Ensure Dalit's rights in constitution: Demand speakers

Source: The Daily Star News

Speakers at a press conference yesterday demanded inclusion of a special provision in the constitution to ensure social security, citizen's rights and human dignity of the Dalit community.

They said Dalits are considered as the isolated community in the country and are victims of immense discrimination due to the absence of such a provision.

The provision is needed to ensure an end to all sorts of prejudice, they added.

The press conference was jointly organised by the Bangladesh Dalit and Excluded Rights Movement (BDERM) and Nagorik Uddyog at the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU).

Addressing the press conference, Justice Gholam Rabbani stressed the need for inclusion of a special rule in the code of procedure to punish people behaving in a discriminatory manner with Dalit communities.

Rabbani suggested introduction of the rule with the provision of awarding 6 months to 3 years imprisonment to anyone putting impediments to Dalits from receiving education, treatment and other fundamental rights.

Reading out a written statement, BDERM President Mukul Sikder categorically demanded an end to social discrimination on grounds of caste and professions.

BDERM General Secretary Bodhanaki Shalomon said the Dalits are falling far behind in development because of social discrimination and deprivation.

Inclusion of the special provision and formulation of a necessary law is very essential to protect the just rights of Dalits, he added.

Their other demands include a constitutional declaration terming social discrimination against Dalits as a crime and to ensure equal opportunity for them in different government, non-government and autonomous institutions.

Nagorik Uddyog Chief Executive Jakir Hossain and Dalit Nari Forum President Moni Rani Das were present at the press conference.

Hindu priest killed in clash

Source: The Daily Star News

A Hindu priest was killed during a clash between the management committee of Shonai Kali Temple and its rival group at Nashibganj Bazar in Pirganj upazila on Thursday evening.

The deceased was identified as Shashi Mohan Barman, 70, priest of the temple.

Officer-in-Charge Abdul Hamid of Pirgonj Police Station said Shubhendranath Barman, vice-president of the temple management committee and son of the priest, went to Nashibgonj Bazar to collect contributions for upcoming Kali Puja.

A rival group of the committee led by Shontosh and his three accomplices came to the bazar and engaged in an altercation with Shubhendranath.

Shashi arrived at the spot just as the two groups started fighting and at one stage he was hit with a stick, leaving him dead on the spot.

On information, police recovered the body from the spot and sent it to the district sadar hospital yesterday for autopsy.

Shubhendranath filed a murder case with the police station yesterday accusing four people including Shontosh.

Bike-riding stalker kills a mother

Source: The daily star

The mother (middle) of these four daughters paid dearly with her life for protesting stalking. Photo: Rezaul Karim

Daily Star Correspondent, Faridpur

A motorbike-riding stalker ran over and killed a mother for protesting his harassing her two daughters in Madhukhali upazila here on Tuesday.

Deceased Chanpa Rani Bhowmik, 45, an employee of Faridpur Sugar Mill and wife of Swapan Biswas, was run over by Rony Saha, son of Ratan Saha of the upazila, police and relatives of the victim said.

Chanpa's killing came just three days after the sad demise of a Natore college teacher, Mizanur Rashid, who was similarly killed by stalkers riding on a bike on October 12.

Soma, one of her daughters, said Rony, aged about 21, ran her mother down near their house around 4:45pm when she came up to the road to see off some guests.

She succumbed to her injuries at Faridpur Medical College Hospital around 6:00pm.

The death of Chanpa Rani once again exposes the vulnerability of those protesting harassment of women.

Arun Kumar Bhowmik, Chanpa's brother, filed a murder case with Madhukhali Police Station in this connection yesterday. The case statement said Rony had been stalking and harassing his twin nieces -- Hira and Mukta -- for the last one year.

Faridpur Superintendent of Police Awlad Ali Fakir said the case was recorded as a murder case, since Rony ran over Chanpa.

Police, however, have yet to arrest the culprit, as he has gone into hiding. His stepmother told The Daily Star that he has not returned home since the incident.

Rony's father Ratan Saha, a liquor trader at west Garakhola in Modhukhali, is also hiding, locals said.

