Child, Forced Labor behind Many Products: US Study

Children and forced laborers are mining gold, sewing clothing and harvesting cocoa around the world, and India is the source for the biggest number of products made by these workers, a US government report said on Thursday.The Department of Labor for the first time released a list of goods produced by child or forced labor in foreign countries after Congress told it to compile one. The department looked at 122 products in 58 countries.Under international labor standards, child labor is defined as work performed by someone under the age of 15, or under 18 where specific forms of work are deemed harmful, the report said. Forced labor is involuntary or done under threat.In the new U.S. report, India was linked to the highest number of products made with child labor or forced labor including soccer balls and clothing, according to report.Myanmar was noted the most often for forced labor for other products like rice, sugar cane and rubber."The purpose for doing this is to shine a spotlight so more activities can take place that target these problems," said Sandra Polaski, deputy undersecretary for International Affairs in the U.S. Department of Labor."In our country we think of these at 19th century problems but these are 21st century problems," Polaski said.Child labor laws vary widely and the practice is banned in many countries. An international convention ratified by 154 countries requires them to set a minimum working age and to work toward eradicating child labor.According to the US report, Brazil, Bangladesh, China and the Philippines were also in the top six countries linked to individual products that use child or forced labor.The International Labor Organization has found that 69 percent of child labor worldwide is in agriculture, the report said.The most common agricultural goods produced by child or forced labor are cotton, sugarcane, tobacco, coffee, rice and cocoa. Both forms of labor for cotton production were found in countries including China, Pakistan and Uzbekistan. In India, this was the case for cottonseed.

The listing of specific goods and countries, however, does not mean that total production of specific products involve forced or child labor. Instead, the report said it indicates a "significant incidence" of these types of labor.For cocoa, the key ingredient in chocolate, countries found using both forms of labor include the world's biggest producer Ivory Coast, as well as Nigeria, the report showed.The most common mined goods included gold, where Peru and Burkina Faso use both child and forced labor, according to the report."Elimination of exploitive child labor or forced labor from a sector or a country requires intensive, sustained commitment by governments, employers, workers, and civil society organizations," the report said.

'Baul Samrat' Shah Abdul Karim Dies

Legendary folk and mystic lyricist and singer, Shah Abdul Karim, died from old-age complications at a Sylhet clinic Saturday. He was 94.
His son Shah Nur Jalal said Karim breathed his last at around 7:55am.
The self-taught natural poet, revered as Baul Samrat, was brought to the Nurjahan Poly Clinic in Sylhet city from his home at Ujandhal in Derai upazila of Sunamganj on September 3 and was on life support since Friday.
As the news spread, his admirers rushed to the hospital and a pall of gloom descended in Sylhet as in musical arena all over the country.
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina expressed her deep shock at the death of the legendary mystic singer. ‘The loss is irreparable for Bengali culture,’ she said in a condolence message.
The body of the legend was later kept lying in state at the Sylhet Central Shaheed for an hour for public viewing. People from all walks of life walked past the coffin in solemn silence and paid their tributes.
The first funeral prayers of the mystic poet were held at Hazrat Shahjalal’s shrine, attended by hundreds of admirers of Shah Abdul Karim.
Later, the body has been kept in the mortuary of Sylhet Diabetic Hospital and will be taken to his birthplace Ujandhal of Derai Sunday morning where he will be laid to rest beside his wife, Sarala, at the family graveyard, family sources said.
Activities of the cultural organisations in the north-eastern region came to a halt at the shocking news.
Born on February 15, 1916 in the marshlands of Ujandhal, Karim went to a night school for seven days only. He grew up with poverty and hardship and began expressing his thoughts and emotions in the form of music from very early age.
Poverty forced him to get into agricultural labour but could stop him from composing and singing mystic and folk songs. He received training on spiritual and baul music from Kamal Uddin, Sadhak Rashid Uddin, and Shah Ibrahim Mastan Baksh.
He went on learning all the exclusive streams of Baul song inspired by the philosophies of Lalan Shah, Panju Shah and Duddu Shah.
He was awarded with the Ekushey Padak in 2001 for his outstanding musical achievements. He also received Drohi Katha Sahityik Abdur Rouf Choudhury Award in 2000. Karim also had been awarded with Citycell-Channel i Music Award, Meril-Prothom-Alo Award, Ragib-Rabeya Literary Award, Idea Award, Abhimat Award and Sylhet City Corporation Award.
Shah Abdul Karim wrote and composed over 1600 songs published in six volumes. They are Aftab Sangeet, Gana Sangeet, Kalnir Dheu, Dholmela, Bhatir Chithi and Kalnir Kuley. The Bangla Academy also has published the translation of ten lyrics of Shah Abdul Karim.
Agey ki sundar din kataitam, Gari chalena, Jhil mil jhil mil kare, Ashi bale gelo bandhu, Maya lagaichhe, Ami kulhara kalankini, Ami tomar kaler gari, Sakhi kunjo sajao and Basanta batase are some of his popular notes, remixed with modern instruments by various bands and echoed through Bangla audiences of all ages home and abroad.

