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Islamic Human Rights Commission
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11 December 2009
Action Alert: Bangladesh– Mohiuddin Ahmed, official spokesperson of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Bangladesh and his family members are under house arrest.
Contents
1. Summary
2. Background
3. Action required
4. Sample letter
1. Summary
On 23 October 2009 Mohiuddin Ahmed who is the official spokesperson of Hizb ut-Tahrir (HT) in Bangladesh and his family members have been put under house arrest for attempting to give interviews to the media in relation to the banning of HT, a day earlier by the Bangladesh government. Islamic Human Rights Commission is concerned about the fate of Mohiuddin Ahmed and his family.
2. Background
Mohiuddin Ahmed is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Business Administration based in Dhaka. Mohiuddin Ahmed was put under house arrest along with his wife and two children on 23 October 2009 for attempting to give interviews to the media in relation to the banning of HT a day earlier by the Bangladesh government. He is the Official Spokesperson of the party in the country.
In Bangladesh, the party has been very vocal against corruption, political violence, oppression on women, economic exploitation, and foreign interference in internal political and economic affairs of the country etc.
HT strictly adheres to what it terms intellectual-political struggle to achieve its aims and shuns violence which it believes contradicts Islamic teachings.
According to a news report by the BBC on 23 October 2009, the day after the ban on HT was announced by the Bangladesh government, “It is the first time that an Islamist group which has not been implicated in any terrorist acts been outlawed.”
Initially there were three other members of the party who were detained along with Mr Mohiuddin in his residence. Although the others have since been released, Mr Mohiuddin is still under house arrest. His wife and two children are also living in detention; his oldest child is a 5 year old boy and the younger one is a 1 and half year old baby girl. There are strict restrictions on visitors including family members.
3. Action required
Write to the following authorities requesting them to urge the Bangladesh government to release Mohiuddin Ahmed and his family immediately from house arrest.
a) Minister of foreign affairs in your country. UK campaigners will find the appropriate address, fax and email on the sample letter below.
b) Bangladesh ambassador in your country. UK campaigners will find the appropriate address, fax and email on the sample letter below.
c) Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations.
4. Sample letter
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A sample letter is given below for your convenience. Please note that model letters can be sent directly or adjusted as necessary to include further details. If you receive a reply to the letter you send, we request you to send a copy of the letter you sent and the reply you received to IHRC. This is very important as it helps IHRC to monitor the situation with regards to our campaigns and to improve upon the current model letters. It is preferable that letters be sent via post, or otherwise by fax and/or email.
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a) Minister of foreign affairs in your country. (UK campaigners can write using the address supplied below, fax: +44 (0)20 7839 2417 or email: private.office@fco.gov.uk)
[Your name]
[Your address]
[Date]
Rt. Hon. David Miliband MP
Foreign & Commonwealth Office
King Charles Street
London, SW1A 2AH, UK
Dear Mr Miliband,
Re: Mohiuddin Ahmed and his family members are under house arrest in Bangladesh.
I am deeply concerned over the recent house arrest of Mohiuddin Ahmed and his family members.
On 23 October 2009 Mohiuddin Ahmed who is the official spokesperson of Hizb ut-Tahrir (HT) in Bangladesh and his family members have been put under house arrest for attempting to give interviews to the media in relation to the banning of HT a day earlier by the Bangladesh government. Mohiuddin Ahmed is a respectable academic who is currently working as an Associate Professor at the Institute of Business Administration in Dhaka. His wife and two children are also living in detention; his oldest child is a 5 year old boy and the younger one is a 1 and half year old baby girl. There are strict restrictions on visitors including family members.
As you are likely aware, Bangladesh has a long history of suppression against political opposition and critiques government policies. Considering HT’s stand against corruption, political violence, oppression on women, economic exploitation, and foreign interference in internal political and economic affairs of the country in Bangladesh, it is very likely that the government crackdown against HT and house arrest of its official spokesperson is politically motivated.
HT strictly adheres to what it terms intellectual-political struggle to achieve its aims and shuns violence which it believes contradicts Islamic teachings.
