A picture on minority oppression in Bangladesh

A picture on minority oppression in Bangladesh

By Jahangir Alam Akash, Hindu-Indigenous and Christian minority people have been oppressed continuously by the political influential in Bangladesh. An Indigenous woman Jhorna Dewan (32) has killed on 29 March in Rangamati. (Source: BD News 24, 30.3.2010). This is the latest incident of minority oppression. At least 3 Indigenous people have killed in the incident of February in CHT. We can make a picture of minority oppression.
According to the daily Jugantor (24.3.2010), Mohammad Sanowaruzzaman Josef – Member of Upazila Awami League and U.P. Chairman and his brother Mr. Shamsuzzaman Talukdar Soeb – President of Juba League forcefully and fraudulently occupied lands of renowned Kali Temple situated at Kaliazuri Upazila Sadar of Netrakona district of Bangladesh.
In this connection, Mr. Ranjit Sarker along with some leaders of Hindu community made an appeal to the Deputy Commissioner of Netrakona district for recovery of deity’s land. They also claimed that since long the Hindu communities were celebrating Puja and religious festival on those lands. The powerful land grabbers most illegally occupied those lands and started construct multi storied building thereon. A sense of discontentment was prevailing amongst the Hindu communities due to this abrupt occupation of Temple properties.
According to the Samakal (22.3.2010), Muslim perpetrators on 21 March at about 16.00 hours attacked Hindu village at Dhanua within Faridgonj Police station of Chandpur district. Two Hindu dwellers have been admitted at the hospital with precarious condition due to abrupt attack by perpetrators. Names of injured victims are 1) Ms.Archana Rani Das and 2) Sanjit Das. Because of continuous love affairs between Hindu boy Mr. Samir Chandra Das (17) and Muslim girl Ms. Haowa Begum (16) there developed eternal love.
It is reported that there existed a love between a Hindu boy and a Muslim girl within the same locality. Both the boy and girl absconded due to persistent pressure from their father and mothers and other religious leaders. Muslim inhabitants of the same locality became furious because of inter- religious marriage activities in the locality. On 21March at about 16.00pm a gang of perpetrators with deadly weapons attacked Hindu village, destroyed a substantial part of Temple thus desecrated the Hindu deities thereon, destroyed some dwelling houses of minorities and assaulted 10 Hindu inhabitants of Hindu village only because of love affairs between Hindu boy Mr. Samir Chandra Das (17) and Muslim girl Ms. Haowa Begum (16) This unfortunate incident took place at Bara Dhanua Uttaqr Das Para U.P. No.9 of Govindapur, Faridgonj police station of Chandpur district.
Mr. Bhudu Gopal Das lodged first information report (FIR) at Faridgonj police station on same day against the five perpetrators and unknown 10/15 others under section 143/447/448/385/295/323/325/427/502 of Bangladesh penal code. The accused perpetrators are: Mohammad Faruk (40) son of Yonus, Md. Harun (35) son of Abdul Gani, Md. Siddique (35) son of Iqbal, Md. Sumon (35) Luthfar Rahman Gazi, Md. Masum (35) son of Younus Patwari and 10 to 15 unknown others. Faridgonj police arrested Mohammad Faruk and Md. Harun and sent them to jail custody. All other perpetrators are absconding.
According to the daily Amader Shomoy ( 21 March, 2010), Ms. Anju Rani Das (16) a Hindu school student of Class Nine was seized forcibly from custody of her elder brother on way to visit their relative’s house at Boga Union of village West Kaina within Baufol police station. Her father’s name is Amullya Chandra Das (45) of Kolapara police station of Patuakhali district. Mr. Shymol Chandra Das – elder brother of victim girl was wrongfully restrained and confined at the road along with Ms.Anju physically assaulted, their belongings looted, by the perpetrators and took victim away at Kaina and more than 8 Muslim perpetrators raped her one after another 10/15 kilometres away from police station. Initially the local people came to know about this incident of gang-rape and informed the police after chase of two accused. Ms. Anju Rani was gang-raped on 19th March, 10 at about 8.30 p.m. at Kaina of Boga Union 15 kilometres away from Baufal police station by following accused perpetrators: Hanif Howlader ( 38), Bashir Mollah (30), Forkan Howlader (25), Mohammad Masum @ commander Masud (28), Jamal Khan (35), Mohammad Liton (25), Abdul Mannan (30), Md. Abul Kalam (32). The victim lodged first information report (FIR) at Boufol police station being Boufol P.S. case No. 20 dated 20.03.2010 under section 9(3)30 of Women and Children Repression Ordinace,2003 and 341/379 of Bangladesh penal code against those perpetrators. Out of eight perpetrators two have been arrested by police in the meantime.
According to the daily Sangbad (16.3.2010), Serious allegation against perpetrators belonging to Awami League in power forcefully occupied landed properties worth Taka half a billion of Hindu families at Kishoreganj town. Although police rushed at the spot soon after a general diary was lodged at Sadar police station the perpetrators continued to erect construction on the lands of Hindus illegally. On Monday the Hindu victims in press conference imparted facts of case at the District Press Club in Kishoreganj that on last Friday morning the perpetrators namely –Abdul Karim son of Hashim Bepari, Siddique son of Mansur Ali and Taher along with 10/12 more perpetrators forcefully occupied .5 sataks of lands belonging to Narayan Biswas of Bhattacharjee Para, .7 sataks of lands belonging to Ms.Mala Rani Chowdhury wife of Saitten Bhattacharjee, .3 sataks of lands belonging to Ms.Beauty Bhattarjee wife of Brajesh Bhattacharjee, 03 sataks of lands belonging to Ms.Beauty Rani Sutradhar wife of Bipul Sutradhar, 03 and half sataks belonging to Monmohan Basak, 05 and half sataks of lands belonging to Nani Gopal Banik.
It is also reported that those minority Hindus had been owning and possessing those lands since 15 to 30 years ago. All those lands grabbers forcefully erected houses. In this connection Mr.Saitten Bhattacharjee husband of Ms. Mala Rani started a general diary entry as complainant.The minority communities there in great anxiety and nobody dared to protest illegal construction of houses on their lands. Mir Mosharaf Hossain, Officer-in-Charge of Sadar P.S. informed that on Sunday night and on Monday morning police stopped construction on the lands in dispute. Both the parties were advised to report police station with their legal documents.
According to the daily Jugantor (5.3.2010), Assailants shot dead a Jewellery trader in front of Bahadur Shah Park in Old town in Dhaka Thursday morning.
The deceased was Prem Krishna Roy (37), a resident of Khailash Ghosh Lane at Kazir Deuri. Witnesses said a gang of three of four assailants stopped Prem Krishna, who was on his way home, near the park about 7.45 a.m. and shot him in the fact, chest, abdomen and shoulders. Prem, who returned from Dubai recently, fell on the ground severely wounded. The gangsters made their escape by firing blank shots. Local people took him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Prem’s elder brother Amal Roy alleged his brother might have been killed by extortionist who had demanded Taka 10 lakh from Amal just a month ago. On 14th February, 10 he made a general diary entry at Kotwali police station for necessary protection, but police failed to protect him. “Some unnamed people, who demanded Taka 10 lakh from me, threatened me and my family over telephone of dire consequences if I would fail to pay the money, he said. As I refused to pay the money, they repeatedly threatened me saying that they would kill my family members, Amal, who owns the James Jewellery Workshop in the area. Prem who got married to Ms Swapna Roy three months ago, returned to the country early December, 2009 after staying in Dubai for five years. Swapna said her husband had no enmity with anyone.