Faridpur Sugar Mill High School headmaster Shahid Hasan Md Atikul Haque said Hira and Mukta, candidates of the upcoming SSC examination, are very meritorious students. A few months ago Chanpa told him that Rony had been stalking her twin daughters and waylaying them with his bike.

Konok Hasan Masud, convener of an anti-stalking committee of the school, said Rony threatened Chanpa and her husband Swapan Biswas to pick up Hira to teach them a good lesson for their complaints and protest against him.

Swapan said Rony also threatened over the phone to kill him a few days ago.

Meanwhile, workers and employees of Faridpur Sugar Mill and students of Faridpur Sugar Mill High School blocked the Dhaka-Khulna highway for nearly half an hour protesting the death and demanding punishment of the “killer”.

They also demonstrated in front of the Madhukhali Upazila Parishad and formed a human chain in front of the sugar mill.

Workers and employees of the mill have threatened to go on a strike if Rony is not arrested within 24 hours.

Stalking of women has taken a turn for the worse with a growing number of people being killed for trying to resist the menace.

In last nine months, at least 25 women killed themselves to escape the horror of abuse, while nine males lost their lives for standing up against stalkers, says a report of rights group Ain O Salish Kendra.

During the same period, a father committed suicide, unable to withstand watching her daughter being humiliated.

Failure of the state and the society to protect women from stalking has led many young girls and, in some cases, parents to commit suicide.

Bangladesh Harijans want quota in jobs

Source: SIFY News

Dhaka, Oct 23 (IANS) Members of Harijan communities in Bangladesh's southern port city of Barisal have asked for 80 percent reservation in the jobs such as sweepers and cleaners. The country is home to 1.5 million Harijans who were brought here during the British era from Maharastra and Andhra Pradesh in undivided India.

Around 6,000 community members are protesting the appointments of people from other communities as sweepers and cleaners, saying they have been the 'most neglected' lot of the society.

Harijans, widely termed as 'untouchables', have been living in appalling condition, being deprived of education, employment and housing, The Daily Star said Friday. Having participated in the country's freedom movement and separation from Pakistan has not improved their conditions. In jobs, they remain daily wage earners after years of working, their leaders say.

They continue to live in densely populated commercial and residential areas of the city without any sanitation, sewerage, drinking water, electric supply and education facilities.

'We do not have any land for permanent residence,' said Harijn leader Joyanta Kumar Das, secretary of the Barisal Harijan Oikkya Parishad.

The rate of literacy among Harijans of the city was less than 20 percent, said Laxman Lal, president of the Parishad.

'There is only one primary school for the Harijan community at Amir Kutir and admission of the Harijan children in other schools is often discouraged, Laxman said.

Minority women tortured by Superintendent of Bangladesh Police

A HINDU HOUSEWIFE PHYSICALLY TORTURED BY SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE,
MADARIPUR DISTRICT OF BANGLADESH IN OFFICE ON THE MAHAASTAMI DAY OF
THE DURGAPUJA OCTOBER 15,2010.

HRCBM-Dhaka, 22 October2010 : Minority Housewife physically
tortured by Superintendent of Police, Madaripur district of Bangladesh
because she did not agree to withdraw case against perpetrators of
crime , revealed in a press conference (The Daily Jugantor dated 18th
of October, 2010, The Daily Janakantha dated 18th of October, 2010 and
The Daily Janata dated 20th October, 2010)

According to Uttam Banerjee of HRCBM-Madaripur Dist Unit , an
untoward incident of physical torture on a Hindu woman named
Ms.Shila Mullick wife of Bhupendra Nath Mullick of village –Aruakandi
of Rajoir police station within Madaripur District of Bangladesh on
21st of October, 2010. At about 11 A M .

It is learnt that the victim is neither an accused nor of any
offender in connection with any criminal offence in Bangladesh. She
went to office of Superintendent of Police, Madaripur to get proper
justice in connection with Rajoir P.S. case No. 08 dated 20.08.2010
under section 148/323/379/307/326/386/114 of Penal code filed by
herself alleging that offence of section 326/307/386 of penal code
against criminals had already been stricken by O.C. Rajoir P.S. with a
view to give impunity to the offenders of Rajoir P.S. case No.08 dated
20.08.2010. Before her meeting she was allowed to enter into the
Chamber of Mr. Sardar Tomizuddin Ahmed, S.P. after an hour waiting and
she was taken in to a solitary room for interrogation and during
interrogation she was physically tortured.

