Hasina fields family, Khaleda unleashes burqas

Abhijit Dasgupta

It’s a strange election which is to be fought in Bangladesh on Monday, point to note is the various ways that the three top leaders are conducting their respective campaigns.

Sheikh Hasina of the Awami League has fielded her entire family and a famous yesteryear actress in the elections with members flying down from London to Dhaka to help her as well as campaign in their constituencies, Begum Khaleda Zia has fanned out 5,000 burqa-clad women of her ally, the Jamaat, to campaign in the various districts while former president, H.M. Ershad is singing the only tune that he is left with after years in jail, joining hands with Hasina’s mahajot and saying she is his “sister”.

They, to these elections, however, lie with the youth with 30 per cent of the voters below 30 years. For this reason chiefly, there is an abundance of young candidates, the main draw being Hasina’s 18-year -old niece, Rehana.

Of course, there is not much talk of the country’s help to foment terrorism in India and local issues are centre stage. The ninth general elections to elect 300 members to Jatiya Samsad (National Assembly) on December 29 in Bangladesh will, however, be a test of whether minorities (read Hindus) will be allowed to vote freely. All the three leaders have made election promises saying the minorities have nothing to fear but the real picture is quite different.

The Sampreeti Mancha (Harmony Platform) in a 30-page booklet – Nirvachan O Sankhyalaghu Sampraday: Poriprekshit Bangladesh (Election and minorities – A Bangladeshi Perspective), authored by Saurabh Sikdar, Chiraranjan Sarkar and Robayat Ferdousi, has said, “Minorities in our country are far from well looked after. Aside from being ignored, neglected and humiliated, various tactics of mental torture and other forms of oppression are being unleashed on them. The 20 million minorities in our country are being humiliated at every step in life,” it said.

A leading intellectual of Bangladesh who has been jailed twice for his radical views on minorities, Shahriar Kabir, has said, "This government is a Taliban government. It is a great shame that conservative, anti-liberation elements are carrying the national flag in their cars and moving around freely espousing Begum Khaleda’s cause."

In a video cassette Ei Simana Manchhina (We Don’t Recognise This Border), Kabir made it clear that even after all these years, the Partition of India continued to be at the centre of all trouble. "Communal partition was the original sin.” Kabir has time and again fought against the anti-India stance of Begum Khaleda.

Distinguished intellectual Ajoy Roy, who lives in Bangladesh, told India Today that the Awami League was with the Hindus as always. “The vote share of Awami League-led 14-party alliance is between 38 and 40 per cent as opposed to BNP’s four-party combine’s 25 per cent. If the minorities are allowed to vote freely, there is a possibility of Hasina returning to power.”

In 2001, only a small fraction of Hindu voters – accounting for eight per cent of the electorate could reach polling booths. They were threatened by BNP and Jamaat hoodlums.

Says Shahriar, “A decade back, leading dailies published series of news about Harkatul Jihad’s activities. It was reported that there are more than 15,000 militant workers belonging to Harkatul Jihad; a few of them were also government officials. According to a leading English daily, the Jihad has trained 25,000 youths during the last 14 years in Chittagong alone.”

After the four-party alliance of Begum Khaleda came to power in October 2001, the activities of the militants have been on the rise. Now the number of these groups is as many as five times more than during the earlier regime. Earlier there were only two or three militant groups known to be active in Bangladesh.”

Everybody is now wooing the Bihari voters who are mostly the Bihari Muslims who lived on after the liberation of Bangladesh. The government had to grant them citizenship, following a court order in May this year. And for the first time, some of them are in the contest. The vote bank consisting of about 40,000 votes is concentrated in Mirpur, Pallabi and Mohammadpur areas: another segment of minorities, looked down upon by the Bengali-speaking Muslim majority.

