क्रिकेटका ठूला प्रशंसक शाहनेवाज सानैदेखि क्रिकेट खेल्दै आएका छन् । उनमा लेखन कार्यप्रति पनि लगाव छ र लेखको माध्यमबाट उनले जलवायु परिवर्तनको प्रभावबाट जोखिममा रहेको बंगलादेशको दक्षिण–पूर्वको तटीय क्षेत्र बंशखालीमा मानिसहरूले सामना गर्नुपरेको संघर्षको बारेमा आवाज उठाउँदछन् ।
शाहनेवाजको गाउँमा नयाँ कोइलाबाट चल्ने पावर प्लान्टले त्यस क्षेत्रको विकासमा एउटा मोड ल्याउने मानिएको थियो । तर शाहनेवाजलाई यसले वातावरणमा ल्याउने विनाशको बारेमा डर थियो । सन् २०२१ मे २६ मा त्यस क्षेत्रलाई आँधीले बगाएको थियो । भीषण वर्षा र आँधीले गाउँ डुबायो । घरहरू ध्वस्त भए । नयाँ पावर प्लान्ट जस्ता वातावरणीय रूपमा हानिकारक परियोजनाहरूको प्रभावको बारेमा चिन्तित शाहनेवाजलाई यसले समुद्री छालको वृद्धिमा योगदान पु¥याउँछ भन्ने विश्वास थियो र उनले आफ्नो चिन्ता फेसबुकमा पोखे । युवाहरूलाई बोल्न प्रोत्साहित गर्दै शाहनेवाजले लेखेः “बंशखालीका युवाहरूले अन्यायको प्रतिरोध गर्नुपर्दछ र निडर लेखनको माध्यमबाट विकासको समर्थन गर्नुपर्दछ” ।
भोलिपल्ट पावर प्लान्ट कम्पनीले शाहनेवाज विरुद्ध गलत सूचना पोस्ट गरेको आरोपमा मुद्दा दायर गरेको थियो । २८ मे मा बंगलादेशको दमनकारी डिजिटल सुरक्षा ऐनअन्तर्गत उनले फेसबुकमा गरेको पोस्टको लागि प्रहरीले उनलाई गिरफ्तार गरेको थियो । उनलाई ८० दिनसम्म अमानवीय अवस्थामा बिना सुनुवाइ हिरासतमा राखिएको थियो । शाहनेवाजलाई १६ अगस्ट २०२१ म जमानत दिइयो तर यदि उनी दोषी ठहरिएमा उनले धेरै वर्ष जेल सजाय भोग्नुपर्नेछ ।
शाहनेवाजलाई लगाइएको आरोपहरू आजै खारेज गर्न बंगलादेशलाई आह्वान गरौँ ।
Facing prison for a Facebook post
Shahnewaz Chowdhury was worried about the impact a new coal-fired power plant would have on his village. He took to Facebook to raise his concerns. Now he faces years in prison for speaking out. Demand justice for Shahnewaz now.
A big cricket fan, Shahnewaz has been playing since childhood. He also has a passion for writing and uses the written word to speak out about the struggles faced by people in his region of Banshkhali, a low-lying coastal area in southeast of Bangladesh, vulnerable to the impact of climate change.
A new coal-fired power plant in Shahnewaz’s village was supposed to be a turning point in the region’s development. But he was scared about the environmental destruction it would bring.
On 26 May 2021, the area was swept up by a storm. Heavy rainfall and strong winds pounded the village. Homes were destroyed. Worried about the impact of environmentally damaging projects like the new power plant, which he believed had contributed to an increase in tidal surges, Shahnewaz took to Facebook to raise his concerns. Encouraging young people to speak out, he wrote: “the youth of Banshkhali must resist injustice and support development through fearless writing.”
The following day, the power plant company filed a case against Shahnewaz, accusing him of posting false information. On 28 May 2021, he was arrested by the police for his Facebook post under Bangladesh’s oppressive Digital Security Act. He was detained in inhumane conditions for 80 days, without trial. Shahnewaz was granted bail on 16 August 2021, but if he’s convicted, he faces many years in prison.