November 2004
I. November 2, 2004. Sujalpur village, Birjung sub-district municipal area, Dinajpur district (in northwestern Bangladesh bordering the Indian state of West Bengal). A prominent Islamic fundamentalist group led by the notorious Islamic reactioanry Md Maju Mia assaulted Mrs. Kanon Bala Roy, a member of the minority Hindu community. The savages urinated on her face when she screamed for water. They also looted her home, including 300,000 Taka (approximately US $5,000), and occupied her home. The local police have so far remained mute spectators.
II. November 9, 2004. Taltali Bazar, Barguna district (in southern Bangladesh adjacent to the Bay of Bengal). Employees of the Janata Bastralaya, owned by an Islamic fundamentalist named Md. Lavlu Mia, looted clothing worth over 200,000 Taka (approximately US $3,500) from his neighboring cloth shop Sriguru Bastralaya, owned by Tapan Karmakar, a member of the minority Hindu community. The police have not taken any action so far.
III. November 19, 2004. Chirirband sub-district, Dinajpur district (in northwestern Bangladesh bordering the Indian state of West Bengal). Md. Faisal, a prominent Islamic reactionary and the commissioner of the Dinajpur municipality in the Chinibas Bhanga Bazar, along with his followers destroyed a local Hindu temple dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Durga. The fundamentalists also looted twelve shops owned by Hindus after occupying the land of the temple. Police arrested Md. Farukh Hossain, Md. Amjad Hossain, Md. Jainul Islam, Md. Ohid, and Md. Babul after being pointed out by members of the local Hindu minority community.
IV. November 19, 2004. Chalkria municipal area, Cox’s Bazar district (in southeastern Bangladesh adjacent to the Bay of Bengal). A group of Islamic fundamentalists destroyed four Hindu religious icons at the Hindu shrine of Nathpara British Kalibari. Ten Hindus as well as two Muslims were seriously injured when they came to protest. The police arrested one of the attackers, when Somaram Nath, a member of the minority Hindu community, filed a case against 26 people, but police released the attacker later. Local Islamic reactionaries issued threats that the case be withdrawn.
Incidents during Durga Pooja 2004
I. October 2, 2004. Sripur sub-district, Magura district (west of the capital city of Dhaka). An Islamic reactionary group destroyed the local Hindu temple at Rishiopara. When neighboring members of the Hindu community came forward to stop the attack, the gang increased the attack and injured Uttam Das (age 16).
II. October 12, 2004. Bagerhat district town (in southern Bangladesh bordering the Bay of Bengal). Islamic reactionaries destroyed the icons of the Hindu Godesses Lakshmi and Saraswati, which were to be used for the local Durga Puja which was to be performed in the Basabati Sarbojanin Palpara Puja Mandap.
III. October 15, 2004. Tanore sub-district, Rajsahi district (in western Bangladesh bordering the Indian state of West Bengal). Islamic fundamentalists destroyed two separate icons of the Hindu Goddess Durga, one at the Kamrgaon Parasha Durga Mandir (temple) and the other at the Durgapur Durga Mandir (temple). About 500 Hindus surrounded the local police station and started an agitation demanding the arrest of those responsible.
IV. October 17, 2004. Kahalu sub-district, Bagura district. Islamic reactionaries destroyed the icon of the Hindu Goddes Durga which was to be used for Durga Puja in the Jogir Bhavan Mandirat. The head of the temple, Sanatan Chandra Goswami, filed a complaint in the local police station.
V. October 21, 2004. Bardia area, Uthli union, Shibaling sub-district, Manikgunj district (proximately west of the capital city of Dhaka). Islamic fundamentalists, led by a notorious Islamic reactionary named Md. Babu Khan, destroyed the icon of the Hindu Goddess Durga. The police arrested Md. Babu Khan and his partner Md. Ripon Mia on the spot and recovered looted materials from the Puja Pandal. The local people have said that the attack and the subsequent looting took place with the assistance of other policemen on duty at the time.
October 2004
I. October 1, 2004. Gouramba village, Rampal sub-district, Bagerhat district (in southern Bangladesh bordering the Bay of Bengal). Sishubar Biswas (age 62) and his wife Sitarani Biswas (age 52) were killed by a gang of Muslim reactionaries, threw their dead bodies away. This group of Islamic militants has been trying to acquire the Biswas’s land and property for a long period of time. The Biswas family also received threats to flee to India.
II. October 23, 2004. Pirojpur district town (in southern Bangladesh bordering the Bay of Bengal). The home and property of Shailendra Nath Chakraborty in the local municipality area have been forcefully occupied through forged documents by the local prominent Islamic fundamentalist named Md. Mijanur Rahaman. Sailen. Chakborty’s wife was seriously injured when they tried to resist Mijanur.
(Undated Incidents)
Sadar sub-district, Tangail district (proximately northwest of the capital city of Dhaka). Recently a group of Islamic reactionaries seriously injured Lakshmi Rani Sarkar (age 40), who was also an elected female member of the Porabari Union Parishad. Her husband Pradip Sarkar (age 45) and her son Sumon Sarkar (age 18) were also injured in the attack.
Boalmari sub-district, Faridpur district (proximately southwest of the capital city of Dhaka). A Hindu burning ghat (a funeral area for Hindus) is located in Dag No. 83 and 85 at Aamgram mouja. The district administration has initiated action to acquire the land in order to build an office for Pally Bidyut Samity. Local Hindus reacted angrily against the administration especially since the elderly owner of the land, Chambala Roy (age 90), has made his objections to actions public, but there has been no positive gestures from the administration in this matter.
September 2004
I. September 2, 2004. Mahish Danga village, Sailkupa sub-district, Jhenidah district (in western Bangladesh bordering the Indian state of West Bengal). Islamic fundamentalists abducted Sudhir Kumar Mondal (age 55), a member of the local minority Hindu community, and demanded 100,000 Taka (approximately US $1700) in the form of a jijiya tax (an extortion tax demanded by Islamic fundamentalists from non-Muslims).
II. September 4, 2004. Brahman Ghata area, Rangunia sub-district, Chittagong district (in southeastern Bangladesh bordering the Indian state of Tripura). Islamic zealots attacked the home of Madan Achariya, a local member of the minority Hindu community. They looted valuables in excess of 250,000 (approximately US $4200) and at the same time abducted his son Jisu Achariya (age 14). They are demanding a ransom in the amount of 600,000 Taka (approximately US $10,000) for his release.
III. September 15, 2004. Jalimura village, Coz Bazar district (in southeastern Bangladesh bordering the country of Myanmar). Islamic militants brutally murdered an old woman Cla Chai (age 78) and her daughter Fu-Fu Chai (age 30), both members of the Rakhain tribal community which practices the Buddhist religion. They lived near the banks of the Naf River. Fu-Fu Chai was gang-raped before she was killed. The local people are under the impression that this type of planned attack is carried out by Islamic militants with the express intention of capturing land and properties of the Rakhain community people by forcing them to leave Bangladesh. Thousands of members from the Rakhain community were present at the funeral of the murdered women. They held massive protests against the murders.
IV. September 16, 2004. Jhowtalla village, Sadar sub-district, Pirojpur (in southern Bangladesh bordering the Bay of Bengal). Islamic fundamentalists brutally murdered Bakul Rani Das (age 52), a member of the local minority Hindu community and a night guard at the Sahid Rice Mill. A complaint in relation to the case has been filed in the local police station.