1.0. INTRODUCTION
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-
Jamat-E-Islam led coalition government of Prime Minister Khaleda Zia claims Bangladesh as a moderate democratic
country. However, since the General
Election of 01 October 2001, that brought her to power,
inhuman violence has been unleashed against the freedom loving people,
especially religious minorities and ethnic minorities and indigenous people,
the Hindus, Budhists, Christians and tribal people. The silent pogrom of
minorities is going on unabated.
On the eve of Durga Puja, the most celebrated religious festival of
Bengali Hindus, reports of demolition of a 300-year old temple in Sonargaon,
Narayanganj, located at the adjoining district of the capital, Dhaka, brings
the sad memories of 2001 Durga Puja, when unprecedented brutality and violence
was inflicted upon the Hindus in Bangladesh. Since then, the minorities are
living a-day-at-a-time. We appeal to the
Honorable Prime Minister of Bangladesh to protect the rights of
the religious and ethnic minorities.
The
following is a glimpse of the brutal atrocities, murders, crime against women
and children, gang rape, burning and lynching to death, attacks on places of
worship, land-grabbing and eviction, forced Ziziya (minority protection) tax,
etc., perpetrated against the minorities and indigenous people of Bangladesh
over the last 50 days, since August 09, 2003.
This Urgent Action Appeal urges the Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and all
civilized governments and freedom loving people of he world to help save the
religious minorities and indigenous people’s communities, the most harmless and
hapless citizens of Bangladesh, from the perils of ongoing silent genocide.
The government of Bangladesh and the law enforcement authority must
wake up and face the stern reality with resilience and determination. We urge
upon the world leaders to use their good offices, to protect the innocent religious
minorities from the ongoing silent genocide and help restore law and order in Bangladesh.
2.0
GLIPMSES
OF VIOLENCE AND HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES SINCE
AUGUST 09 2003
2.1. Forced Occupation of
Durga
Temple at Sonargaon: No Durga Puja
for the Hindu Community
It
has been reported by national daily newspapers (The Sangbad and The Ittefaq,
September 29, 2003) on the eve of Durga Puja, the most celebrated religious
festival of the Bengali Hindus, that the properties of Sonargaon Durga Temple
in the district of Narayanganj has been forcefully occupied by Suruj Mia, an
influential ex-commissioner of Sonargaon Municipality, and his associate Asad
Ullah with the help of a gang of local miscreants. They have demolished the 300-year old
Durga Temple and the adjoining pond with
cemented bank steps. We report to you
with grave concern that the Hindu community is not only unable to celebrate the
most awaited rituals and festival of their life but also their life and
security are under constant threat.
2.2. Tribal housewife lynched to
death after gang rape at Ranishankail, Bangladesh
(Translated from Daily
Jugantor)
Takurgaon Reporter,
The Daily Jugantor, September 27, 2003.
Takurgaon:
The remnant of triple murder at Ranishankail of Takurgaon is still fresh yet
another tribal women lynched to death after brutal gang rape. The name of
unfortunate victim is Hasida alias Talamai (18), a newly married Tribal women
belonging to indigenous “Santhal” community. In the last 9 months, more than 12
women and men are brutally lynched to death at this sub district.
All of the said murder cases are properly registered in the local police
station as homicide yet due to political bias and laxity of police criminals
are yet to apprehend. Some complains that police is concealing or altering the
evidence to save criminals.
The
local journalists are also threatened not to disclose the incidents of
atrocities in the newspapers.
The
lone village Sindurpur lies half kilometer west of Husaingao under Ranishankail
of Takurgaon. At least seven indigenous Santhal families lived here scattered
while people belonging to other communities also live side by side. On September 19, 2003 at afternoon, Filipan Marmu left the wife Talami
Hasida alone at the cottage to catch fish for the livelihood. In that very
moment, a gang of local goons burst into the house and leaped on the hapless
women. Unable to have her as an easy prey, the brutes lynched the women to
death by slashing her throat after raping her. The villagers brought the
blood-bathed body of Talami to the local hospital, where she was pronounced
death. About a year ago Talami got married and according to local doctor she
was pregnant.
