Bangladesh Govt to file suit against minority persecutions

Source: Times of Assam

By- Swadesh Roy | Date- June 02, 2011 | Place- Dhaka, Bangladesh

For the first time, Bangladesh government is going to file legal suit against minority persecutions. The home ministry of Bangladesh is preparing entering into litigation. In Bangladesh, minority persecutions happened in 2001 October to December 2002. It happened after a general election. The election was held on 1st October, 2001. Four party alliances led by Bangladesh Nationalist party won the election. Bangladesh nationalist party is an Islamic nationalist party but there others of its ally are Islamic fundamentalist parties. One of the parties is the alliance Islamic Oekoy Jote (IOJ), led by Mufti Fazlul Haque Amini a self-declared Taleban. American state department identified that, IOJ and a student wing of another party of the alliance (Jamate Islami Bangladesh) is international Islamic Militant terrorist. That is way; four party alliances are Islamic fundamentalists and militants. In fact, election of 2001 in Bangladesh Islamic militants won the election. However, observers and political analyst used to say that it was not a free and fair election. It was a conspiracy by some national and international forces, an intelligence organization (which is now condemned by America as a militant organization) of south Asian country made the plot of conspiracy. However, after that election, a man made disaster came on the people of Bangladesh. As a vulnerable group, minority community faced more thump. All the minorities Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians have to face a nightmare. Some examples of that nightmare are that, thirteen partymen of Bangladesh nationalist party in Pabna district of Bangladesh raped a young girl named Purnima Shill. More than five party men raped a seven-month pregnant woman of Hindu community at Bhola district of Bangladesh.

In 2001, after wining the election Islamic militants terrorized the whole country; so nobody can protest that violence. A group of human rights leaders raises a little voice but they were tortured by the state. So the people of Bangladesh have to wait seven years to condemn it. On 29 December of 2008 progressive force of Bangladesh come to power with a landslide mandate of people. The result of that election proved that people of Bangladesh did not like the militancy of the Islamic fundamentalists.

Bangladesh Awami league led progressive alliance formed government in January 2009 and a human right organization, Human Rights and Peace filed a writ petition to the high court on the issue of post election violence and minority persecution of 2001. The high court gave a direction to the government to set up a judiciary investigation commission of those incidents. According to the direction of the high court, the government of Bangladesh formed a three member judicial commission headed by retired district judge Mohammad Shabuddin. The judicial commission probing the 2001 post polls violence has found evidence of over 3625 incidents of major crime including killing, rape, arson and looting by the Bangladesh nationalist party and its ally’s cadres. Offences include 3,270 rapes, 355 murders. The commission’s findings say that most of the raped women are Hindu in religion. Commission also identified that, all are politically motivated murders and rapes. In fact, it was a political motivated cleansing. The four party alliances want to cleanse the minority community because the minorities of Bangladesh support progressive political forces. Therefore, fundamentalist were thinking that, to make an Islamic Militant country they have to cleanse minority and the progressive people of majority community. They try to do it.

The judicial commission suggests the government to start legal suit against the identified person who were involved it. Judicial commission also mentions some former minister and central leaders of four party coalitions were involved in it. A former home minister was also accused in this issue. The present home minister has said that, they are going to file suit according to the commission’s direction.

This legal trail is very much necessary for the image of Bangladesh and its common people. Bangladesh is a country of communal harmony. People of all religions fought for the independence of the country. On the other hand, four party alliance government tarnished the real image of Bangladesh. They made the image of the country as a communal and militant country. Now the responsible people of Bangladesh are thinking that to build up the image of Bangladesh it is necessary to punish the criminal and has to stop the political motivated cleansing of minority.

Shiva icon vandalised

Source: The Daily Star News
Criminals on Monday night vandalised an image of Hindu god Shiva at the two-hundred year-old Hasjratola Kali Temple at Tangrakhali village under Shingasholpur union in Sadar upazila. Locals said, a gang entered the temple breaking open its lock and ransacked the room. They separated the idol's head from its body. Ashwini Kumar Mollick, president of the temple committee said that they are yet to identify the culprits. However, he demanded proper investigation and punishment to those involved.

Contacted, Md Rafiqul Islam, OC of Narail PS said a police team has gone to the spot. "We shall take necessary steps to find the culprits," he said.