The Awami League is focusing on Khaleda’s corruption, nepotism and the taka 200 billion power sector scam. Dhaka-watchers feel that the minorities hold the key and a last-minute swing may get Hasina back her prime ministership. Khaleda’s worst enemy is the charges of corruption against her and family members. Her son Tareq Rahman has become her Achilles Heel having managed to gain extra-constitutional power and alleged to have siphoned off millions to a Singapore bank.

indiatoday
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Election 2008: Defenders of the minority vote

Naeem Mohaiemen

AT a seminar last week discussing the newly formed National Human Rights Commission, it was pointedly asked why it had no minority members. The chairman had no reply for us, but the question kept percolating in the room.

In another air-con room a week later, the Awami League unveiled its election manifesto. Section 18.1 pledges to improve the condition of minorities, adivasis, indigenous people, and dalits, by removing discriminatory laws, forming land commission to protect their land, creating job opportunities, etc. Section 18.2 talks about implementation of the CHT Peace Accord.

Those who recall the abrupt volte face of the AL-Khelafot Andolon alliance of December 2006, or who are distressed at the alliance presence of JP which inserted "Islam as state religion" into the constitution, will remain cautious. But while guarded, we may still hope for an incremental shift in political parties' commitment to minority rights.

Historically, minority communities have been perceived to vote for the AL (if only because the other parties are increasingly hard-line on religion). This was manifested in 2001, when Hindu voters were prevented from voting in many areas. After the BNP-Jamaat victory, BNP-allied local gangs attacked Hindu villages. According to press reports at the time, the southwestern and southern part of Bangladesh (popularly known as the 'Hindu belt') was worst affected.

Meghna Guhathakurta, in a forthcoming essay (Journal of Social Studies No. 121 January-March 2009), describes a visit to Bhola, one of the worst affected districts: "Among the atrocities committed were charging into households, attacking men, women and children with sharp knives and weapons, in certain cases threatening with guns, terrorizing women and children by beating and chasing them and in certain cases raping and attempting rape. Looting of Hindu households and sometimes Muslim households which sheltered Hindus took place throughout the night and in waves since most householders had fled in terror and their houses were left unguarded."

According to research done by a rights NGO, based on the National Democratic Institute (NDI) data-set, the 1991 and 2001 Bangladesh election results could have been different given the razor-thin margins by which many seats were won, and the huge number of minority voters that were prevented from voting in those very seats. Out of 300 constituencies for parliament seats, there are 71 where minority voters are significant (ranging from 11% to 61%) and 50 where they are visible (5-10%). According to the 2001 Population Census, the Hindu population was 11,379,000 -- 9.2 per cent of the total.

These statistics do not count other religious minorities, nor ethnic minorities. If we look at the intersection between religious and ethnic minority in Jumma people of Chittagong Hill Tracts, we find these were areas with lowest voter turnout. According to analysis of NDI data by Rahman & Ahamed (Daily Star, Dec 12), there were 850 centres where voter turnout in 2001 was less than half of total registered voters. Of these, 87 centres were in Cox's Bazaar, 49 in Bandarban, 67 in Rangamati, and 36 in Khagrachari. In addition, around 87 centres with less than 50 per cent turnout were in Cox's Bazaar-3. There were 35 polling centres where voter turnout was as low as or lower than 10 %. Of these, 18 were in Rangamati, 8 in Khagrachari, 5 in Cox's Bazaar-3, and 2 in Bandarban.

Looking at specific constituencies in 2001, Rahman & Ahamed (Daily Star, Dec 13) zero in on Bagerhat-4 where 12% voters are religious minority, and Khulna-5 where 40% of voters are religious minority. Looking at the NDI data, there is clear evidence of violence which resulted in Hindu-majority polling centres being closed, Hindu voters staying away from polls, as well as manipulation of vote counting to exclude the Hindu vote. In both constituencies, a Jamaat-e-Islami candidate was declared the winner.

As a result of the tremendous pre- and post-election violence directed at minorities in 2001, this has become an area of specific interest for international election observers in 2008. Local human rights defenders are doing outreach to make sure minority voters do not get intimidated. But so much more is needed, including a public commitment to this from the Election Commission and other administration.