Although
two persons namely Abu Taleb (46) and Golam Rabbani (25) were named in the FIR
filed by Talami’s father in law Mr. Kamadang. He is doubtful of receiving
justice. Mr. Kamadang asserted that the criminals of the locality earlier
lynched his daughter “Murmu” (11) to death after gang raping her for which he
is yet to receive justice.
2.3. Hill people’s tale of woe: At
least 10 women gang raped.
Audity Falguni back
from Mahalchari, Khagrachari (Reports: Independent-Bangladesh News).
(This
is the first of a six-part-series on the volatile situation prevailing in the
Chittagong Hill Tracks after an incident on August 26, which generated
animosity and hatred).
Chittagong
Hill Tracts, the picturesque hilly region of the country, has turned volcanic
again since the August 26 incident when around 10 hill villages with more than
360 homesteads of Mahalchari upazila of Khagrachari district were burnt down.
It is reported that 79 houses of Babupara, 70 houses of Lemuchari, 12 of Noa
Para, 38 of Saw Mill Para, one house of Thali Para, 37 houses of Pahartali, 96
of Basanta Para and Kerengyanal villages, four of Durpajyanal and 22 of Ramesu
Karbari Para of Mahalchari upazilla, Khagrachhari, were burnt down. Apart from
arson, two persons were killed, nine men were injured, four Buddhist temples
were damaged and 10 women were reportedly raped.
A
spot visit to Babupara and Limuchari, two of the 10 fire-ravaged villages of
Mahalchari last Friday presented a pathetic sight as no sign of relief,
rehabilitation or reconstruction work could be seen in the affected localities.
Scarcely any government assistance has so far been extended to the helpless
hill people during the last 23 days.
Babupara,
the worst hit village of Mahalchari upazila, bore tell-tale
signs of arson and destruction as The Independent correspondents visited the
village on Friday morning.
"Around
79 Chakma and Marma villages were set on fire. Of the 79 homesteads, 38
belonged to the Chakmas and 39 to the Marmas. None was spared. Only four or
five houses of the local Bengali Hindus were intact," villagers told The
Independent preferring anonymity as earlier witnesses who made statements to
human rights groups and pressmen from Dhaka are now reportedly being
interrogated and harassed by the authorities.
Only
Jyotsna Khisa (40), second wife of late Binod Bihari Khisa, who was killed in
the clash with angry Bengalis on August 26 morning, and Sumon Marma (20), a
young man severely injured on the same day, consented to tell their tales of
woe.
"My
husband is dead and my 18-year-old son Nidarshan Khisa is still fighting for
life at the Chittagong Medical College hospital. We have got no
support to build our houses again and are now living under the open sky,"
said Jyotsna Khisa. "Bengalis came to our village at 9:30 in the morning on August
26. First they struck me on the head with a dagger. Later the army took me to
their camp and hit me with a bayonet on my chest," Sumon Marma told The
Independent.
It
is reported that soon after the abduction of the young Bengali Hindu
businessman Rupam Mahajan by extremists groups on August 24, local Bengalis had
been agitating on the issue. "On August 25 afternoon, local Bengali
businessmen along with thousands of Bengali settlers gathered in Mahalchari
upazilla bazar and shouted provocative slogans. Of the 300 shops at Mahalchari
bazar, only seven or eight belong to the hill people and the rest are dominated
by the Bengalis, both Hindus and Muslims," said an old villager of
Babupara. "Next day the Bengalis came with thousands of settlers at 9:30
am
and went on the rampage. They severely beat up Shai Nu Pru Chowdhury, the
Chairman of the Sindukchari union," the old man added. It was learnt from the villagers that the
Bengalis filed false cases against 32 villagers of Babupara.
It
was further learnt that although the GOC of the area promised to supply
corrugated tin sheets to the villagers on September 10, hardly any steps has
been taken so far. The whole village appeared scorched, including even its
trees. "Look at my home. It is all burnt now and my wife is getting
insane," said Mong Sa Je Marma (40), another bold man who dared to tell
his story. Some of the villagers of Babupara have shifted to their relatives'
houses in nearby villages and some have made tents. Around 10 or 15 army men
were seen patrolling the village.