Mr.Sardar Tomizuddin Ahmed, S.P. of Madaripur District became angry
with Ms.Shila Mullick and put pressure on Shila to accede to withdraw
her case from the court against the perpetrators, but Ms.Shila refused
to withdraw the case filed earlier against the perpetrators
responsible for criminal intimidation, attempt to murder and torture
upon her husband. Sardar Tomizuddin (Telephone No. 01713373582 )
repeatedly tried to extract signatures from the victim with criminal
intimidation in presence of his junior police officers, but Ms.Shila
did not agree with the Superintendent of Police and as a result Mr.
Tomizuddin caught hold of her long tuft of hair firstly started to
beat by hands later he took a stick made of cane and started to beat
her mercilessly causing severe injuries on her left arm, neck and back
side of her body. (Sign of torture quite visible within the photograph
and medical report)

As Mr. Shila received severe injuries and could not take proper
treatment within Madaripur Distrtict for fear of life, she came to
Dhaka Medical College Hospital on 07.10.2010 and she was treated by
Dr. Sayed Amzad Ali, Dhaka Medical College Hospital and injury report
was obtained.

Ms. Shila made an appeal to Ms. Sahara Khatun, Minister for Home
Affairs, and Government of Bangladesh on 15.10.2010 but no action has
yet been taken against the Superintendent of Police responsible for
physical assault on women.

Ms.Shila also made a press conference at Dhaka and ventilated her
angry reaction and prayed for necessary protection of her life.

Dy Inspector General of Police will visit the place of occurrence
to-morrow, 23 October 2010.
HRCBM- Madaripur Dist Unit has been asked to keep in touch of the
development and informed the HRCBM-Dhaka as and when required.

Detailed report published in print media has been published. A press
Clipping of the daily Janakantha ( 18 Oct 2010 ) has been appended
alone with photograph of the victim Shela Mallick herewith for
necessary action .

Firsthand report submitted by HRCBM-Dhaka
Dated :22 October 2010

Chittagong Hill Tracts: Indigenous Rights To Be Protected By Constitution

Source: UNPO

Will the rights of Bangladesh’s indigenous peoples finally be recognized by the country’s constitution?

Below is an article published by Indigenous Portal:

Co-chairman of Special Parliamentary Committee for Constitution Amendment (SPCCA) Mr. Suranjit Sengupta, MP, said the rights of the indigenous community would be recognised incorporating their rights in the Constitution.

He was addressing as chief guest at the seminar on ‘Constitutional Recognition of the Indigenous Peoples of Bangladesh, organised by Bangladesh Adivasi Forum with the support of Action Aid Bangladesh at CIRDAP auditorium in Dhaka.

Suranjit Sengupta also said that earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told them to take it seriously when we discussed the issue with her. “I am impressed with the presence in this house; especially to see the movement that indigenous peoples have shaped successfully, at least intellectually. Now we have a good-chance to establish rights for all in the Constitution. We will incorporate the good things that were left out from the Constitution of 1972,” he said. He urged the indigenous community to place a draft to the SPCCA outlining the way they want their rights incorporated in the Constitution.

“The SPCCA will take decision about the recognition of the rights of the indigenous people in the Constitution,” Suranjit said. Bangladesh emerged through a bloody battle to establish the rights of the people not to deprive them, he said. He also urged the leaders of the indigenous community to continue their movement to materialise the dream of Manabendra Narayan Larma, the pioneer leader of the indigenous community.

In his speech, Hasanul Huq Inu, MP, and member of the SPCCA said, the issue of constitutional recognition of the indigenous community would be taken seriously. I personally as a member of the SPCCA and conscious citizen of the country support the demand for recognition of their rights in the Constitution, he added. ''Many high profile politicians do not want the indigenous people's constitutional recognition,'' he added.