In India's West Bengal, Trinamool and Left Front compete with each other to woo the minority vote (in their case, the Muslims). Of course this is practical politics -- West Bengal has a 27% Muslim population, and there is no law like Bangladesh's Vested Property Act that creates downward pressure on their numbers (in fact the Muslim voter numbers have gone up with each elections). In Bangladesh, as the Hindu population is going down due to VPA, politicians think the minority vote does not have to be respected, nor do many worry about ensuring that these voters can enter polling booths safely.

A call to protect minority rights must come from the majority. I place my hope on ordinary citizens, the silent majority, the secular Muslim. We can and must defend Bangladesh's secular core, starting with the minority vote.

Naeem Mohaiemen (naeem.mohaiemen@gmail.com) has written about minorities for Ain o Salish Kendra and Drishtipat.

Source: the dailystar
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Citizens, not enemies

Naeem Mohaiemen

DEBATES around religious minorities, in election season and otherwise, focus on anecdotes and analogies -- positive and negative. What is largely missing in this discussion is quantitative analysis of the religious minorities status in Bangladesh.

The one variation is Professor Abul Barkat, of the Dhaka University Department of Economics. Since the 1990s, Barkat along with his large team of researchers have been applying the methods of economic, statistics and survey research to compile a comprehensive picture of Hindu community status since independence of Bangladesh, especially as it has been impacted by the black law known as Enemy (Vested) Property Act.

The missing Hindus
In order to quantify the total loss of Hindu population through migration, voluntary and involuntary, the study looks at official population statistics as well as Tahsil office records. Hindu population, as share of total population, has dropped from 18% in 1961 to 12% in 1981 and finally to 9% in 2001. The rate of decline was most pronounced in six districts: Chandpur, Feni, Jamalpur, Kishoreganj, Kushtia, Pabna, and Narayanganj, In the districts which historically had high Hindu population, the average decline over forty years was 12%

Looking at the absolute number of Hindu population over forty years is not sufficient to calculate how many of them have left the country. It is also necessary to factor in birth rates. Looking at historic data of lower birth rates among Hindus, Barkat's research assumed 13% lower fertility rate for Hindus compared to Muslims. Factoring this in, the Hindu population should have been 11.4 million in 1971, but it was reported as 9.6 million. By 2001 it should have been 19.5 million, but it was 11.4 million. Looking at the entire time period and doing the same calculation, Barkat estimates the total missing Hindu population from 1964-2001 as 8.1 million, i.e., 218,819 missing Hindus each year.

While there are many factors that may have contributed to this ongoing depletion of the Hindu population, the research team argues that the Vested Property Act is the single largest factor that leads to minority departure from the country.

Metamorphosis of Vested Property Act
The Vested Property Act started life as Requisition of Property Act (Act XIII of 1948), after 2 million Hindus left East Bengal in 1947-48. Giving the power for takeover of abandoned property "needful for the purposes of the state," this act has evolved into something abused by citizen and state from Partition to today's Bangladesh.

This law metamorphosed into East Bengal Evacuees Act (1951), East Pakistan Disturbed Persons Rehabilitation Ordinance (1964), Enemy Property Order (1965), Bangladesh Vesting of Property and Assets Order (1972), and finally Vested and Non-Resident Property Act (1974).

As a result of publication of Barkat's first two studies, and major campaigning around this issue, the 22nd session of National Parliament under the Awami League government passed Vested Property Return Act 2001. While this was a first milestone, there were several major flaws: the act covered only land vested up to February 1969; the original owner or heir is required to have "continuously" resided in Bangladesh; and the owner had to submit claims within 90 days of publication of list of returnable properties.

In November 2002, the BNP-Jamaat alliance government passed an amendment to the 2001 act, which removed all enforcing power from this law. Especially harmful was the clause that gave the government "unlimited time" to publish the list and enforce return of property. Since the passage of this amendment, not a single list has been published, nor any return process initiated in the last six years.


Quantification of impact
As part of the multi-year study that led to Professor Barkat and his team's new book, the following data collection instruments were used: primary data via panel studies of 16 districts, follow-up study on households surveyed in 1997 study, Population Census, Land Survey, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics logs, Tahsil and Thana land revenue records, etc.