On
a visit to Lemuchari village, it was found 63 homesteads of hill people, one
Buddhist temple, two shops, one club house, one UNICEF school and two rice
husking mills were all burnt down. The damaged Buddha idol was thrown into the
nearby pond some days earlier and that's why we cannot show you the idol,"
said Nitimoy Chakma (45) of Lemuchari village to The Independent yesterday
evening. The Keyang (Buddhist temple), however, was found half scorched.
Around
three trucks of army personnel were seen patrolling the Lemuchari village.
Earlier
at noon, The Independent reporter was not allowed to meet
about 10 alleged rape victims of Pahartali and Kerenganol villages of
Mahalchari upazilla by officials of an observation post at Tilapara village.
Tilapara village is mostly dominated by the Bengali Hindus, native village of the
abducted businessman Rupam Mahajan. The whole Mahalchari upazilla was seen
cordoned off by army trucks and army checkposts.
"Besides
the regular support and strength of 600-800 army personnel of the Mahalchari
zone office, seven to ten additional observation camps have been set up across
the Mahalchari. The situation is really uncertain," said Second-In-
Command (2IC) of the Mahalchari army zone office, Major Shamim to, The
Independent. When asked how long the uncertainty might last, he answered he had
no idea.
2.4. Minority Families of Dhamrai Attacked
by Local ruling party officials and Cadres
11-minority
families of Dhamrai were attacked by Local ruling party officials and their
criminals. The criminals first beaten up the victims (chopping the ear of a
victim) and latter with the help of local police and administration they have
put the victims in the jail. When we asked the Jail in charge as to why victims
were apprehended and put behind the bar without court order while the police
should have arrested the criminal instead, the officer in charge at the jail
became angry to warn us. After this incident, HRCBM's Dhaka chapter sought the
intervention of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police and Superintendent of
Police, Dhaka Bangladesh in this regards, they too
warned our members not to intervene, as minorities in the country are
expandable. Their disgusting behavior and threatening postures forced HRCBM to
disclose the matter in public.
2.5. Eight minority families of Dhananjoy
village living in a sense of insecurity
2.6. DIG and SP of Bangladesh
Police Issue Warning and Threats to HRCBM Human Rights Activist
(Minority Women and
Children along with their family members detained in false charges at Dhamrai).
Advocate Rabindra Ghosh, President,
HRCBM-Dhaka reports: While
I was continuing my humanitarian job in different parts of the country I
usually seek co-operation from the Administration particularly from the police.
But day before yesterday I solicited kind co-operation of Mr.Khoda Baksh
Chowdhury, DIG of Police, Dhaka for assisting the victims at Nowabganj and
also for direction to O.C. Nowabganj to arrest the accused in a case filed by
the minority victims. Mr. Khoda Chowdhury became angry with me and warned me
not to disturb him anymore in future.
Yesterday
I went to the Office of Mr. Matiar Rahman, Superintendent of Police, Dhaka to assist imparting justice
to the victims at Dhamrai who have been tortured by U.P. Members and Chairman
of the locality. I visited the place of occurrence and took the statements of
victims in video tape with the statements of Dhamrai police. As a result Mr.
Matiar Rahman became annoyed with me and he cautioned me to be more careful as
the high level Intelligence is monitoring my activities. He also brought a
false allegation that I am instigating the Hindus to come out with the
procession in Nowabganj police station.
I
also brought the victims in the office of Mr. Matiar Rahman and the victims of
Nowabganj told him that they have been persecuted and tortured by some
criminals belonging to ruling party. I also made a complain to S.P.Dhaka that
the O.C. wanted to bribe me during my investigation at Nowabganj. As I refused
to take any illegal bribe the O.C. Nowabganj is trying to fish in the troubled
water. I also went to see the victims of Dhamrai now in Dhaka Central Jail who
have been falsely arrested by Dhamrai police with the active support of U.P.
Member and local Chairman. Initially the Senior Jail Superintendent denied that
the victims were injured by U.P. Member. But while I contacted with the
Inspector-General of Prisons then I could identify the wounds upon the victim
Amar Mani Das. Subsequently Amar Mani Das has been admitted in
Dhaka Central Jail Hospital.
