April 2000

I. April 4, 2000. Begumganj area, Noakhali district (in southeastern Bangladesh bordering the Bay of Bengal). The wife of Pankaj Saha was breast feeding her 5 month old baby, when two Islamic fundamentalists (Jahangir Alam and Shamsul Alam) from a neighboring village attacked the area, took away the baby, and killed her brutally throwing her corpse in a nearby pond. For sometime, these two Islamic zealots pressuring Pankaj Saha to give up his property to them and flee the area. This incident was strongly condemned by liberal members of the Muslim community in the area. The local police later arrested the two criminals.

II. April 6, 2000. Pakpara village, Naikhangchhari police station, Bandarban district (in southeastern Bangladesh bordering the country of Myanmar). An armed group of Islamic militants stormed the local Buddhist Vihara and stole the religious icon valued over 5,000,000 Taka (approximately US $85,000).

III. April 6, 2000. Uttar Badhaghat, Gahirpur police station, Sunamganj district (in northern Bangladesh bordering the Indian state of Meghalaya). A group of Islamic fundamentalis attacked the local Hindu Radha-Krishna Temple and smashed all the religious icons and temple property.

IV. April 8, 2000. Purbachar village, Raipura police station, Narsinghdi district (east of the capital city of Dhaka). Anwar Hussain, a local Islamic fundamentalist, abducted Kabita Rani Biswas), a first year high school student from the minority Hindu community. Anwar attempted to rape her, but the local police arrested him before he could act.

V. April 8, 2000. Bhatpara Mohalla area, Savar police station, Dhaka (capital of Bangladesh). A tea shop owned by Badal Datta, a member of the minority Hindu community was set on fire at night by a group of Islamic fundamentalists.

VI. April 9, 2000. Dhaka (capital of Bangladesh). A Hindu youth named Surajit Ghosh, a second year student of Ormani Medical College in Dhaka was stabbed at night by a group of Islamic fundamentalists while he returning home. He was admitted in the Hospital of the college. This was the second attack on him. He was attacked because he was supporting the political opposition.

VII. April 10, 2000. Salipara village, Banskhalai police station, Chittagong (in southeastern Bangladesh bordering the Indian state of Tripura). The home of Kali Prasanna Dey was attacked by a group of twenty-five Islamic fundamentalists shouting slogans “ Hindus: Quit Bangladesh or face Death.” Kali Prasanna and other members of the household resisted the attackers. In the ensuing struggle, one of the attackers was killed. Kali Prasanna was also shot dead. The attackers beat up every member of the household and looted 50,000 Taka (approximately US $8500) in cash and gold jewelry.

VIII. April 26, 2000. Koijury village, Sadar police station. A group of Muslim fanatics forcibly collected an amount of 100,000 Taka (approximately US $1700) in extortion from Sanchit Kumar Biswas, a member of the local Hindu minority community. A complaint was filed at the local police station, but no action has been taken.

IX. April 30, 2000. Haridevpur village, Bera police station, Pabna district (west of the capital city of Dhaka). Maulana Afzal Hussain, the Imam of the local mosque, forcibly converted Sujan Das, a young Hindu boy and the son of Nipen Das. When the parents of the boy tried to rescue him, the Maulana and his followers kept him captive at an unknown place. When the parents approached the Police, the boy was recovered after thirteen days. Groups of Islamic reactionaries in the village have been threatening the parents of the boy with dire consequences for having taken legal action and police help.