A group of armed and drunked supporters of Bangladesh Awamileague attacked a Hindu minority BNP supporter Nitto Lal Das (55) at around 2:30 am in 30th December 2008 . The Younger brother of local Awamileague leader Abul Mansur Rubel lead a team of 7-8 perpetrators and they knocked at the door of Nitto Lal Das and as they opened the door the perpetrators start beating Nitto Lal Das in KuliarChar ,Kisohergonj . During beating Nitto Lal become naked. . The brutal attackers did not forsake the women and old aged mother of Nitto Lal. As the family members try to save Nitto Lal they were also attacked by the perpetrators the perpetrators finally hurt Nitto Lal Das with sharp arms. The brutal attackers even hurt the aged mother of Nitto with Sharp arms. During this attack several others relatives of Nitto were hurt ,including Provati Rani Das (40),Raju Das (17),Shiuli Rani Das (35),Montu Das (40),Sujata Das(26) .
Nitto Lal das was severly injured and first taken to local hospital. Then Nitto Lal was brought to Dhaka Truma Hospital in Shamoli and as the situation of Nitto Lal was decreasing he was taken to Apollo Hospital for better treatment in 31st December 2008.
The Regional Co Coordinator of “Justice Foundatioan” and the Executive Director of Christian Development Alternative (CDA) William Gomes immediate rushed to the Trauma Hospital and talked to relatives of the victim. They expressed their great shock in this incident and they are demanding for their security.
In 1st of January 2009, William Gomes meet with the Chairman of National Human Rights Commission and officially urged to them to take necessary initiative to secure the minority family as soon as possible.
Till the report written no police case was filed regarding this incident. The minorities of that locality are in fear of communal violence like 2001 .
Please Call the IG Police and call or mail your friends to take urgent actions .
[William Gomes is a Catholic Human rights activist, freelance journalist and the executive director of the Human rights organization “Christian Development Alternative(CDA). Visit:www.persecutionbd.org Email:CDA.exe@gmail.com, Cell:+8801912342809]
Tags: Bangladesh, election, hindu, William Gomes
Struggle of Hindus in Bangladesh
With the scheduled date for national elections fast approaching, the Awami League (AL) continues its decades-long courtship of Bangladesh’s minorities. Its 2008 “election manifesto” identifies five “priority issues” and buried as one of seven points under the fifth priority is:
“Use of religion and communalism in politics will be banned. Security and rights of religious and ethnic minorities will be ensured. Courtesy and tolerance will be inculcated in the political culture of the country. Militancy and extortion will be banned. Awami League will take initiative to formulate a consensual and unanimous charter of political behavior.”
To be sure, the AL is on solid ground when it urges minorities to reject the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) with its long history of coddling Islamist radicals. There is nonetheless a real question of the AL’s commitment to these ideals aside from the total befuddlement among all observers about how it would implement these high-sounding principles. AL has yet to say how it will ban “use of religion and communalism in politics.” How does it propose to stop such things as leaflets being distributed in districts with minority candidates, as reported in The Daily Star? The paper notes that leaflets distributed in the Thakurgaon-I district urges voters to reject AL candidate Ramesh Chandra Sen because he is a Hindu and uses verses from the Quran to try and convince voters. Another leaflet was entitled “Al-Quraner-Bani” and asks Muslims not to vote for any non-Muslim candidate. According to an election officer, however, these things already are legal. How the AL would make sure these things do not happen is something they never have spelled out.
Moreover, the AL’s history should not encourage religious minorities. By now, all Bangladeshis recall the AL’s shameful agreement with Khelafat Majlis (KM) in December 2006. In that MOU, the AL discarded all pretense of being a party committed to minority rights when it agreed not only to let the Islamist party into its coalition if it won the election, but it would all the KM to proceed with implementing Sharia Law on all citizens. Fortunately, the elections scheduled for the following month were postponed, but the AL’s action revealed that its members are far more concerned about winning an election no matter what it means for millions of Bangladeshi citizen.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Bangladesh, election, hindu, Politics
Liberation has been following the procedures and events unfolding in Bangladesh, particularly relating to the forthcoming election.
In considering the previous electoral violence in Bangladesh, we note with concern that an evident repetition of violence is taking place. The world community does not want to see the scenario of Oct 2001 election attacks on the religious minorities during this election. Liberation demands the safety of the religious minorities. All the political parties should clarify their policy against any discriminations and persecutions on the religious minorities.
A further point of concern is regarding the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Since the signing of the Peace Accords in 1997, it is clear that insignificant action has been taken to implement the commitments of this agreement. We are aware that military bases remain in the area and that the transfer of settlers to this region continues unabated.
As a Human Rights organisation and an NGO we condemn these atrocities and urge the government and political parties to reach an agreement which ensures the prevention and curtailment of the harassment and intimidation of religious minorities and women if the emergency is withdrawn.
MAGGIE BOWDEN
Tags: Bangladesh, election, minority
