Minorities are no longer safe under Awami League’s rule
There is a myth about Bangladesh Awami League that it is a party that adores secularism. There is a yawning gap between this perception and the reality. In fact it is the party under which members of minority community always face discrimination, torture and persecution. Some members of the minority do get privileged position as an eyewash but minority at large become subject of persecution, torture, land and property grabbing. Yet vast majority of the minorities support Awami League in any election.
Take the example of Bishwajit, a 24 years old young man who was butchered to death by ruling party armed hooligans on Monday 9 December because he was mistaken to be a member of opposition party. Although Bishwajit begged for his life shouting that he is not a member of opposition but a Hindu who supports Awami League! Alas! His plea failed to get any mercy from his killers. Although video footage and pictures of the killers was broadcasted and printed in the electronic and print media respectively, government claimed that its party men did not kill Bishwajit which was denounced by the Hindu Mahajot an umbrella organization of the Hindu Community in Bangladesh.
Bishawajit, a tailor had no link with politics. As a cricket fan he just celebrated the win of Bangladesh against West Indies the night before. Little did he knew that death will swooped on him in disguise of Bangladesh Chhatra League the next day. Bishwajit, ran for life and got into a nearby building, said Ripon Sarder, a rickshaw puller who took him to the hospital. “They [the attackers] were beating him even as he was running for life,” Ripon added. According to family members, Bishwajit was never involved with any political party whatsoever. Originally from Shariatpur, an area on the south of the country, he used to live with his elder brother at Hrishikesh Das Lane at Sutrapur. “He used to go to his shop and come home from there, and he was not involved in anything else. He was fond of cricket,” said Rocky Das, a cousin of Bishwajit. Babul Sur, owner of the market at Shakhari Bazar where Bishwajit’s shop was, said Bishwajit used to run the shop all by himself. “Generally he used to keep his shop open from 10:30am to 10:00pm, six days a week. On Fridays he kept it open till 2:00pm and then played cricket with children on the roof of the market and streets,” he said.
The attackers did not care how pitifully their victim would beg for his life. ‘By God, I am a Hindu – I am not involved with Jamaat-Shibir, (largest Islamic political party) cried out the victim continuously but that did not touch the heart of the heartless BCL. Amongst the killers of 10-12, almost everyone was identified. They are all students of Jagannath University (JnU) and are activists of the university’s Chhatra League unit, confirmed by their fellow activists, general students and eyewitnesses who know them. Bishwajit was not the first hunt; in the past, they assaulted a female teacher and stalked female students of the university on a regular basis. But thanks to their link with the ruling Awami League, police never took any action against them.
Similar incident happened in Ramu, Cox’s Bazar, a district in South Eastern Bangladesh where Buddhist community came under attack from the members of Awami League. It is reported that a mob led by ruling party sitting MP of the region torched and vandalised a village of Buddhists in Cox’s Bazaar’s Ramu Upazila early on Sunday 30 September, in one of the worst religious attacks in Bangladesh apparently triggered by a Facebook posting allegedly defaming the Quran. Leader of the opposition party BNP Barrister Moudud Ahmad claimed that it was a preplanned attack to destroy country’s communal harmony, as this is unprecedented in Bangladesh’s history. It had been alleged that the attack was launched as per government’s instruction to drive nation eyes away from its alleged corruption regarding Padma Bridge raised by the World Bank.
Daily Star, famous English daily in Bangladesh wrote that it has all the telltale signs of a preplanned attack. A very focused operation that targeted Buddhist homes and establishments. The Muslim houses nestled between the Buddhist houses were left untouched. The attack spanned over six hours. The attackers swept across Ramu, demolishing temples and houses neighbourhood after neighbourhood. And all this while, the role of the police and local administration remains veiled in mystery.
The daily also reported that angry people started gathering close to the Buddhist neighbourhood around 7:30pm and were openly threatening to attack the Buddhists. They marched down the roads chanting slogans and ultimately entered the neighbourhood to carry out the atrocities at around 10:30pm.
