Dear Honorable Readers,

Today is 10th December. The World Human Rights Day is being observed throughout the world today. We have sent the following petition to the honorable Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Begum Khaleda Zia today. People irrespective of their nationality, religious and political affiliation have signed the petition. We have kept the personal information of the signatories confidential and not showed them in the petition as par request of the signatories.

We would like to draw your attention on the recent reports of Amnesty International on the attacks on the Hindu community and the arrest of the journalist, Shahriar Kabir.

http://web.amnesty.org/ai.nsf/Index/ASA130062001?OpenDocument&of=COUNTRIES\BANGL\ADESH 

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mukto-mona/message/3600 

Our goal for this petition was to voice our protest on behalf of Mukto-mona (discussion forum) and FFF (Faith Freedom Foundation) against the ongoing crimes being committed against the weaker religious and ethnic section and women in Bangladesh and the recent imprisonment of Shahriar Kabir. We, sincerely, hope that the Government of Bangladesh will take appropriate action immediately.

Thanking you.

Avijit Roy, 
Lopa Tasneem 

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Her Excellency Khaleda Zia Prime Minister, People's Republic of Bangladesh Office of the Prime Minister Dhaka, Bangladesh

Monday, December 10, 2001. 

Via facsimile: 011-88-02-811-3244

Your Excellency:

We, the members of 'Mukto-mona' - a discussion forum having about three hundred members who encourage rationalism, humanism and free thinking over the Net and we, the members of Faith Freedom Foundation (FFF), a non political organization for promoting freedom of expression, thought, belief, scientific inquiry, artistic creativity, moral choice, freedom of conscience and religion, wish to express our deep concern at the recent spate of atrocities committed against weaker religious and ethnic section and women in Bangladesh. From the same perspective of the rights of and the safety of common civilians, we are also deeply disturbed by the recent imprisonment and prosecution of Shahriar Kabir, a valiant freedom fighter and well-known journalist, author and human rights activist.

We urge you and your government to acknowledge practically and to show appreciation of the human and civil rights of its religious and other weaker groups, including women. We call upon your government to provide protection for the lives and properties of all citizens irrespective of their religious beliefs, ethnic origin, and sex. The state must treat all citizens equally irrespective of their religious, cultural, linguistic and ethnic affiliation. Because we believe that concept of discrimination between so-called "Majority and "Minority" is deterrent to human progress on the planet, we therefore call upon the global community and all states of the world to do away with this concept of discrimination.

Mukto-mona and Faith Freedom Foundation consider the arrest of Mr. Shariar Kabir by the Special Branch in 'Gestapo style' at Zia International Airport (Dhaka), treatments he has received from the police, and his detention at Dhaka Central jail by the special power act, and charges of anti state activities- all constitute a gross violation of human rights and freedom of movement. Since the formal charges of sedition against Mr. Kabir formulated by the police appear to us politically motivated, we on this Human Rights Day, urge you, Honorable Prime Minister to drop all charges against him and release him immediately.

