[Reader-list] Recent Atrocities Against Minorities in Bangladesh

[Joy Chatterjee]

Recent Atrocities Against Minorities in Bangladesh
From: Bangladesh Foundation for Dev. Research


Lord Hardinge police station:
==============================
While we reached at the village namely Anandaprasad one Aicha Ram Das (50) 
years and his wife Kanchan Mala Das (35) started to narrate the manner of 
torture by the local miscreants. The miscreants on 2nd October, 2001 with 
ram dao, kirish and deadly weapons approached to Kanchan Mala Das to use 
her house to rape two neighboring hindu girls, but as Kanchan Mala 
vehemently refused to allow them to do so the local miscreants threatened 
to rape Kanchan in her house forcefully she (Kanchan) went into her room 
and brought a bottle of poison showing the miscreantsthat she would swallow 
the poison and commit suicide. While narrating the story of torture she 
burst into tears before us and we took her picture. Kanchan Mala did not 
say what happened later on as she fell unconscious. The house of Kanchan 
Mala has been looted on that day and we paid her some amount of money and 
she told us that money is not necessary but security of life is necessary. 
One Upendra Kishore Das(75) of Anandaprasad village son of Nanda Basi told 
us that all his belongings including wearing clothes had been looted on 2nd 
October, 2001 by some unruly mob. The mob gave threat Upendra if he 
discloses the names of the mob he would be killed. We found that the said 
old man has no means to survive. We gave him taka 5000/- in disguise 
because if the criminals know that Taka 5000/ has been given to Upendra he 
will be looted again. We informed the local police station and local 
administration so that this may not happen again. 1) Puspa Rani Das wife of 
late Braja Lal Das , 2) Bakuli Das wife of Bankim Das have been gang raped 
on 2nd October by the miscreantrs at night in a crop field. The miscreants 
looted all the belongings including utensils of the inmate on that very 
day. Jogendra Kumar Das son of Ram Kumar Das of Anandaprasad village was 
attacked by the terrorist 3 or 4 times in October. In this connection, Abu, 
son of Jalil Meah, village Anandaprasad, has been arrested by police. 
Dulal, Sohag Zakir, Minto and Kamal were also arrested in connection with 
this case. Khokan son Waziullah, Nabi son of Nasiruddin of village Chandpur 
of Lord Hardinge, Belayet son of Nur Islam, Nazir Ahmed son of late 
Badiuzzaman , Farid son of late Langra, Nazir Mohibullah , Malek Majee son 
of Kamal, Musleuddin , all of village Chandpur are responsible for the 
communal persecution against the Hindu religious minority. Saymal Das son 
of late Monindra Das had a cow which is the only source of income. This cow 
had also been looted by the criminals of the locality. We paid him Taka 
5000- to purchase another one.

Fatimabad village :
  =============
We visited Fatimabad village where Sabita Rani Das wife of Siddu Das, 
Bakuli wife of Kali Mohan have been gang raped and due to severe 
persecution they left the country. Sujata Rani Das wife of Jadev, Supriya 
wife of Ramani were also raped on 2nd October, 2001 by some terrorists . 
Maarani Das wife of Shibu Das was cross examined by us but she refused to 
tell the history of rape. They had no food even to eat, we paid Tk.2000/- 
for their survival. Dulal Das, Sura Bala wife of Mongal Das, Nepal Das son 
of Aswani Das, Ramesh Das son of Mongal Das , Minu Rani Das wife of Samir 
Das, Sontolshi Das wife of Upendra Das have been paid Taka 1000/- each as 
we saw the victims have got no clothes to wear. We also distributed some 
winter clothes to them and as a result they became happy. We will also 
visited Tamizuddin police station, Doulatkhan police station, Char Facision 
police stations Lal Mohan police station and Borhanuddin police stations on 
23rd of November, 2001 We are going to prepare a list very soon and we will 
send it to all concerned one after another. The most pathetic and 
significant incident of torture of women has been detected at Bhola where 
we came to know from a doctor that one Hindu woman has been raped and after 
raping one Battery cell was pushed into her vagina, who was subsequently 
admitted in the local Hospital. We went to that Hospital, but the victim 
was not available at that time. The administration denied the allegations, 
but local people have come forward to inform us of the incident which took 
place on 3rd of October, 2001. Report from Bangladesh on November 25, 2001 
We just reached in the morning at Dhaka after a through visit from Bhola, 
Gazaria, Lal mohan, Barisal, Perojpur, Agailjhara, Gournadi and some 
adjoining villages in Bangladesh on behalf of "World Hindu Federation" 
Bangladesh Chapter, Dhaka Unit and also on behalf of HRCBM. We distributed 
an amount of taka 35,500/- in cash and also distributed some winter clothes 
amounting to taka 25,000/- to the needy and affected Hindu and Christian 
minorities at the spot mentioned above. We give below the nature and extent 
of mischief and damages caused to the Hindu and Christian Minority by 
terrorists. The damages and mischief were so uncountable which are more and 
more higher than that of news published in the daily news papers of 
Bangladesh earlier and other sources. The subscription is so meager we 
could not imagine that the amount of money and clothes would have been 
consumed and utilized at Bhola district only.