Nitty Mondal, a worker of the James Jewellery Workshop told that Amal Roy received threats from unnamed caller three times in February and he refused to pay any money back home, Prem Roy had helped his brother in running the business. Once Prem was abducted for extorting Taka five million and after payment those perpetrators let him free on condition. He however, said they could not identify the extortionist.
According to the daily Destiny (18.2.2010), Bijoy Roy (13) a Hindu- children- van-carrier of Chowgacha Upazila was assassinated to death by unknown assailants. His head was separated from his body. He is a destitute child of Aswani Roy –a Hindu van carrier of village Bonni of Chowgacha Upazila. Nobody could identify who were the killers. There is no allegation against this destitute boy. Local lamented for such killing as soon as they came to know this unfortunate event. Local people informed police on 15 February, 10 while mutilated dead body of Bijoy Roy was identified from village Bonni. Police sent the dead body to hospital morgue for autopsy. No relatives of the deceased know when why this boy was brutally killed. On Sunday last Bijoy did not return to his home till his assassination. No trace was available whole night from 14 February, 10. Neighbour became astonished seeing his separated body of this innocent boy.
Mozzammel Hoque, S.I. of Police informed that a murder case has been started without mentioning the names of the assailants and the investigation was going on. Chowgacha P.S. case No. 4 dated 15.02.10 under section 302/34 of penal code; one Md. Tarikul Islam (21) son of Abdul Mannan was arrested on suspicion.
According to the daily Sangbad and Samakal (7.2.2010), consequent upon an incident of sexual harassment of Hindu girl some unruly perpetrators attacked Hindu Temple at Mograpara of Sonargaon Sub-district at Narayanganj of Bangladesh on Friday 5 February, 10 evening. Perpetrators also demolished 6 (six) Hindu Deities (Murthies), attacked houses belonging to Hindu communities. During this time Hindus were celebrating Puja at the premises. Police deployed for controlling the situation. The perpetrators also damaged houses belonged to Hindus namely a) Naresh b) Netai, c) Polly, d) Govinda and e) Sentu and some Hindu youths had been beaten. The perpetrators belonged to Muslims are: Rakibul, Sujan, Sabbir, Mohan, Sagar, Ripon and more others. It is alleged that since 2 February, 10 “Kali Puja” started at village Ashrabdi within Sonargaon Sub-District which would continue for seven days as usual custom. On 4 February, 10 some perpetrators went to see Puja and they wanted to harass one Hindu girl sexually. Some Hindu people protested this ugly harassment and as a result there was scuffle between them and at one stage 20/25 perpetrators armed with sticks and other wooden lathies attacked the Hindu temple and damaged 6 (six) deities. As a result 4 persons were injured. The local Upazila Chairman Md. Mosharaf Hossain informed that the matter has been compromised.
According to the daily Janakantha (19.1.2010), Seven Murthies (Sarwasati deities) constructed for the purpose of Puja demolished by the perpetrators at Pal Para on Saturday night within Sajahanpur in the district of Bogra. Police informed there was preparation of 12 Sarawasati Deity in the village of Demajani of Sajahanpur Upazila. Those Murthies were constructed for the purpose of ensuring Sarwasati Puja. The deity maker worked till 10 a.m. But in the morning out of 12 Deities 7 seven deities are not traceable. After through search those seven deities were found in the jungle with broken conditions.
According to the daily Sangbad (16.12.2010), A powerful businessman within Muktagacha town of Mymensingh district forcefully occupied lands belonging to Hindus. Because the Hindu victim solicited justice, perpetrators obstructed roads and trying to evict him unlawfully. The victim alleged in a written complain that Ms.Raju Bala constructed a house purchasing .3.00 sataks of lands from Mohammad Hossain in the year, 1989 within Paratongi Mouza and she was staying thereon lawfully. During the period of 4 party alliances the powerful neighbour Abdus Sattar Saju –with connivance of political leaders of BNP-Jamat forcefully occupied those three sataks of lands and constructed building thereon. Abdus Sattar Saju threatened Ms.Raju Bala while she tried to intervene. In this connection there were local arbitrations to mete out justice to this women but the occupant most illegally obstructed roads with a view to grab the lands. In this connection a written complain addressed to the Minister for Lands & Reforms made who directed the Deputy Commissioner for taking necessary action. Consequently the powerful perpetrators became more agitating continuously threatening the members of this destitute minority to leave the country. Ram Das husband of Ms.Raju Bala informing press claimed that he deposited up-to-date rents of to the government. He also requested all concerned to get his lands back and necessary intervention by the highest authority being solicited.
According to the investigation report of Bangladesh Minority Watch and GHRD, on 27 October, 2009 Loly Chakma (15) has gang-raped in Sitakunda of Chittagong. The accused are 1) Zahur Member (40) son of late Hajee Atar Meah of Keshabpur, Lalbagh – P.S. Sitakunda, Chittagoong. 2) Sumon (35) son of Md. Ishaque of do 3) Shamim (26) son of Shah Alam driver, 4) Hannan (30) son of Md. Hanif 5) Nuruzamman Sawdagar (45) son of late Abul Khair, 6) Selim (32) son of late Nurul Hoque, 7) Monaiya @ Mona, (25) son of late Abul , all of Keshabpur, Lalbagh,, P.S. Sitakunda. District-Chittagong.
According to the Janakantha (4.10.2009), Two Minority Families belonging to Hindus at Kalapara Upazila of Patuakhali District of Bangladesh are going to be uprooted from their homestead because of false cases filed by Hashem Sikdar – a land grabber of same locality. Both the Hindu families submitted an appeal to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. Ms.Sima and Ms.Ruma -daughters of Makhan Lal of those victims expressed their anguish and submitted an appeal to conscious people of Bangladesh to come forward for their protection of land rights.
According to the daily Star (27.11.2009), At least five women were injured as a local influential person and his men attacked and ransacked 17 houses in an attempt to illegally evict indigenous people in Shialor village in Haripur upazila of Thakurgaon on 26 November, 2009. Of the injured indigenous women, Baramai Maddi, 46, was committed to Haripur Upazila Health Complex in a critical state.
Police said Abdul Alim and his men attacked the indigenous people around 11:30am and badly damaged 17 thatched houses. President of Jatiya Adibashi Parishad of Haripur unit Soniram Hemrom told, about 50 people led by Alim launched the attack for illegally evicting them from Som Maddi’s ancestral land.
Alim claimed he purchased the 3.25 acres of land from Som’s mother 22 years ago. However, Soniram trashed the claim and said in their tradition mothers cannot sell any land. Soniram added on the day of the attack the indigenous male people went to the district headquarters to attend hearing of a case filed by Alim against 200 people to “harass” them.