2.7. Murder of Dr. S.K. Mukherjee of
Jhenaidah
The report of the gruesome murder of Dr. Mukherjee on
September 19, 2003, in Prothom Alo (a Bengali Daily, and The Daily Star (an
English daily) cast a pall of gloom on Jhenaidah, a district town in
Bangladesh.
Dr.
Sudhir Kumar Mukherjee, an octogenarian physician, founding President of Khulna
Division Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA), President of Bangobandhu Parisad
of Jhenaidah, President of District Puja Observance Committee, Past President
of Jhenaidah Hindu, Buddhist and Christian Unity Council, Past General
Secretary of Chuadanga District Awami League, and an inspiring leader of the
minority community.
According
to the newspapers, a gang of four miscreants killed Dr. S.K. Mukherjee on broad
daylight. On September 18, 2003, while Dr. Mukherjee was
supervising renovations of his house, the doorbell rang at about 2 PM local
time. The widely regarded physician went to his chamber at the ground floor.
Curious at not hearing any sound, Anna Karmakar, housemaid of Dr. Mukherjee,
went down to the chamber and found the door locked from inside. She then peered
into the doctor’s chamber through the window and found to her awe that the
octogenarian physician was lying in a pool of blood in front of the door. Upon
hearing the screams of Anna, neighbors rushed to the house and took Dr.
Mukherjee to Jhenaidah General Hospital where the doctors on duty
pronounced him dead. At least six stab wounds were found on the body of Dr.
Mukherjee. No other members of the family but Dr. Mukherjee, his wife and the
housemaid lived in the house. Dr. Mukherjee’s wife was not in the house at the
time of the murder. She was visiting her village home at Boaliya, Jhenaidah
Upazila (Sub-district).
At
the time when this heinous killing took place, the leader of the Opposition,
Sheik Hasina, was addressing a meeting at a local school (Wazir Ali School) premises. On hearing the
news, She went to the hospital to see Dr. Mukherjee. She told the journalist,
“None of us are safe now”.
Two
of the neighbors told the news media that Dr. Mukherjee told them that, about a
week ago, a group of young people demanded a large sum of money from him. The
murder may be linked to the demand of large sum of money. However, the District
Superintendent of Police, Mr. Abdullah Al Mahmood, told the media that the
motives behind the killing are not yet definitely established.
A
sense of deep loss, sadness, anguish and fear for life and security is
prevailing in Jhenaidah, especially within the minority community.
2.8. Brutal Gang Rape of Minority girls Belonging
to Indigenous Community.
An Investigative Report from HRCBM-Dhaka
Rabindra
Ghosh,
President, HRCBM-Dhaka, Reports:
I,
advocate Rabindra Ghosh on behalf of HRCBM, Dhaka along with Basudev
Karmakar, a volunteer of HRCBM rushed to Jamalpur district at two different
places of occurrence on 30th and 31st August, 2003 – one
is at Sontia Bazar, Jamalpur Sadar P.S. and another is at Bakshiganaj P.S. to
ascertain the incident of repression and rape on the religious minorities on
the basis of news published in different news papers in Bangladesh.
We
reached Jamalpur on 30th August, 03 by Bus at about 6 p.m. and
stayed in a Hotel for the night and went to Officer-in-Charge of Jamalpur Sadar
P.S. to know the situation now continuing in Sontia Bazar where a good number
of Hindu Karmakar family were attacked on 2nd of February, 2003,
resulting which two male and female victims were seriously injured. The Hindu
families consisting of 50 in number were threatened to leave the country and
some terrorists attempted to occupy their landed properties for illegal gain. A
case was registered in Jamalpur Sadar police station at the instance of HRCBM, Dhaka. In that case more than 14
accused were charge sheeted including local Union Parishad Chairman. After
getting bail from the court the accused started to threat upon those Hindu
families. (Please visit: www.hrcbm.org/women/lenita_0909.html for further
details).
2.9. Life Wiped out of Shova's Eyes in Highlands
of Lost Hope
Report: The Daily Star News September 09, 2003
Pinaki Roy back from Khagrachhari.
http://www.thedailystar.net/2003/09/08/d30908011111.htm
Padma Shova Chakma
stared vacantly at her burnt-out house, holding a charcoal of a betel nut tree.
