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.

Hnila Buddhist Temple Destruction

Two indigenous Rakhaine villagers attacked by land grabbers

Source: Kapaeeng Foundation
On 11 May 2011 at around 3.30 pm the Bengali land grabbers of Hnila Buddhist temple and cemetery of indigenous Rakhaine people at Hnila area of Teknaf upazila (sub district) in Cox’s Bazaar district attacked on two innocent indigenous Rakhaine villagers namely Mr. Mong Hla Rakhaine and Mr. Faa She Rakhaine, the residents of North Hnila Bazaar Para (Maug Para). The physical assault was led by Rashed Mahmud Ali, son of former Member of Parliament (MP) Prof. Mohammad Ali, the main perpetrators of land grabbing of the temple and graveyard of Rakhaine people at Hnila.
It is learnt that, Rashed Mahmud Ali made a bogus allegation to these two indigenous villagers of burglary of his goat, afterward tied them up with lash and beaten them up brutally. The critically injured victims tried to file a case with Teknaf police station against the land grabbers, but the police officers rejected to accept any case against the miscreants.
It is mentionable that the former Member of Parliament (MP) Prof. Mohammad Ali and his son Rashed Mahmud Ali, along with their cadres have been conducting attacks one after one with an intention to grab the lands of hundred year-old Buddhist temple of south Hnila of Teknaf upazila and graveyard of Rakhaine people. They destructed the temple, damaged and looted the Buddha’s images, attacked local indigenous Rakhaine peoples including Buddhist monks and constructed houses on the lands of Buddhist temple and the graveyard of Rakhaine people. They have also been threatening indigenous Rakhaine peoples to further attack if they continue protest against the land grabbing.
The local indigenous Rakhaine people already made objections against the land grabbing of Buddhist temple and graveyard and continuous harassments of land grabbers to the local police station of Teknaf, chairman of Hnila Union Parishad, the police super of Cox’s Bazaar, the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Teknaf Upazila (sub district), the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Cox’ Bazzar district and finally to the Prime Minister of Government of Bangladesh Shekh Hasina. Although they appealed to the several authorities to take necessary measures, but no actions have been taken against the land grabbers and to protect the holy places of indigenous Rakhaine people.

Call to disclose Kalpana Chakma’s abduction rep

Source: The Daily Star News

Speakers on Tuesday demanded immediate disclosure of the enquiry report on the kidnapping of Kalpana Chakma and punishment of the abductors.


Taking part in a human chain in front of the National Museum, the speakers demanded constitutional recognition of the indigenous people of the country.


Hill Women’s Federation (HWF) and ‘Pahari Chhatra Parisahd’ organised the human chain on the 15th anniversary of Kalpana Chakma's disappearance.


“Since the government is committed to implement the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) treaty, it should ensure the constitutional and legal rights of hill people to establish peace in this region,” said columnist Syed Abul Maksud.


Demanding arrest and punishment of the people involved in the kidnapping of Kalpana Chakma, the then organising secretary of the HWF, he urged the government to publish the enquiry report.


Khushi Kabir, coordinator of ‘Nijera Kori’, stressed on implementation of the CHT treaty and demanded making public the enquiry report.


Rakhi Das Purkaistha, organising secretary of Bangladesh Mohila Parishad, expressed deep concern over continuing harassment on women in the hilly region as well as the whole country.


Leaders of the HWF and ‘Pahari Chhatra Parishad’ asked the government to publish white paper on killing, kidnap, rape and the violation of human rights in the CHT region.

Rally at UN calls on Bangladesh to implement 1997 CHT Accord and remove Army Camps

Press Release

International Jumma Organization.
May, 24, 2011: New York.

The International Jumma Organization in association with Friends of CHT, Bangladesh, organized a large rally outside the United Nations. It was attended by large numbers of Jumma people from Bangladesh who now live in the United States. Also in attendance were Bengali people living in New York, and indigenous peoples’ activists from countries in Latin America, Africa, Asia and Europe who are attending the 10th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII).

