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URGENT ACTION - Help protect minorities in Bangladesh

Forwarded message from "Shilpi Mondol" <shilpimondol@yahoo.com>

[ From: "Shilpi Mondol" <shilpimondol@yahoo.com>
[ Subject: Alert: Urgent Action Called: help protect
minorities in Bangladesh
[ Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2004

Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM)

P.O. Box 5493

Santa Clara, CA 95056

USA
http://www.hrcbm.org;
Email: info@hrcbm.org
Ph: 212-592-3627
Fax: 212-202-6251


Friday, 27 August 2004

HRCBM/Bang/UA_08_27_04/Protection_2004

Bangladesh - Protect the Life and Properties of Religious
and Ethnic Minorities and Rights Activists. Ensure Human
Rights and Freedom of Expression. Restore Secularism and
Communal Harmony.

Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM)
is gravely concerned at the renewed wave of violence and
utter human rights abuses being perpetrated against the
religious and ethnic minorities of Bangladesh and alleged
false cases brought against the minority leaders of the
port city of Chittagong by the vested quarters as the
nation is reeling under the shock of the unprecedented
attack on the leadership of Awami League including the
leader of the opposition at the peaceful rally on
Saturday, 21 August 2004. Safety and security of Advocate
Rana Das Gupta, Advocate Chandan Biswas, Advocate Ashoke
Das and Advocate Chandan Talukder, all belonging to
minority community of Chittagong, must be ensured. Human
rights of all minorities, the Hindu, Buddhist, Christian,
Aadibashi (indigenous people's community), tribal people
and the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, must be protected.

A few of the recent reported cases of human rights abuses
are given below.

22 Hindu Houses Torched, Robbed and 20 Hurt in Raid by
'BNP' Men

The Daily Star (25 August 2004, Rafique Sarker, Rangpur
correspondent) reported, "Armed mobsters with alleged
links to ruling BNP in a raid on a remote village under
Pirgachha upazila in the district on Monday torched 22
houses of minority Hindus, injured 20 villagers and
looted cash, crops and cattle. ... ... A group of 35 to
40 BNP activists armed with machetes, swords and daggers
cordoned the Hindu-majority Adam Sarkerpara village in
the afternoon and set fire to the houses of eight Hindu
families after spraying gasoline and kerosene on them.
... ..."

False Allegation against Minority Leaders of Chittagong

The Daily Vorer Kagoj (27 August 2004): Vested quarters
of the ruling coalition government in Chittagong brought
false allegation against the minority leaders in the port
city of Chittagong, human rights activist and a leader of
the Hindu, Buddhist and Christian Unity Council, Advocate
Rana Das Gupta, Advocate Chandan Biswas, Advocate Ashoke
Das and Advocate Chandan Talukder, of burning government
properties during the general strike on 22 August 2004
called by the opposition parties to protest the killing
of 19 people including a prominent leader of Awami League
on 21 August 2004 in Dhaka. The minority leaders were not
even present in any such demonstration. The allegation
must be properly investigated and those who are involved
in the conspiracy to eliminate and cripple the minority
leadership must be identified and punished according to
the law of the land irrespective of any party
affiliation.

Bigots to Capture Ahmadiyya Mosque Today: Civil Society
Vows to Resist;

Police Detain 2 Top Zealots

The Daily Star (27 August 2004, Staff Correspondent,
Dhaka) reported, "Dhaka is bracing for a probable
confrontation, as religious fanatics march today to
capture the Ahmadiyya headquarters in Bakshibazar and the
civil society gathers there to resist them. The city is
literally sitting on a heap of gunpowder with the zealots
of Aamra Dhakabashi, a city-based cultural organization-
turned-Islamist outfit, refusing to withdraw their
programme to demolish and occupy the Ahmadiyya complex".
The Ahmadiyya Muslim community must be safeguarded and
the perpetrators prosecuted.

In an editorial, The Daily Observer, 26 August 2004,
reported, "After the October, 2001 election, the ruling
party cadres carried out an onslaught on the minority
Hindus almost throughout the country. Little did the
caretaker government or the triumphant parties do to
discourage their followers. ... ...". As the country
is recovering from the shock of one of the most violent
attacks on democracy, freedom of expression and rights of
the people since the assassination of the father of the
nation in 1975, the minority communities throughout the
country are under serious attack on their lives and
property. In many remote places of the country, which are
almost inaccessible to the modern media, they are on the
verge of annihilation. After the total failure of the
government to protect the leader of the opposition and
participants of the peaceful demonstration organized by
Awami League, "the opportunists" and the cadres of the
ruling BNP-Jamaat-E-Islami led four party coalition "h!
ave found this situation a propitious moment for
advancing their narrow and illegal interests".

It is apparent from the news published in national and
international media that powerful elements within the
coalition government are on a mission to eliminate the
minority community and their leaders as a part of well-
planned ethno-religious cleansing operation. The
criminals, irrespective of party affiliation, must be
apprehended and punished. The affected families must be
appropriately rehabilitated and protected.

Urgent Action Demanded

The Human Right Congress for Bangladesh Minorities
(HRCBM) vehemently protests and condemns these attacks on
the minority community and their leaders. We protest and
condemn in the strongest possible terms all on-going
brutality, killings, eviction, ****, attack on places of
worship and human rights abuses perpetrated on the
religious and ethnic minorities.

We appeal to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh and the
conscience of the peoples, governments and human rights
institutions, including the United Nations, for immediate
protection of the life, properties and freedom of
expression of the religious and ethnic minorities and all
citizens of Bangladesh.

APPEAL TO:

Honorable Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia
Office of the Prime Minister
Gano Bhaban
Sher-e Bangla Nagar
Dhaka, Bangladesh

Telgrams: Prime Minister Zia, Dhaka
Bangladesh

Fax: 880-2-811-3243
Email: pm@pmobd.org

Salutation: Dear Prime Minister or Hon'ble Prime Minister.

Honorable Home Minister,
Fax: 880-2-811-3243
Salutation: Hon'ble Home Minister

Mr. Shadul Haq
Inspector General of Police
Police Headquarter
Fulbaria, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Telegrams: Inspector-General Chowdhury

Fulbaria, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Fax: 880-2-956-3362; 880-2-956-3363
Salutation: Dear Sir

PLEASE SEND THE APPEAL IMMEDIATELY:

Please voice your support, fax or mail your appeal to the
addresses above, and help save humanity from the perils
of barbaric atrocities.

Please contact us at info@hrcbm.org for any question and
further details.

End of forwarded message from "Shilpi Mondol" <shilpimondol@yahoo.com>

Jai Maharaj
http://www.mantra.com/jai
Om Shanti