Bhola:
=====
We first of all went to the Office of Deputy Commissioner, Bhola District 
to ascertain the spot. He was kind enough to give us a vehicle on request 
at 12.00 hours to facilitate our journey. The D.C. Bhola also gave us an 
interview on 21.11.01 ignoring a great number of incidents communal attack 
on the religious minorities (No leader of Awami League was made available ).

Gazaria police station:
========================
Gazaria is within Bhola district. In this police station more than 5000 
religions minorities live there. First we got information that only 2 
families of this police station were displaced. But on scrutiny it has been 
ascertained that more than 50 families have been uprooted and their 
belongings have been looted by terrorists. One Pallabi Rani told us that 
her rice, pot, clothes have been looted and she has got no other means to 
purchase the rice, pot even clothes. Another Purna Thithi told us in a 
crying mood that her adjoining land has been occupied by her neighbor 
during communal frenzy. A Radha Gobinda Mondir which was constructed during 
British regime was demolished and a huge amount of tax has been imposed 
upon the inmates of the house and the male member are still hiding their 
skin due to fear of life. Another Ram Krishna Doctor's house was demolished 
and five lacs of taka have been taken away from him. One female member Isha 
Moni told us that her each and every coin kept for future expenses of her 
children has also been looted by the terrorists.

Lal Mohan police station
  ==================
One Basana Das, Sushama Das of Lal Mohan told us in pathetic language that 
some terrorists came to them and asked for money and ordered them to go out 
from the homestead and also showed them Dao, Kirish and knife and 
ultimately caused heavy injury on them and looted even wood for cooking. 
The local chairman was also interviewed who told me that there would be no 
further communal atrocities in future.

Lord Hardinge police station:
=====================
More than 300 Hindu families are living there. We went there on 21st of Nov 
2001, Before hand some people of the locality misguided us and requested 
not to go there because there was no communal attack on Hindus. We became 
surprised that when we reached with a motorcycle there more than 40 men and 
women came to us and started to tell their story after the election is over 
on 1st of October 2001. Most of them left for India. Only some old and 
minor boys and girls are staying .Three women have been identified as rape 
victim. Their names are 1) Surma Das, 2) Basana Das, 3) Puspa Rani ,They 
have been thoroughly cross-examined and they confessed that they have been 
raped. But due to social prestige they kept themselves mum.

Barisal:
========
A great number of communal incidents at Barisal took place. We could 
realize that this area was dominated by Mr.Abul Hasanat Abvdullah, the then 
Chief Whip of BD Parliament. After the election is over the veteran leader 
Mr. Abvdullah left the country and staying in India for life. As a result 
the workers have became leaderless and tremendous persecution upon the 
religious minorities started from the 2nd of October 2001.

Agailjhara police station :
==================
We visited so many places of Agailjhara police station and we accompanied 
the Officer-in-charge of Agailjhara who for the first time did not 
encourage us to go to the spot, but when we insisted him to accompany us 
then he went up to only 2 spots where we saw more than 23 houses of 
different religious minorities have been either demolished or broken into 
pieces. We asked each and every member of their families and admitted that 
a serious communal violence took place. They told me that they don't want 
money but they want security and prestige, although they lost their 
belongings. We distributed taka 500/- for each family for food and utensils 
only.

Gournadi police station:
==================
A terrible communal attack on the Hindu and Christian minorities in this 
place took place after the election is over. We saw 50 Hindu families and 3 
Christian families have become rendered homeless as their dwelling houses 
have been broken into pieces, tin shed houses have been broken, there is no 
article left behind. The Officer-in-Charge of Gournadi was interviewed but 
he did not admit any communal attack on the Minority community. When I saw 
him a video tape then he became furious and called a Leader of local BNP 
and warned me for the consequence. House of Krishna Para of Chadshi was 
demolished as Krishna Pada was the supporter of a particular party "Awami 
League". His puja Maddap was also broken into pieces. ( More details 
regarding communal attack on minorities at Gournadi p.s. will be exhibited 
soon.) We did not pay money to the distressed Hindus in this police station 
due to shortage of money, we also assured them rehabilitation soon. A 
project is expected to be made very soon.

Perojpur District:
============
We also visited some spots at Perojpur where we saw 4 hindu families have 
been totally rendered homeless as the terrorists compelled them to leave 
the country within 48 hours. I contacted with the President of Local Puja 
Parishad of Perojpur, but he for the first time did not admit any communal 
frenzy in Perojpur as soon as one Priyatosh told me that 4 Hindu families 
namely 1)Sawpan 2) Haripada Tarapder 3) Nepal Halder and 4) Surja Kanta 
Paul were badly affected by the Islamic fundamentalists. The president 
Local Puja Parishad wanted to conceal the fact for the first time although 
he is Hindu. It seems that the feeling of insecurity and uncertainty was 
prevailing at that time. Our presence in Perojpur town made the Hindus more 
courageous and turbulent I found at their attitude. It is very unfortunate 
that one old lady aged about 60 years was beaten by a group of terror its 
on 24th of Nov.2001 with a view to kidnap her only daughter Nilima Biswas 
and also for a piece of cultivable land. I went to the spot and asked the 
local people and admitted the fact. I have asked the local police authority 
to register a case against the culprits responsible for the offence.