Fariha Karim

Former news reporter at The Times.

[Kenneth Roth @KenRoth]

Extraordinary destruction in a tiny area — part of Netanyahu’s genocidal strategy to render Gaza unlivable so as to forcibly deport its two million residents “voluntarily” as a “humanitarian” act. We see through this criminal ploy. Unclear whether the proposed ceasefire will stop it permanently.

[Censored Humans @CensoredHumans]

🆘The Conscience Boat and Thousand Madleens to Gaza — part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition — have just been intercepted!

Please share! Please keep your eyes on the Flotilla!

[Fariha Karim @fariha54]

(2/2) just this morning on the central line eastbound a young man in crutches was standing next to a woman who refused to offer her priority seat because she was playing a game on her phone. This sort of thing happens all the time. Can it not be made clearer?

[Fariha Karim @fariha54]

@TfL @TfLAccess Can you please clarify whether “priority seats” on the tube are indeed priority? I repeatedly see people sitting in them who make no effort to give them up when someone boards a carriage who clearly needs the seat more than them. (1/2)

[Fariha Karim @fariha54]

Can anyone help me identify this little dude please?

[Fariha Karim @fariha54]

Sun is shining…tadpole eggs in the pond. It’s the first day of spring!

[Rupa Huq MP @RupaHuq]

This Autumn a one-sided account of the Bangladeshi Yunus government surfaced in the name of the APPG for Commonwealth pedalling falsehoods that was widely press-released leading to confusion on UK govt policy

I had it confirmed @HouseofCommons that it has zero official relevance

[Fariha Karim @fariha54]

My first interaction with Chat GPT has not gone well. Don't think I'll be using it. Ever.

[Farrukh @implausibleblog]

Matt Frei, "One person not with Donald Trump last night was his nephew Fred Trump.. He voted for Kamala Harris"

Fred Trump, "He and I have had big time differences.. Namely when he said my son should just die because he has disabilities"

Matt Frei, "He actually said that?"

Fred Trump, "He said that"

[Natalie Surman @su21069]

Big news involving MP for Hampstead & Highgate MP @TulipSiddiq. Her aunty who she described as a “strong female role-model” has a warrant for her arrest for “crimes against humanity” #camden #bangladesh #finchley #barnet #islington #westminster #awamileague #westhampstead

[Fariha Karim @fariha54]

https://t.co/zIqlBl68p6

[Fariha Karim @fariha54]

(2/2) Now, given recent events and calls for independent investigation including UN, how far would that net go? As well as culpability questions, who might have benefited from this despotic regime? Legitimate question, or not?

[Fariha Karim @fariha54]

Very interesting story. The last part - about Tulip having “no involvement” with AL anymore, as claimed to me and other journalists including @TheDavidBergman and @alextomo - surely doesn’t hold up with this revelation? @TulipSiddiq why not just come clean about this now? (1/2)

[David Bergman @TheDavidBergman]

There are a number of points to note about the @MailOnline story about Tulip Siddiq MP.
- the £2.1 million house in which Tulip now lives was purchased in July 2022 by the UK Awami League leader Abdul Karim, at the same time that Tulip moved in. This does create an appearance that Karim purchased the house specifically for Tulip to live in, though we can't know for sure whether or not this was just some kind of coincidence as neither of them have spoken on the record;

- the question of whether Tulip paid a commercial rent for this property is important. Tulip refused to provide proof that she had done so. On this point, it is notable that Tulip's mother lives in a house, also owned by an Awami League leader, Salman Rahman, and pays no rent;

- if she did not pay market rent, this is a disclosable benefit that she obtained. And even if she did pay market rent, it is an arrangement that creates a potential conflict of interest;

- what we do know for sure is that after giving over/renting his property to Tulip, Abdul Karim obtained clear benefits from the Awami League government in Bangladesh, including; the status of Commercially Important Person; assistance on becoming vice-chairman of a private bank, when he had no banking experience at all; meetings with the then prime minister Sheikh Hasina in which she lauded him;

- Because Tulip's aunt is the niece of the Bangladesh prime minister (or was until August 5), in obtaining this kind of benefit from a UK Awami League leader, Tulip was leaving herself open for people, in this situation Abdul Karim, to obtain political benefits in Bangladesh.

