Information on whether Prime Minister Zia was in Beanibazar, Sylhet on 20 January 1994 to announce the building of a bridge over the river Kusyara [BGD22126.E]

According to the Xinhua attachment, Prime Minister Khaleda Zia was in Dhaka on 19 January 1994 and was to leave the city to canvass in the three other cities participating in the 30 January 1994 city corporation elections (20 Jan. 1994), namely Chittagong, Khulna and Rajshashi (Keesing's Jan 1994, 39821). Information on an announcement of the construction of a bridge over the River Kusyara could not be found among the sources consulted by the DIRB.

However, the AsiaWeek attachment of 9 March 1994 makes a brief reference to Bangladesh's acquisition of $600m for the Jamuna river bridge (5). Corroboration of this statement could not be found among the sources consulted by the DIRB.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

AsiaWeek [Hong Kong]. 9 March 1994. Vol. 20, No. 10. "NewsMap."

Keesing's Record of World Events [Cambridge]. January 1994. Vol. 40, No. 1. "Bangladesh: Election Violence."

The Xinhua General Overseas News Service. 20 January 1994. "Campaigns for City Elections Going on in Bangladesh." (NEXIS)

Attachments

AsiaWeek [Hong Kong]. 9 March 1994. Vol. 20, No. 10. "NewsMap," p. 5.

The Xinhua General Overseas News Service. 20 January 1994. "Campaigns for City Elections Going on in Bangladesh." (NEXIS)

Additional Sources Consulted

Amnesty International Report 1995. 1995.

Asian Survey [Berkeley, Calif.]. Monthly. January 1994 to present.

_____. February 1995. Vol. 35, No. 2. Golam Hossain. "Bangladesh in 1994."

AsiaWeek [Hong Kong]. Weekly. January to April 1994.

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1994. 1995.

Documentation, Information and Research Branch (DIRB), Immigration and Refugee Board [Ottawa]. May 1994. Bangladesh: Political Parties and Political Violence.

DIRB "Bangladesh" country file. January to June 1994.

DIRB "Bangladesh: Amnesty International" country file. January 1994 to present.

The Economist [London]. Weekly. January to April 1994.

Far Eastern Economic Review (FEER) [Hong Kong]. Weekly. January to April 1994.

Foreign Broadcast International Service (FBIS) Daily Reports. January to April 1994.

Human Rights in Developing Countries Yearbook 1995. 1995. Edited by Peter Baehr et al. Steinar Askuik. "Bangladesh."

Human Rights Watch World Report 1995. 1994.

Keesing's Record of World Events [Cambridge]. Monthly. December 1993 to April 1994.

Office of Asylum Affairs (OAA), Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, United States. December 1994. Bangladesh: Comments on Country Conditions and Asylum Claims.

Refugees, Immigration and Asylum Section (RIAS), Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia. July 1994. Country Profile: Bangladesh.

UNHCR databases.

On-line search of media sources.