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Bleeding and burning in CHT including Church & Temple: Government failed to protect Indigenous people

By Jahangir Alam Akash, Just now Indigenous-Tribal communities have been cleaning by the government and Bangalee people who were taken shelter in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). It was totally illegal. The local people think that, only for that the present problem has arisen. Most important Land Commission for CHT hasn’t functioned yet. Though, it was put inside of the peace treaty. And it is a very burning and demanding issue from the Indigenous people of CHT. Hundreds houses including Buddhist temple and church were burnt. Bangalee settler and army men together attacked on Indigenous people. At a stage the Indigenous people were starting fought with them.
The government has totally failed to protect the houses and lives of Indigenous of CHT. Not only that, within 12 years the government couldn’t fulfill the peace treaty. At the present time the CHT has been bleeding and burning. There is a horrible situation going on. The Indigenous people are living inhuman condition. After set fire they don’t have food and housings. On the other hand, torturing, burning, killings and mass arresting have been going on the Indigenous people. The local Indigenous people are panic and threatening by Curfew. On 23rd February curfew was imposed there.
According to the unheard voice, on 19-20 February 2010 massive communal attack on Jumma villages was made by military forces and Bengali settlers at Baghaihat area of Sajek union under Baghaichari upazila in Rangamati district. It is reported that at 8 Jumma villagers including a woman were killed and 25 Jumma villagers wounded in this attack. It is learnt that around 200 houses of Jumma villagers including Buddhist temple and church were completely burnt into ashes.
Various sources told, the Bangalee settlers tried to make a house on the land of Indigenous people on 19th February, 2010 at afternoon. Then the Indigenous people protested against making house by Bangalee. The Bangalee were making their house with the helped of Army. It was at Gangaram area. In the night again the Bangalee people were started set fire on the houses of Indigenous people under Jumma village. Again the Bangalee people were attacked on Indigenous at morning on 2oth February. In that morning Indigenous people were gathered to protest against attack on them. Then the armies were started fired on the Indigenous people.
After that the agitations were spread out to the other areas of CHT. The violence’s turned towards Khagrachori. Then administration imposed section144 at 2.00pm of 23rd February, 2010. But the violence was spreading rapidly to other areas of CHT. Government was taken a decision to imposed curfew on 23rd February.
According to the Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR), about 100 indigenous tribal peoples including 40 from Khabhampujjya area under Khagrachari district were arrested early this morning on the eve of the visit of Home State Minister.
But, according to the English newspaper the daily Star (24-2-2010), Joint forces members during the overnight 10-hour curfew arrested 70 people, including 42 indigenous and 28 Bangalee settlers, from Khagrachhari district town and its adjacent areas. On 23rd February another killed as identified Anwar, son of Rawshan Ali. Twenty vehicles were also vandalized during the violence in the district headquarters. A number of journalists, including Talat Mamun (NTV), were among the injured. Bangalee settlers allegedly broke the cameras of Channel I and Desh TV when camera crew Dilip Chowdhury and Mongsapru Marma were filming the violance.
Exactly, how many Indigenous were killed in six days long violence yet not clear. But, the villagers told, at least six were killed. The killed are Buddha Pudi Chakma, 30, Laxmi Bijoy Chakma, 30, Banashanti Chakma, 23Liton Chakma, 34, Debendra Chakma, 43 and Notunjoy Chakma, 28. The seriously injured indigenous persons are Prem Lal Chakma (26), Dari Chakma (40), Sushil Jibon Chakma (32), Shanta Shil Chakma, Mrittunjoy Chakma, Amar Jiban Chakma (30), Nibesh Chakma (35), Jitendra Chakma (35). On the other hand, Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity (PCJSS) claimed that at least eight indigenous people were killed and other 25 were seriously wounded.
A Background history of CHT violence was written by unheard voice. They wrote, Bangladesh military forces undertook plan to settle down the infiltrated Bengali families along the roadsides of Sajek road from Baghaichari to Gangaram Mukh in 2005. It is also mentionable that thousands of indigenous Jumma families have been living in this area for decades long. Hence, Jumma villagers of these areas have been protesting against this illegal settlement programme. Despites the protesting, in 2008 Bengali settlers illegally constructed some houses at Gangaram area on the land owned by Jumma villagers. At a stage on 20 April 2008 the Bengali settlers with the direct support of army of Baghaihat zone attacked on the 7 villages of indigenous Jumma peoples and at least 76 houses of indigenous villagers were completely burnt to ashes. Again, since starting of January 2010, Bengali settlers with the support of Baghaihat army zone resumed expansion of their settlement in Sajek area under Baghaichari upazila in Rangamati district. A number of houses have already been erected by the Bengali settlers occupying Jumma villagers’ land. The villagers, under the banner of Sajek Bhumi Rakkha Committee, submitted a memorandum to the Baghaichhari UNO on 10 January 2010 with an ultimatum of 16 January 2010 to return them their lands. As the deadline expired without any fruitful result on 16 January, Jumma villagers started their agitation and started to boycott Baghaihat market from 18 January 2010. On the other, on 25 January 2010 the PCJSS sent a letter to the Home Minister with copy to State Minister of CHT Affairs Ministry and other concerned government authorities demanding to stop settlement prgramme and to withdraw Bengali settlers from Baghaihat area. However, government did not take any measure in this regard.
According to the New Age (23-2-2010), at least 1,500 ethnic minority people of 300 families in nine villages were displaced after their houses were burnt down allegedly by Bengali settlers.
Here mentioned that, former Awami League government singed the CHT peace treaty in 1997 to establish peace in CHT. But, the treaty wasn’t fulfill yet as fully. We know very well that, justice delayed and justice denied is a common true in Bangladesh. The people of Bangladesh could never saw justice especially those who are oppressed they have waiting to see real justice. Indigenous-Christian leader Choles Richil, Alfred Soren were murdered. But, yet not finish trial against killers.
Most of the national and international human rights and different socio-cultural and political organizations demanded to find out the root cause of the violence. They also demanded to judicial enquiry of the violence. But we don’t want to say like them. We want to say Bangladesh should practice of rule of law, good governance and democratic practice especially in politics and governing. Then, the oppressed community would get justice automatically.
jahangiralamakash@gmail.com
https://jaakash.wordpress.com/
http://youtube.com/user/jaakashbd

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Scientist professor Arun Basak, a victim of harassment and mental torture

By Jahangir Alam Akash, An eminent patriot and internationally renowned celebrated scientist Dr. Arun Kumar Basak is being subjected to harassment and mental torture, perpetrated by a government establishment. This makes it difficult for him to devote himself to study and research. He and the other members of his family are passing their days in a state of deep insecurity. Dr. Basak was honored with the highly prestigious Bangladesh Academy of Sciences Gold medal in 2006 for his outstanding contributions in the field of Physical Sciences.
Rubi Villa is a name of an old house. Professor Amiretus of Rajshahi University Arun Basak is the owner of this house. It’s situated of the middle of Rajshahi city near Boalia police station.
Dr Arun Basak, a retired professor of Physics of the University of Rajshahi, has been subjected to cynical harassment and mental torture, inflicted by the Rajshahi Development Authority (RDA) in league with a powerful vested interest of the locality. Appealing against this overbalance, Mrs. Devika Basak, wife of Professor Basak has made a written prayer on 24 January of 2007 to the Honorable President of the Peoples’ Republic of Bangladesh.
Professor Basak bought an old dilapidated house in the Sagarpara area of the city for residential purposes and registered it in the name of his wife in 1985. He renovated the house with minor adjustments to settle there. The roofed staircase was reconstructed with no new house-construction or wall. The RDA served a show cause notice on Mrs Basak on 10 January, 1987, charging her with the offence of unauthorized house-building without a prior permission from their office. Mrs. Basak sent a reply to the notice on 15 January of that year. In it she explained that the staircase was built only with cooperation, counseling and goodwill of the neighbors. There was no objection from any of the neighbors. In reply to the notice, Mrs Basak also submitted that they did not have any prior knowledge that the renovation of a staircase matching an old house required a formal approval of the RDA, and hence she prayed for a formal sanction of the work which had been done in a good faith. In addition, she pledged that she would be obliged to pull down the reconstructed staircase if in the future that becomes a necessity in the interest of the RDA. In response to the submission of Mrs Devika Basak, the report observes, the Authorized Officer of RDA after a long silence of six years informed her in a letter of 29 October, 1993 that the charge leveled against her had been provisionally withdrawn, and in consequence of that the Basak family settled down in that house without any further trouble.
But, as stated in the aforesaid petition to the Honorable President, a new crisis developed for them in 2003, when an additional construction was started on the southern side of their house by their adjacent neighbor showing total disregard for the rules of house-building in an urban locality. This erection came within a mere 9 (nine) inch distance from the residential room of the very old house, that Professor Basak had bought for this wife and since been living in with his other members of his family, by the scheming neighbor Mr. I. Y. Ferdous. The overbearing Mr Ferdous left even no cornice gap at the roof-top. The mandatory restriction of a gap of at least 4 (four) feet from the boundary imposed by the RDA was blatantly flouted by Mr. Ferdous. Mrs Basak entreated with Mr. Ferdous to desist from the unlawful and heinous act. But Mr. Ferdous not only threw aside but also threatened highly respected Dr. Basak with a dire consequence in case the Basak family dared to interfere with the evil designs of Ferdous. The matter was brought to the notice of the local ward Commissioner, Mr. Abdul Hamid Sarkar Tekon. But he took no corrective measure even after his high promise to the Basak family. Once the said Ferdous had completed the construction of the second floor of his venture, some BNP leaders of the then ruling party intervened and endorsed a formal complain regarding the matter to the RDA authority.
The RDA authority, after serving two consecutive notices on both Ferdous and Devika Basak, started putting pressure on Dr. Basak to agree to a compromise with Ferdous even while he was executing uninterrupted his ulterior design. Scientist Basak told the investing team of the TFT that two buildings almost locked side by side and stops cross ventilation of air leading ultimately to the development of a hazardous level of radioactive radon gas naturally emanated from the concrete materials, which is one of the principal causes of lung-cancer. This house-related disturbance and thrust on him through the machinations of his recalcitrant neighbor are destroying his peace of mind and he can no longer adequately concentrate on his research works, he lamented.
The RDA authority constituted an inquiry committee formed with the ward commissioner Abdul Hamid Sarkar Tekon (who failed to stop Ferdous from his heinous designs at the beginning of the illegal construction on 9 March, 2006 to look specifically into the matter. But the report of the committee has not yet seen the light of the day. And Mr. Ferdous is an influential who is much closed with the Mayor of Rajshahi city AHM Khairuzzaman Liton.
Professor Arun Basak told, we are under big trabule. Our nighbour has built a new building violating the rule of RDA and occupied our land. But, both of two buildings have no gaped. So, our building now is not able to use. We went to many places for solve this problem. But, we were failed. We went to local ward commissioner and to the authority of RDA. But, oppressing has started on us. It is unfortunate that RDA was given us notice as we are guilty. By that way they wanted to minimize to this problem. My wife was wrote an application to the President in the regime of caretaker government. After then RDA has try to compromise. In the mean time, the opponent was filed an injunction case in the Judge court. On the other hand, opponent made a false allegation against us to the Waqfo estate that we were occupied their three feet land. From Waqfo we were received a notice. We answered to them by our lawyer. Then a measurement was completed by the ADC revenue. By that measurement it was proved that the complainant was occupied our land. Still haven’t taken any action against him (nighbour and opponent). Still a case has been running in the court. We are living in very helpless now. Still, (January-3, 2010) we haven’t got any solution. From local administration or any administration we haven’t got any help. Day after day have rescheduled date in the court. We have no child. My wifeliving in this house alone with very helpless when I was in university. In the regime of BNP I was threatened. Then my wife told me that don’t take any action on threatened. Because, they are very powerful they would be killed me. For our life security we didn’t go to the administration. But, local people were submitted an application to the RDA on behave of us. But RDA turned upside down against us. They had started oppression on us. We were built a stair before 24 years. On that stair RDA was given us a notice. They said that this stair was illegally built. After giving that notice RDA was pressured to us to compromise with opponent. But, we weren’t agreed with them. After then RDA authority was angry with us. We haven’t got any help from former Mayor of Rajshahi. Even from present local administration we haven’t getting any help.
Devika Basak wife of Arun Basak told, we are in heavy danger. We are in very unpeace situation with this house. Our nighouber was made a two floor building without any gap of our building. We were in round to door to door. But, nobody wasn’t helped us. Even I went to the local ward commissioner in several times. But, he hasn’t helped us.
jahangiralamakash@gmail.com
https://jaakash.wordpress.com/
http://youtube.com/user/jaakashbd

