Bangladesh CHT: PCJSS press release on the kidnap of it's member.

Press Release from PCJSS Date: October 4th, 09.
A group of miscreants allegedly from UPDF kidnapped Mr. Bimalananda Chakma, a member of PCJSS and assistant secretary of PCJSS committee in Bilaichari thana at around 7PM on October 2nd, 2009.
In a separate incident, unidentified miscreants attacked Sumet Chakma (35) on 3rd October, 2009 at 8:30 PM in the public health area of Rangamati. Mr. Sumet sustained a bullet injury in his stomach. He was admitted to Rangamati Sadar hospital with serious bullet injury and later moved to Chittagong Medical College Hospital.
PCJSS take this opportunity to vehemently protest and expresses concern on the incident of kidnap of Bimalanada Chakma and attack on Sumet Chakma.
The organization demands immediate apprehension of the criminal in both cases.

Sajib Chakma
Assistant Secretary,
PCJSS CHT

Consultation on Interfaith Diapraxis Calls for Building Communities of Solidarity

Source: RDRS Bangladesh
url: http://www.rdrsbangla.net/Page.php?pageId=MTQ2ODUz


A three-day Consultation on Interfaith Diapraxis: Building Communities of Solidarity and Mutual Interest across Faith Boundaries concluded with a "Dhaka Statement" on 10 September. The consultation was held during 8-10 September 2009 at the Centre for Development Management (CDM) in Rajendrapur, near Dhaka, Bangladesh. Organised by the Lutheran World Federation/Department for Mission & Development (LWF/DMD), the event was hosted by RDRS Bangladesh in cooperation with Bangladesh Lutheran Church (BLC) and Bangladesh Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church (BNELC). A total of fifty representatives from different religious communities (Muslim, Christian, Hindu and Buddhist) in Bangladesh, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Korea, Nepal, Singapore and Switzerland participated in the consultation.
The main objective of the consultation was to reflect on and affirm the importance of religious freedom in any process of peaceful coexistence. Key topics included: freedom of religion and recognition of others; building communities of solidarity and mutual interest across faith boundaries in Muslim, Christian, Hindu and Buddhist perspectives; new and creative ways of strengthening inter-religious relations and cooperation; promoting peaceful co-existence and diapraxis; the role of religious leaders in enhancing commitment to respect and value people of diverse faiths; theological foundations for diapraxis; practising diapraxis in Asian society, religious freedom in inter-communal relations; intra-communal strategy for interfaith cooperation.
At the inaugural session on 8 September, LWF Vice President Bishop Dr Munib A Younan and LWF Deputy General Secretary Rev Dr Chandran Paul Martin welcomed the participants. Bishop Younan called upon the participants to use this opportunity to issue a common statement for the rest of the world. Bishop Younan and Rev. Martin conveyed greetings from the President and the General Secretary of LWF.
Bishop Younan spoke on the role of religious leaders in enhancing commitment to respect and value people of diverse faiths. He urged religious leaders to use the power of religion to speak the truth and promote justice instead of using religion for politics.
Rev Dr Chandran Paul Martin presented the keynote paper on "Freedom of Religions and Recognition of Others'. He called on the participants to share their experiences of abuse and protection in various faith interactions and also to discuss their views on the issues.
Mr Kamaluddin Akbar, Executive Director of RDRS Bangladesh, thanked the participants and expressed gratitude to the Almighty Allah the most merciful and beneficient for this opportunity for people of all faiths to gather for the Interfaith Diapraxis. He thanked LWF as well as other organisations and individuals who worked tirelessly for holding this consultation.
Mr Kamaluddin Akbar of RDRS and Dr Dennis D Datta, Executive Director of KOINONIA Bangladesh, spoke on promoting peaceful co-existence and practising diapraxis.
Ms Sally Lim, LWF Regional Expression Coordinator for Asia, presented a vision statement and an Aide Memoir.
Prof. Dr M Shamsher Ali and Rev Martin Adhikary from Bangladesh; Dr Prabhakar Bhattacharyya from India and Dr Parichart Suwanbubbha from Thailand presented elaborate papers on the theme from Muslim, Christian, Hindu and Buddist perspectives as an affirmation to the concept of interfaith dialogue and interfaith diapraxis.
After detailed deliberations, four working groups formulated a statement which was issued at the end of the consultation. Titled as The Dhaka Statement, it appeals to faith communities to develop methodologies for interfaith diapraxis in educational institutions. It calls upon LWF to establish a networking platform in Asia for initiating and exchanging good practice of diapraxis. It calls upon the media to play a supportive role and upon governments and global bodies to engage faith communities in bringing about peace and justice.
In the concluding session, the participants expressed their common desire and commitment to implement the recommendations in their respective working areas.
he consultation ended with a clarion call to all religious and community leaders, governments and global bodies to make faith communities a driving force for achieving justice, tolerance, peaceful coexistence and reconciliation in all spheres of life.