Yours truly,

Mr. Ibn Warraq (*) Dr. Ali Sina (*) Ms. Taslima Nasrin (*) Mr. Fatemolla (*) Prof. Ajoy K. Roy Dr. A.H. Jaffor Ullah Mr. Abul Kasem (*) Mr. Anwar Jamal (*) Mr. Syed Kamran Mirza (*) Mr. Hashan Chowdhury (*) Mr. Ray Jahed Akash (*) Mr. Shabbir Ahmed (*) Mr. Jamal Hasan (*) Mr. Eshon Waheed (*) Ms. Shabnam Nadiya (*) Mr. Mohammad Nawaz Khan (*) Mr. Habib Sarwar (*) Mr. Adnan Khalid (*) Ms. Susan Stephan (*) Dr. Audrey Manning (*) Dr. Kausik Sen (*) Mr. Avijit Roy (*) Mr. Sandip Dasverma (*) Mr. Manab Ghosh (*) Mr. Bishnu Dey (*) Mr. Sanal Edamaruku Mr. Amitananda Das Mr. A.D.H. Kiran Mr. Alan Levin Mr. Ajab Ali Mr. Alamgir Hussain Mr. Aman Uddowla Mr. Aman Ullah Mr. Amil Tabatabai Mr. Amir Hussain Mr. Anwarul Azim Mr. Satya Shandhani (*) Mr. Anwar Iqbal Mr. Asif Saleh Mr. S. M. Aslam Mr. A. Hoque Ms. Bayyina Abdullah Mr. Santanu Nandy Mr. Belal Beg Mr. Nalinaksha Bhattacharyya Mr. Bijoy Bhushon Mondol Ms. Kabita Rani Saha Mr. Biswarup Dasgupta Mr. Samuel Sarcar Mr. Bakhtiar Qayyum Mr. Butcher Mr. Chandra Mohan Mr. Ameen Hasan Mr. Anutosh Chakrabarty Ms. Mina Farah Mr. Dhiren Mr. Dhrubojoti Ms. Eeshita Azad Mr. Mohammad Fazlul Kabir Mr. Mirza Chowdhury Mr. Farrukh Ahmed Mr. Hasan Ferdous Mr. Sadiqi Az-Zindiki Mr. Mani Mr. G.Subramaniam Mr. Habib Sarwar (*) Ms. Sherry Holmes Mr. Hasan Mamun (*) Ms. hzachary Mr. Ibnul Haque Mr. Reginald V. Finley Ms. Nadia Islam Mr. Javacrucian Mr. J. Browne Ms. Julie M. Mr. Khurshed Ahmed Chowdhury (*) Mr. Alam Khorshed Ms. Kanta Mitro Mr. Kousik Nandy Ms. Karina Ms. Lina al Gay Ms. Sabina Chowdhury Ms. Lopa Tasneem Mr. Bulbul Amir Mr. Manish Paul Mr. Shashi Aggarwal Mr. Ashraful Alam Mr. Bikash Mandal Ms. Gitte Højland Ms. R.Kamis (*) Mr. Muhammad Nabipalsu Mr. Narayan Gupta Ms. Nasima Khatun Mr. Naved Ahmed Mr. Neelu Hasnat Mr. New Age Outlaws Ms. Nishaat Dr. Nirmal Mishra Mr. Zakaria S. Khondkar Ms. Mukul Zaman. Mr. Paritam Kumar Datta Mr. Philosopher Knight Ms. Zakia Sultana Mr. Raman (*) Ms. Padma Raman Mr. Ronie Chowdhury Mr. Rashedul Chowdhury Mr. Roy Brown (*) Ms. Rubaiya Ahmed Mr. Ryan American Mr. Rykel Lim Ms. Sabrina Ahmed Ms. Shaila Nasmun Nahar Mr. Mahbubul (Sohel) Karim Ms. Mitra Jafary Mr. Subir Kumar Saha Mr. Soumitra Bose Mr. Suhash Sarkar Ms. Titli Sardar Mr. Tanvir Chowdhury Mr. Andrew Sullivan Mr. Utsav Chakrabarti Mr. Sumel Mr. Mrityunjoy Chatterjee Mr. J. Kirishnamurti Mr. Aparthib Zaman (*) Mr. Vivek L. Dev Ms. Simin Hariri Ms. Marianne Eriksen Mr. Shamim Huq Mr. Ruhul Ahmed Mr. Masud Khan Mr. Ferdinand Pereira Mr. S. Ashraf Ahmed Mr. Saleem R. Noor Ms. Azam Kamguian Mr. Mohammad Zaman Mr. Shami Hussain Mr. Shiraj Uddin Shopon Mr. Asif Iqbal (*) Mr. Roy Parks Mr. Anisur Rahman Mr. Rahul Gupta Ms. Susmita Gupta Dr. Hrishikesh Chakrabarti Ms. Taniya Hossain Mr. Syed N. Wadood Mr. S. A. Montu (*) Ms. Rita Lindemann Mr. Gururaj Deshpande Mr. Abul Azad Ms. Sharon R. Cozzolino Mr. Aporanho Shushmito Mr. Harsh Kapoor Mr. Atul Kshirsagar Mr. Nazmul Ahsan Mr. Robin Khundkar Mr. Harry Mr. Mustafa Jamil

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