Endangered Scholars Worldwide

Endangered Scholars Worldwide BANGLADESH ON AUGUST 2 4 , 2 0 0 7 , 12 PROFESSORS FROM DHAKA AND RAJ SHAH I University were arrested, along with several students. The arrests were made after Bangladesh’s government imposed a curfew to quell student unrest, which had begun when a group of soldiers had beaten some students from the University of Dhaka during a football match. In the ensuing violent clashes, which left more than 300 people injured and at least 1 dead, students demanded an end to the emergency rule in place since January 2007 and the restoration of democracy. At least one of the arrested professors, Dr. Anwar Hossein, head of the Dhaka University Teacher’s Association, had reportedly tried to intervene to calm the situation, but the arrested professors were charged with instigating the violence. According to Dr. Hossein’s son Sanjeeb, his father and Dr. Harunor-Rashid have undergone torture while in prison. On December 4, four of the Rajshahi professors were sentenced to two years’imprisonment on the reduced charge of having breached emergency laws by participating in a silent procession against police brutality on August 21. This sentence was overturned, however, on December 10 when President Iajuddin Ahmed pardoned them following a series of protests by teachers and students. The following four Dhaka University professors and two other Rajshahi professors are still awaiting trial at the time this issue was going to press: p r o f e s s o r a n w a r h o s s a i n , Dean, Department of Biochemistry and Mol cular Biology, Dhaka University Inform ation current, to the best o f our knowledge, as o f December 10, 2007. Endangered Scholars Worldwide vii p r o f e s s o r h a r u n o r -r a s h i d , Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science, Dhaka University p r o f e s s o r s a d r u l a m i n , Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Department of English, Dhaka University p r o f e s s o r n e e m c h a n d r a b h o u m i k , Department ofApplied Physics, Dhaka University p r o f e s s o r s a b b i r s a t t a r t a p u , Department of Geology and Mining, Rajshahi University p r o f e s s o r c h o w d h u r y s a r w a r j a h a n s a ja l , Department of Geology and Mining, Rajshahi University Send individual letters of appeal to: Dr. Fakruddin Ahmed, C hief Adviser Governm ent o f the People’s Republic o f Bangladesh Tejgaon, Dhaka, Bangladesh Fax: 880-2-811-3244 or 3243 His Excellency M. H um ayun Kabir Am bassador o f the People’s Republic o f Bangladesh Embassy o f Bangladesh 3510 International Drive, N.W. W ashington, D.C. 20008 Fax: (202) 244-7830 or 2771 General M oeen U Ahmed, C hief o f Staff Bangladesh Army Dhaka C antonm ent Dhaka, Bangladesh CHINA h u s h i g e n , a Lecturer at Beijing Language Institute and founding member of the China Freedom and Democracy Party (CFDP), was arrested on September 27, 1992 as part of a large group of prisoners of conscience, jointly indicted on “counter-revolutionary” charges after the CFDP helped to organize memorials for the victims of the government’s violent suppression of the Democracy Movement in June viii social research 1989. After numerous delays and questionable judicial proceedings, the group’s trial started in July 1994 and the verdict was announced in December 1994. Hu received a sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment (which was reduced in 2005 and again in 2007, so that he is now due for release May 26, 2010). There are reports that he has been tortured and is suffering from severe neurasthenia and chronic migraines, as well as liver, heart, stomach, and ear problems. Several vertebrae in his...