Speakers at the rally outside the UN emphasized that the Bangladesh government had signed the 1997 CHT Accord, and therefore had a duty to implement the Accord. The continued militarization of the region was condemned as a major violation of the Accord.

In the opening statement, Victoria Tauli Corpuz, the former chairperson of UN Permanent Forum for Indigenous Issues and current member of Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission, said, “I visited burnt down villages, including Mahalchhari in 2003, and also other villages recently, in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. These are villages burnt down in the presence of the Army. We are asking the UNPFII to look at this. Bangladesh army needs to stop these human rights violations, and there should be investigations into the attacks, which are happening very systematically.”

Dr Dina Siddiqi of Bangladesh, visiting Professor at Columbia University, framed the conflict in terms of the majority Bengali population’s privileges: “As long as some groups are excluded from full citizenship rights, the majority will have privileges rather than rights- privileges that will be tenuous and need to be secured constantly. We need to rethink the way we understand nationalism – we want to build up a just nationalism, not an exclusionary one, in which asking for rights is not construed as being against the national interest.”

Colonel Kirti Ranjan Chakma, retired officer, Bangladesh Army stated, “The army was given an absolute authority to control the affairs in the CHT. The political government of Bangladesh is practically powerless to decide anything related to CHT. Continued heavy presence of the army contributes to human rights violations in the entire region. We also hear of the involvement of the Army in backing Bengali settlers in their attempts to grab Indigenous Peoples’ land. For peace to be sustained and prevailed in the CHT, it is necessary that the army should be withdrawn immediately from all temporary camps mounted all over the CHT.”

Both Colonel Chakma and Dr. Dewan emphasized that Jummas are peace-loving people and want to be treated as equal citizens of Bangladesh. They stressed the fact that they were ashamed to come on a world stage and complain about something that is happening in their homeland and in their own country, and urged the government to implement the 1997 Accord.

Chief Wilton Littlechild, Chair of the Peace & Reconciliation Commission of Canada, said, “So long as the sun shines and grass grows and rivers flow, all treaties should be respected, and now these are enshrined in UNDRIP. We support the call of your people for implementation of the CHT Accord-- for demilitarization, resolution of land disputes and full participation of Indigenous Peoples.”

Andrea Carmen, Director, International Indian Treaty Council, said, “We share a common history of common struggles. Our villages were also burnt. You are not alone. US government is a supporter of the Bangladesh military. We will do our best to address your situation, to bring justice and peace.”

Mattias Ahren, President, Saami Council said, “A few years ago I visited CHT. It was beautiful but also sad to see how heavily militarized the area was. The Saami people were also once subject to forced assimilation. We hope your struggle will prevail and soon, and the Saami people show you solidarity.”

Lola Garcia-Alix, Director of IWGIA Secretariat, spoke about her experiences working on Chittagong Hill Tracts issues in the early 1990s. This was the time of the first international attention to human rights violations in the region, which resulted in publication of the landmark study, ‘Life is Not Ours’.

Saiti Louwa, from the El-Molo Women’s Group, Kenya focused on women’s issues: “We are in solidarity and call upon the Bangladesh government to implement the Accord. As women, we are in solidarity with the women of Bangladesh. We do understand the pain of being excluded and marginalized.”

The event was moderated by Dr Aditya Dewan, President of the International Jumma Organization.

Serafina Rape, Suicide: Family under pressure to withdraw case

Source: The Daily Star

Family members of Serafina Mardi, the gang-rape victim who committed suicide after being forced into an out-of-court settlement with the rapists in February, are in fear of a backlash from their religious leaders.

Also the families of the rapists, yet to be detained, are mounting pressure on them to withdraw a case filed against the culprits, Serafina's family members and indigenous leaders said in a press conference at GDRC Auditorium here yesterday.