All this while, the OC did not send any policemen to guard against the attack. He came to Sima Bihar at 11:30pm and told the Buddhists to hand over Uttam, the man in question. He also assured them that nothing would happen to them and asked them to go to sleep. He promised to send his force and went away. He did not keep his promise.
Some other incidences
On 30 October 2012 a group of armed hooligans belong to Awami League ransacked a worship mandapa in Gopal Ganj, a district where Awami League has strong base.
In August 10, 2010 two leaders of Awami League attacked a 200 years old temple and ransacked 5 statues inside it. They evicted 15 families living inside the temple premises for several decades. They tried to seize the land and property of the temple worth 11 – 12 million pounds. Although police were present at the site, they sided with the attacker. President of the temple Gour Gopal Saha and secretary are in hiding to save themselves from government’s armed cadres. It has been reported that a group of government backed armed cadres led by Awami League president Abul Hussain attacked the temple with heavy arms. A Hindu leader said that, government’s party men looting and grabbing our property where will we go for shelter? Are they trying to evict us from this country? Although police were called but they came well late when the terrorists almost finished their job.
On 19 September 2011 in Pirojpur, a southern district of Bangladesh a clash broke out between Awami Leader Alauddin Majhi and a Hindu community leader Monoranjan Goldar why tried bar the former’s attempt to grab the land of a temple. 25 people were injured in the clash. Goldar claimed that Alauddin Majhi was trying to grab the land of Sri Sri Govinda Temple, which was being looked after by the temple committee for past 40 years.
On 7 August 2011 a group of terrorists comprised of local Awami men attacked the members of Ahmadia Jamaat while they were building a place of worship for themselves in Chan Tara village of Tangail District. The armed hooligans also vandalized some properties and destroyed two poultry farms. Similar incidence happened on 17 June at the same place.
On 12 July 2011 in Naogaon district at Niamatpur Sub-district a group of terrorists led by Awami League worker Shariful Islam attacked a village of ethnic minority to grab their land. They looted and vandalized around 50 houses, beaten men and women of the minority community.
On 25 May 2011 at Charghat of Rajshahi, Awami League worker Azhar Uddin attacked the house of Anil Chandra with his men because of a disputed land boundary. The armed hooligans inflicted heavy injury on Anil Chandra, his wife Basanti Rani, son Shyamal Chandra, brother Avi Charan Mondal and sister in law Shanta Rani with sharp weapons.
On 20 April 2011 in the Atasur village of Kerani Gonj, Dhaka, Salah Uddin, Salam, Mustafa, Saju, Sajjad, and Pintu all belong to Awami League, Juba Legaue and Chhtra League went to grab the land of Ajit Karati aka Kheer Mohan and he was beaten to death as he tried save his land. Also, 10 Hindus were injured in the attack.
On 5 March 2011 in the Muhammadpur village of Baraigramm Natore local Awami League workers torched the houses of three Hindu families. Some years ago Rezaul, son of Awami League worker Abdur Rajjak and some other armed hooligans’ chopped local Hindu young man Pradeep Kumar. Once Awami League came to power, they put immense pressure on him to withdraw the case filed against them. As he did not agree to withdraw the case the miscreants forcefully harvested his jute and took it away.
On 17 May 2011 in Panpunji of Singarpur, Moulavi Bazar, a district of North Eastern Bangladesh, Awami League Leader Abdul Matin and his companions grab a Christian cemetery and destroyed the crosses there.
On 14 May 2011 in Ujaymari, Kaliganj of Satkhira a local Awami league worker grab the land of 22 minority families. He started to build a brick field on the illegally seized land. Ramesh Mandal and three others were injured while trying to save their lands.
Islam and minority
Islam never supports attacking minority in any circumstances. In one tradition prophet Muhammad said that anyone who persecute a minority, grab their land or violate their honour I, Muhammad personally will be a witness against him before God. Therefore no true Muslim who practices Islam under any circumstances could carry out any attack on members of minority community. It is obvious that member of Awami League often carry out such attack on the minority, grab their land and violate their women as they claimed to be secular and therefore have no morality. Surprisingly, Awami League members control local mosques, are members of the mosque committees and use it for their own purpose when necessary.