Piles of coal of what constituted her property a few days ago were strewn all
over. "I don't know why they ruined
my life. I've lost everything. I don't know where to go and what to do with my
five daughters," Shova said, tears welling up in her eyes. The 40-year-old
woman and her family lost everything at their Lemuchhari village on the
afternoon of August 26 when a mob of Bangalee settlers from neighboring
Chanrachhari village torched their village at will.
Lemuchhari
was not the lone village of indigenous people that was reduced to ashes; seven
other villages of Babupara, Pahartali, Keranganal, Durpajjanal, Ramesshu
Karbaripara, Sawmill Para and Basanta Para also stood in ruins. Burnt-out
houses, piles of charcoal and blackened trees marked the villages of ethnic
people. Only a few worn-out disheveled villagers were milling around the ruins
of their house in the hope of salvaging the petty things for rebuilding life.
Most of them lost all their clothes, except for those they were wearing.
"Many of us have been starving since the nightmare," said Paingcraio
Marma, a villager of Babupara. "Only a few lucky families have got rice
handouts from the government." A
few animals, mostly pariah dogs, pet pigs and poultry birds, roamed the
battered homesteads seemingly in a daze.
'Scorched Earth' Approach
The
indigenous people claim that Bangalees, both Hindu and Muslim, torched and
looted about 350 houses in the villages under Mahalchhari Police Station,
killing two and raping at least 10 women. The marauders also ransacked three
Buddhist temples and razed one and took away four Buddha statues, they alleged.
The abduction of a Bangalee youth, Rupan Mahajan, allegedly by a gang of
indigenous people on August 24 triggered the violence.
Rupan's
family said the hostage-takers demanded Tk 5 lakh in ransom. "I was
working at my yard, unaware of the disturbance brewing elsewhere. Suddenly a
group of 60 to 70 Bangalee settlers came shouting towards our village. They
were armed with machetes, sticks and spears and jerrycanful of kerosene,"
said Shova.
"Before
I could make out the situation, they stormed houses, looting and burning
everything. I saw some people of the neighbouring village with whom our
villagers had good relations, in an unbelievably marauding mood."
"Our
villagers ran helter-skelter for cover. They were crying, calling out relatives
and running towards the Kalabanya jungle. I asked my daughters to follow me and
run to save life. We had no time to think of property or anything
else." She said the gang in their
two-hour frenzied attack on the village torched all the 63 houses one after
another. "They looted valuables, farm animals and burnt everything including
rice, wheat and maize in their scorched earth policy," Shova said. "I
came out of the jungle the next day to find the village of lost hope. Nothing
was standing, ashes of burnt thatched houses were scattered all over."
Proggajyoti
Chakma of Lemuchhara village said some hills people rushed to the police camp,
just 100 metres off the village, to inform them of the raids, but the
law-enforcers never responded to their cries for help. "We had no other
way but to flee to the jungles," he said.
"Our people say the situation in all the eight villages is the
same. Even seven days into the arson, we've got only a handful handout of rice
from the government," Shova said.
She and other villagers like Joyotibikash Chakma, a schoolteacher,
Sonaratan, headman of the village, Amal Kumar Chakma, Union Parishad member --
all live in the Kalabanya jungle.
They
have no shelter and no way to save them from monsoon rains. Those who had
flimsy shelters in the jungles were drenched in the cloudburst yesterday.
Living a precarious life in the jungles is better than living in damaged houses
under the spectre of unceasing fear of mindless acts of bestiality, say the
indigenous people. Avinas Chakma, a student of Dhaka State College and a
resident of Babupara village, had read about the incident when he was in Dhaka. He went to his home
village five days after the incident to see the scars of the plunder.
"What remain of my house are only ashes. If I tell the barbaric story to
my friends in Dhaka, they won't believe it. It's totally unbelievable in a society that
claims itself to be democratic," he said.
Administration Indifferent
The
indigenous people allege that the administration is soft-pedalling on bringing
the criminals to justice and trying to shift the blame onto rival political
groupings of indigenous people. The administration has no definite information
on how many houses were burnt and how many indigenous people became homeless.
