BANGLADESH :TASLIMA NASREEN TRIAL

(9 Dec 1994) Nat/Eng/Bengali

In Bangladesh, an exiled woman author goes on trial in her absence tomorrow (Saturday) charged with 'offending religious sentiments'.

Taslima Nasreen received death threats from Muslim fundamentalists after she was quoted in an Indian newspaper demanding a review of the Koran.

Now in exile in Sweden, she faces two years in gaol if found guilty.

Maumi Yasmin has not seen her elder sister Taslima since she was forced to flee Bangladesh five months ago.

Some groups offered a five-thousand US dollars reward for her assassination, and Maumi fears for her sister's life.

She says the court should not have accepted the blasphemy charges that were filed by the fundamentalists in Bangladesh.

But because she is family, and has defended her exiled sister, she too has been the victim of death threats.

SOUNDBITE: (Bengali)
"Still we get telephone calls. Before it was almost every day. Nowadays we get frequent telephone calls which say that 'Taslima is not in the country, but you also believe what she believes in so are also equally guilty so we will one day finish your entire family'."

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Some people telephoned me to threaten me, and they threatened my brother."

SUPER CAPTION: Maumi Yasmin, Taslima Nasreen's younger sister.

Taslima Nasreen's case has been directly connected with what some see as a rising tide of fundamentalism in Bangladesh.

Fazlul Haq Amneeni is one of the most powerful religious leaders in Bangladesh.

Leaders like Amneeni are annoyed that Taslima Nasreen only faces a two year sentence.They have demanded a new law that will make blasphemy punishable by death.

SOUNDBITE: (Bengali)

"Taslima Nasreen, as a citizen of a Muslim country, has spoken against the Koran. She should be punished for what she has said."

SUPER CAPTION: Fazlul Haq Amneeni, Islamic leader.

Over 90 percent of the population of Bangladesh is Muslim.

Many of the converts to fundamentalism are to be found amongst the young who flock to the traditional religious schools.

In this classroom in the outskirts of Dhaka, the pupils study the Koran up to university level. Their views are unlikely to soften in the future.

VOX POPS (English).
"We believe so much in God in our country in our society, in our social world and everywhere, Islam is so need and Islam is countless needs for us because there is no religion as Islam.

Islam is a code of life and Islamic subjects are very important.

In a country where Islam is the official religion, political concessions have been made to the Fundamentalists.

In attempt to appease them, both the Prime Minister and the leader of the opposition have refused to defend Taslima Nasreen.

As the struggle for the leadership of the country develops and the opposition party rallies become more and more outspoken, the one group that are considered to be beyond politics - but still have a great deal of political influence - are the religious leaders.

There are some who are willing to speak out. Abur Rajjak is the deputy leader of Bangladesh's main opposition party - the Awami League.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"For democracy they are dangerous, and you know for human rights also if you can maintain human rights - they have a communal force - they are against human rights, they are against human values, they are against democracy. So this fundamentalism should be banned in our country."

SUPER CAPTION: Abur Rajak, deputy leader opposition Awami League party.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
SUPER CAPTION: Ayesha Khanam - women's rights activist.
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