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Rampage and attacks have tormented and displaced hundreds of minority families at villages of Kalia Norail: An investigative report from HRCBM
The report is submitted by Mr. Sudangshu Mallick, Secretary HRCBM-Khulna
on May 22nd, 2004.
Note: Hearing the reports that ruling party cadres went on rampage at Kalia ,
Narile displacing hundreds of minority families, HRCBM has sent its Khulna
chapter to verify the report. The alleged incident took place on 05/06/04 and the reports were published in various daily newspapers.
Please read the translated report that was published on 05/08/04 Daily Janaktha
at
http://www.hrcbm.org/NEWLOOK/kalia-05-08-04.html . Fearing backlash hundreds
of minority families are living in nightmares.
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HRCBM
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Write to local Administrations
Mr. Farhad Uddin is the DC of Narail district. His phone is 0481-62301(off),
0481-62302 (resident) and Fax no 0481-62300.
Mr Aktar Ali is the SP of Narail district. His phone is 0481-62412 (off), 0481-62413 (resident) and Fax no 0481-62368.
The Report
Hundreds minority families of Chhota kalia, Kartikpur,
Gobindanagar, Sitarampur and Mirzapur villages do not dare to come back to their
own houses after Kalia municipality polls. Most of the people of Hindu community
are still absconding from their own houses due to alleged threats on their
lives. The community has described their nightmares to HRCBM representatives.
They alleged and described a rein of terror that is unleashed upon the
community. Eyewitness described that who ever wanted to rtuen to their homes has
been subject to severe beating and toll collections. The miscreants allegedly
from ruling party are still continually looting and attacking people belonging
to minority community. The victims alleged that a ruling party candidate who has
lost the local municipality election has unleashed his thugs on minorities.
This investigation was conducted by HRCBM’s newly formed Khulna chapterwho has
spent two days (from May 18 to May 19, 2004) carefully observing the affected
population, taking eyewitness counts and observing the place of occurrence.
The investigation was leaded by Advocate Manoranzan Das, President of
HRCBM-Khulna, Mr. Sudangshu Mallick, General Secretary of HRCBM-Khulna, Mr.
Bidhan Dasgupta, organizing secretary of HRCBM-Khulna, a group of journalists
from country’s leading newspapers and human rights workers of the district.
Picture (courtesy HRCBM-Khulna): The trail of destruction. A minority house
stands in ruins depicting the nightmare the community has endured.
Description
The Kalia municipality polls under
Kalia thana in Norail district was held on May 5, 2004. Almost 35% voters of the
total voters of 12 villages under Kalia municipality are belonging to minority
Hindu community.
There were four candidates in the polls. Among them the 4 party alliances
(ruling BNP and Jamat-E-Islam alliance) supported candidate was Nawabul Alam and
the main opposition party Awami League candidate was Kabirul Huq Mukti. In the
polls Awami League candidate has won the election.
The defeat in the election has angered the ruling party unit of Kalia who
accused the minority people for the defeat and went on rampage on the community
attacking minorities and trashing and looting their houses on the night of May
6th, 2004. The first attacked on the houses of minority Hindus at Gavibda Nagar,
Kartickpur, Shitarampur and Chhota Kalia. The ruling party cadres assaulted and
humiliated the minorities, looted and trashed their house and earthly
belongings, demanded toll and threatened them to leave the country.
Due to constant threats and apparent failure of the local administration to
immediately quail the attacks hundreds minority families left their houses and
good number of them are still absconding.
Method of Attack
About 200 to 250 people mostly the ruling party cadres armed with lethal
weapons such as firearms, sword, iron rods and sticks went on rampage at
minority localities on the night of May 6th, 2004. Victims alleged they have
beaten up every member of minority families including women, children and men.
Some witness said, anything that moved in the house of minorities could not
escape the wrath of the attackers.
Hundreds of people belonging to minority community were injured in the attacks.
The miscreants have looted the belongings of the destitute families and took
away utensils of the families, ruined the paddies and basically destroyed
anything and everything in their path.
With tearful eyes, minorities described their ordeals to HRCBM representatives
hoping for relief and praying for justice. The attacked lasted for three days
from May 6th to May 8th, 2004. Reluctant administration watched the rein of
terror yet did not come to the rescue of the community.
With dismay, beaten and disgraced community members took shelter to relatives in
the nearby towns or in the fields or whatever hiding grounds they find to
safeguard them.
Picture (courtesy HRCBM-Khulna): Destitute women describing their ordeals and
praying for "justice". The justice which remain a buzz word for victims and more
of a commodity for criminals in Bangladesh.
The situation after the attack
The disgraced and
tormented minorities are completely heart broken after several attacks from May
6 to May 8, 2004.