According
to the indigenous people, 63 houses were burnt in Lemuchhari village alone and
the loss ranged between Tk 30,000 and Tk 12,00000 a house.
The
Bangalee settlers say the violence was the act of ethnic people. Some of them
set fire to a house in their simmering conflict raging in the area and the fire
soon leapt to neighbouring houses and villages, they claim.
Local
legislator Wadud Bhuiyan said it was not the Bangalees, but the indigenous
people were their own enemies.
The
Prime Minister's Office is planning to allocate Tk 30 lakh for the
rehabilitation of the victims.
2.10. Minorities are forced to pay Zizia Tax
(a tax impose on non-Muslims to live in Bangladesh)
at Nowabganj: HRCBM Investigative Report
Rabindra
Ghosh,
President, HRCBM-Dhaka Reports: September 04, 2003.
I
have just come from Nawbabganj Upazilla within Dhaka District 150 kilometers
from Dhaka town. One hundred Hindu
families (including women children) had to approach the O.C and Upazilla
Nirbahi (Executive) Officer of Nowbabganj with banner that they had been
tortured and oppressed by some BNP ruling terrorists.
More
than 3,00,000. Ziziya tax was claimed and ultimately those toll collection from
the Hindu families are continuing. The O.C. Nawbabganj snatched away their
banner and did not return it back. O.C. also threatened them to file case
against those families. I went to O.C. and other law enforcing agencies, talked
with the victims.
More
than 300 Hindu victims complained that they want to leave the country due to
torture and repression. I have managed to file a case against the terrorists in
the police station. A sensational news has been published in different news
papers on this issue. (Visit http://www.hrtribune.com/News/nowabganj_0904.html)
for further details.
2.11. Gang-rape of 9 Ethnic Women in
Khagrachhari
Rangamati
Correspondent; The Daily Star, August 31, 2003.
Nine indigenous women, three of a
family, were gang raped and some others assaulted during nearly eight-hour mob
attacks on at least 10 villages in Mohalchhari upazila of Khagrachhari district
on Wednesday, Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity (PCJSS) leader Polash
Khisha alleged yesterday.
More than 400 houses in those villages,
two Buddhist temples and three shops were set ablaze and an elderly indigenous
man was killed during the attacks, said Polash, PCJSS Rangamati district unit
secretary. Polash made the allegations at a protest rally in front of the
deputy commissioner's office here at 11:00am. The rape
victims included the wife and two teenage daughters of a Chakma man of
Pahartoli village and six others of Dupoizza Neel village, he said.
Quoting a detailed report from
indigenous villagers, the PCJSS leader alleged involvement of some security
personnel in instigating the mob into attacking the villages. Polash also said
an eight-month-old baby named Chikko Chakma, son of Shamiron Chakma, died in
his arms as he pressed the child's mouth to prevent him from crying to avert
attacks by the mob while fleeing his house in Karengalal village. The PCJSS
leader alleged a vested quarter is making fresh bids to worsen the situation in
the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) region and the Mohalchhari incident is the
latest one.
The rally was chaired by PCJSS' student
wing Pahari Chhatra Parishad (PCP) Rangamati district unit president Ashin
Chakma and addressed by, among others, PCP central leader Binotamoy Tripura and
Tulu Marma. Earlier, the district unit PCP also brought out a procession that
paraded thoroughfares of the town.
Meanwhile, the United People's
Democratic Front (UPDF) has called a 72-hour road blockade programme in the
hill district from 6:00am today to realize its six-point demand, reports UNB.
UPDF leaders announced the programme at a press conference here yesterday to
press for their demands, including formation of a judicial inquiry committee,
to probe the recent incidents of killing and arson in Mohalchhari Upazila.
2.12. Terror in Bangladesh
James Morrison, The
Washington Times, August 26, 2003, reports:
“Rape is a most useful
tool to evict a family. Rape makes it impossible for a family to stay in the
area,”. “Friday afternoons are the worst, she said. Miss Costa, who lives
near one of the largest mosques in the capital, Dhaka, said angry Muslims,
inflamed by mullahs at Friday services, pour out of the mosque, looking for any
available Christian, Hindu or Buddhist on which to vent their fury. The
situation is worse in rural areas, she said, where Muslim mobs have
"ethnically cleansed" many areas of their inhabitants. Hindus are the
most affected, she said, because they traditionally have owned the most land.”