Below we present the key findings from the study:

1. 43% of all Hindu households (1.2 million) have been affected by EPA/VPA. 57% of households that lost land lost an average of 100 decimals. Survey data shows 33% of affluent Hindu families lost land due to EPA/VPA. 50% of affluent households had at least one close relative who lost land

2. Total area of land lost is 2.01 million acres, which is 5.5% of Bangladesh's total land mass but 45% of land owned by the Hindu community. The survey data shows 22% more land loss than is shown in the official records. According to survey data, the total land lost is 2.6 million.

3. The type of land lost is typically agricultural (80% of total lost land), followed by homestead (11%), pond area (1.2%), orchard (1.7%), and fallow land (0.7%).

4. Assuming average market price of land as seen in the year 2007, total value of land lost is BDT 2,416,273 million.

5. 53% of incidents of dispossession and 74% of total lost land occurred between 1965-1971. After lower rates from 1972-1975, dispossession rates accelerated again from 1975. Even after the "Repeal Act" was passed in 2001, 8% of dispossession incidents occurred between 2001-2006.

6. The most typical methods of land grabbing are influential parties grabbing land in connivance with Tahsil and Thana Revenue Office, death and/or out-migration of members of the Hindu family used as excuse to enlist the whole property, grabbing the land by force, occupying land using forged documents, etc.

Professor Barkat is an academic who has put hard statistics around a complex crisis for the nation's minority community. In this election season, are there politicians out there who have the courage to make complete removal of this black law, and return of all land to dispossessed Hindu families, one of their election manifestos? We're waiting for a politician with the courage to take that principled position. Rather than losing votes, it will gain many votes. Above all, from the nation's millions of secular Muslims who look for a principled position regarding equal treatment for all citizens.

1. See, e.g. Deprivation of Hindu Minority in Bangladesh," A Barakat et al. (Pathak Shamabesh, 2008).

Naeem Mohaiemen (naeem.mohaiemen@gmail.com) writes about minorities for the Ain O Salish Kendra Annual Human Rights Report. Portions of this data analysis will be published in the 2008 Ain O Salish Kendra Annual Human Rights Report.

Source: the daily star
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Communal Attack and Repression to Minority on October 2008

1. Upazilla-Mithapukur
District-Rangpur Hasinur (20), son of Hashem Ali, and Rashed (22), son of Mahbub, forcibly confined Adori Rani, a student of class VII of Ranipukur High School of the Upazilla and raped her. They did so with the help of Farida Begum and Belly Begum, nurses of the school. Adori Rani, in apprehension of public disgrace, went back home and without divulging anything, bolted her room, and committed suicide by strangulating herself with scarf.
Samokal
02/09/08
BHBCOP
District leaders of BHBCOP visited to the place of incident. A case has been filed in this regard.

2. Village-Narandia
Upazilla-Kalihati
District-Tangail A gang of unknown miscreants entered into the house of Shyamal Kumar Modak, a trader, and strangulated his 70-year old mother, Jyotsna Rani Modak, to death while she was asleep. Then the miscreants looted and made off with goods including gold ornaments worth Tk. 30, 000/. Terror prevails among the minorities over this happening.
Janokantho
02/09/08
BHBCOP District leaders of BHBCOP visited to the place of incident. A case has been filed in this regard.

3. Upazilla- Sreemangal
District-Moulavibazar Miscreants poured poison into three ponds of Biswajit Choudhury, the upazilla correspondent of Prathom Alo, and killed all fish therein. At this, he has suffered a loss of almost 3.5 lacs of taka. This has been made to happen as he, a religious minority, has been perceived to be weak. He is supposed not to be able to bear with this loss.
Prathom Alo
02/09/08
BHBCOP
Central & District leaders of BHBCOP visited to the place of incident. A case has been filed in this regard.