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Manik Saha murder day and the repression for journalists

By Jahangir Alam Akash, Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul, is a world famous and prominent journalist who is the executive editor of the oldest Bengali newspaper of Bangladesh the daily Sangbad. Recently he was told that without investigative journalism no one could exist in the field of journalism. I would like to agree with his valuable speech. But, I would like to ask him regarding an investigative journalism and the problem of Bangladesh.
If you want to continue your investigative journalism impartially or truly (with due respect professionally) on state killing-torture or human rights violation from the Bangladesh then you would be victimized illegally that no doubt. This is a great true for Bangladesh and I myself it’s an example.
I was made several investigated report on extra judicial killings, minority oppression, corruption and Islamic militancy for CSB News (TV news channel), Radio German DW and for my dear newspaper the daily Sangbad, which were broadcasted and published. By my professional activities I was obtained some enemies from a few influential political leaders and administrative officials who were affected by my reporting. And they were taken revenged against me during the emergency in 2007-2008. Only for my investigative journalism as a professional journalist now I am living an exile life. So, I want to ask him that, how the journalists would continued with investigative journalism?
Now I want to share latest situation of the press freedom in Bangladesh. Recently the English national newspaper New Age has published an alarming report on journalist’s persecution by the ruling party men. Though, the present ruling party Awami League was committed to the nation that they will ensure the freedom of press just before the last general election, even they were included this commitment into their electoral manifesto. But, now their party men even some of law makers of the ruling party were hampered the press freedom by torturing, threatening, intimidating, false and motivated cases and other various ways on the journalists.
At least 229 newsmen have reportedly come under attacks by lawmen and influential quarters, which has hampered press freedom and harmed the people’s right to know during the elected government of Sheikh Hasina that assumed office on January 6, 2009. There have been reports on torture of reporters in custody and cases filed by influential quarters against reporters in many places only to harass them, according to the New Age. It has been reported that journalists of both the print and the electronic media are facing the wrath of the ruling party activists apparently for reporting on incidents of tender manipulation, extortion, corruption, land grab and other irregularities and mismanagement. Many journalists in different areas have gone into hiding for fear of life.
In the present government regime from 6th January to till to date 229 journalists were attacked or harassed, 3 of them were killed, 71 wounded 36 assaulted and 68 threatened. On 22nd October, the Rapid Action Battalion tortured a staff reporter of the New Age, FM Masum in public and in custody. But the police till date have not registered any case in this connection. The Jatrabari police on October 24 received Masum’s complaint but declined to record it as a case. Masum, who was picked up by a RAB 10 team from his house, was critically injured. Masum is still suffering because of the injuries done by the battalion personnel. The battalion headquarters just regretted in writing and said the incident had happened because of ‘misunderstanding.’ The battalion team, was led by flight lieutenant Anisur Rahman, beat Masum up and rubbed salt to the injuries and took him to the battalion’s unit office. The officer responsible was withdrawn later to Armed Forces Division and this has remained the only action taken so far in this connection, according to official sources.
According to the newspapers of Bangladesh, M Abdullah, a special correspondent of the daily Amar Desh, was attacked by some assailants at Banani in Dhaka on 19th December, two days after a report against the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s son and her energy adviser had been published in the same newspaper. Amar Desh acting editor Mahmudur Rahman now faces around two dozen defamation cases for publishing that report. Awami League leaders gave angry reactions to the news report at a discussion the day after the report had been published.
The state minister for LGRD, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, referring to the Amar Desh editor Mahmudur Rahman, said, ‘Do not stretch us to the limit. If people get angry, you will not be able to go out in public.’
According to the newspapers reports, the media have reported on numerous incidents of such physical attack on newsmen, filing of cases against them and threat and harassment in different other forms by ruling party activists. Some incidents of attack on the houses and business establishments of district correspondents of different newspapers have also taken place during the period.
Ruling Party of Awami League lawmaker ABM Abul Kashem Master’s sons SM Al Mamun and SM Al Noman and their cousin Mahmudul Hasan Manna earlier assaulted Prothom Alo reporter Pranab Bol, photojournalist Rashed Mahmud, Sitakunda correspondent of Samakal M Sekandar and Sitakunda Press Club president Forkan Abu when they were gathering news of land grab of four shipyards at Kumira by Awami League men. Chhatra League activists on 15th January forced Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University correspondents of Amar Desh, Ittefaq, Amader Samay, Naya Diganta, Dinkal and Inqilab to leave the halls for reporting on incidents of violence and other ‘misdeeds’ of the activists of the Awami League backed students organization.
Kushtia correspondent of the ancient and progressive newspaper daily Sangbad, Mamun Reza was needed to be admitted to hospital after he had been beaten by Awami League activists on 4th February. Awami League lawmaker Sarah Begum Kabari slapped local daily newspaper Sitalakkhya’s photojournalist Sheikh Shahidul Islam Sentu in Narayanganj on 15th March. Another historical newspaper of Bangladesh the daily Ittefaq’s staff reporter and Destiny correspondent were attacked on 2nd April and correspondents of Inqilab and Bhorer Dak were assaulted by ruling party activists in Khulna for reporting on an incident of grabbing of a shrimp enclosure by local Awami League leaders and activists. Naya Diganta and Desh Bangla correspondents were on 14th May wounded by Awami League activists on the campus of Patuakhali University of Science and Technology. Chhatra League activists assaulted Amar Desh correspondent in Chittagong University on 15th May.
A team of private television channel Banglavision was attacked by Awami League activists in Munshiganj on 7th June when they went there to report on political killings. Chhatra League activists on 23rd June wounded Inqilab correspondent in Khagrachari for reporting on incidents of extortion.
Awami League activists attacked the house of Samakal correspondent at Ishwardi in Pabna on July 27 for publishing a report. Chhatra League and Juba League activists in Chuadanga on September 4 attacked the business enterprise and house of Prothom Alo correspondent Shah Alam in reaction to a report. Shah Alam and his family have reportedly taken shelter in Dhaka as the ruling party men forced them to leave the area.
The ruling party men also filed defamation cases against special correspondents Kamrul Hasan and Shah Alam of the daily Prothom Alo on September 4 and 6. Chhatra League and Juba League activists on September 1 set fire to a shop in Chuadanga, owned by Amar Desh correspondent Ariful Islam Dalim, and also burnt copies of the daily newspaper for publishing a report that angered Awami League lawmaker Solaiman Huq Joarder. They also attacked Ariful’s house, assaulted his wife and children and looted valuables. On the day, they also attacked business enterprises of Janakantha correspondent Rajib Ahmed Kochi and Prothom Alo correspondent Shah Alam in Chuadanga for publishing similar reports. They also sued Ariful and Shah Alam, along with some BNP activists, after a clash between Awami League and BNP activists. Banglavision, RTV and Diganta TV correspondents were assaulted by Awami League activists on September 9 when they were going to Galachipa to gather information on the two reporters of Prothom Alo and Amar Desh who were sued on ‘false charges.’
Jai Jai Din correspondent Shahin was attacked by ruling party activists at Sharsha in Jessore on September 13 when he was discharging his professional duty. The Sharsha police refused to register any case against the attackers. In Jhenaidah, local goons backed allegedly by the ruling party, issued a death threat to and filed a murder case against Amar Desh correspondent Sheikh Ruhul Amin on September 22 for writing a report on crimes committed by Chhatra League activists. On September 23, Borhan Uddin Rabbani, Jugantor correspondent in Shariatpur, was sued on extortion charges after a report had been published in the daily newspaper on the district Awami League organizing secretary Delwar Hossain.
Since Bangladesh became independent, about 29 journalists (including an extra ordinary writer Dr. Humayun Azad) have been killed by terrorists. And just past the day (15 January, 2010) was the murder day of patriotic journalist Manik Saha. But there has yet to be a full investigation and punishment for the killers.
Our clear demand is that, persecution and intimidation of journalists will be stopped. All false cases filed against them will be withdrawn. And should exemplary punish to the perpetrators and killers of journalists, that was the commitment of the present government.
Without an actual democracy, the rule of law, and good governance, it’s not possible to stop acts of repression. We know that there is no actual democracy or rule of law in Bangladesh.