The irony
Ironically minorities of Bangladesh always consider Awami League as a safe heaven, yet all the incidences of minority persecution occurred when the party is in power. This proves that minority oppression in Bangladesh is not religious in nature but political. Often such incidence happened by armed hooligans backed by the government.
Minorities are being subject to attack and persecution at the hand of the terrorists identified themselves as the supporter of Awami League Government. Those who are weak among the minorities, ruling party’s miscreants are grabbing their lands, houses and properties, even their women are violated at a regular basis by the government supporter. Although Awami League in their manifesto promised that they will ensure the safeguarding of the life and property of the minorities, realities are very different. Minorities are no longer safe under Awami League rule. They use the tactics of terrorizing members of the minority community to keep them at their harbor.
Members of the Hindu Community who were subject to persecution of government’s party men held several press conference at Dhaka where they claimed, they did not suffer as much even under BNP and Jamaat led government. According to a report of ‘Adhikar’ a human rights organization, in 2009 there were 569 recorded incidence of minority persecution.
Leader of Bangladesh Hindu, Buddhist and Christian Alliance C R Datta in an interview told Amar Desh a Bengali Daily that, it is true in several areas in the country members of minority community are being subject of torture and persecution at the hand of ruling party’s men but none came to him to complain personally. He also informed that he had raised the issue with Awami League high-ups and demanded actions.
Another leader Rana Das Gupta informed Amar Desh, that soon after the present government came to power, their party men has started grabbing lands, houses and properties of the minorities with renewed zeal. In many places women of minority community had been abducted, gang raped and killed. Those who are involved with such atrocities are boosting as ruling party men. Authority and police denied to take any actions against the perpetrators as they are afraid of retaliation from the government.
It is time that everybody raises their voice against this inhuman government which is practicing fascism in all its actions. Not only the minorities but no one is safe under this fascist government.
Minorities are no longer safe under Awami League’s rule – Alternative thinking - My Telegraph
There is a myth about Bangladesh Awami League that it is a party that adores secularism. There is a yawning gap between this perception and the reality. In fact it is the party under which members of minority community always face discrimination, torture and persecution. Some members of the minority do get privileged position as an eyewash but minority at large become subject of persecution, torture, land and property grabbing. Yet vast majority of the minorities support Awami League in any election.
Take the example of Bishwajit, a 24 years old young man who was butchered to death by ruling party armed hooligans on Monday 9 December because he was mistaken to be a member of opposition party. Although Bishwajit begged for his life shouting that he is not a member of opposition but a Hindu who supports Awami League! Alas! His plea failed to get any mercy from his killers. Although video footage and pictures of the killers was broadcasted and printed in the electronic and print media respectively, government claimed that its party men did not kill Bishwajit which was denounced by the Hindu Mahajot an umbrella organization of the Hindu Community in Bangladesh.
Bishawajit, a tailor had no link with politics. As a cricket fan he just celebrated the win of Bangladesh against West Indies the night before. Little did he knew that death will swooped on him in disguise of Bangladesh Chhatra League the next day. Bishwajit, ran for life and got into a nearby building, said Ripon Sarder, a rickshaw puller who took him to the hospital. “They [the attackers] were beating him even as he was running for life,” Ripon added. According to family members, Bishwajit was never involved with any political party whatsoever. Originally from Shariatpur, an area on the south of the country, he used to live with his elder brother at Hrishikesh Das Lane at Sutrapur. “He used to go to his shop and come home from there, and he was not involved in anything else. He was fond of cricket,” said Rocky Das, a cousin of Bishwajit. Babul Sur, owner of the market at Shakhari Bazar where Bishwajit’s shop was, said Bishwajit used to run the shop all by himself. “Generally he used to keep his shop open from 10:30am to 10:00pm, six days a week. On Fridays he kept it open till 2:00pm and then played cricket with children on the roof of the market and streets,” he said.