Raped on April 4 last year, indigenous girl Serafina, 14, daughter of Cornelius Mardi of Amtulipara in Godagari upazila, set herself afire on February 17.

As per the settlement, the community leaders offered her family Tk 1.40 lakh in compensation and decided to marry her off to one of the nine rapists.

As she succumbed to her injuries on February 20, police arrested 10 persons including catholic priest Father Bernard Tudu on charge of provoking the suicide through the settlement.

The arrested also include Bishwanath Tudu who had presided over the settlement.

Later, Serafina's mother Sushana Soren filed another case accusing the nine rapists.

“Villagers seldom talk with us,” Serafina's sister Sabina Mardi said, “as it is widely circulated that if they talk to us they will be declared social outcasts by religious leaders.”

Sushana alleged, “Nobody give us work; I have to go to other villages looking for work. The rapists' parents often threaten us with dire consequences for filing the case.”

In the conference, Jatiya Adibashi Parishad (JAP) President Anil Marandi and General Secretary Rabindranath Soren said the victim's family is unsafe.

An organisation called Uttorbanga Adibashi Forum has been formed only to save the accused, said the JAP leaders. It has held human chains and meetings demanding their release.

The forum's general secretary, Baghbat Tudu, a former catholic priest, is reportedly blamed for several misdeeds including rape.

Despite being a government officer, Benjamin Tudu, son of Biswanath Tudu, participated in a recent meeting with the catholic community leaders demanding release of the “saviours of the rapists”, they said.

Benjamin, research officer of Shilpakala Academy in Sirajganj, said he was looking into the matter as part of his job.

But asked if he was assigned to do research in Rajshahi, he said he came to the district on his own as his father was arrested.

He claimed the complainant was never forced. “My father got involved with the out-of-court settlement when both the complainant and the accused went to him for a solution.”

Baghbat said, “I am not involved with any programme for either releasing the accused or saving the rapists.”

Asked about his involvement with the forum, he said their banner was never used. “They [JAP leaders] say anything they want.”

Hingu Murmu, president of the forum, was not available for comments.

Police arrest 11 for attack on temple, Hindu family

Source: The Daily Star

Police in a drive at Ukiara village on Wednesday night arrested 11 people in connection with the attack on journalists, damage of a temple and houses of a Hindu family there.

The arrestees are Ramzan Ali, Shahin Mia, Gaffar Mia, Habib, Mithu Mia, Amin, Suruzzaman Sentu, Shukur Ali, Chan Mia, Nawsher and Abdul Kuddus of Ukiara and adjacent areas.

Manikganj Police superintendent Md. Masud Karim said the aforesaid 11 were held in connection with Tuesday's incident.

Local AL men evicted a Hindu family by vandalising their houses and temple on Tuesday morning.

They also beat up Biplob Chakrabarty, district correspondent of Bangla daily Shamokal, on that day when he went to the spot to cover the incident.

The ruling party men also assaulted the ATN news team comprising its crime reporter Imran Hossain, camera crew Habibur Rahman Habib and local correspondent Abul Kalam Azad the next day when they went to the spot to collect story.

Villagers said, Gosai Chandra Mandal, a relative of Shyamacharan, and his brother Sharat Mandal have been living in the house for the last 80 years.

The temple was also constructed on their property.

“After the death of Shyamacharan, the house was recorded as vested property. So, Sharat and I submitted an application to the deputy commissioner of Manikganj seeking ownership of the land,” Gosai told this correspondent.

Being rejected by the deputy commissioner's office, the duo filed a writ on January 20 this year with the Manikganj district and sessions judges' court asking for temporary stay order.

Following the writ, the court passed an order asking the deputy commissioner, assistant deputy commissioner (revenue), upazila nirbahi officer, assistant commissioner (land) and union land officer to explain the reasons behind the eviction of Gosai and Sharat.

Local AL men led by district AL religious affairs secretary Israfil Hossain wanted to grab the property in the name of building a hospital, villagers alleged.