According to a news report by the BBC on 23 October 2009, the day after the ban on HT was announced by the Bangladesh government, “It is the first time that an Islamist group which has not been implicated in any terrorist acts been outlawed.”
Please call on your Bangladeshi counterparts to release Mohiuddin Ahmed and his family immediately from house arrest.
I look forward to hearing back from regarding these urgent matters.
Yours sincerely,
[Your signature]
[Your name]
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b) Bangladeshi ambassadors in your countries. (UK campaigners can write using the address supplied below Fax: 020 7581 7477, Email: attache@bhclondon.org.uk)
[Your name]
[Your address]
[Date]
His Excellency Ambassador Dr. M. Sayeedur Rahman Khan
8 Queen’s Gate
London, SW7 5JA
Your Excellency Dr. M. Sayeedur Rahman Khan,
Re: Mohiuddin Ahmed and his family members are under house arrest in Bangladesh.
I am deeply concerned over the recent house arrest of Mohiuddin Ahmed and his family members.
On 23 October 2009 Mohiuddin Ahmed who is official spokesperson of Hizb ut-Tahrir (HT) in Bangladesh and his family members have been put under house arrest for attempting to give interviews to the media in relation to the banning of HT a day earlier by the Bangladesh government. Mohiuddin Ahmed is a respectable academic who is currently working as an Associate Professor at the Institute of Business Administration in Dhaka. His wife and two children are also living in detention; his oldest child is a 5 year old boy and the younger one is a 1 and half year old baby girl. There are strict restrictions on visitors including family members.
As you are likely aware, HT strictly adheres to what it terms intellectual-political struggle to achieve its aims and shuns violence which it believes contradicts with Islamic teachings.
According to a news report by the BBC on 23 October 2009, the day after the ban on HT was announced by the Bangladesh government, “It is the first time that an Islamist group which has not been implicated in any terrorist acts been outlawed.”
Therefore, I believe that there is no need to outlaw a peaceful organization and place its spokesperson under house arrest.
I urge you to raise this matter up with your government as this case will affect the international image of Bangladesh in the world in terms of its commitments to International law and human rights.
I look forward to hearing back from regarding these urgent matters.
Yours sincerely,
[Your signature]
[Your name]
c) Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations. The appropriate address have been provided in the relevant sample letter below (Fax: (0)20 7839 9081, Email: secretary-general@commonwealth.int)
[Your name]
[Your address]
[Date]
Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma
Commonwealth Secretariat
Marlborough House, Pall Mall
London, SW1Y 5HX, UK
Dear Mr Sharma,
Re: Mohiuddin Ahmed and his family members are under house arrest in Bangladesh.
I am deeply concerned over the recent house arrest of Mohiuddin Ahmed and his family members.
On 23 October 2009 Mohiuddin Ahmed who is official spokesperson of Hizb ut-Tahrir (HT) in Bangladesh and his family members have been put under house arrest for attempting to give interviews to the media in relation to the banning of HT a day earlier by the Bangladesh government. Mohiuddin Ahmed is a respectable academic who is currently working as an Associate Professor at the Institute of Business Administration in Dhaka. His wife and two children are also living in detention; his oldest child is a 5 year old boy and the younger one is a 1 and half year old baby girl. There are strict restrictions on visitors including family members.
As you are likely aware, Bangladesh has a long history of suppression against political opposition and critiques of the government policies. Considering HT unyielding stand against corruption, political violence, oppression on women, economic exploitation, and foreign interference in internal political and economic affairs of the country in Bangladesh it is very likely that the government crackdown against HT and house arrest of its official spokes person is politically motivated.
HT strictly adheres to what it terms intellectual-political struggle to achieve its aims and shuns violence which it believes contradicts with Islamic teachings.
According to a news report by the BBC on 23 October 2009, the day after the ban on HT was announced by the Bangladesh government, “It is the first time that an Islamist group which has not been implicated in any terrorist acts been outlawed.”
Please call on your Bangladeshi government to release Mohiuddin Ahmed and his family immediately from house arrest.
I look forward to hearing back from regarding these urgent matters.
Yours sincerely,
[Your signature]
[Your name]
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Holy Qur’an: Chapter 4, Verse 75
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