From vaccine success story to massive measles outbreak
Prior to this outbreak, Bangladesh was making progress toward eliminating measles with its robust, community-led vaccine program and was held up as a model for lower resource counties.
In 2019, then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed received The Vaccine Hero Award from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance in recognition of the country's "tremendous strides."
Then came 2024.
The long-time regime was ousted and an interim government took charge. During its 18 months in power, the temporary leaders decided to revamp the vaccination system. The new plan did not go smoothly.
There were bureaucratic delays. Soon, the country's vaccine supply was disrupted. The shots became unavailable; immunization campaigns were postponed.
This did not go unnoticed. Rana Flowers �� the @UNICEF representative to Bangladesh – said in a press conference on May 20 that she had repeatedly warned the government over the past two years that the delays could trigger a crisis. "I sat with the interim adviser and the staff on at least 10 occasions saying, 'We are worried. Look at my face. I am worried. You're going to face a mountain,' " recounted Flowers.
Other groups — including the @WHO and @gavi — also publicly urged the government last year to take action!
Read ➡️
https://t.co/5RzjqfYSMS
#Bangladesh #BangladeshCrisis
A brazen assault on democracy: How Bangladesh’s interim regime and its successors turned counter-terror laws into weapons of political annihilation
https://t.co/JmdTPXP2BE
#Bangladesh#BangladeshCrisis
Back in 1971, the @UN and the global community did not prevent the murderous Pakistani Army and its Bangladeshi proxy Jamaat e Islami from orchestrating one of the worst genocides in global memory. Now fifty-five years down the line, those perpetrators continue to enjoy impunity as these international bodies continue to deny the massacre of millions and indiscriminate rape, among other atrocities.
Emboldened by the absence of international recognition and impunity, the perpetrators- Pak Army and its allies – launched a fierce, notorious campaign of genocide denial to erase a shred of evidence and vilify millions of martyrs and survivors.
Despite overwhelming evidence of genocide surrender, from Gen Yahiya Khan to incumbent army chief Asim Munir, every Pak army chief sought to whitewash the genocide as they protected each Pak army official responsible for these war atrocities, sponsored a deception campaign, projecting our war heroes and the independence leaders as traitors.
Echoing the tone, Bangladesh’s Jamaat, abusing state power with like-minded allies, has launched a cultural genocide while they seek to undo all the gains of 1971, a stark betrayal of our freedom and flag. Vandalism of thousands of war memorials, physical assault on war heroes, and distortion of independence history have been rewarded with impunity. Even the party that led the struggle for independence, the Awami League, has been banned by a draconian law.
But as history showed, these attempts will never succeed. It is high time the world community must recognize the genocide, a first step to bring accountability and serve justice at least as a tribute to victims and survivors.
#March25 #GenocideDay #Bangladesh
📷 Mob Attack on Student for Playing the March 7 Speech - Hasib, Who Earlier Admitted to Metro Rail Arson and Killing Police, Grows More Reckless Amid Impunity
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Posting about the historic March 7 speech on Facebook—one of the most powerful symbols of the nation’s history and independence—has seemingly become an “offense” today. For this so-called crime, a university student named Pavel was brutally attacked by a mob allegedly led by July militants, in what appeared to be an attempted murder.
Pavel was sitting at the dining table during sehri, preparing to begin his fast. With food already served on his plate, he was forcibly taken away. He was then subjected to nearly two hours of inhumane torture. After dawn prayers (Fajr), the attackers left him in a severely ill condition in front of the Shahbagh Police Station.
Pavel is an orphaned student who supports both his education and family by working as a private tutor. He is not an active member of any political organization, yet he was targeted simply for making a post marking the occasion of March 7.
One of the alleged attackers, a man named Hasib, had previously been accused of violent activities. In various talk shows and discussions, he reportedly admitted his involvement in setting fire to the metro rail and in the killing of police officers.
The culture of impunity and political patronage is emboldening such mob violence. When individuals who openly admit to acts of violence face no strict consequences, incidents like abducting a student from his sehri table and torturing him become possible.
Justice will once again be established in Bangladesh. Those responsible for killings, arson, and mob violence will face trial on the soil of this very Bengal.
#BangladeshViolence #7thMarch