The community of journalists in Bangladesh is waiting for justice for their killed and tortured colleagues. I think that if Bangladesh’s society does not undergo a qualitative change, then freedom of the press is far from becoming a practical reality. It is necessary to punish those who perpetrate human rights violations and that the Bangladesh government should stop giving them impunity, for the greater interest of democracy and peace.
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Minority and Bangladesh

By Jahangir Alam Akash, The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom of the U.S. Department of State recently published a report on the human rights situation in Bangladesh. This report gave the present government of Bangladesh a stamp of approval for human rights. According to the report, the human rights situation is getting better, especially with oppression against religious minorities on the decrease. How can the U.S. state department say that the human rights situation in Bangladesh is improving? We don’t know, but the real situation is quite the opposite.

In Bangladesh, the real situation of human rights does not resemble the U.S. state department’s report. Almost every day, violations of human rights occur in various forms. Religious minorities, including Hindus and Christians, are in a panic. Repression of religious minorities is happening throughout the country. There are innumerable examples of the repression of religious minorities under the present regime in Bangladesh. Here is a list:

On June 30, a schoolteacher, Akhil Chandra Saha, was killed by miscreants at Charghat in Rajshahi. Since then, the 21 minority Hindu families of Miapur village have been in a panic. A sensational incident of minority oppression happened in August, when armed criminals forced Nitai Chandra Das, 70; his cousin Shambhu Das, 50; Shambhu’s wife Kajol Rani Das, 42; her son Sajal, 14, and daughter Swarna, 8; Shambhu’s brother Mohabir Das, 45; his wife Lakshmi Rani Das, 38; and her daughters Beauty, 18, and Sweety, 12, from their homes and confined them to a workshop. The criminals also stole some belongings, including gold ornaments, from the victims’ houses.

On July 1, a poor Hindu young person, Ashish Sarker, 25, was abducted and murdered in Mirzapur in Tangail. At the end of June, a Hindu businessman named Sumon Goala, 25, was murdered in Pearpur-Jamalpur Sadar. Recently, a Hindu woman, Radha Rani Halder, 28, was gang raped in Shoriotpur. On July 3, perpetrators attacked four Hindu families and vandalized their deities, while trying to occupy cremation ground belonging to Hindus in the Palash subdistrict of the Narsingdi district. Ten people, including women and children, were seriously injured during the attack.

On July 16, some miscreants stole valuables, desecrated the Kali Temple and also demolished the deity at the Raroa Kali Temple at Gopalpur in the Sherpur sibdistrict of the Bogra district. On July 2, a Hindu housewife, Anguri Biswas, 23, was abducted in Rajoir in the Madaripur district. In August, a group of hoodlums under the leadership of Hafizur Rahman Hafiz and his elder brother Azizur Rahman Aziz, the cultural secretary of the Juba League, forcefully occupied seven decimals (282.94 sq.m.) of land belonging to a Hindu owner, Surjya Kanta Debnath, in the Nalitabari subdistrict of the Sherpur district. In connection with this, allegations were made by the victim that two shops were demolished and that his daughter, Lipi Debnath, was physically assaulted during the operation.

In the same month, 20 religious minority families were forced to leave their homes due to the continuous kidnapping of women and children and the collection of “security” money in the Sonagazi-Feni district. It has been learned that the perpetrators Jafar, Seraj, Younus, Saiful, Ripon, Sabuj, Selim, Nasir and more than 20 miscreants were regularly collecting illegal money from 20 Hindu families. If they refused to pay the money, then they would begin to receive threats.

On the night of Aug. 31, a gang of criminals attacked three Hindu families in the Dighalkandi Sahapara village of the Puthia subdistrict of Rajshahi, injuring 12 people. Sources said that the hoodlums also looted five houses and shops during the attack, in an attempt to convince those families to move away from their land. The injured included Profulla Chandra Saha, his wife Bijli Rani Saha, his brother Bijoy Saha, Sukumar, Chand, and Nomita, who were admitted to the Puthia Health Complex in critical condition. Around 30 perpetrators, believed to be BNP-Jamaat cadres, attacked the homes of Vanpuller Bijoy, Sukumar, and Uttam. They also looted Sukumar’s grocery store and the stitching shop of Uttam’s wife, Nomita, during the attack.

Sources said that, on Aug. 27, men from the neighboring village of Kacharipara beat up two youths, Nayan and Sujon, in Sahapara. Following the incident, 10 Hindu families filed a general report with the local police station, expressing their anxiety. In October, a religious minority woman was abducted while she was asleep with her husband, Sagor Das, and gang raped in the Sathiya subdistrict of the Pabna district. Purnima Rani, the daughter of Dulal Roy of Chitra Para-Joypurhat, is missing after being falsely promised to be married with a Hindu boy. The Muslim perpetrator is related to a very powerful Juba League leader in Joypurhat.
Purnima Rani could not be recovered, despite desperate arbitration with the powerful Awami League leaders. Also, the police on duty sometimes neglected to register cases against those perpetrators. Although the case was registered after much endeavor, the perpetrators also started constantly intimidating the victim’s family. Thus, a sense of insecurity prevails amongst the Hindu communities.

There are also forceful conversions after entrapment and false personification. Nabami Sarkar, the daughter of Akhil Sarkar of the Aimar Rasulpur village, and Krishna Rani and Prativa Rani of Govindapur were the victims of such fraudulent events. Fraudulent conversions with the intent to deceive minority girls are occurring, such as with Shika Debnath, daughter of Mina Debnath of the Shaljune village of the same subdistrict. The police do not respond to this particular minority issue if a rebort is filed with them. As discontentment prevailed amongst Hindu minorities, the police reluctantly detained Purnima Roy, daughter of Dulal Roy, on Oct. 1 who was wearing a burka. Thereafter, she was produced before a court and the court sent her to judicial custody. A shrewd Muslim boy in the Kusumba Union village of Govindapur lured a Hindu girl, Krisna Rani Protiva, into a trap, abducted her, and absconded. The victim’s older brother protested against this sort of trap and, as a result, was assaulted. Although the case was recorded, the police kept people silent about it. Later, the unfortunate girl was recovered.