Many of them feels they are alienated and state has little regards for the
community. Living absconding and feared with further attacks, many of the
victims are reluctant to return to their homes (whatever left in ruins). They
urged their safety to us as well to the local administration yet local
administration has completely failed to provide safety and security to these
hapless victims. Fearing attacks on their girls and possibly worst, minorities
those who still crunched onto their homestead have sent out grown up girls of
the family to the relatives in the town. Those who have business establishment
in the locality kept their shatter closed. Empowered by ruling party
leaders, miscreants are threatening minorities to leave the country and not
to return to the community.
Losing belongings and dignity, the disgraced some of the minorities still crunched to their homestead hoping for compassionate posture from local administration that seems to be missing.
Picture (courtesy HRCBM-Khulna): A group of destitute people describing their
agony and dismay to HRCBM-Khulna hoping for help and justice.
Those victims who have came back to
their homestead
passing their
their days in utter fear. The destitute begged helped to HRCBM and appealed
through us to all concerned for the help. The miscreants demanded ransom to many
of them to live in the locality.
As usual taking the twist of the law, through its loophole, they are filing
cases against minorities accusing the victims as the attackers asserting that
victims has attacked the miscreants. This is nothing new, the same tactics are
used by criminals in various parts of the country. HRCBM's representatives were
charged in a similar case at Nowabganj where hundreds of minorities were subject
to similar crime.
Victims
Almost 25 houses of minorities at Chotta Kalia were damaged by the attacks. Some
of the affected family members with whom HRCBM talked in that village are
Krishna Pada Acharjee, Thakur Chand Adhikaree, Bimal Majumdar, Parimal Bishwas,
Ashwini Bishwas, Laxmikanta and Akhil. According to eyewitness, a group of
miscreants came in motorcycles and threatened the minority community of the
village prior to the attack on May 7, 2004 and then about sixty miscreants went
on rampage in the village, destroying and looting the belongings of the
minorities. The families those who are affected belongs to the following
individuals:
Ratan Biswas, Ranazit Biswas, Sanxit Biswas, Shantiram Biswas, Nirod Biswas,
Shman Biswas, Jiten biswas, Shantiram Biswas, Monimohon Roy, Ananda Sardar,
Shaman Sardar, Haripada Biswas, Bali Biswas and Kankan Biswas. Apart from those
families there were numerous others who were subject to torture as well.
Picture (courtesy HRCBM-Khulna): The sure sign of the rampage. A disgraced
minority family tries to put back the looted homestead in order. Their agony and
dismay is surely vissible in the picture.
Nishikanta Biswas of Mirzapur village was beaten and his house was looted. The houses and shops of Fela sheel and Montu Roy were trashed. Khoka Biswas and his wife was beaten by hammer. About 20 to 25 houses including Dhiren master and Mukul Biswas were attacked and were looted at the same village.
The statements from victims
Dr. Atul chandra Biswas, son of late Deen Nath Biswas told HRCBM that the
miscreants not only attacked his house but also filed case against him at the
Kalia police station. Krishona Acharjee asserted that the family members escaped
from the house as they were anxious of being victime to attack but the miscrient
attack his house. Thakur chand Adhakari, son of Foka Adhakari of Chhoto kalia
village said the miscreants beat him and his wife and looted paddy from his
house. Bimol Majumdar of the village said the miscreants looted 3 of his cows. A
good number of people alleged such kind of inhumane activities on the people of
minority community of the area.
Picture (courtesy HRCBM-Khulna): Family of Dr. Atual Chandra Biswas
describing their ordeal.
Please note that during these attacks some people of Muslin community those who
are the supporters of Awami League (opposition party) were also attacked after
the polls. Sarowar Sheikh, Mandar, Siddiqur Rahaman and Sheike Abdullah were
attacked and their houses were trashed and looted as well.
Statements of the administration
Mr.
Farhad uddin, the District Commissioner of Narail disrict told HRCBM that the
situation is now peaceful. "The people who absconded from their houses have come
back. I went to Kalia and assured the local people about their safety. The
attack was related to municipality election" he added.
The superintendent of police of Narail district told HRCBM that the mobilization
of police has been increased". Village defense committee has already being
formed. Required steps will be taken to keep law and order situation under
control." he added.
According to SP office sources, some of the miscreants namely Akram, Lalon, Hira,
Babu, Zia, Harun, Akram Hossaion and Lablu were arrested till May 19, 2004.
HRCBM's Observation
Although district administration has assured us that they will try to protect the community, yet there was no sign of police activity in the villages during our visit. Since the attackers belonging to ruling party, police and local administration seems to have much reluctant to take drastic action. In addition to the much in action of the police, officers are taking cases from the miscreants as if victims have attacked the miscreants. As usual, miscreants with unholy alliance of police are using the domestic law inappropriately by further terrorizing the community.