Incidents against Minorities
Members of the minority communities face many forms of persecution from Islamic extremists in Bangladesh. Here we present a collection of the most recent incidents highlighting this awful persecution. The following incidents have been collected by local reporters in Bangladesh.

June 2004

I. June 4, 2004. Khulna district (in southwestern Bangladesh very close to the Indian state of West Bengal). A prominent transport business man Niranjan Krishna Das (age 42) was shot to death by a suspected group of armed Islamic fundamentalists.

II. June 5, 2004. Malbanda village, Tanor sub-district, Rajshahi district (in northwestern Bangladesh bordering the Indian state of West Bengal). Islamic fundamentalists looted six houses belonging to members of the minority tribal community, destroying them in the process. The tribal community did not get help when they went to the local administration.

III. June 7, 2004. Jhenaidah district (in western Bangladesh). Three armed Islamic zealots attacked the home of Bishweswar Biswas, the principal of Kanchan Nagar Model High School as well as looted 20 bhories of Gold ornaments including 100,00 Taka (approximately US $1700) in cash. Renuka Bala Biswas, the wife of Bishweswar, was stabbed and was seriously wounded.

IV. June 10, 2004. Mathchori area, Chunarughat sub-district, Habigunj district (in northeastern Bangladesh bordering the Indian state of Tripura). Islamic fundamentalists seriously wounded Dhiren Deb Burma (age 25) in a vicious attack.

V. June 14, 2004. Gatia village, Taras sub-district, Sirajgunj district (due northwest of the capital city of Dhaka). Islamic fundamentalists set the home of Dhirendra Nath Mahato ablaze pouring petroleum at midnight. Mahato, a member of the local minority tribal community saw his entire hose burned along with his belongings.

VI. June 14, 2004. Bankua village, Taluka sub-district, Mymensingh district (in northern Bangladesh bordering the Indian state of Meghalaya). A local tribal mill employee was recently gang raped by a group of suspected Islamic fanatics. The victim lived as a tenant in the house of Md. Tajiuddin. Police arrested Hasmuddin (age 42) and Akiruddin (age 40) on the basis of the complaint filed by the victim. She was sent for medical test on June 15th in the Mymensingh Medical Hospital.

VII. June 17, 2004. Baufal sub-district, Patuakhali district (in southern Bangladesh close to the Bay of Bengal). Islamic fanatics killed Khokon Mridha, a local leader of the minority Hindu community.

VIII. June 17, 2004. Aushpara area, Sadar sub-district, Jaipurhat district (in northwestern Bangladesh bordering the Indian state of West Bengal). A tribal girl (age 10) was raped by Mohammed Saiful, a prominent Islamic fundamentalist.

IX. June 18, 2004. Dhaka district (capital of Bangladesh). The female ward commissioner of Katlapur Palpara Muhallah in the Savar sub-district, along with her men looted the home of a minority Hindu family and took away cash, gold ornaments among other possessions valued over 70,000 Taka (approximately US $1200). Local police authorities have taken no action so far.

X. June 19, 2004. Char Nurul Ameer Village under Charfashion sub-district, Bhola district (in southern Bangladesh close to the Bay of Bengal). A group of local Islamic fanatics of abducted a minority Hindu girl (age 18) on the night of June 6, and gang raped her in turns. The raped girl filed a case in the Charfashion Police Station. The police arrested Munaf (age 32), the fourth suspect in the case. The three other suspects have fled the area and the police authorities could not trace them.

XI. June 27, 2004. Lakshmikola village, Raninagar sub-district, Naogaon village(in northern Bangladesh bordering the Indian state of West Bengal). At least eight homes of members of the local tribal community were destroyed and looted by the Islamic extremist group called Jagrata Muslim Janata. Currently, Ananda Marandi, Ramdulal Marandi,Anil Beshra, Kumar Besra, Raban Murmu and Sukumar Murmu are staying in the open place without any shelter. The aborigines have been threatened that if they do not leave Bangladesh, then “their young daughters will be raped in broad day light.”

Undated Incidents:

Kalisuri Port area, Baufal Police Station, Patuakhali district (in southern Bangaldesh close to the Bay of Bengal). Recently, Islamic fundamentalists are demanding a Jijia tax (an extortion tax demanded by extremist Muslims from non-Muslims) from the local minority Hindu community for all Hindu religious occasions like marriage, upanayan (initiation ceremonies for Hindu children), cremation, and religious worship.

Boliadah village, Tala sub-district, Sathkhira district (in southwestern Bangladesh bordering the Indian state of West Bengal). Recently a fundamentalist Islamic leader Md. Sahabaz is trying to force the family of the late Bimal Sarkar out of the area. His family comprises of his widow and sons, who have taken shelter in an undisclosed location. Unfortunately, the local police authorities have been taking the side of the fundamentalist leader.
Write to: mayerdak@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2003, Nikhil Banga Nagarik Sangha