4. Upazilla-Sadar District-Jessore Unknown miscreants have, in a very pre-planned manner, murdered Akhil Banik, a prominent trader, cruelly and by striking with a knife. Police have recovered his dead body. Intense resentment and terror prevail among the minorities of the locality over this happening. Sangbad
03/09/08
BHBCOP
Central & District leaders of BHBCOP visited to the place of incident. A case has been filed in this regard.

5. Vill-Temer
Upa- Agoiljjhara
District-Barisal Some unidentified miscreants have damaged three images by suddenly attacking the sarbojaneen Sitola and Kali temple located beside the house of Gopal Baroi. It is mentionable that some days back miscreants entered into the temple of the house of one Mr. Das and destroyed stone images of goddess Kali and looted away implements of worship including golden ornaments.
Sangbad
02/09/08
BHBCOP
District leaders of BHBCOP visited to the place of incident. A case has been filed in this regard.

6. Vill-Bargaowala
Upa- Mollarhat Dist-Bagerhat A group of terrorist freedom fighters led by Mohammad Ali--an identified landgrabber and terrorist of the locality--evicted the family of Sharat Chandra Biswas right after 10 days of his death and forcefully grabbed the land of the homestead. When, at a later time, and at the assurance of the UNO, they tried to recover the homestead, the desperate terrorists tried to murder them. As a result, members of the evicted family are leading inhuman life. Bhorer
Kagoj
01/07/08
BHBCOP
District leaders of BHBCOP visited to the place of incident. A case has been filed in this regard.

7. Vill-Paschim Bagdha
Upa-Agoiljhara
District-Barisal Grabbing of paternal property of Mr. Manik Lal Samadder, Special Assistant of the Chief Advisor of Bangladesh Government, is going on in defiance of orders of the court. People led by identified land-grabber Mojibar Master and Nurul Islam are going on doing this grabbing in violation of directives and in physical proximity of the court and administration. High resentment prevails among the religious minorities over this situation.
Prathom Alo
03/09/08
BHBCOP
District leaders of BHBCOP visited to the place of incident. A case has been filed in this regard.

8. Vill-Sahebabad
Upa-Kaliakoir
District-Gazipur A gang of 15-20 masked terrorists attacked the house of Paritosh Chandra Sarker at the dead of night, damaged images there and made away with goods worth 10,000 taka including cash money. As they were leaving, the terrorists attacked the houses of Taruni Chandra Sarker and Maran Chandra Sarker and damaged those.. Jugantor
03/09/08
BHBCOP
District leaders of BHBCOP visited to the place of incident. A case has been filed in this regard.

9. Village-Dadrajonti
Upazilla-Sadar
Dist-Joipurhat A gang of 20-25 miscreants broke open the doors of the house of Putul Mandal and started beating up his son, Palash in a random manner. When he came forward to save his son the miscreants murdered him cruelly, and made away with goods worth more than one lakh taka including cash money and gold ornaments. Palash has been admitted into the hospital in a critically injured condition.
Sangbad
04/09/08
BHBCOP
District leaders of BHBCOP visited to the place of incident. A case has been filed in this regard.

10. Raibahadurpara
Dist-Noakhali Some unidentified miscreants perpetrated an attack on the hundred-year old temple of goddess Kali at the daed hours of night and destroyed images of Kali and other gods and goddesses. Five persons including the sebayet named Lyton got injured by their weapons when they tried to resist It is mentionable that these miscreants attacked the temple some days ago also while a program of devotional songs was going on.
Jugantor
05/09/08
BHBCOP
District leaders of BHBCOP visited to the place of incident. A case has been filed in this regard.

11. Upazilla-Sonargaon
District-Narayangang One gang of terrorists led by notorious terrorists of the locality, Kaiowan, Habib and Hobu conducted a sudden attack on the devotees who had come to Sree Sree Lokenath Brahmacharee Ashram. Fifteen persons including Popi Rani Saha (30), Rony Saha (26) and Mridul Saha (40) got wounded at this. The terrorists snatched away three gold chains, taka 10,000/ in cash and 4 mobile phone sets. Such incidents regularly take place at this ashram and devotees coming from all-over the country become victims of different kinds of harassments. Janokantha
05/09/08
BHBCOP
Central & District leaders of BHBCOP visited to the place of incident. A case has been filed in this regard.