The attackers did not care how pitifully their victim would beg for his life. ‘By God, I am a Hindu – I am not involved with Jamaat-Shibir, (largest Islamic political party) cried out the victim continuously but that did not touch the heart of the heartless BCL. Amongst the killers of 10-12, almost everyone was identified. They are all students of Jagannath University (JnU) and are activists of the university’s Chhatra League unit, confirmed by their fellow activists, general students and eyewitnesses who know them. Bishwajit was not the first hunt; in the past, they assaulted a female teacher and stalked female students of the university on a regular basis. But thanks to their link with the ruling Awami League, police never took any action against them.
Similar incident happened in Ramu, Cox’s Bazar, a district in South Eastern Bangladesh where Buddhist community came under attack from the members of Awami League. It is reported that a mob led by ruling party sitting MP of the region torched and vandalised a village of Buddhists in Cox’s Bazaar’s Ramu Upazila early on Sunday 30 September, in one of the worst religious attacks in Bangladesh apparently triggered by a Facebook posting allegedly defaming the Quran. Leader of the opposition party BNP Barrister Moudud Ahmad claimed that it was a preplanned attack to destroy country’s communal harmony, as this is unprecedented in Bangladesh’s history. It had been alleged that the attack was launched as per government’s instruction to drive nation eyes away from its alleged corruption regarding Padma Bridge raised by the World Bank.
Daily Star, famous English daily in Bangladesh wrote that it has all the telltale signs of a preplanned attack. A very focused operation that targeted Buddhist homes and establishments. The Muslim houses nestled between the Buddhist houses were left untouched. The attack spanned over six hours. The attackers swept across Ramu, demolishing temples and houses neighbourhood after neighbourhood. And all this while, the role of the police and local administration remains veiled in mystery.
The daily also reported that angry people started gathering close to the Buddhist neighbourhood around 7:30pm and were openly threatening to attack the Buddhists. They marched down the roads chanting slogans and ultimately entered the neighbourhood to carry out the atrocities at around 10:30pm.
All this while, the OC did not send any policemen to guard against the attack. He came to Sima Bihar at 11:30pm and told the Buddhists to hand over Uttam, the man in question. He also assured them that nothing would happen to them and asked them to go to sleep. He promised to send his force and went away. He did not keep his promise.
Some other incidences
On 30 October 2012 a group of armed hooligans belong to Awami League ransacked a worship mandapa in Gopal Ganj, a district where Awami League has strong base.
In August 10, 2010 two leaders of Awami League attacked a 200 years old temple and ransacked 5 statues inside it. They evicted 15 families living inside the temple premises for several decades. They tried to seize the land and property of the temple worth 11 – 12 million pounds. Although police were present at the site, they sided with the attacker. President of the temple Gour Gopal Saha and secretary are in hiding to save themselves from government’s armed cadres. It has been reported that a group of government backed armed cadres led by Awami League president Abul Hussain attacked the temple with heavy arms. A Hindu leader said that, government’s party men looting and grabbing our property where will we go for shelter? Are they trying to evict us from this country? Although police were called but they came well late when the terrorists almost finished their job.
On 19 September 2011 in Pirojpur, a southern district of Bangladesh a clash broke out between Awami Leader Alauddin Majhi and a Hindu community leader Monoranjan Goldar why tried bar the former’s attempt to grab the land of a temple. 25 people were injured in the clash. Goldar claimed that Alauddin Majhi was trying to grab the land of Sri Sri Govinda Temple, which was being looked after by the temple committee for past 40 years.
On 7 August 2011 a group of terrorists comprised of local Awami men attacked the members of Ahmadia Jamaat while they were building a place of worship for themselves in Chan Tara village of Tangail District. The armed hooligans also vandalized some properties and destroyed two poultry farms. Similar incidence happened on 17 June at the same place.
On 12 July 2011 in Naogaon district at Niamatpur Sub-district a group of terrorists led by Awami League worker Shariful Islam attacked a village of ethnic minority to grab their land. They looted and vandalized around 50 houses, beaten men and women of the minority community.