5 held on rape, killing charges sent to jail

Source: The Daily Star

Five arrestees including two alleged rapists and killers of ten-year-old schoolgirl Shahnaz Begum of Digalbagh village in Dhobaura upazila were sent to jail after they were produced before a Mymensingh court yesterday.

The arrestees are rape and murder accused Manik Miah, 35, and his brother Sujan Miah, 25, their sisters Fatema Khatun and Halima Khatun and mother Marazi Begum.

Daughter of late Abul Kashem of village Digalbagh, Shahnaz was killed allegedly after violation at neighbouring Nayapara village at around 8:00pm on Thursday night.

Manik and Sujan of village Nayapara kidnapped Shahnaz from the bank of Netai River, took her to their home and killed her after rape, police said.

Police arrested Manik and Sujan on Friday morning and later recovered the victim's body following their confessional statement.

Jaldhaka rape, killing of schoolgirl sparks protest

Source: The Daily Star

The students of Jaldhaka Pilot Girls' High School brought out a procession in the town yesterday demanding arrest and punishment of the rapist and killer of Eti Moni, a class ten student of the school.

On Wednesday evening, Eti Moni was raped and strangled allegedly by timber trader Mahmudar Rahman, 25, who usually stays in the sawmill adjacent to Eti's house at LSD Para in Jaldhaka municipality, said the victim's family members and police.

Mahmudar hails from Dundibari village in the upazila.

The victim's father said when he returned home from market, he saw Mahmudar hurrying out from the house. As he challenged, the latter left the place by overpowering him.

Entering the house, he found Eti Moni lying senseless on the floor with scurf around her neck. She was rushed to Jaldhaka Upazila Health Complex where on-duty doctors declared her dead.

The victim's father filed a rape and murder case with Jaldhaka Police Station accusing Mahmudar the next day.

The inquest report suggests that the girl was raped, Jaldhaka Police Station Officer-in-Charge Arman Hossain said, adding that police were trying their best to arrest the culprit.

Eti's post-mortem was done in the district hospital the next day.

Punish the rapists: Pirojpur people demand at human chain

Source: The Daily Star

Bangladesh Mahila Parishad Pirojpur district unit organised a human chain on Club Road in the town on Friday demanding arrest and punishment of the perpetrators responsible for raping a schoolgirl, recording the scene and trading on the pornography.

People from all walks of life participated in the programme where leaders of different socio-cultural-political organisations and NGOs addressed.

Following a case against five people on September 28 in connection with trading CD containing video footage of the rape by a BCL leader of Pirojpur town, police arrested Suman Talukdar, owner of Shoukhin Audio-Video Corner, Shahin Howladar, apprentice worker of Digital Mobile Servicing Centre, and Faisal Gazi, buyer of the porno CD.

But the main accused Ahsan Kabir Mamun alias Mamun Hawlader and his associate Monir Hossain alias 'Ganja' Monir have remained absconding.

Law enforcers arrested 13 more people and seized huge porno CDs, computer drives and accessories in Pirojpur district and Nazirpur upazila towns in last six days.

Police also filed five cases with Pirojpur Sadar and four with Nazirpur police stations against the arrestees on charges of distribution of the obscene video footage, circulating and trading pornography, said officers-in-charge of Pirojpur sadar and Nazirpur police stations.

Everyone responsible for the rape, its recording and trading of the porno CDs will be arrested, said Pirojpur Superintendent of Police Md Shahidullah Chowdhury.

Police also continued drives to seize all the records of the video footage from the market, he added.

Bangladesh: Schoolgirl raped in Pabna

Source: The Daily Star

A schoolgirl was raped at Ramanandapur village in Pabna Sadar upazila on Friday.

