David Bergman

David Bergman (born c. 1965)[1][2] is a British human rights activist[3] and investigative journalist based in Bangladesh, who worked at the New Age, a Bangladesh national newspaper.[4] He is known for his reportage on war crimes committed during the Bangladesh Liberation War. An investigative documentary on the subject he worked as a reporter and researcher for British television in 1995 won an award.[5][6] He was convicted of contempt by Bangladesh's special war crimes tribunal in 2015 for contradicting the official death toll figures of the war.[7][8][9]

David Bergman
Bornc. 1965
NationalityBritish
CitizenshipUnited Kingdom
Alma materUniversity of Birmingham
OccupationJournalist
Known for
  • Activism in Bhopal disaster
  • His reporting on war crimes resulting from the Bangladesh Liberation War
Spouse(s)Sara Hossain
RelativesKamal Hossain (father in-law)
AwardsRoyal Television Society

Career

David Bergman is an investigative journalist and previously worked for the UK's Twenty Twenty.[10] He has formerly worked at several Bangladeshi newspapers, including Dhaka Tribune, The Daily Star, Bdnews24.com, and New Age.[source?] In addition to writing for Bangladeshi papers, Bergman has contributed to Foreign Policy and The Economist.[11][12] His coverage of the International War Crimes Tribunal appeared in The Independent newspaper.[13]

Between 1999 and 2009, Bergman headed the human rights organisation Centre for Corporate Accountability and advocated for legal reforms on work-related deaths.[14][15]

Personal life

David Bergman is the son of Alan Bergman, a dentist from Hadley Wood, in north London.[1][16][17] He holds degrees in both politics and law[18] and his law degree is from the University of Birmingham.[1][19]

Bergman is married to Bangladeshi lawyer and writer Sara Hossain,[20][21][22] who is the co-editor of 'Honor': Crimes, Paradigms and Violence Against Women.[23] His father-in-law is Dr. Kamal Hossain, who has been the president of the Gano Forum political party in Bangladesh since he founded it in 1992.[20][22][24][25]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Hamlyn, Michael (17 September 1986). Briton caught up in 'Bhopal vendetta': David Bergman. 
  2. Court to Hear Man's Plea on Bhopal. 30 October 1986. 
  3. Rao, Venugopala (22 September 1986). India: Officials shielding Union Carbide, Bhopal activists say. Inter Press Service. 
  4. Rejoinder to 'SQ's relatives unperturbed'. 7 October 2013. http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2013/10/07/rejoinder-to-sq-s-relatives-unperturbed. Retrieved 7 October 2013. 
  5. Khan, Tamanna (20 April 2012). Defender of Justice. The Daily Star. http://archive.thedailystar.net/magazine/2012/04/03/profile.htm. Retrieved 20 May 2012. 
  6. Bangladesh files contempt case against British reporter. 18 April 2014. http://www.dawn.com/news/1100532. Retrieved 1 May 2014. 
  7. Shankar, Sneha (2 December 2014). "British Journalist David Bergman Convicted In Bangladesh For Questioning 1971 War Death Toll". International Business Times.
  8. Greenslade, Roy, "British journalist found guilty of contempt in Bangladesh: He is fined for 'examining' 1971 war statistics," 2 December 2014, The Guardian, retrieved 30 March 2019
  9. "British journalist found guilty of contempt by Bangladesh court for questioning war death toll: David Bergman 'did not have the right' to examine the figures, it ruled," 2 December 2014, The Independent, retrieved 30 March 2020
  10. "Who's worked with us?: A list of about 800 of the UK's most talented and skilled people". Twenty Twenty (former website). Archived from the original on 19 July 2004. Retrieved 22 December 2012.
  11. Bergman, David (15 March 2011). Is this the End of Muhammad Yunus. https://foreignpolicy.com/2011/03/15/is-this-the-end-for-muhammad-yunus/. Retrieved 13 December 2012. 
  12. Muhammed Yunus: You're fired. No, I'm not, The Economist, 3 March 2011
  13. Bergman, David (5 February 2013). Bangladesh: Opposition party chief given life sentence for war crimes. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/bangladesh-opposition-party-chief-given-life-sentence-for-war-crimes-8482279.html. Retrieved 24 February 2013. 
  14. Bergman, David (7 October 1999). Where the blame lies. 
  15. "Grantees: Centre for Corporate Accountability". Sigrid Rausing Trust.
  16. Hoyland, Paul (9 September 1986). India holds British aid worker: Arrest of David Bergman under official secrets act. 
  17. Ullah, Mazhar (22 September 1986). Briton faces trial in Bhopal leak. United Press International. 
  18. New Age article contemptuous, says ICT. 19 February 2012. http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2012/02/19/new-age-article-contemptuous-says-ict. 
  19. 'Plot to silence' Briton in Bhopal. 22 September 1986. p. 3. 
  20. 20.0 20.1 Nurul Kabir to continue his defence on Dec 20. 1 December 2011. http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2011/12/01/nurul-kabir-to-continue-his-defence-on-dec-20. Retrieved 17 February 2013. 
  21. Yunus verdict today. 5 May 2011. http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=184303. Retrieved 18 February 2013. 
  22. 22.0 22.1 Bergman, David (15 February 2013). My response to Tahmina Anam's article on 'Shahbag', 1971 war crimes trials in Bangladesh, and demands for hangings. http://bangladeshchronicle.net/2013/02/my-response-to-tahmina-anams-article-on-shahbag-1971-war-crimes-trials-in-bangladesh-and-demands-for-hangings/. Retrieved 21 February 2013. 
  23. Welchman, Lynn; Hossain, Sara (2005). Hossain, Sara; Welchman, Lynn (eds.). 'Honour': Crimes, Paradigms and Violence Against Women. Zed Books. pp. 9–. ISBN 978-1-84277-627-8.
  24. Anwar Parvez Halim (12 June 2011). Sons and daughters of political parents. All Voices. http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/9375343-sons-and-daughters-of-political-parents. Retrieved 22 December 2012. 
  25. "Two decades of Gono Forum". Probe News. 4 February 2012. http://probenews.com/utility/emaillists/printview/4f2db660-626c-443d-9395-2672416fb142/ams/Newsarticle. Retrieved 22 December 2012. 

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