- The context of her living in a property owned by a UK Awami League leaders is her relationship with that organisation. She has said that although she was a spokesperson for the Awami League in 2010, she now has "no involvement in Bangladesh politics." But the evidence suggests otherwise. Particularly in 2019, the UK wing of the Awami League effectively took over her office, from which dozens and dozens of UK Awami Leaguers, organised the distribution of leaflets and plackards throughout her constituency. This support also happened in an earlier election.

[Fariha Karim @fariha54]

This. In a nutshell

[David Bergman @TheDavidBergman]

For some Bangladeshis the fall of the Awami League is the end of fear. For others, however, it may well be the beginning of fear.

It is difficult for people not conversant with Bangladesh to understand how for Bangladeshis (living both inside and outside the country) who wanted to express an opinion or view against the Awami League government, its fall has resulted in such an extraordinary release of fear.

The AL was in power since 2008, and certainly since 2015, if not earlier, people understood that speaking out could have significant repercussions, and as time went on the level or repercussions increased. These there not just repercussions for oneself but one's family: Bangladeshis could not speak out in the UK, knowing that their family was vulnerable in Bangladesh.

Kanak Sarwar, a popular YouTuber, highly critical of the government, lived in the US. As a result, the government arrested his sister on completely spurious charges and was arrested and jailed for over 6 months, without trial.

So as a result there is huge relief from government critics or just Bangladeshis who wanted to speak their mind.

However, that is just one side of the coin rights now. The other side is that with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and other parties in the ascendent, the Awami Leaguers, or people who are known supporters of the Awami League, are receiving threats and are scared to come out in the public.

I heard today that a very senior lawyer, not particularly pro-Awami League, was chased down the corridor and had to quickly jump into his car. I also heard about another Awami League lawyer deciding not to come to court right now because he is scared of what will happen to him as he has received threats. There are also confirmed reports of attacks against Christian schools and Hindu temples - the minorities perceived by the opposition parties to be supporters of the Awami League.

One could see this as teething pains of the new dispensation particularly where there is not yet even a functioning government. In addition one could argue that in light of the terrible killings that took place in recent weeks (effectively authorised by the Awami League) it would be naive not to realise that in the immediate days after such events, there will be a lot of anger directed at the former governing party, but that it will reduce quickly.

Perhaps. However there is no reason to think that the opposition parties have suddenly learned any lessons from their own victimhood over the last 15 years and that they have become more tolerant of their political rivals.

If Bangladesh is not careful, the country will be replacing one repressive government for another. It is not inevitable, but it is also difficult to know how one can stop this from happening.

[Fariha Karim @fariha54]

How strange. My country of origin (Bangladesh) which was unsafe for so many years has become safe to return to, while here in the UK I've just heard people in a neighbouring borough have been told to work from home due to far right riots. This has happened overnight, pretty much.

[David Bergman @TheDavidBergman]

UPDATE: I dont know the details but I am hearing credible reports that Michael Chakma, an indigenous rights activist, who was picked up in 2019 and was disappeared, has been released from secret detention in #Bangladesh. Below is what Amnesty International wrote about him at the time of his detention. Will provide further details as soon as receive them. https://t.co/c2SFKNaMuX.

[Nazmul Ahasan @the_nazmul]

A day after euphoria-driven mayhem, Bangladeshi youth cleaned up around the national parliament, other major buildings and even helped manage traffic in the absence of police. Reflects the enormous confidence and hope in what they’ve just achieved.

[Shahidul Alam @shahidul]

Breaking news. Gen Ziaul Ahsan the mass murderer is at the airport. Stop him from leaving the country. He must be tried. Please share

[LBC @LBC]

'Shall I tell you why you don't remember that story? It was a black kid - and a white man had the sword.'

'Where were the riots' after the Hainault stabbing, asks @mrjamesob.

[David Bergman @TheDavidBergman]

I can now confirm that #Bangladesh authorities have also released Abdullahil Amaan Azmi. His family is yet to speak to him, but they have confirmation that he is safe.