Eminent columnist Syed Abul Maksud said that national recognition of the ethnic minority was logical as they were citizen of Bangladesh. He hoped that this government would take it seriously to establish secular order in the country.

Information Commissioner Prof. Dr Sadeka Halim said that indigenous peoples should be recognised in the constitution as ‘indigenous peoples’. He urged indigenous leaders to continue their movement and to put demands before the government as they want.

Prof Mesbah Kamal said with the constitutional recognition the spirit of Bangali nationality will not be undermined. ''We have to honour the emotion of the indigenous people who want their own identity, and the best way to honour their spirit is to give them constitutional recognition.''

General Secretary of Bangladesh Indigenous Peoples Forum Sanjeeb Drong presented the keynote paper while Robaet Ferdous moderated the seminar.

Publicity Secretary of Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samity (PCJSS) urged the government to include a definition of indigenous community in the Article 152 of the Constitution, side by side to insert the rights to participation, identity, consent and self-government of indigenous peoples.

In his keynote paper, Sanjeeb Drong said that USA, Canada, Bolivia, Mexico, Brazil, Paraguay, Ecuador, Venezuela had recognised the rights of indigenous community in their Constitution. Not only constitutional recognition of their rights but also traditional land rights and ownership of territory were recongnised in the constitutions of these countries, he mentioned in his keynote paper. Drong mentioned the specific articles of the Constitution Article 3, 28(4), 59, 65(3a) and 80 to incorporate the term of indigenous community.

Among others general secretary of Jatiya Adivasi Parishad Rabindranath Soren and Action Aid country director Farhah Kabir spoke at the seminar.

It is mentionable that Manabendra Narayan Larma, founder of Parbatya Chattagra Jana Shanghati Samity, who was a member of the parliament in 1972, had opposed the original constitution since there was no mention about the indigenous community.

Hindu MPs signed memo to Prime minister Sheikh Hasina to amend vested property return act

Source: Asian Tribune

From our diplomatic correspondent

Dhaka, 03 October , (Asintribune.com) :

A number of eminent personalities including 13 parliament members of minority community along with Bangladesh Hindu-Buddha-Christian Oikkya Parishad signed the memorandum with a 7-point demand and submitted to the prime minister’s office, seeking changes to ''Vested Property Return (amendment) Act'' in light of the Supreme Court verdict .

It may be mentioned here that the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court in a judgment in 2006 said: “Since the law of enemy property itself died with the repeal of Ordinance No.1 of 1969 on 23 -3-1974 no further vested property case can be started thereafter on the basis of the law which is already dead. Accordingly, there is no basis at all to treat the case land as vested property upon started VP Case (58 DLR 2006 pp 177-185)

The Awami League Hindu lawmakers placed their other demands include a clear definition of vested property on the basis of Supreme Court's orders, return of all properties grabbed after 1974 and formation of tribunals at districts to dispose of the cases. The parishad General Secretary, Advocate Ranadas Gupta, handed the memorandum over to PM's personal secretary, said the daily star.

This is the first time in the history of independent Bangladesh, member of Parliament of minority community belonging to the ruling Awami League placed their 7-point coconscious demand.

A political analyst said , the minority community including Buddhist, Christians and Adibashis in Bangladesh participated in the War of Liberation so that in the newly liberated country we would enjoy equal status and rights along with the majority community. But in practice, the persecution of the Hindus continued like Pakistani days even after independence.

The forms of oppression of the religious minorities are manifold.

Constitutionally, we have been downgraded by introduction of Islam as State religion of Bangladesh; economically, we have been crippled through systematic discriminatory laws like Enemy turned Vested Property Act and unequal application of laws and practices; politically, we have been segregated and alienated from the mainstream rather we become stooge of so-called secularism.

The great Bengali Hindu race have been made a non-entity in different government institutions including army, police, judicial and administrative and non-government services like Bank and industries; we are under threat of conversion i.e. socially, culturally and observing religious rites, we are insecure.