Sawpan Mondal, 40, a Hindu (converted to a Christian) NGO employee was beaten to death in Soharwardy Uddayan (Ramna Kali Temple) by the some students of Dhaka University, who branded him an extortionist. On Sept. 12, the students caught him and beaten him mercilessly. The morning after, Mondal died from his wounds at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital during treatment. At least 25 Hindu families have been evicted from Kalapara in Patuakhali under the current regime.

According to the Daily Star, the chairman of the Rajshahi board of education, Dipakendranath Das, left the city on Aug. 30 for Dhaka after filing general reports with two police stations following threats on his life, allegedly from the city’s mayor, AHM Khairuzzaman Liton. The Rajshahi mayor asked the board chairman repeatedly over the phone to upgrade his daughter’s SSC results, Dipakendranath alleged. Khairuzzaman acknowledged that he had requested Dipakendranath to look into his daughter’s results, but denied the allegation of threatening the board chairman. In his identical reports filed with Boalia and Rajpara police stations in Rajshahi, the chairman alleged that he had been asked to leave Rajshahi forever over the phone on Aug. 27. The callers also threatened him with death. He had refrained from mentioning the names of any individual or party in his reports. Earlier on Aug. 27, the chairman alleged that the city mayor threatened to transfer him if he did not entertain his request of upgrading his daughter’s SSC results. Anika Faria Zaman, the mayor’s daughter, secured a GPA of 4.56 in this year’s SSC examinations. Dissatisfied with the results, she, along with 2,300 other examinees, appealed to the board on June 22 to review their results. When the reviewed results came out on Aug. 9, some 23 examinees got their results changed but Anika’s results remained the same.The board chairman explained that Anika failed to get a GPA of 5 because she secured an A- in Bangla and obtained an A in English, mathematics and chemistry. “There was no room to review her results, as they had already been issued,” he said. Dipakendranath alleged that the mayor threatened him twice, on Aug. 18 and 25, over the phone.

On June 12, a gang led by Nur Hosssain Master of Soraigachhi attacked the homes of 74 families, including 54 indigenous families in Katirpur of the Porsha subdistrict of the Naogaon district. They torched, damaged and looted the houses and also randomly beat up indigenous men, women and children during the attack.

On Sept. 2, more than 50 people, including the member-secretary of the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports, Prof. Anu Muhammad, were injured when police charged at marchers heading for Petrobangla headquarters in the capital in protest against the government’s decision to award three offshore blocks to international oil companies. One bereaved Hindu family was prevented from lodging a first information report at the Rangunia police station, due to continuous threats from the killers. Police have tried to suppress the facts of the murder and, as a result, the perpetrators have gotten impunity.
On July 24, some men kidnapped Jatindra Lal Dey, 65, of the Sahandi Nagar Hindu Para village and strangled him half to death, then fled, leaving him at the Rangunia Subdistrict Hospital. Jatindra died on his way to the Chittagong Medical College Hospital.

In August, a group of religious minority communities in the Barman Para village of the Durgapur subdistrict of the Netrokona district made allegations regarding continuous repression against them. In a separate statement signed by some minority communities condemning the atrocities done against them, it is alleged that crimes against humanity, including physical torture, rape, kidnapping and land seizure, were continuously being committed against them. They also claimed that although the local government, including their Member of Parliament, was asked to stop these atrocities, and although the local Member of Parliament asked the officer-in-charge to take necessary steps, no remedial measures were taken by the police, unfortunately. As such, a case has been filed by Bimal Chandra Barman at the Durgapur police station.

In July, a religious minority schoolgirl of the Dalit family in the Jessore district of Bangladesh was gang raped on her way back from attending “Kirtan” religious songs. The victim was dragged to a nearby garden and raped by several men. In Bhola, there is a silent repression of religious minorities.

Lord Hardinge, 35 miles away from the Lalmohan police station, reported in writing that some Muslim land grabbers with bad motives instituted false cases in the court against destitute, law-abiding Hindus, making them leave the country. Hindus have been arrested without any tangible allegations, because in July the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Bhola made a judicial enquiry through the headmaster of a local high school – a reported activist of the Awami League – took negative view and submitted false reports against the
Hindus. No enquiry was made into the allegations against those Hindus with regard to their
involvement in theft and other false allegations.

On May 8, in Chittagong Hill Tracts, Maching Khai Marma, 18, was raped, then killed with a brick. On Sept. 28, Goutam Sarker, 33, was shot dead in Dhaka. He was a resident of 47 Farasganj Lane, Sutrapur. He was also the president of the Awami Sechasebok League of the 79th ward of Dhaka.

On Oct. 22, a Catholic family of the Dhaka diocese, under the St. Lawrence Catholic Church, was attacked by local Muslims. Some people fired guns at the house of the Catholic family. After that, a complaint was filed with the local police station as well as with the U.S. state department by the family with the help of an NGO.

Furthermore, extrajudicial killings are still very common in Bangladesh. On Oct. 31, another two people were killed in extrajudicial killings, falsely reported as a “gunfight” with the police in Sundarban in Bagerhat. The victims were Altaf Hossain, 42, and Mizanur Rahman, 35, both residents of Chandrakhali in Rampal. This latest incident raised the total death figure due to extrajudicial killings by the Rapid Action Battalion and the police to 118 since Jan. 6, when the Awami League-led government assumed office. This is despite the fact that, on the same day, the law minister, Barrister Shafique Ahmed, said in a training program on human rights that there should be initiatives to investigate any kind of extrajudicial killing, as the present government does not believe in such killings.

On Feb. 25-26, at Pilkhana BDR headquarters, some of the BDR members revolted and, during that time, they killed many members of the meritorious army; looted their money, gold and other wealth; and raped army officers’ wives and daughters. At least 75 people, including 58 meritorious army officers, were killed by the so-called mutineers. It was a gross human rights violation, which came after the brutal killing of the father of the nation, Bangabondhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

We want to see fair trials held for the real and accused mutineers. We know that 48 BDR members already died after torture during detention. The whole nation is waiting for justice regarding the BDR mutiny. We also want to see the inquiry report into the BDR mutiny and killings.

So, there is a big difference between the U.S. state department report and the real situation of human rights and religious minorities in Bangladesh. We want an equal society without torture or human rights violations.
Another gross incident of minority repression has happened in Natore, Bangladesh. With the help of the local administration, some politically powerful people were involved in this violation against three religious minority families. Minorities gain no security from the so-called “minority friendly” government regime. The criminals were trying to murder some religious minorities.

According to the Daily Sangbad, in the middle of the night of Nov. 1, 2009, in the village of Tazpur in the Singra subdistrict of Natore, the perpetrators locked the doors of the houses of the minorities from the outside, then set fire to the houses using petrol. One minority man, Rash Bihari, had to be taken to the Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, since he was seriously burned. The houses of Ratan Ghosh, Nripen Ghosh and Batbihari Ghosh were totally burned.

Sources said that some local influential people have been trying to seize 200 bigha (approx. 66 acres) of “Debottor” land – land dedicated to and belonging to a Hindu deity – for a long time. A group of terrorists led by Union Parishad members Hasib and Sazedur Rahman Khan attacked minorities in the Tazpur village on Oct. 24. They ransacked the houses of 12 religious minority families and looted money and other property. At least 23 people, including women and children, were seriously injured in the attack. The attackers also raped a minority woman. Subsequently, a case was filed against the attackers by Sreebash Halder. A total of 33 people were accused in connection with this case.

Then, on Nov. 1, the accused were released on bail from the court. That same night, they again attacked the minority families in the Tazpur village. Another case was filed by Nogendranath Ghosh with the Singra police station against the attackers, but the attackers have yet to be arrested. Religious minorities live in fear after being attacked again and again. These incidents are reminiscent of the Bashkhali incidents of Chittagong that happened during the rule of the BNP-Jamaat government.
Latest event of minority oppression has happened in Bangladesh on 26 November, 2009 in Bangladesh. According to the daily Amar Desh dated- December, 2, 2009: some perpetrators led by Md. Shahidul Islam armed with country made weapons cut and looted ripen crops mostly paddies of winter variety cultivated by Prodip Paul on his lands –a Hindu minority on 26th November, 2009. This victim permanently residing at Berunia Union of Chandurati Paul Para within Bhaluka Sub district of Mymensingh District in Bangladesh.