Bangladesh promotes itself as a
"moderate, progressive and democratic Muslim country," but a leading
human rights activist from the South Asian nation says it is a land of terror
for many of its Hindu, Buddhist and Christian citizens. Rosaline Costa, director
of Hotline Bangladesh, yesterday told
correspondent Julia Duin that in the Bhola islands on the southern coast of the
country, 98 percent of Hindu women interviewed had been raped by Muslim thugs.
A former nun, Miss Costa has won awards
for her campaign a decade ago to abolish sweatshops that employed Bangladeshi
children to make garments for U.S.
clothing outlets. She has turned down offers to emigrate for her own safety,
saying she prefers to stay in the land of her birth and monitor what she says
is a rising tide of killings, maimings, beatings, land grabs, destruction of
homes, vandalism, extortion and destruction of temples and churches.
Amnesty International and Human Rights
Watch have condemned the abuses in Bangladesh.
The State Department's latest human rights report criticized the government's
"poor human rights" record, but noted that the government
"generally respected" religious freedom.
The State Department cited "reports
of harassment of Hindus, including killings, rape, looting and torture"
blamed on local gang leaders.
Miss Costa, however, said local police
do little or nothing to investigate the attacks. Once she approached a moderate
Muslim friend for help, who responded with incredulity.
" 'Are you mad?' " she said he asked
her. " 'Do you think my head will stay on my body?'"
Bangladesh
is a breeding ground for militant Islam, said Sitangshu Guha, a Hindu-American
accompanying Miss Costa in her tour of the United States.
A spokesman for the Bangladesh Embassy
could not be reached for comment yesterday, but the government has repeatedly
denied news reports about Muslim terrorists organizing in Bangladesh.
Non-Muslims made up 33 percent of the
country's inhabitants in 1971, when Bangladesh
won independence from Pakistan,
Miss Costa said. They are now 9.9 percent of the population. Thousands of
people have fled to India,
Japan
and other countries, especially Britain,
which had colonized the subcontinent for 200 years.
Religious attacks have increased since
October 2001, when the Bangladesh National Party came to power in a coalition
with hard-line Islamic parties, Miss Costa said.
Friday afternoons are the worst, she
said. Miss Costa, who lives near one of the largest mosques in the capital, Dhaka, said angry
Muslims, inflamed by mullahs at Friday services, pour out of the mosque,
looking for any available Christian, Hindu or Buddhist on which to vent their
fury. The situation is worse in rural areas, she said, where Muslim mobs have
"ethnically cleansed" many areas of their inhabitants. Hindus are the
most affected, she said, because they traditionally have owned the most land.
"Rape is a most useful tool to
evict a family. Rape makes it impossible for a family to stay in the
area," she said, explaining that the female victims are frequently blamed
for disgracing their families.
2.13. 3-Women Raped as Robbers Loot Houses
Staff Correspondent,
Khulna: The Daily Star, August 21, 2003
Armed robbers raped three women as they robbed houses of Hindus at Piljanga and
Shyambagat villages under Fakirhat Police Station early Tuesday morning of
money, gold ornaments and other valuables worth over Tk 3 lakh.
The
three young women were undergoing treatment at the Fakirhat Upazila Health
Complex along with Gopal Kumar Dey, 25, and Chand Kumar Das, 24, who were
injured in the attack, said Officer-in-Charge (OC) Nikhil Chandra Mondol of
Fakirhat Police Station.
Police
said a gang of 15 looted the houses of Monoranjon Dey, Nimai Dey, Bishnupada
Dey, Niranjan Dey and Nirmal Kumar Dey of Piljanga village at about 3:30am and of Ashok Das and Ashim
Das of Shyambagat village at 5:00am. The victims are affluent
men, said the OC. Police recovered two used gun cartridges from the scenes.
2.14. Two Minority Women of a Family Burnt Alive in
Patiya, Chittagong.