The victim, a student of class three of a local primary school, was rushed to Pabna General Hospital in a critical condition after the incident took place around 2:00pm, sources said.

Victim's family filed a complaint with Pabna police station stating Sabbir Ahmed Piash, 22, son of local businessman Forkal Ali and also a neighbour, took her inside his residence and raped her while she was playing near her residence.

Piash is a student of Jamia Ashrafia Madrasha of Laskarpur village under Sadar upazila, the complaint said.

Md Motiur Rahman, officer-in-charge (OC) of Pabna police station, said police arrested Piash from Atghoria upazila yesterday after a team carried out an operation on information as he fled his residence.

Locals said they rushed the spot hearing victim's scream and rescued and sent her to hospital.

The OC said a case filing is in progress after Piash's confession.

Victim made to deny rape by BCL men: Bangladesh Police loyalty goes to ruling party men

Source: The Daily Star
Victim made to deny rape by BCL men; AL leaders blame journalists for tarnishing party image.

Kalapara police administration under influence of local leaders of the ruling party is holding back facts about the incident of abduction and gang rape of the schoolgirl on September 25 by ruling party activists.
A group of 16 Chhatra League activists kidnapped the schoolgirl while she was returning home with her cousin by a rickshaw from a puja mandap on September 25 evening. They gang raped the girl and left her on the road.
Locals rescued the victim about four hours later and handed her over to a police patrol team led by ASI Kabir Hossain.
The police chased and detained two of the perpetrators with the help of locals.
The law enforcers took the terrified girl to her house but set the two arrestees free.
Asked why they were set free, ASI Kabir said, “They were released as the victim at that moment was unable to identify the two as attackers.”
Meanwhile, unidentified criminals have threatened to kill Patuakhali correspondent of Bangladesh Observer Gofran Biswas alias Palash for writing reports on the incident.
Palash, also correspondent of local daily Sathi, filed a general diary with Kalapara Police Station saying some unknown criminals gave him death threat on his way back home on Women's College Road at around 10:00pm.
The incident of gang rape prompted the Upazila Awami League leaders to hold an arbitration at a local school on September 27.
Upazila AL secretary Rakibul Hasan, vice chairman of Kalapara Upazila Parishad Sultan Mahmud and other local leaders found the 16 BCL men "guilty" of the crimes.
However, they set the accused free after awarding each perpetrator 100 lashes and a fine of Tk 10,000.
Rakibul Hasan, who contested for the post of chairman in the last Upazila Parishad election, told The Daily Star that the incident of the rape was designed to tarnish the image of the ruling party.
“A bunch of irresponsible journalists outside Kalapara fabricated it to tarnish our image. The deputy commissioner and the superintendent of police did not find any element of rape in their investigation," he claimed.
He further said the girl herself has moved to sue the journalists.
Rakibul said the arbitration on September 27 had nothing to do with this case as it was held to address the problem of eve teasers in Kalapara.
Local sources said the ruling party men got annoyed after the incident was reported in national dailies. They intimidated the poor peasant family of the victim and made them publicly refute the allegations of rape at a press conference.
The victim was intimidated to sue a local journalist who reported the incident of rape to his newspaper in Patuakhali.
Sources said Awami League leaders are now desperately trying to suppress the crime that involves their activists.
A businessman in Kalapara seeking anonymity said, “This is a serious issue for the ruling party leaders here. They are using their influence over the police as well as the administration to suppress facts about the incident."
Locals said the victim's family, which is now under the grip of the police and ruling party leaders, has agreed to cooperate with them.
Patuakhali Deputy Commissioner Reaz Ahmed and Superintendent of Police Saibal Kanti Chowdhury along with a female magistrate went to Kalapara Police Station to talk to the victim on Thursday evening.
Reaz Ahmed quoted the victim as saying that she was not raped. She took shelter in a nearby house after her cousin came under attack.
Saibal said they found no evidence of rape. He said the team of investigators from Patuakhali talked to the victim privately in presence of a female magistrate.
“She said the attackers stopped the rickshaw and started beating her cousin. She instantly ran away from the scene and took shelter in a house from where locals and the police rescued her,” he said quoting the victim.
“We also found out that the arbitration held two days after the incident had nothing to do with this particular case but with the problem of eve teasers in the area,” the SP added.