Prodip Paul lodged first information report (FIR) with the knowledge of local chairman before Bhaluka police station on the next day on 27th against those perpetrators for legal assistance.

Having been angry and furious the perpetrators on the same night again attacked vegetable garden of Prodip Paul and destroyed huge number of cauliflowers, cabbages and different winter vegetables on his 15 acres of lands cost of those would be around 25 to 30 thousand taka. Police did not take any action against the perpetrators despite 6 days elapsed after lodging specific allegations at the police station.

The present government should prove itself a real friend for the religious minorities of Bangladesh by protecting them and make an example of all the perpetrators of crime against minorities by punishing them.

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Sheikh Hasina’s responsibility and Mayor Liton

By Jahangir Alam Akash, Minority torture and repression have taken a new turn in Bangladesh. But the so-called democratic government hasn’t taken any action against the perpetrators and doesn’t provide any kind of security for minorities in Bangladesh. We are really very angry and very worried about the government’s attitude towards minority oppression.

(See article by The Daily Star on Aug. 31, 2009, “Rajshahi board boss faces mayor’s fury,” http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=103772)

We know that Mr. Liton is very close with our honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. In the subdistrict’s last general election, Mr. Liton was influenced by Sheikh Hasina about the nominations of party candidates. Recently, Mr. Liton was nominated as a central member of the Bangladesh Awami League. And he is the son of the national leader A.H.M. Kamaruzzaman. Also, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is the president of Awami League.

If the allegation against to the mayor is true, then it is very alarming for the minority community. This kind of situation is a barrier for the rule of law, democracy, the administration, and the people. It is alleged that Mr. Liton helped the militant Islamic terrorist Bangla Bhai in 2004. (Source: The Daily Janakantha, June 2004)

We also know that Mr. Liton demanded the release of Dr. Galib. Galib was arrested for involvement in Islamic militancy in 2005. Mr. Liton was the main mastermind behind the brutal torture of a journalist and human rights defender in 2007. Mr. Liton tried to kill said journalist, collaborating with prominent Army Major Rashahidul Hasan Rashid.

As the head of the party and as prime minister, Sheikh Hasina cannot overlook her moral responsibility for the actions of Mr. Liton. It is our hope that, for the sake of rule of law and human rights, Sheikh Hasina will investigate the allegation against Mr. Liton.

I urge the enlightened citizens of Bangladesh to be united and to do something about minority rights and security. Please forget politics. As human rights defenders, we should be impartial, universal, and dedicated to human rights.

We want justice for all kinds of killings, torture, and human rights violations. Under the present government, at least 42 incidents of minority torture have taken place, including the sensational kidnapping of nine minorities (including women and children) in the Sutrapur area of Dhaka.

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Minority oppression in Bangladesh

By Jahangir Alam Akash, The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom of the U.S. Department of State recently published a report on the human rights situation in Bangladesh. This report gave the present government of Bangladesh a stamp of approval for human rights. According to the report, the human rights situation is getting better, especially with oppression against religious minorities on the decrease. How can the U.S. state department say that the human rights situation in Bangladesh is improving? We don’t know, but the real situation is quite the opposite.

In Bangladesh, the real situation of human rights does not resemble the U.S. state department’s report. Almost every day, violations of human rights occur in various forms. Religious minorities, including Hindus and Christians, are in a panic. Repression of religious minorities is happening throughout the country. There are innumerable examples of the repression of religious minorities under the present regime in Bangladesh. Here is a list:

On June 30, a schoolteacher, Akhil Chandra Saha, was killed by miscreants at Charghat in Rajshahi. Since then, the 21 minority Hindu families of Miapur village have been in a panic. A sensational incident of minority oppression happened in August, when armed criminals forced Nitai Chandra Das, 70; his cousin Shambhu Das, 50; Shambhu’s wife Kajol Rani Das, 42; her son Sajal, 14, and daughter Swarna, 8; Shambhu’s brother Mohabir Das, 45; his wife Lakshmi Rani Das, 38; and her daughters Beauty, 18, and Sweety, 12, from their homes and confined them to a workshop. The criminals also stole some belongings, including gold ornaments, from the victims’ houses.

On July 1, a poor Hindu young person, Ashish Sarker, 25, was abducted and murdered in Mirzapur in Tangail. At the end of June, a Hindu businessman named Sumon Goala, 25, was murdered in Pearpur-Jamalpur Sadar. Recently, a Hindu woman, Radha Rani Halder, 28, was gang raped in Shoriotpur. On July 3, perpetrators attacked four Hindu families and vandalized their deities, while trying to occupy cremation ground belonging to Hindus in the Palash subdistrict of the Narsingdi district. Ten people, including women and children, were seriously injured during the attack.

On July 16, some miscreants stole valuables, desecrated the Kali Temple and also demolished the deity at the Raroa Kali Temple at Gopalpur in the Sherpur sibdistrict of the Bogra district. On July 2, a Hindu housewife, Anguri Biswas, 23, was abducted in Rajoir in the Madaripur district. In August, a group of hoodlums under the leadership of Hafizur Rahman Hafiz and his elder brother Azizur Rahman Aziz, the cultural secretary of the Juba League, forcefully occupied seven decimals (282.94 sq.m.) of land belonging to a Hindu owner, Surjya Kanta Debnath, in the Nalitabari subdistrict of the Sherpur district. In connection with this, allegations were made by the victim that two shops were demolished and that his daughter, Lipi Debnath, was physically assaulted during the operation.

In the same month, 20 religious minority families were forced to leave their homes due to the continuous kidnapping of women and children and the collection of “security” money in the Sonagazi-Feni district. It has been learned that the perpetrators Jafar, Seraj, Younus, Saiful, Ripon, Sabuj, Selim, Nasir and more than 20 miscreants were regularly collecting illegal money from 20 Hindu families. If they refused to pay the money, then they would begin to receive threats.

On the night of Aug. 31, a gang of criminals attacked three Hindu families in the Dighalkandi Sahapara village of the Puthia subdistrict of Rajshahi, injuring 12 people. Sources said that the hoodlums also looted five houses and shops during the attack, in an attempt to convince those families to move away from their land. The injured included Profulla Chandra Saha, his wife Bijli Rani Saha, his brother Bijoy Saha, Sukumar, Chand, and Nomita, who were admitted to the Puthia Health Complex in critical condition. Around 30 perpetrators, believed to be BNP-Jamaat cadres, attacked the homes of Vanpuller Bijoy, Sukumar, and Uttam. They also looted Sukumar’s grocery store and the stitching shop of Uttam’s wife, Nomita, during the attack.

Sources said that, on Aug. 27, men from the neighboring village of Kacharipara beat up two youths, Nayan and Sujon, in Sahapara. Following the incident, 10 Hindu families filed a general report with the local police station, expressing their anxiety. In October, a religious minority woman was abducted while she was asleep with her husband, Sagor Das, and gang raped in the Sathiya subdistrict of the Pabna district. Purnima Rani, the daughter of Dulal Roy of Chitra Para-Joypurhat, is missing after being falsely promised to be married with a Hindu boy. The Muslim perpetrator is related to a very powerful Juba League leader in Joypurhat.
Purnima Rani could not be recovered, despite desperate arbitration with the powerful Awami League leaders. Also, the police on duty sometimes neglected to register cases against those perpetrators. Although the case was registered after much endeavor, the perpetrators also started constantly intimidating the victim’s family. Thus, a sense of insecurity prevails amongst the Hindu communities.

There are also forceful conversions after entrapment and false personification. Nabami Sarkar, the daughter of Akhil Sarkar of the Aimar Rasulpur village, and Krishna Rani and Prativa Rani of Govindapur were the victims of such fraudulent events. Fraudulent conversions with the intent to deceive minority girls are occurring, such as with Shika Debnath, daughter of Mina Debnath of the Shaljune village of the same subdistrict. The police do not respond to this particular minority issue if a rebort is filed with them. As discontentment prevailed amongst Hindu minorities, the police reluctantly detained Purnima Roy, daughter of Dulal Roy, on Oct. 1 who was wearing a burka. Thereafter, she was produced before a court and the court sent her to judicial custody. A shrewd Muslim boy in the Kusumba Union village of Govindapur lured a Hindu girl, Krisna Rani Protiva, into a trap, abducted her, and absconded. The victim’s older brother protested against this sort of trap and, as a result, was assaulted. Although the case was recorded, the police kept people silent about it. Later, the unfortunate girl was recovered.