12. Village- Tikary
Upazilla-Sadar
Dist-Jheneidah Krishna Rani, daughter of Binoy Kumar and a talented student of 2nd year, was publicly molested as she did not accept indecent proposals of the terrorists of the locality. Later on , out of shame, resentment and sorrow, she committed suicide by hanging herself at night. The followers of Hinduism in the area are passing days in utter insecurity at this incident. Inquilab
06/09/08
BHBCOP
District leaders of BHBCOP visited to the place of incident. A case has been filed in this regard.

13. Upazilla-Sadar
District-Pabna One gang of unidentified terrorists called Mr. Bimal Kumar Sarker, a teacher of Kuchiamora Government Primary School over mobile phone and cruelly murdered him by chopping and slaughtering. Police recovered his dead body in the morning from a pond. Extreme terror prevails among the religious minorities over this happening. Bhorer Kagoj
09/08/08
BHBCOP
District leaders of BHBCOP visited to the place of incident. A case has been filed in this regard.

14. Vill-Lokhapur
Upa-Fakirhat
Dist-Bagerhat Terrorists of the landgrabber Baharul gang perpetrated an attack on Lakahapur Durga Temple and threw away six images including that of Goddess Durga. When resisted, the terrorists took to beating up of people and molestation of women. This has resulted in intense agitation and resentment among the Hindus of the locality.
Samokal
08/09/08
BHBCOP
District leaders of BHBCOP visited to the place of incident. A case has been filed in this regard.

15. Vill-chhlachhara
Upazilla-Kulaura District-Moulavibazar Miscreants planfully cut off roots of 3000 betel leaf plants of 3 zooms. Livelihood of 250 families was connected with these 3 zooms. Having lost the betel leaf plants, they have broken down into frustration. Intense resentment prevails among the indigenous people. Prathom Alo
12/09/08
BHBCOP
Central & District leaders of BHBCOP visited to the place of incident. A case has been filed in this regard.

16. Vill- Khalishkhali
Upazilla-Patkelghata
District-Satkhira A gang of 20-30 armed and masked dacoits entered into the houses of Ranajit Aich, Amoresh Aich and Gopal Aich, who are brothers, wildly beat up every one present, took hostage at gun-point and made away with cash money of Taka 50,000/, 13 grams of gold ornaments and other valuables. They damaged things before leaving the place. It is mentionable that armed dacoity was committed some days ago at the house of Bejoy Aich of the same area. Such repression is going on because of these people�s being religious minorities. Bhorer Kagoj
12/09/08
BHBCOP
District leaders of BHBCOP visited to the place of incident. A case has been filed in this regard.

17. Upazilla- Barolekha
District-Moulavibazar Jamaluddin, son of Azimuddin of the village named Katajungle, tried to rape one indigenous adolescent girl (15) in the absence at home of members of her family. She wrestled as far as she could to save her honour and struck him with the da she found within her reach. At this news, Jamaluddin�s father and other relations damaged the house of the adolescent girl. At present, the girl�s family is leading a subhuman life in hideout. Bhorer Kagoj
141/09/08

A case has been filed in this regard.

18. Village- Madla
Upa-Sajahanpur
Dist-Bogra Azadur rahaman, an influential leader of Jamat, has forcibly grabbed fifteen and half decimal of land belonging to Swapan Kumar Kundu. This Jamat leader is going on perpetrating tyranny and torture on members of the family of Swapan Kumar Kundu. In the prevailing circumstances he is leading a subhuman life in a panic-stricken condition. Janokantho
14/09/08
BHBCOP District leaders of BHBCOP visited to the place of incident. A case has been filed in this regard.