Tipaimukh Dam & Fulertal Barrage - Lets Stop India

The Communist Party of Bangladesh has called upon the government of India to stop the Tipaimukh Dam Project. India claims that the Dam is being constructed for producing electricity. Even if it is true, it is not acceptable. CPB President Manzurul Ahsan Khan and General Secretary Mujahidul Islam Selim in a statement further said that as an upper riparian country India will fully control and decide the volume of water flow. If they decrease or increase water flow according to their requirement, Bangladesh as a lower riparian country will face severe draught and unusual flooding in vast areas.

The leaders also said that the dam once constructed for production of electricity can easily be extended for turning it into an irrigation project. A risk will always be there that the Tipaimukh Dam can be turned into a barrage. If India proceeds with such a plan in future it will cause disaster for Bangladesh.

The CPB leaders said that the most important point is that, an upper riparian country cannot interfere with the water flow of any common river without discussions and consent of the lower riparian country. This is the international practice and law. But India has not supplied enough facts and materials to Bangladesh. They did not discuss and obtain consent. The Government of India is going forward with the plan of constructing the dam without consulting with Bangladesh. The statement also claimed that if the Dam is constructed, not only Bangladesh but also environment, nature and people of three eastern states of India will also suffer badly. This is why people of India are also opposing the Tipaimukh Project.

The Party Leaders said that the construction of Tipaimukh Dam will not only be damaging to Bangladesh environment and economy, it will also cause a deep dent in the Indo-Bangladesh relationship which is a matter of great concern. It is very important for the interest of the peoples of both the countries that friendly bilateral relationships prevail between them. It will be impossible to fight imperialist conspiracy in this region without friendly relationship between the two countries. Besides, the imperialists and the vested interest in both the countries always want deterioration of relationship between India and Bangladesh. Imperialism and the dark forces of conspiracy will use the deterioration of relations between the two countries, which will be an obvious outcome if India pursues its policy arrogantly. Indian government will be responsible for such an outcome.

Manzur and Selim in their statement called upon the Indian government to stop Tipaimukh Dam project in the interest of the people of both the countries. At the same time they appealed to progressive and democratic forces of India to raise their voice on this issue. They also called upon Bangladesh Government to take effective bilateral and diplomatic initiatives to stop construction of Tipaimukh Dam. The CPB leaders also called upon the people of Bangladesh to be active in protest against the construction of the Dam.

Call to make Sept 14 half-day hartal a success

The leaders of the National Committee for Protection of Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Port yesterday called upon the people to make the half-day hartal in the capital on September 14.

They gave the hartal call for the cancellation of the decision to lease out three gas blocks in Bangladesh maritime boundary to foreign companies and protesting the police excesses on its procession in the capital on September 2.

The committee held meetings at different places in the capital including Mohammadpur, Mirpur, Pallabi, Tejgoan, Paltan, Sutrapur, Khilgoan, Lalbag and Shantinagar to drum up support of the people for the success of the half-day long hartal. Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) Ruhin Hossain Prince, Ahsan Habib Lablu, Jali Talukder and Jahid Hossain, leaders of Bangaldesher Samajtantrik Dal (BSD) Bazlur Rashid Firoj, Julfikar Ali, Malay Sarker and Sadrul Hasan Ripan, leader of Gonotantri Party Sharafat Ali Hira, leaders of Gonosanghati Andolan Abu Bakar Ripan and Bachchu Bhuyian, leaders of Gonofront Nazrul Islam and Sabnam Hafiz, among others addressed the meetings. The Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) at a meeting yesterday lent support to the hartal call.The meeting was held at its central office in the city with president of CPB Manjurul Ahsan Khan in the chair.

General secretary of CPB Mujahidul Islam Selim, presidium members Shahidullah Chowdhury, Md Shah Alam, Sheikh Moniruzzaman, Syed Abu Jafar Ahmed and Shahadat Hossain, among others, attended it.

Is it democracy or autocracy?

