Title: Bangladesh blocks YouTube access Source:
Afterdawn.com URL Source:http://www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/17206.cfm#comments Published:Mar 10, 2009 Author:y Andre "DVDBack23" Yoskowitz Post Date:2009-03-10 00:53:51 by A K A Stone Keywords:None Views:911 Comments:3
The Bengali government has blocked access to video -sharing giant YouTube today after a video was posted showing a meeting between the Prime Minister and army soldiers.
The meeting occurred just 48 hours after a brutal mutiny in Dhaka left 70 people dead and the video shows about 40 minutes of a three hour meeting that reveals how angry the military is over the government's handling of the situation.
Over 200 guards have been arrested for their connection to the mutiny, and hundreds more are currently being sought.
Zia Ahmed, chairman of the Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, said the decision was made in the nation's "best interests" and added that, "the government can take any decision to stop any activity that threatens national unity and integrity."
Prime Minister Shekih Hasina was brutally jeered throughout the meeting, as angry army officials criticized the government's decision to negotiate with the mutineers instead of just crushing the rebellion.
One officer yelled at the Prime Minister during the meeting, "I do not understand who gave you that idea that it has to be solved politically... rebellion has to be crushed with force.
"But you have not done that... politics is not applicable everywhere... if one tank would have gone there or a commando platoon landed there, the [BDR] would have fled like ants... but none went... all my officers were killed helplessly… and you failed to do anything."
This is not the first time the video sharing site has been blocked. Since 2007, the site has been blocked in Thailand, Pakistan and China, each over politically-charged situations.
http://www.bangladeshnews.com.bd/2008/11/08/no-decision-yet-on-removing-myanmar-ships/Bangladesh and Myanmar failed to reach any decision in a high level meeting yesterday on the situation arising out of Myanmar’s mobilisation of naval ships in Bangladesh maritime territory for exploration and will sit again on November 16.
Navy ships of the two countries are staying near the exploration site.
Foreign Secretary Touhid Hossain yesterday told BBC radio from Yangon that Bangladesh would withdraw its navy ships after Myanmar removes its rig from the site.
“We have asked officials of Myanmar to remove the rig from there. It will remove the tension. Then we will sit for discussion again,” he said. “We will define the boundary and solve all problems through discussion and develop our respective areas accordingly.”
On Thursday, Myanmar government rejected Bangladesh’s demand for immediate cessation of its oil and gas exploration off the western Rakhine coast. Terming the demand “unlawful” and “wrongful,” Myanmar government stated that the operations would continue.
Foreign Secretary Touhid Hossain reiterated that the area falls in Bangladesh’s territory and expressed hope that those working at the site will leave. “We have received indications to this effect,” he added.
On Thursday, Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury said Daewoo initiated the process of dismantling the installation in the disputed waters of the Bay of Bengal and that the foreign ministry received a letter from Daewoo in this regard.
The Myanmarese ships started the exploration activities on Saturday ignoring Bangladesh Navy’s warnings that they were intruding into Bangladesh waters. The area is well within Bangladesh’s maritime territory and marked as deep-sea blocks 8-13.
Dhaka officially lodged a protest with the Myanmar ambassador on Sunday. Myanmar protested back to the Bangladeshi ambassador to that country the same day.
Besides requesting South Korean government to ask Daewoo to stop its activities, Dhaka also requested Myanmar’s closest ally China to ask Myanmar to quit Bangladesh waters until the maritime boundary is demarcated as per UN guidelines.
In 2005, Myanmar awarded rights of exploration in the area to Daewoo, which conducted the initial feasibility studies in 2007. Bangladesh’s protest came after Daewoo began formal exploration in the area in September