19. Kirttoniapara
Upa-Boalmari
District-Faridpur Some unidentified miscreants have damaged five images by suddenly entering into the sarbojaneen Radha-Gobinda Temple and looted away valuable implements of worship. Intense resentment and excitement prevail among the religious minority over this happening. Janokantho
15/09/08
BHBCOP District leaders of BHBCOP visited to the place of incident. A case has been filed in this regard.

20. Nannar Bazar
Upa-Dhamrai
District-Dhaka A gang of terrorists led by Lebu, an influential terrorist of the locality, have perpetrated an attack on the indigenous people taking advantage of a conflict over a pond. They damaged houses, beat up people and looted goods. 20 persons including Budhan Sing, Soneka, Behula, Simita and Dipali have got seriously injured. Intense resentment prevails among the indigenous population. Janokantho
16/09/08
BHBCOP
District leaders of BHBCOP visited to the place of incident. A case has been filed in this regard.

21. Upazilla-Tongi
District-Gazipur A gang of terrorists of the region, led by Feroj, has abducted Swadesh Kumar Nath (12) to extort ransom money. They have demanded a sum of money to the tune of taka three lakhs. Janokantho
16/09/08
BHBCOP District leaders of BHBCOP visited to the place of incident. A case has been filed in this regard.

22. Upazilla-Sadar
District-Sunamganj Nizam (22), son of Seraj Miah, and Khokan demanded toll of 10,000/ taka from Titu Ghosh, the owner of an air-conditioned saloon in the town. On refusal to pay the amount, a gang of terrorists led by them damaged the saloon extensively and beat up its employees. They made away with goods worth 40,000/ taka including a gold chain weighing one gram and 9,000/ cash money. Sangbad
16/09/08
A case has been filed in this regard.

23. Village-Mannar
Upa-Dhamrai
District-Dhaka Notorious land-grabbers of the locality have dealt threats of death to Dulal Pal. They have dealt this threat as Dulal Pal took the initiative of reclaiming debottor property from the clutches of the land-grabbers. He is keeping away from home and is leading a subhuman life. Intense dissatisfaction and resentment prevail among the religious minorities over this happening.
Jugantor
18/09/08
BHBCOP
Central & District leaders of BHBCOP visited to the place of incident. No case has been filed in this regard.

24. Kathmara Bazar
Upa-Paikgachha District-Khulna Unidentified fundamentalists have destroyed images being built on the occasion of autumnal Durga Festival by attacking the sarbojaneen temple. Sharp resentment prevails among the Hindus over this happening. Jugantor
20/09/08
BHBCOP District leaders of BHBCOP visited to the place of incident. No case has been filed in this regard.

25. Village- Shobharampur
Upazilla-Sadar
District-Faridpur Miscreants have stolen away four images made of astodhatu from the Radha-Gobinda temple of the locality at night. Decorated with gold ornaments, these images would sell at Taka 50,000/. Sharp resentment prevails among the minorities over this happening.
Samokal
20/09/08
BHBCOP
District leaders of BHBCOP visited to the place of incident. A case has been filed in this regard.

26. Upazilla-Sreemangal
District-Moulvibazar Shamsuddin, son of late Hafez Muslehuddin and his brothers, in collaboration with the employees of the land settlement office, have, through forgery of documents, grabbed about six acres of land belonging paternally to 11 indigenous persons including Rampati Ruhidas. After losing homestead and other land, those indigenous families are now leading a subhuman life.
Janokantho
20/09/08
BHBCOP
District leaders of BHBCOP visited to the place of incident. A case has been filed in this regard.

27. Upa- Singair
District-Manikganj UnknA gang of miscreants led by Badal, Ripon, Khokan and Jewell conducted an attack on the home temple of Nitai Talukder while worship of Viswakarma was going on, and damaged the image of Viswakarma. Four persons were seriously injured when they tried to put up resistance. Janokantho
20/08/08
BHBCOP
District leaders of BHBCOP visited to the place of incident. A case has been filed in this regard.