On 25 May 2011 at Charghat of Rajshahi, Awami League worker Azhar Uddin attacked the house of Anil Chandra with his men because of a disputed land boundary. The armed hooligans inflicted heavy injury on Anil Chandra, his wife Basanti Rani, son Shyamal Chandra, brother Avi Charan Mondal and sister in law Shanta Rani with sharp weapons.
On 20 April 2011 in the Atasur village of Kerani Gonj, Dhaka, Salah Uddin, Salam, Mustafa, Saju, Sajjad, and Pintu all belong to Awami League, Juba Legaue and Chhtra League went to grab the land of Ajit Karati aka Kheer Mohan and he was beaten to death as he tried save his land. Also, 10 Hindus were injured in the attack.
On 5 March 2011 in the Muhammadpur village of Baraigramm Natore local Awami League workers torched the houses of three Hindu families. Some years ago Rezaul, son of Awami League worker Abdur Rajjak and some other armed hooligans’ chopped local Hindu young man Pradeep Kumar. Once Awami League came to power, they put immense pressure on him to withdraw the case filed against them. As he did not agree to withdraw the case the miscreants forcefully harvested his jute and took it away.
On 17 May 2011 in Panpunji of Singarpur, Moulavi Bazar, a district of North Eastern Bangladesh, Awami League Leader Abdul Matin and his companions grab a Christian cemetery and destroyed the crosses there.
On 14 May 2011 in Ujaymari, Kaliganj of Satkhira a local Awami league worker grab the land of 22 minority families. He started to build a brick field on the illegally seized land. Ramesh Mandal and three others were injured while trying to save their lands.
Islam and minority
Islam never supports attacking minority in any circumstances. In one tradition prophet Muhammad said that anyone who persecute a minority, grab their land or violate their honour I, Muhammad personally will be a witness against him before God. Therefore no true Muslim who practices Islam under any circumstances could carry out any attack on members of minority community. It is obvious that member of Awami League often carry out such attack on the minority, grab their land and violate their women as they claimed to be secular and therefore have no morality. Surprisingly, Awami League members control local mosques, are members of the mosque committees and use it for their own purpose when necessary.
The irony
Ironically minorities of Bangladesh always consider Awami League as a safe heaven, yet all the incidences of minority persecution occurred when the party is in power. This proves that minority oppression in Bangladesh is not religious in nature but political. Often such incidence happened by armed hooligans backed by the government.
Minorities are being subject to attack and persecution at the hand of the terrorists identified themselves as the supporter of Awami League Government. Those who are weak among the minorities, ruling party’s miscreants are grabbing their lands, houses and properties, even their women are violated at a regular basis by the government supporter. Although Awami League in their manifesto promised that they will ensure the safeguarding of the life and property of the minorities, realities are very different. Minorities are no longer safe under Awami League rule. They use the tactics of terrorizing members of the minority community to keep them at their harbor.
Members of the Hindu Community who were subject to persecution of government’s party men held several press conference at Dhaka where they claimed, they did not suffer as much even under BNP and Jamaat led government. According to a report of ‘Adhikar’ a human rights organization, in 2009 there were 569 recorded incidence of minority persecution.
Leader of Bangladesh Hindu, Buddhist and Christian Alliance C R Datta in an interview told Amar Desh a Bengali Daily that, it is true in several areas in the country members of minority community are being subject of torture and persecution at the hand of ruling party’s men but none came to him to complain personally. He also informed that he had raised the issue with Awami League high-ups and demanded actions.
Another leader Rana Das Gupta informed Amar Desh, that soon after the present government came to power, their party men has started grabbing lands, houses and properties of the minorities with renewed zeal. In many places women of minority community had been abducted, gang raped and killed. Those who are involved with such atrocities are boosting as ruling party men. Authority and police denied to take any actions against the perpetrators as they are afraid of retaliation from the government.
It is time that everybody raises their voice against this inhuman government which is practicing fascism in all its actions. Not only the minorities but no one is safe under this fascist government.
Minorities are no longer safe under Awami League’s rule – Alternative thinking - My Telegraph
