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| Building an apartment building on Road 3 |
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| The Sunny Side |
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| The Shady Side |
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| Walking the Family Dogs |
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| A Convoy of Cement Trucks |
We have had spectacular weather lately, breezy and in the 70s. Gail has gone with students on a Mekong Delta tour in Cambodia, and Millie is with a similar group, washing elephants in Thailand. Last week her IB seniors held their productions--each kid has to write, direct and produce an original theatrical performance. We got to see some good stuff. And the week before that we took twenty kids to a theater festival in Bombay.
I wanted to let you know everything is fine, although there have been a number of demonstrations lately, and we understand Bangladesh is getting some international press. Here what is happening locally.
East Pakistan was always a problem, and in 1952, when West Pakistan declared Urdu, a Hindu/Arabic dialect common on the western sub-continent, to be the official language, people here demonstrated for their own language, Bangla (or, just across the border in Calcutta, West Bengal, Bengali). Five university students were killed by the Pakistani army during a peaceful protest. The world's first language martyrs were celebrated again this past weekend.
In 1971, people here declared independence. The Pakistani army, in responding to the revolt, committed a number of atrocities. They eventually sought the assistance of Jamaat Islam, a local Islamist party, who carried out systematic rapes and murders. Finally, India sent in an army, the war ended, Pakistan and India left. Most of Jamaat Islam stayed.
Over the years Jamaat's leaders have managed to play one party off against the other so as to avoid war crimes trials. They are currently aligned with the BNP, the out-of-power party who usually calls the hartals or strikes. But they have also been aligned with the Awali League, the in-power party.
Finally, after 40+ years, the trials are happening now. The trials are continuing, and some have been convicted, including one of their leaders currently hiding in Pakistan. Jamaat, without arguing the veracity of the verdicts, has been attacking police, threatening to begin a civil war and vandalizing public places.
Meanwhile, totally separate from the political parties and the violence, a new grassroots movement, led by bloggers, has emerged. They are rejecting any connection to either political group, but are calling for the death penalty for those convicted. One of their founding bloggers was recently murdered, and these grassroots Shahbagh demonstrations (named for a downtown intersection) are getting larger and stronger, but have stayed peaceful. People my age, who have lived here a long time, tell me this is a historic moment, that the spirit of '71 and '52 is being revived now.
I'll keep you posted.