More than 50 people, including the member-secretary of the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports, Anu Muhammad, were injured when police charged into marchers heading for Petrobangla headquarters in the capital midday Wednesday in protest against the government’s decision to award three offshore blocks to international oil companies.
About 1,000 leaders and activists of the committee gathered at Muktangan where they held a rally in the morning before marching towards the Petrobangla office at Karwan Bazar where the protesters were to lay siege.
The national committee announced the programme in protest at the government’s decision to award three blocks to two IOCs with a provision allowing them to export up to 80 per cent of gas. The committee feared such a move would threaten the country’s energy security.
Police swooped on the protesters and clubbed them indiscriminately after they broke through the barricades set up by the lawmen at Paltan crossing at around noon and tried to march towards the Petrobangla office.
Angry protesters fought pitched battles with police at Bijoynagar for about half an hour before dispersing. They attacked vehicles during the clash forcing traffic to make a detour.
Both legs of Anu Muhammad, also a professor of economics at Jahangirnagar University, were badly fractured in the police attack while a number of other left-leaning political leaders and activists, including Saiful Huq, Mushrefa Mishu, Jannatul Marium Tania, Montu Biswas, Srikant Samaddar, Biplab Mandal, Gazi Shafiullah and Sumi Akhtar sustained injuries.
The injured were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and most of them were released after first aid. Professor Anu Muhammad was shifted to Square Hospital from DMCH.
Journalists trying to visit Anu Muhammad at Square Hospital were refused permission to see him. When contacted, the hospital management said it might have been done at the advice of the attending doctors.
Condemning the police action Anu Muhammad told reporters that their campaigns were aimed at protecting the natural resources of the country. ‘We are not against the government; we are against the move to export our natural resources. It is the government’s responsibility to protect the lives and property of the citizens. I don’t understand why the police pounced on us,’ he said.
Later, the committee held a meeting at the office of the Communist Party of Bangladesh at Paltan.
The committee convener Sheikh Mohammad Shaheedullah at a press conference said that the police had charged baton on their peaceful demonstration because the government was desperate to protect the interest of international oil companies instead of national interest.
‘We strongly condemn the unprovoked attack. This has exposed the fascist attitude of the government,’ he said demanding immediate action against the police officers involved in the attack.
Shaheedullah warned that the government would not be able to foil their movement by resorting to repression. He vowed to continue the movement until the decision to allow gas export was scrapped.
The committee announced fresh programmes protesting at Wednesday’s police action.
The programmes include countrywide demonstrations and a protest rally at Muktangan in the capital this afternoon.
The committee will march towards the Prime Minister’s Office from Muktangan at 11:00am on September 10.
Besides, it will hold rallies and processions in different thanas of Dhaka city and elsewhere in the country.
The committee will announce further action programmes, including hartal and siege, if the government does not refrain from leasing the offshore gas blocks, he said.
Shaheedullah, justice Golam Rabbani, Syed Abul Maksud, CPB general secretary Mujahidul Islam Selim, Workers Party general secretary Bimal Biswas, Workers Party (reconstituted) convener, Haider Akber Khan Rano, Gana Front leader Tipu Biswas, CPB leaders Ruhin Hossain Prince and AN Rasheda, Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal leader Bazlur Rashid Firoz and professors MM Akash, Shamsul Alam, Mesbah Kamal, Pias Karim, ethnic minority leader Rabindranath Soren and former state minister for power and energy Anwarul Kabir Talukder attended the Muktangan rally.
The speakers said that the prime minister’s approval of offshore oil and gas exploration deals in the Bay of Bengal with two international companies, ConocoPhillips and Tullow Oil plc, ran counter to her poll campaign pledges.
The cabinet committee on economic affairs, headed by the finance minister, on August 24 approved offshore oil and gas exploration deals with the two companies in three sea blocks in the resource-rich Bay, on condition that they would not operate in the disputed areas in the blocks.
At the rally, Shaheedullah said they demanded cancellation of the Model Production Sharing Contract 2008, approved by the last interim government, saying pressure from ‘colonialists’ had been behind it.
Anu Muhammad said the present government was not working as the true representatives of the people.
‘The energy ministry and Petrobangla are working for multinational companies,’ he said.
‘Till now three of 28 blocks have been allocated to international companies and gradually the rest will be given to them,’ he said.
Mujahidul Islam Selim said that Sheikh Hasina during her first stint as prime minister had told the then US president Bill Clinton in 2000 that Bangladesh would not export gas without ensuring a 50-year domestic supply.
‘After such a promise, this latest agreement is extremely treacherous,’ he said.
Different left-leaning political parties and organisations, meanwhile, condemned the police attack on the ‘peaceful’ march of the national committee.
The Communist Party of Bangladesh president Manzurul Ahsan Khan and general secretary Mujahidul Islam Selim in a press statement termed the police attack fascist and contrary to democracy and basic rights of the people.
Workers Party president Rashed Khan Menon and general secretary Bimal Biswas, condemned the police attack and called on the government to drop the plan to lease out the three offshore gas blocks to international companies.
Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal convener Khalequzzaman, Ganatantri Party president Mohammad Afzal, general secretary Nurur Rahman Selim, Democratic Revolutionary Party president Nirmal Sen, general secretary Mushrefa Mishu, Revolutionary Workers Party president Khandaker Ali Abbas, general secretary Saiful Huq, Workers Party (reconstituted) convener Haider Akbar Khan Rano, Ganasanghati coordinator Zonayed Saki, Jatiya Mukti Council president Badruddin Umar and secretary Foizul Hakim, Garments Workers Unity Forum, Anti-imperialist Students Unity, Nayaganatantrik Gana Morcha, Chhatra Oikya Forum, Bangladesh Khetmajur Samiti, Green Voice and Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan leaders also condemned the police attack.