Shahbag: Blog on Hold

The Shahbag protests in Dhaka, Bangladesh have been the biggest the country has seen in decades

The blog will be on hold while I dedicate my spare time and Twitter account to the Shahbag protests. If you're unsure of what the Shahbag protests are about, read this article by Tahmima Anam. There is a lot information and misinformation out there. In a nutshell, Bangladesh has finally put on trial Muslim fundamentalist war criminals. These criminals collaborated with Pakistan during our 1971 War of Independence to rape, torture and commit genocide. Their actions resulted in a death toll of three million and rape victims numbering around two hundred thousand. A tribunal recently sentenced one of these war criminals to life in prison. The tribunal has drawn criticism for its methodology (some of it fair),  as well as fallen victim to fundamentalist propaganda (not so fair). Life in prison in Bangladesh can actually mean a very short sentence due to corruption and changing governments. People want a more final solution, and as such are demanding the death sentence. While I am reluctant to encourage the application of death sentences, I do believe it's a better option than letting these criminals roam free again in a few years. 

I will only say one thing pertaining to sexuality in this post. It's rather obvious from my Twitter account that I am bisexual and write about LGBTQ issues. That, as of yet, has not attracted any hostility from anyone I've been interacting with online about Shahbag. I find this fact heartening.

I hope the next time I post Bangladesh will have dealt with the 1971 war criminals and their Islamist-fundamentalist agenda.