Posts Tagged ‘extremism’

bangladesh catholic woman widow

Surviving Members of Laili Costa's Family

Laili Costa, a young Catholic woman, living in the Catholic parish of the Holy Rosary church under the Archdiocese of Dhaka, became destitute when her husband Joacem Costa was shot dead by unidentified thugs in the Sadhon Para area of Dhaka.

Laili Costa said, “My husband left me and my two daughters. What he earned hardly supported our family, and he did not leave any savings. The owner of our previous home had already kicked us out from there, and we had just found a second home. The owner there is going to kick us out within days. I will not be able to have Christmas with my children.”

She went on, “I am striving daily for my small children. My elder daughter was kicked out of school, since I cannot pay the tuition fees, and my younger daughter is suffering from serious malnutrition; she could die at any time.”

With extreme fear and tears in her eyes, Laili Costa said, “On July 14, 2009, around 9:35, I got a call from one of my neighbors that my husband was shot by thugs in the Sadhon Para area. I immediately called my husband’s younger brother, Leo Costa, and rushed to the place. As I reached the place, I did not find my husband. He had been taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.” Read the rest of this entry »

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2
Dec

The plight of Hindus in Bangladesh

   Posted by: Prashant Pareek    in Politics

Hindu Women Raped

Hindu Women Raped

The plight of the Hindu community of Bangladesh is disturbing. Regularly, one hears about attacks on Hindus and atrocities on women and children of Hindus. Temples and Hindu establishments also routinely face the brunt of extremists in Bangladesh. The role of the Bangladesh government has always been fishy. BNP or Awami League, it doesn’t really make much of a difference. The Hindu community of Bangladesh are apparently forced to live as second class citizens.

What is the reason for this? The rise of Islamic extremism has obviously led to the present scenario. But who are responsible for the rise of hardline islamics? The answer is—successive Bangladesh governments. They have forgotten the pillars on which the Bangla nation was formed. The ideology of those very extremists who supported Pakistan during the ’71 Liberation war is prospering. The secular, progressive credentials of Bangladesh have been long consigned to the dustbin of history. Politically, the situation is bound to worsen. Let Hindus not have any hope from the government.

Then what is the solution? Apparently, Hindus in Bangladesh face a problem; a problem of survival and life of safety, respect and dignity; and this problem needs a solution. The solution; or at least a step towards the solution; would be—Political empowerment.

The Hindus must aim to become a political force in the country. They must be united in quest of this goal. The community must vote for a consensus candidate and when Hindus are attacked or threatened, the community must hit the streets together. The Hindus must have no hesitation in becoming a “vote bank”. The Hindus must, as a primary goal, seek to make themselves relevant to the extent that they can influence 50-60 seats in the Jatiya Sangsad. Then and only then will their voice be heard loud and clear. And in these attempts, the Hindus must bring with them the other minorities of Bangladesh.

The future of Hindus is in the hands of the Hindus. Let us ensure that we decide our fate, not others.

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21
Nov

A certificate on human rights and minority by US and reality!

   Posted by: Jahangir Alam Akash    in Politics

By Jahangir Alam Akash, In Bangladesh, the brutal persecution of the Hindu, Christian religious minority and indigenous ethnic minorities is going ahead with full steam. Until now, the persecution that both communities faced never saw the light of justice. A culture of the denial of justice in Bangladesh is the root of all the persecution against the ethnic and religious minorities, which isn’t only affecting a part of the country, but is plaguing the entire criminal justice system in Bangladesh.

General Zia and his predecessors introduced persecution against the minorities in Bangladesh. Bangladesh became Islamized under the military regime, rather than being a true parliamentary democracy. Bangladesh was not born with the blessing of being united beyond ethnic and religious differences, but rather has been Islamized, yet with a secular policy.

Religious minority oppression is a common phenomenon in Bangladesh. Every day, minority oppression is growing at an alarming rate. Yet our government is not doing its duty to safeguard the minority groups. Why aren’t they doing something to stop minority torture? We don’t know. But we have been seeing that most of the perpetrators are linked with the ruling party. People think that the present government may be turning a blind eye at minority issues. We want to say clearly that the people do not want to see the issue ignored, but rather, that they want to see peace and happiness. Read the rest of this entry »

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26
Aug

Hindus attacked by governing party cadres

   Posted by: Press Release    in Bangladesh, Featured

A Hindu family was attacked by allegedly government party workers. They abducted 9 people from the family and left them with chaos. The father is living a very fearful life concerning the safety of his two daughters.

