elsewhere in the city, vehicles which tried to defy the blockade were reportedly set on fire or stoned.

Apart from protesters gathering for rallies, the streets were largely deserted, with many businesses and shops closed, witnesses said.

Disaster warning

Dhaka's police force said on Saturday it had banned "processions, rallies, demonstrations, sieges, sit-ins and blockades", as well as the carrying of potential weapons, the Associated Press news agency reports.


The country's interim government has issued a statement warning of serious consequences if the transport blockade continued.
The action was "anti-constitutional and illegal" and in cutting off the supply of food and medical supplies risked creating a humanitarian disaster, it said.

Business leaders have also urged an end to the blockade, warning it could cost the country millions of dollars a day in lost export earnings.

The 14-party alliance led by the Awami League ordered the protests after Bangladesh's chief electoral commissioner and three deputies refused to resign.

The alliance accuses the officials of planning to rig January's elections in favour of the outgoing government of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. The commissioners deny the allegations.

More than 20 people were killed in clashes between rival political camps when Ms Zia's term expired in October.

The country's figurehead president, Iajuddin Ahmed, assumed control of the government after the political parties failed to agree on who should lead the caretaker administration to oversee the vote.