Sawpan Mondal, 40, a Hindu (converted to a Christian) NGO employee was beaten to death in Soharwardy Uddayan (Ramna Kali Temple) by the some students of Dhaka University, who branded him an extortionist. On Sept. 12, the students caught him and beaten him mercilessly. The morning after, Mondal died from his wounds at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital during treatment. At least 25 Hindu families have been evicted from Kalapara in Patuakhali under the current regime.

According to the Daily Star, the chairman of the Rajshahi board of education, Dipakendranath Das, left the city on Aug. 30 for Dhaka after filing general reports with two police stations following threats on his life, allegedly from the city’s mayor, AHM Khairuzzaman Liton. The Rajshahi mayor asked the board chairman repeatedly over the phone to upgrade his daughter’s SSC results, Dipakendranath alleged. Khairuzzaman acknowledged that he had requested Dipakendranath to look into his daughter’s results, but denied the allegation of threatening the board chairman. In his identical reports filed with Boalia and Rajpara police stations in Rajshahi, the chairman alleged that he had been asked to leave Rajshahi forever over the phone on Aug. 27. The callers also threatened him with death. He had refrained from mentioning the names of any individual or party in his reports. Earlier on Aug. 27, the chairman alleged that the city mayor threatened to transfer him if he did not entertain his request of upgrading his daughter’s SSC results. Anika Faria Zaman, the mayor’s daughter, secured a GPA of 4.56 in this year’s SSC examinations. Dissatisfied with the results, she, along with 2,300 other examinees, appealed to the board on June 22 to review their results. When the reviewed results came out on Aug. 9, some 23 examinees got their results changed but Anika’s results remained the same.The board chairman explained that Anika failed to get a GPA of 5 because she secured an A- in Bangla and obtained an A in English, mathematics and chemistry. “There was no room to review her results, as they had already been issued,” he said. Dipakendranath alleged that the mayor threatened him twice, on Aug. 18 and 25, over the phone.

On June 12, a gang led by Nur Hosssain Master of Soraigachhi attacked the homes of 74 families, including 54 indigenous families in Katirpur of the Porsha subdistrict of the Naogaon district. They torched, damaged and looted the houses and also randomly beat up indigenous men, women and children during the attack.

On Sept. 2, more than 50 people, including the member-secretary of the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports, Prof. Anu Muhammad, were injured when police charged at marchers heading for Petrobangla headquarters in the capital in protest against the government’s decision to award three offshore blocks to international oil companies. One bereaved Hindu family was prevented from lodging a first information report at the Rangunia police station, due to continuous threats from the killers. Police have tried to suppress the facts of the murder and, as a result, the perpetrators have gotten impunity.
On July 24, some men kidnapped Jatindra Lal Dey, 65, of the Sahandi Nagar Hindu Para village and strangled him half to death, then fled, leaving him at the Rangunia Subdistrict Hospital. Jatindra died on his way to the Chittagong Medical College Hospital.

In August, a group of religious minority communities in the Barman Para village of the Durgapur subdistrict of the Netrokona district made allegations regarding continuous repression against them. In a separate statement signed by some minority communities condemning the atrocities done against them, it is alleged that crimes against humanity, including physical torture, rape, kidnapping and land seizure, were continuously being committed against them. They also claimed that although the local government, including their Member of Parliament, was asked to stop these atrocities, and although the local Member of Parliament asked the officer-in-charge to take necessary steps, no remedial measures were taken by the police, unfortunately. As such, a case has been filed by Bimal Chandra Barman at the Durgapur police station.

In July, a religious minority schoolgirl of the Dalit family in the Jessore district of Bangladesh was gang raped on her way back from attending “Kirtan” religious songs. The victim was dragged to a nearby garden and raped by several men. In Bhola, there is a silent repression of religious minorities.

Lord Hardinge, 35 miles away from the Lalmohan police station, reported in writing that some Muslim land grabbers with bad motives instituted false cases in the court against destitute, law-abiding Hindus, making them leave the country. Hindus have been arrested without any tangible allegations, because in July the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Bhola made a judicial enquiry through the headmaster of a local high school – a reported activist of the Awami League – took negative view and submitted false reports against the
Hindus. No enquiry was made into the allegations against those Hindus with regard to their
involvement in theft and other false allegations.

On May 8, in Chittagong Hill Tracts, Maching Khai Marma, 18, was raped, then killed with a brick. On Sept. 28, Goutam Sarker, 33, was shot dead in Dhaka. He was a resident of 47 Farasganj Lane, Sutrapur. He was also the president of the Awami Sechasebok League of the 79th ward of Dhaka.

On Oct. 22, a Catholic family of the Dhaka diocese, under the St. Lawrence Catholic Church, was attacked by local Muslims. Some people fired guns at the house of the Catholic family. After that, a complaint was filed with the local police station as well as with the U.S. state department by the family with the help of an NGO.

Furthermore, extrajudicial killings are still very common in Bangladesh. On Oct. 31, another two people were killed in extrajudicial killings, falsely reported as a “gunfight” with the police in Sundarban in Bagerhat. The victims were Altaf Hossain, 42, and Mizanur Rahman, 35, both residents of Chandrakhali in Rampal. This latest incident raised the total death figure due to extrajudicial killings by the Rapid Action Battalion and the police to 118 since Jan. 6, when the Awami League-led government assumed office. This is despite the fact that, on the same day, the law minister, Barrister Shafique Ahmed, said in a training program on human rights that there should be initiatives to investigate any kind of extrajudicial killing, as the present government does not believe in such killings.

On Feb. 25-26, at Pilkhana BDR headquarters, some of the BDR members revolted and, during that time, they killed many members of the meritorious army; looted their money, gold and other wealth; and raped army officers’ wives and daughters. At least 75 people, including 58 meritorious army officers, were killed by the so-called mutineers. It was a gross human rights violation, which came after the brutal killing of the father of the nation, Bangabondhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

We want to see fair trials held for the real and accused mutineers. We know that 48 BDR members already died after torture during detention. The whole nation is waiting for justice regarding the BDR mutiny. We also want to see the inquiry report into the BDR mutiny and killings.

So, there is a big difference between the U.S. state department report and the real situation of human rights and religious minorities in Bangladesh. We want an equal society without torture or human rights violations.
Another gross incident of minority repression has happened in Natore, Bangladesh. With the help of the local administration, some politically powerful people were involved in this violation against three religious minority families. Minorities gain no security from the so-called “minority friendly” government regime. The criminals were trying to murder some religious minorities.

According to the Daily Sangbad, in the middle of the night of Nov. 1, 2009, in the village of Tazpur in the Singra subdistrict of Natore, the perpetrators locked the doors of the houses of the minorities from the outside, then set fire to the houses using petrol. One minority man, Rash Bihari, had to be taken to the Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, since he was seriously burned. The houses of Ratan Ghosh, Nripen Ghosh and Batbihari Ghosh were totally burned.

Sources said that some local influential people have been trying to seize 200 bigha (approx. 66 acres) of “Debottor” land – land dedicated to and belonging to a Hindu deity – for a long time. A group of terrorists led by Union Parishad members Hasib and Sazedur Rahman Khan attacked minorities in the Tazpur village on Oct. 24. They ransacked the houses of 12 religious minority families and looted money and other property. At least 23 people, including women and children, were seriously injured in the attack. The attackers also raped a minority woman. Subsequently, a case was filed against the attackers by Sreebash Halder. A total of 33 people were accused in connection with this case.

Then, on Nov. 1, the accused were released on bail from the court. That same night, they again attacked the minority families in the Tazpur village. Another case was filed by Nogendranath Ghosh with the Singra police station against the attackers, but the attackers have yet to be arrested. Religious minorities live in fear after being attacked again and again. These incidents are reminiscent of the Bashkhali incidents of Chittagong that happened during the rule of the BNP-Jamaat government.

The present government should prove itself a real friend for the religious minorities of Bangladesh by protecting them and make an example of all the perpetrators of crime against minorities by punishing them.

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