Two
women of a family were burnt alive as miscreants allegedly set fire to a house
in Patiya in the early hours of yesterday. The miscreants locked the house from
outside and fired gunshots during the incident, neighbors alleged. Police said
the fire broke out at the tin-shed house of Bijoy Biswas at Batua village at
around 1am while all of the family was asleep.
The
dead were identified as Supta, 20, newly-wed wife of Bijoy Biswas, and his
sister Tinku Biswas, 18. Bijoy and his another sister, Rinku Biswas, managed to
come out of the burning house with severe injuries, police said. They were
admitted to the Patiya Upazila health complex and later shifted to the
Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) as their condition deteriorated.
The
house was completely gutted in the fire, police and witnesses said.
According
to sources, Bijoy Biswas had a strained relationship with his father-in-law who
did not give his consent to the marriage. Anju Biswas,mother of Bijoy
Biswas,and some neighbors alleged that a gang of miscreants torched the house
at the instigation of Bijoy's father-in-law.
Bijoy's
younger brother Samiran Biswas alleged that the gang used gunpowder to set the
house afire. Anju Biswas and Samiran were not at their house at the time of the
incident.
3.0. URGENT ACTION DEMANDED
The
Human Right Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM) is deeply shocked at
continued violence against the minority communities in Bangladesh. We express our grave
concern about the safety and security of the Hindu, Buddhist, Christian and
indigenous people’s communities in Bangladesh. The minorities must be protected.
Honorable Prime Minister,
Begum Khaleda Zia, on the eve of this auspicious time in the life of Bengali
Hindus, coincidentally on the eve of your second anniversary of victory in the
2001 General Election, we urge you to take extra precautions and appropriate
steps to protect the life, properties and freedom of the people of Bangladesh,
specially the minority communities all over the country.
The perpetrators are
anti-Bangladesh, anti-peace and destructive cannibals who are still
allowed to commit these barbaric acts of crime against the most
nonviolent, peace-loving and helpless human beings belonging to the minority
and tribal communities of Bangladesh. These “abominable creatures in human forms” must be caught, punished
and eliminated from the society so that “others of their ilk” never dare to
commit violence again.
Many such incidents of brutality and heinous crime happened since the
General Election of October 1, 2001. The minorities are still crying for
justice and punishment of the criminals of these other barbaric acts of
violence perpetrated against the religious minorities and tribal communities in
Bangladesh.
HRCBM urges the Prime
Minister of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh to instruct the law
enforcement authorities to:
·
Provide
immediate protection to all temples and
places of worship
·
Arrest the
perpetrators who demolished and occupied the
Sonargaon
Durga
Temple and bring them to justice.
HRCBM further urges the Prime Minister of the
Peoples Republic of Bangladesh to ensure
that:
·
The laws of the land and those of a free democratic
society are enforced,
·
Secularism and communal harmony is restored,
·
Basic human rights of all citizens enshrined in the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights are upheld,
·
Security of life and property of the minority
communities in Bangladesh are guaranteed, and that
·
The perpetrators are dealt with an iron hand.
APPEAL
TO:
Honorable
Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia
Office
of the Prime Minister
Gano
Bhaban
Sher-e
Bangla Nagar
Dhaka
Bangladesh
Telgrams:
Prime Minister Zia, Dhaka
Bangladesh
Fax:
88028113243
Salutation:
Dear Prime Minister or Hon’ble Prime Minister.
Mr.Mudabbir Hossain Chowdhury
Inspector General of Police
Police Headquarter
Fulbaria, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Telegrams: Inspector-General Chowdhury
Fulbaria, Dhaka,
Bangladesh
Fax: 880-2-956-3362; 880-2-956-3363
Salutation: Dear Sir
PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY:
You may please fax or mail your appeal.
Contact us at info@hrcbm.org
for any question and further details.
NB: This
Urgent Action Appeal has been sent the UN Secretary General, US State
Department, US Ambassador to Bangladesh, Bangladesh Ambassador to the US,
Amnesty International, IMF, World Bank, Paris Consortium, International Human
Rights Organizations, world leaders and governments of more than 120 countries.
