May 2002

I. May 3, 2002. Haludia area, Muzaffarganj Union, Comilla district (in eastern Bangladesh bordering the Indian state of Tripura). Brajendra Bhowmick, a local Hindu villager, was attacked by armed right wing Muslim fundamentalists. The homes of other Hindus in the community, including those of Subhash Chandra Bhowmick, Nakul Chandra Bhowmick and Bimalendu Bhowmick, have been set a blaze. Property valued in excess of 2 million Taka (approximately U.S. $ 40,000) was destroyed in the fire. The local authorities have so far ignored the incident.

II. May 4, 2002. Uttabhag village, Biyanibazar, Sylhet district (in northeastern Bangladesh bordering the Indian state of Tripura). A young Hindu girl of the village was kidnapped by a group of Muslim fundamentalists, who raped her mercilessly. She was rescued on May 5 by the local villagers, but she was semi-unconsciousness when she was found.

III. May 5, 2002. Dolu Bridge area, Shattkaniya sub-district, Chittagong district (in southeastern Bangladesh near the Bay of Bengal and the Indian state of Tripura). A group of Muslim fundamentalists kidnapped Rupam Mullick, a Hindu resident of the area, and broke his arms and legs during the kidnapping.

IV. May 7, 2002. Sreerampur village, Shathkhira sub-district. A Hindu housewife was raped by an Islamic reactionary named Shafiqul Islam. A case has been filed but no adequate action has been taken by the police against the accused.

V. May 8, 2002. Dhaka (capital of Bangladesh). N. M. Jahangir Alam, a well known journalist from the daily newspaper Sambad published from Dhaka, was beaten up by Islamic fundamentalists for publishing several news reports reporting the poor conditions of the Hindu minority from Bangladesh. He filed a case at the nearby police station, but the police did not show any interest in arresting those responsible.

VI. May 8, 2002. Narikelbaria village, Bakharpara sub-district, Jessore district (in southwestern Bangladesh bordering the Indian state of West Bengal). A local Muslim extremist, Saiful, along with Kabir and a group of Islamic fundamentalists demanded more than 100,000 Taka (approximately US $2,000) in the form of a zizyia tax (an extortion tax imposed on non-Muslims by Muslim fundamentalists) from a local Hindu businessman named Subodh Saha. When Subodh refused to pay, he was savagely assaulted by the gang, who broke both of his legs. Another Hindu, Bablu Saha, who came to help Subodh was also beaten up by the group.

VII. May 8, 2002. Bashantapur area, Shingra sub-district, Natore district (in western Bangladesh near the Indian state of West Bengal). The homes of Niren, Nitai, Atul, Prabhat, Dinesh, Ajit, Krishna, Jitendra, Basudev and Sukumar, all Hindus, were looted in attack carried out by Muslim fundamentalists. Local Hindus families have decided to leave Bashantapur for India.

VIII. May 9, 2002. Khashipur village, Banshkhali police station, Chittagong district (in southeastern Bangladesh bordering the Indian state of Tripura and the Bay of Bengal). The Aditya Ashram (a Hindu holy place) was demolished by a group of forty armed Muslim fundamentalists. The priest of the Hindu temple in the Ashram, Pradipananda Purimoharaj suffered serious injuries in the attacks. The property of the Ashram was also looted by the attackers.

IX. May 10, 2002. Madhukhali sub-district, Faridpur district (proximately southeast of the capital city of Dhaka). The office of Manik Mazumdar, a local Hindu journalist was destroyed by a group of right wing Muslim fundamentalists. Manik Mazumdar is also the president of the reporter's union.

X. May 18, 2002. Wahidpur village, Mirsharai police station, Chittagong district (in southeastern Bangladesh bordering the Indian state of Tripura and the Bay of Bengal). A local Hindu villager named Ranibala Bhowmick (age 50) was murdered by a grup of Islamic Extremists.

XI. May 20, 2002. Bukabania Zabar, Bamma sub-district, Barguna district (in southern Bangladesh near the Bay of Bengal). Hindu owned lands surrounding the local Hindu temple were forcibly captured by Muslim fundamentalists, who were also members of the ruling right-wing Bangladesh National Party. The group has started to build their party office in the area.

