Liu Xiaobo won the Nobel Peace Prize by risking everything to speak out for freedom and human rights in China. Now he needs your voice. Demand that

Dear MUKTIM,

China expressed outrage last week over the Nobel committee’s decision to award its prestigious Peace Prize to incarcerated Chinese human rights activist Liu Xiaobo. But the real outrage is China’s treatment of those who dare to speak truth to power.

We couldn’t be more thrilled for Liu and the spotlight the award places on his unrelenting fight for fundamental freedoms and human rights in China. But Liu won’t be able to celebrate his win with the rest of the world from the confines of his prison cell.

Adding insult to injury, Chinese authorities have placed Liu’s wife Liu Xia under house arrest, likely preventing her from receiving the award in Norway on Liu’s behalf. They’ve also cracked down on activists celebrating Liu’s achievement. Liu Xiaobo needs your help.

Demand that China free Liu Xiaobo.


Liu, a 54-year old author and scholar, is a prominent government critic who has repeatedly called for human rights protections, political accountability and democratization in China.

In 2009 Liu was charged with "inciting subversion of state power" and given an 11-year prison sentence after an unfair trial for co-authoring a proposal for political and legal reform in China.

Amnesty International has long called for Liu’s release. We need your help now more than ever to send a loud and clear plea for Liu’s release.

Urge Chinese authorities to release Liu Xiaobo immediately.

This award can only make a real difference if it prompts more international pressure on China to release Liu, along with the numerous other prisoners of conscience languishing in Chinese jails for exercising their right to freedom of expression. Now is the time to act.

Liu is counting on us.

Michael O’Reilly
Individuals at Risk Campaign Director
Amnesty International USA

1 dies, many missing in bus plunge

A body was recovered and many still remain missing after an overloaded bus plunged into the Turag river near Amin Bazar bridge in the capital’s suburb Savar area on Sunday morning.




Fire-brigade divers search for a bus and its passengers after it plunged into the Turag river near Amin Bazar bridge in the capital’s suburb Savar area on Sunday. Photo: STAR Star Online Report

A body was recovered and many still remain missing after an overloaded bus plunged into the Turag river near Amin Bazar bridge in the capital’s suburb Savar area on Sunday morning.

Rescuers and witnesses said seven people were rescued but the fate of others still remains uncertain, as the sunken bus could not be traced due to a high tide in the river.

The deceased was identified as Monowara Hossain Tara, a microbiology student at the Jahangirnagar University.

Tapan Chandra Barman, who managed to swim ashore immediately after the incident, told The Daily Star that the Savar-bound bus of Baishakhi Paribahan at about 11:30am suddenly fell into the river with around 50 passengers on board.

Fire-brigade divers were searching for the bus and the missing passengers. The divers from Bangladesh Navy also joined them at about 3:00pm.

Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain, home secretary, inspector general of police and high officials of Dhaka district administration, including the deputy commissioner, visited the spot.


(Source:The Star)