Although the police initially rejected to assist the Hindu family later they caved in due to media pressure. They arrested four people behind this attack. While asked the police commissioner he declined to comment on this issue.

Our human rights worker in Bangladesh, William Gomes was on the scene taking a series of footage of this developing story. We were able to get a word from the State Minister, police commissioner and the family.

State Minister of Bangladesh on Minority persecution

The Hindu minority in Bangladesh describing the forceful abduction story

Police commissioner Dhaka

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11
Aug

Forcing Islam: A New Way

   Posted by: Sodeep    in Islam

A new report has come up in Dr. Richard Benkin’s blog about forcefully confirming a woman to Islam. This case was reported by Bangladesh Hindu, Buddhist, Christan Unity Council and Global Human Rights Defense and the Bangladesh Minority Watch has investigated on the issue. It is reported that Koli Goswami, a 20 year old college student’s house was broken to get at least 5 Muslim and a government official broke into her house at 12:45 AM on June 13, 2008. They violated through the house to her and even through the girl tried to aleart the nearby neighbors about it by screaming aloud, the gang members fired their guns to keep them out of the way.

In this gang, Tauhidul Islam Bhuiya (Sumon) is in murder charges and even though he is supposed to in trials, he remains free. When police came, they said: “It is not kidnapping. It is love affairs between kidnapper and victim” and to many this does not seem like a love affair. The police do not want to keep in the flow with this case and evne though they have looked upon the case in video, the physical harm done to the house, the cry from the girl’s uncle, and the request from the family to help them get Koli back.

This still stays the same, Richard Benkin said in his blog, that the victims are commonly the young girls, women, and sometimes bodys. The government official that was in the issue suggested that the govenment is supporting these types of kidnapping and harrasing, converting a human to take against their will. What the Muslims have to understand is that even though they might think that forcing someone to go against their own will might make their religion more powerful, well, that might now become the case. They have to userstand that if they do not show the good path, one day the ones that were Muslim due to their ancestors for a long time will quit Islam and say that it is a forceful religion. If this continues, then one day the religion that was built forcefully will be closed down with no power from the physical strength but the mental.

Richard Benkin’s Blog

From Chotto Mind’s Blog

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24
Jul

Hindu Temple ransacked in offshore island

   Posted by: Press Release    in Hinduism

On July 21st the Laxmi Gobinda Jew temple was ransacked by unidentified dacoits at offshore island Bhola in South-western Bangladesh.

On July 21st late night the dacoits brook the temples door and they have looted a historic Statue and things worth 1corer, said the priest Gobinda Thakur

The police are trying their best to find out the people behind this said local police

Local Hindu devotees shared the deep concern over the incident.

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9
Jul

Police harassment of William Gomes

   Posted by: William Gomes    in Bangladesh, Christianity, Hinduism, Politics

I am drawing your urgent attention on the issue of bias manner of a police officer SI Mr. Shariful on case of investigation of a case (case number 33) filed in Sutrapur police station dated on  11-05-09 under the crpc section  380.

On this case the petitioner Adv.Rabindra Ghosh claimed that some unknown people have stole a video camera from ISCKON temple Swamibag . And the petitioner allegedly involved me on the incident; the fact is I am not aware of said camera at all. More than that the petitioner provoked the Sebait and Executor of Swamibag Ashram Shri Jasada Nandan Acharjee to witness against me that “He saw that I took the camera”. Mr. Acharjee has told the fact to Investigative officer SI Shariful. The IO is not pointing the statement in note.

I am shocked at this false case. I am felling really helpless. As you are human rights
defender I need your help, I have protested the false attempt to tie me with the case to the DC wari. The Dc Wari seems very helpful.

I am always committed to fight the Terrorism for my position with the allies of  in different countries and recently, I had sit with Mr. Ahmad Karim Nawabi, the Afghan ambassador to Bangladesh and share my concern about fighting the growing the

Islamic Terrorism and on regular basis I am sharing all the available information in fighting the Islamic terrorism in the south Asia to the international community. I have penned different articles in different international media in focusing the problem and possibilities in Bangladesh.