XII. May 23, 2002. Sadhurpara area, Chandgaon police station, Chittagong district (in southeastern Bangladesh bordering the Indian state of Tripura and the Bay of Bengal). Local Muslim fundamentalists forcibly captured the lands owned by a local Hindu widow named Charubala Nath (age 80).

XIII. May 23, 2002. Municipal area of Barashila, Bera police station, Pabna district (in western Bangladesh close to the Indian state of West Bengal). A local group of Islamic extremists led by Aftab Muhuri, a notorious Islamic reactionary, attacked and burned down the home of Khudiram Haldar, a member of the Hindu minority community. The total incident has been reported to the Bera police station.

XIV. May 25, 2002. Naogaon district (in western Bangladesh bordering the Indian state of West Bengal). Shyamshundar Saha, the Hindu owner of a local rice mill has been threatened with death by Haji Khandakar Mansoor Ali, a notorious Islamic reactionary. Saha’s shop was looted and he was ultimately forced to leave Bangladesh.

XV. May 25, 2002. Alampur village, Pirganj. A group of Islamic extremists abducted the 25-year-old niece of Samuel Marmur, a member of the local Christian tribal community. Marmur’s niece was then tortured and gang-raped. When Marmur’s family lodged a complaint at the local police station, the Islamic extremists outfit threatened to kill them.

XVI. May 27, 2002. Ramna Police Station, Dhaka (capital city of Bangladesh). Debashis Goswami (age 25), a member of the minority Hindu community, was killed by a group of Islamic reactionaries who dumped his body near the construction site of the Hamid Real Estate in the area of Shagunbagicha.

XVII. May 27, 2002. Pathorghata village, Jessore district (in southwestern Bangladesh bordering the West Bengal). A group of Islamic extremists attacked and desecrated a religious function arranged by members of the local Hindu minority. As a result of the attack, eight Hindus were killed.

XVIII. May 30, 2002. Sonagaji area, Feni district (in southeastern Bangladesh near the Bay of Bengal). A local Islamic extremist leader, Kabir Ahmed demanded 100,000 Taka in zizyia tax (an extortion tax demanded by Islamic fundamentalists from non-Muslims) from Dulal Chakrovarty, the Hindu Headmaster of Vilayat Hussain Higher Secondary School. In addition, Dulal Chakrovarty was threatened with severe consequences if he did not leave Bangladesh. Presently, Dulal Chakrovarty is hiding with his family to escape threats issued by the Islamic extremist group.

XIX. May 31, 2002. Premnagar village, Netrakona district (in northern Bangladesh bordering the Indian state of Meghalaya). A Hindu schoolgirl named Soma Sanyal (age 15) was abducted at gunpoint by a group of Islamic reactionaries. Though a case was filed against a local Islamic Extremist group, the police have shown no interest to arrest any of the suspects or to rescue the missing schoolgirl.

Undated Incidents:

Khachipara and Kalishuri villages, Banpual area, Patuakhali district (in southern Bangladesh near the Bay of Bengal). The local Hindu minority community have been forcibly kept in their homes by Islamic fundamentalists. Members of the Hindu community, including Shishutosh Dash, Bhabaranjan Das, Debendranath Sarkar and Hiron Kumar Sarkar were forced to sign and give away all of their houses and properties to local Muslim fundamentalists.

Fatehpur village, Kaliganj police station, Satkhira district (in southwestern Bangladesh near the Bay of Bengal and the Indian state of West Bengal). Two Hindus, Sundari Sardar (age 50) and his son Govinda Sardar (age 32), were kidnapped by a group of Islamic fundamentalists led by Gaji, a local Islamic reactionary. They were then brutally tortured, forced to take off their clothes, and their nude photographs were published everywhere. The local police station has shown no interest to arrest those responsible or to provide redress to the victims.

Potajia village, Shahjadapur area, Sirajgunj district (northwest of the capital city of Dhaka). Islamic fundamentalists forcibly captured 80 bighas of land owned by the Sree Sree Durgamata and Kalimata temple society, by showing false documents. The extremists have also threatened to kill the priest of the temple, Vivekananda Ghosh, and his family who are currently in hiding.