The VP Act was practically declared void by promulgating ‘The Enemy Property (Continuance of Emergency Provisions) (Repeal) Act XLV in parliament on 23 March 1974.. But immediately afterwards another declaration named the Vested and Non-resident Property (Administration) Act XL VI of 1974 brought the above act into force. This Act was later amended on 27 November 1976 by the Enemy Property (Continuance of Emergency Provision) (Repeal) (Amendment) Ordinance 1976. The government, or any officer or authority as directed by the government, was empowered to administer, control, manage and dispose of, by transfer or otherwise the enemy property or enemy firms known as ‘vested property’.

The Government of Bangladesh has, within the framework of this law, taken possession of property declared to belong to the enemy, by appropriating the property of members of the Hindu minority who had migrated to India, or by appropriating the property of people who were heirs or co –owners.

Since then the issue has been rolling with ordinances, amendments, circulars, memos, and committee and so on. But no tangible action has yet been taken by the Government to solve the contentious issue of minority Hindus. Though renamed as the Vested Property Act in 1974, the law still retains the fundamental ability to deprive a Bangladeshi citizen of his/her property simply by declaration of that person as an enemy of the state.

Leaving the country through abandonment is cited as the most common reason for this, and it is frequently the case that Hindu families who have one or several members leaving the country (for economic as well as political reasons) have their entire property confiscated due to labeling as enemy. So, the properties which have been included under VPA since 23 March 1974 should be immediately exempted and returned those property to the legal owners.

Awami League leader Suranjit Sengupta MP said enactment of the Vested Property Return (Amendment) Act might be delayed for an indefinite period unless its bill is placed in the next parliament session.

Suranjit, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on law ministry, said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina postponed its tabling in the parliament although the cabinet approved the bill last November2009.

The prime minister did this because of her belief that different opinions exist among the Hindu community leaders on the draft act, he added. "There exist differences and there will. But it should not cause delay in the bill placement," Suranjit said at a discussion in last month.

Suranjit, senior politician and lawmaker since independent Bangladesh, said the parliamentary standing committee is there to look at the amendments if necessary and will make it ready for placement in the parliament.

If the bill is sent back to the ministry for another drafting, vested quarters are ready to take opportunities to impose tangle, he said. The vested property, which was termed enemy property before the Liberation War in 1971, was left behind by the Hindus during the 1947 partition and the India-Pakistan war in 1965.

The government took the properties' ownership by enacting the enemy property act after independence in 1971, and renamed the law as the Vested Property Act in 1974.

The law still retains the fundamental ability to deprive a Bangladeshi citizen of his/her property simply by declaring them as enemies of the state. Properties of Hindu families that left the country have been confiscated as they were labeled as state enemy, reported the daily star.

It may be recalled that Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM), an NGO possessing special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, has by its Bangladesh Chapter's Secretary General Mr Rabindranath Trivedi, who is an ex additional secretary to the Government of Bangladesh, filed a writ petition on 10 August 2008 to the High Court Divisions of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh on the complete abolishment of Vested Property Act.

Former Deputy Attorney General Barrister Nikhilesh Dutta and Senior Advocate S N Goswami moved the case for the petition and Deputy Attorney General Mr Razik Al Jali for the respondents. The Government has not yet replied.

Bangladesh Hindus have lost 22 lakh acres of their land and houses during the last six years (2001-2006), a Dhaka University Professor says.

The market value of this land is Taka 2, 52,000 crore (about $156 million), which is more than half of the country's gross domestic product (GDP).'This is a man-made problem contrary to the spirit of humanity. We have to get rid of this uncivilised state of affairs to establish a civilised society. Otherwise, we have to face a bigger historic catastrophe,' Professor Abdul Barkat, who teaches economics, insists in his research paper, 'Deprivation of affected million families:

Living with Vested Property in Bangladesh'. Politically powerful people grabbed most of the Hindu lands during the reign of Begum Khaleda Zia's BNP-led four-party alliance between 2001 and 2006. Forty-five per cent of the land grabbers were affiliated with the BNP, 31 per cent with the Awami League, eight per cent with Jamaat-e-Islami and six per cent with the Jatiya Party and other political organisations,

- Asian Tribune -