As PRP is on the way to transform police force to Police Service, I hope that you will take it note that the Investigative should take proper note that I am being harassed by the ill motive of Adv.Rabindra Ghosh. I myself protested on some case where the Advocate showed a normal eloped case to a forced conversion to Islam. The case was also submitted to UN.  Through my mail I had also request PRP to investigate on the aggressive attitude towards the police officials.

I also want to request to make it sure the police should make it sure, why Adv.Rabindra had provoked Shri Jasad Nandan Acharjee to witness against me strongly. The irresponsible attitude of police officer like SI Shariful is hampering my attention in fighting the growing Islamic terrorism.

As journalist and human rights activist I just went to find out the issues of forced conversion .But I am in problem for the irresponsible attitude of the police officer of Bangladesh police. I also request to the international community to write to the government to insure a   free and fare investigation.

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25
Jun

Road to ’75

   Posted by: William Gomes    in Bangladesh, Hinduism, Islam, Politics

Shiekh Hasina: PM of Bangladesh

Shiekh Hasina: PM of Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a flourishing country with a large Muslim population. Recently, Bangladesh has been called different things, due to its growing Islamic extremism. Different governments have played a mixed role in fighting Islamic extremism. Presently, the Awami League government, which won the parliamentary elections with a large majority, has given the highest priority to fighting Islamic extremism.

Local and international media is covering the activities of the government against Islamic extremist groups. The government is trying to prove that Islamic extremism is going to be uprooted soon.

But the reality is very different. The Islamic extremists are growing and gathering more strength as the government initiates operations to uproot extremism. The reality is that the Islamic extremists are better equipped and strategically stronger than ever.

There are 786 high profile people in important positions of power that are closely linked with different Islamic extremist groups. Among these 786, there are 200 high-ranking government officials, including 76 individuals from the different intelligence agencies of the Bangladesh government, 20 powerful parliamentarians, and 7 high profile media personalities in different news media to fight the intellectual battle and propagate news and views in favor of the Islamic extremist groups.

The government failed to trace these 786 people and their national and international links. These 786 are working to create a scenario like what happened in Bangladesh in 1975, with the assassination of the “father of the nation” Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. As Rahman was assassinated, so will Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina if the government fails to fight these 786. Through the masses, the liberation in 1971 came about, and through the assignation of Sheikh Hasina will we be able to triumph over the tragedy of 1975.

William Gomes is an independent human rights activist ,Freelance Journalist and a political analyst. He can be reached at cda.exe@gmail.com

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Christian Science Monitor raises a very important question regarding the prevalence of terrorism in Bangladesh. They link to a series of reports, which show a violent surge of terrorism. This is a really dangerous news not just for minorities, who are the first targets of Muslim terrorism but also the whole concept of democracy itself. The recent election gained some new enthusiasm about the future of Bangladesh but the BDR mutiny and vibrant new evidence of increasing extremism and fascism put the future of this country into jeoperdy.

Osama bin Laden may be laying low in Pakistan. But many of South Asia’s terrorists have a new hideout: Bangladesh.

In recent days, Bangladeshi police have been hot on the trail of disturbing developments: they’ve uncovered a plot that used Bangladesh to transit thousands of weapons to an Indian separatist group, and followed up by arresting key members of that group in Dhaka, the Bangladeshi capital, reports The Times of India.

Around the same time, police arrested a fugitive hit man working for Daud Ibrahim, one of South Asia’s most notorious terrorists. While in custody, the assassin divulged that 150 of Mr. Ibrahim’s operatives are stationed in Bangladesh, according to The Daily Star, a leading English-language newspaper based in Dhaka.

Source: CSMonitor

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A few days back, someone named “Allah Ke Bande” left a horrible comment against Hindus in general. I didn’t make a big deal out of this because I wanted people to realize the impact of Islamic Extremism that the world needs to encounter.

Allah Ke Bande, I made this video specifically for you. The background song is by Kailash Kher.

This is the time for us to reflect on the deaths and victims of Islamic extremism that people need to encounter on a daily basis. This is just one attack but for thousands of years, Hindus, Christians and Jews have to live with these types of radicalism from Islam. The funniest thing is that killing innocent people actually has been working for the Muslim extremists. The world population is not doing enough to end this extremism.

I said before and I am saying again. Certain aspects of Islam has problems and Muslims need to clarify those aspects. If Muslims don’t clarify the positions on Islam then more hatred will arise on the Muslims themselves.

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