Incidents-July 2002

July 2002

I. July 3, 2002. Ullaparah sub-district, Sirajganj district (northwest of the capital city of Dhaka). The Hindu Shukul Hut Kali temple was destroyed by a group of Islamic fundamentalists. The secretary of the temple committee, Dulal Ch. Das, was threatened by the gang because he refused to pay them 100,000 Taka (approximately US $2,000) in the form of a zizyia tax (an extortion tax demanded by Muslim fundamentalists from non-Muslims). The statue of the Hindu Goddes Kali situated inside the temple was also smashed into pieces. On the sixth of July, a case has been filed by the temple committee at the nearby police station.

II. July 6, 2002. Manpara village, Begumganj area, Rajganj sub-district, Noakhali district (in southeastern Bangladesh near the Bay of Bengal). The home of Kantilal Karmakar, a member of the minority Hindu community, was attacked by a group of Islamic fundamentalists. Kantilal was threatened to pay 100,000 Taka (approximately US $2,000) in the form of a jijyia tax (an extortion tax demanded by Muslim fundamentalists from non-Muslims), which he refused to pay. When a wedding ceremony was going on in his house, the gang attacked his family. The guests were brutally assaulted. Twenty-five people were seriously injured. A case has been filed at the nearby police station and six Islamic reactionaries were arrested by the police.

III. July 7, 2002. Hasimpur village, Chandanish sub-district, Chittagong district (in southeastern Bangladesh bordering the Indian state of Tripura and near the Bay of Bengal). The home of Haripada Seal, a member of the Hindu minority community, was attacked by a group of Islamic fundamentalists. Haripada’s properties were all looted and his son Rajendra Seal, a tenth grade student, was kidnapped in the attack.

IV. July 11, 2002. Lalpur sub-district, Natore district (in western Bangladesh near the Indian state of West Bengal). Asit Kumar Sarkar (age 40), a primary school teacher and a member of the minority Hindu community, was brutally injured in an attack by a group of Islamic fundamentalists when he refused to pay 100,000 Taka (approximately US $2,000) in the form of a jijyia tax (an extortion tax demanded by Muslim fundamentalists from non-Muslims). Currently, he is undergoing treatment at the Rajsahi Medical College.

V. July 11, 2002. Chandpur city (southeast of the capital city of Dhaka). The home of the Kundu family was illegally captured by corporation commissioners and threatened with death to leave Bangladesh and flee to India.

VI. July 12, 2002. Narayanganj district (proximately east of the capital city of Dhaka). The local Hindu community could not observe the famed Rath Yatra (a Chariot festival celebrating the Hindu God Krishna) festival after receiving threats from Islamic fundamentalist groups.

VII. July 12, 2002. Jhalkathi area, Patuakhali region, Barishal district (in southern Bangladesh near the Bay of Bengal). Islamic fundamentalists launched attacks against member of the local Hindu minority community. A total twenty-three Hindus have been arrested in the border region of Satkhira by local police when they were attempting to leave Bangladesh to reach safety in India.

VIII. July 15, 2002. Rangpur district (in northern Bangladesh near the Indian state of West Bengal). A noted Islamic reactionary named Md. Abu Hena compiled a fifteen page booklet containing anti-Hindu material, which was distributed by activists from the ruling Islamic fundamentalist Jamat-E-Islami and the right-wing Bangladesh National Party in public.

IX. July 17, 2002. Bagmara village, Satkhira district (in southwestern Bangladesh bordering the Indian state of West Bengal and the Bay of Bengal). The home of Dipti Rani Chatterjee, a member of the minority Hindu community) along with her 108 bighas (approximately 36 acres) of land has been captured by a group of Muslim farmers supported by the local ruling BNP.

X. July 19, 2002. Agoiljhara area, Barishal district (in southern Bangladesh near the Bay of Bengal). In the local Christian area, a group of Islamic reactionaries attacked members of the Christian community, destroyed four homes and savagely beat up seven people, who suffered serious injuries.

XI. July 21, 2002. Jaipurhat district (in northwestern Bangladesh bordering the Indian state of West Bengal). An elderly Hindu man, Harendra Nath Mondol, was kidnapped and killed by a group of suspected Islamic reactionaries.

XII. July 26, 2002. Kulpaddi area, Madaripur district (south of the capital city of Dhaka). Members of the minority Hindu community, Anil Malo's daughter Sushama Malo (age 15), Manoranjan Malo's daughter Putul Malo (age 14), were kidnapped by a group of Islamic fundamentalists and forcibly converted them to the religion of Islam. Anil Malo filed a case against those responsible and demanded the rescue of his daughters. The prominent advocate, Rabindra Ghosh, belonging to the Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities recently called for Prime Minister Khaleda Zia to look into these problems and take immediate action.

XIII. July 31, 2002. Varamtoli village, Sreepur sub-district, Gazipur district (proximately northeast of the capital city of Dhaka). A sixth grade Hindu student was raped by a group of Muslim fundamentalists led by Md. Kamal (age 25). After being raped, she attempted suicide. The father of the victim, Golokbanshi Burman, filed a case against those responsible at the nearby police station.

Undated incidents:

Tangail district (proximately north of the capital city of Dhaka). Recently Ganga Rani Debnath, a 14 year old Hindu girl, who was a student at the local Ganga Rani Debnath school was kidnapped by Islamic fundamentalists. After the kidnapping, people at Hasil Ambaria and the Mirja Bari Brahman Bari villages are in a state of great anxiety. As a result of the kidnapping incident, all the female Hindu students have stopped attending classes in school and colleges.

Saheb-bazar region, Rajshahi district (in western Bangladesh near the Indian state of West Bengal). Two members of the minority Hindu community, Gopal Roy (age 45) and Naresh Ram (age 55) are being forced by the opposition Awami League leader, Nurujjaman Peter, and ruling BNP leader, Jahangir Alam, to leave their homes. Their homes were being targeted to make way for a multistoried building.

Lankarchar village, Boalmari sub-district, Faridpur district (southwest of the capital city of Dhaka). The home of Bidhan Roy, a member of the minority Hindu community, was destroyed by a group of Islamic fundamentalists, who also broke his legs and arms. A case has been filed against the gang, but the police have taken no action.

Rangpur district (in northern Bangladesh near the Indian state of West Bengal). Two Hindu journalists, Manik Sarkarù, a correspondent of the Rangpur edition of the daily Janakantha, and Parimal Majumdarùa, a correspondent of the daily Bhorer Kagaz, have been targeted by Islamic fundamentalists. False cases have been filed against these journalists, who could be forced by the local Bangladesh Government.

Balich village, Manda sub-district, Naogaon district (in northwestern Bangladesh bordering the Indian state of West Bengal). Hindu villagers named Brajendra Nath Biswas, Kartick Chandra Biswas and Sadhin Chandra Biswas were savagely beaten up by a group of Islamic fundamentalists when they refused to give away all of their lands and properties free of cost.