Bangladesh: Immediately Protect the Hindu Minorities Under Attack in Dinajpur

Fires raged in a Bangladeshi neighborhood as Hindus came under attack.

Mrs. Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh

(SALEM) - A local newspaper in Bangladesh says a series of attacks on Hindu minorities happened very suddenly today.

Sadly, that is a pattern in many situations of violence in this world that stem from religious oppression.

An estimated 1,500-2,000 people with sticks attacked the houses of the Hindus at Rajapur village around 10am today (Saturday). The marauding mob set fire to houses and even stole precious livestock.

The government has a law in place to regulate the actions of crowds that are highly charged over political and religious disagreement, that is Section 144. However it was reminding the potentially violent crowd that their actions were illegal, that seems to possibly have set the matter into play.

Tensions in this region have been growing over problems between local Muslims and Hindus. Both level accusations at the other. In his letter below, our Human Rights Ambassador, William Nicholas Gomes, communicates to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, the importance of resolving this religious tension, which Mr. Gomes believes has been increasing over the last few months. The worst part, possibly, is that law enforcement agencies are playing a very dubious role in the handling of these sensitive affairs.

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Mrs. Sheikh Hasina Prime Minister Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh Office of the Prime Minister Tejgaon, Dhaka BANGLADESH Fax: +880 2 811 3244 / 3243 / 1015 / 1490 Tel: +880 2 882 816 079 / 988 8677 E-mail: pm@pmo.gov.bd or ps1topm@pmo.gov.bd or psecy@pmo.gov.bd RE: Bangladesh: Immediately protect the Hindu minorities under attack in Dinajpur Dear Prime Minister, I am William Nicholas Gomes, Human Rights Ambassador for Salem-News.com. I have come to know about the alarming attacking on Hindu minorities at Chirrirbandar Upazila in Dinajpur district from a report carried by bdnews24. According to their published report, zealots set fire to at least 20 houses belonging to Hindus and looted their valuables following a dispute over building a mosque in the minority community-dominated area at Chirirbandar upazila in Dinajpur district on Saturday. The incident took place at Rajapur village under Amarpur union council and its adjacent Majpara village under Abdulpur union council at 10am, although Section 144 had been in force in apprehension of deterioration of law and order situation in the area, media reports. Eight people have so far been arrested for their alleged involvement in the arson attack and vandalism, Chirirbandar Upazila Executive Officer (UNO) Rashidul Mannaf Kabir told reporters. However, the locals have blamed none other than the UNO himself for allegedly instigating the attack. Dinajpur Deputy Commissioner (DC) Jamal Uddin told bdnews24.com: "A lot of people gathered suddenly and launched the attack. But no incident like killing took place as the law enforcers were ready." The authorities had imposed Section 144 barring all sorts of gathering in the area following tension over building of the mosque, he said. "But," he added, "We didn't guess that so many people would gather." The authorities also formed a committee, headed by Additional District Magistrate Abdul Malek, to investigate the allegation against the Upazila administration of instigating the attack. According to the DC, 35 families living in 12 houses were harmed. "They have been provided help. The process to file a case over the matter is underway. The criminals will be held." Earlier, UNO Kabir told reporters that people from the Hindu community of the area had obstructed building of a mosque over a land given by one Hamida Banu at Balaibazar of Amarpur three to four days ago. The local authorities had urged both sides to reach a consensus and imposed Section 144 fearing violence, he said. "Police were also deployed." "But, 1,500-2,000 people with sticks attacked the houses of the Hindus at Rajapur village around 10am today (Saturday)," he said. The attackers also vandalised six to seven houses of Hindus at Majpara of Abdulpur around 1pm, he said. Police brought the situation under control by charging baton and firing rubber bullets, he added. Amarpur Union Parishad Chairman Liakat Ali told bdnews24.com that 20-22 houses of Hindus in the two villages were vandalised and torched. "The attackers were from other areas. There were people from Parbatipur, too," he added. Talking about victims Prafulla Roy, Khitish Roy, Subhash Chandra and Jogeshwar, the Editor of a local newspaper Desh Barta, Chitta Ghosh, said they were attacked all of a sudden. The attackers also torched their houses and took away livestock and even the tubewells, he said. After visiting the place, Chitta Ghosh said, "Local people have alleged that the speech delivered while miking the imposition of Section 144 was instigative. The situation got worse after the miking." While stating or 'miking' the imposition of Section 144, the announcer said, "Section 144 has been imposed following mounting of tension, as people from the Hindu community have obstructed building of a mosque." I want to draw your urgent attention it was one of your promise during the last election that you will protect and promote the rights of the minorities. I am observing for few months that attacks on minorities are increasing and the law enforcement agencies are playing a very dubious role. I will ask you, please take proper initiative that Hindu minorities on the area get proper police protection. Please order the local authorities to take proper measure to maintain peace and harmony in the area and ask the law enforcement agencies to impartial role. Yours sincerely, William Nicholas Gomes Human Rights Ambassador for Salem-News.com http://www.facebook.com/williamnicholasgomes www.williamgomes.org

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Salem-News.com Human Rights Ambassador William Nicholas Gomes is a Bangladeshi journalist, human rights activist and author was born on 25 December, 1985 in Dhaka. As an investigative journalist he wrote widely for leading European and Asian media outlets.

He is also active in advocating for free and independent media and journalists’ rights, and is part of the free media movement, Global Independent Media Center – an activist media network for the creation of radical, accurate, and passionate telling of the truth. He worked for Italian news agency Asianews.it from year 2009 to 2011, on that time he was accredited as a free lance journalist by the press information department of Bangladesh. During this time he has reported a notable numbers of reports for the news agency which were translated into Chinese and Italian and quoted by notable number of new outlets all over the world.He, ideologically, identifies himself deeply attached with anarchism. His political views are often characterized as “leftist” or “left-wing,” and he has described himself as an individualist anarchist.