28. Arabpur
Upazilla-Sadar
District-Jessore Unidentified terrorists conducted an attack on the Kali Temple of the Rhishi community of Mathpara, and damaged the image of Kali there. Sharp resentment prevails among the Rhishi community over this happening.
Samokal
22/09/08 A case has been filed in this regard.

29. Mograbazar Upa-Akhaura
D-Brahmanbaria Miscreants broke open the iron grill and doors of Sree Sree Trinath Temple and damaged the image of Trinath. Sharp resentment and panic prevail among the religious minorities over this incident. Pratom Alo
24/09/08
BHBCOP District leaders of BHBCOP visited to the place of incident. A case has been filed in this regard.

30. Upa-Mirzapur
And Boalmari
District-Tangail,
& Brahmanbaria Though there was approval for distribution among distressed people 15 kgs of wheat per head before the Eid and Puja festivals, that rice has been distributed actually among the distressed of the Muslim community only. Sharp dissatisfaction prevails among the religious minorities over this. Jugantor
25/09/08 No case has been filed in this regard.

31. District-Chittagong Terrorists have, in a pre-planned manner, kidnapped Shibu Seal to extort ransom money. Ransom money to the tune of fifty lakhs of taka has been demanded from his family. There prevails intense panic among the minorities at this happening. Ittefaque
25/09/08
BHBCOP District leaders of BHBCOP visited to the place of incident. A case has been filed in this regard.

32. Vill-Nagshosha
Upazilla- Lalpur
District-Natore Abdul Mannan, a college teacher, has, with the collaboration of Popy Khatun, has abducted Sunita Rani Mandal, the college-going talented daughter of Shyamal Kumar Mandal. When a case was filed after this, the terrorist pets of the teacher are dealing death threats to him. In the circumstances related above, he is passing days with members of his family, in extreme panic and helplessness. Jugantor
25/09/08
BHBCOP District leaders of BHBCOP visited to the place of incident. A case has been filed in this regard.

33. Baddinathtola
U- Kotchandpur
Dist-Jheneidaha Unidentified fundamentalists entered into Baddinathtola Temple at dead hours of night and damaged the images of Durga and others being created on the occasion of coming Durgotsob. Sharp panic and resentment prevail among the religious minorities over this happening. Sangbad
25/09/08
BHBCOP District leaders of BHBCOP visited to the place of incident. A case has been filed in this regard.

34. Vill-Kachugora
U-Kolmakanda
Dist-Netrokona A gang of miscreants led by Rabbani and Motaber bdacoits entered into the house of Narayan Chandra Pal, a banker, at broad day-light, injured the maidservant by chopping her with sharp weapons and made away with Tk.70,000/ and 50 grams of gold ornaments. Sangbad
28/09/08
BHBCOP Central & District leaders of BHBCOP visited to the place of incident. A case has been filed in this regard.

35. Sahapara
Upazilla- Sadar
Dist-Gopalgang Some miscreants entered into Sahapara Sarbojaneen Temple at dead hours of night and damaged the images of Durga and others being created on the occasion of the coming Durgotsob. Sharp panic and resentment prevail among the religious minorities over this happening. Samokal
28/09/08
BHBCOP District leaders of BHBCOP visited to the place of incident. No case has been filed in this regard.

36. Village-Behala
Upazilla- Amtoli
District-Barguna Two hundred Hindu families of this Hindu-populated village have become hostage at the hands of Sohrab Bahini. This bahiny or army has been conducting extortion of tolls, hijacking, molestation, terrorizing, etc. on the helpless families for along time. None dares to speak up in protest in fear of the terrorists. Prathom Alo
28/09/08 No case has been filed in this regard.

37. Upazilla- Sadar
District-Narsingdi Unidentified miscreants entered into Naopara Sarbojaneen Temple of Madhabdi and damaged the images of Durga and others being created on the occasion of the coming Durgotsob. The miscreants entered into the adjoining Shitola Temple of Sentu Mitra also and damaged images of goddess Shitola there. Samokal
29/09/08 No case has been filed in this regard.

38. Vill-Ettampur
U- Kumarkhali District-Kushtia Unidentified miscreants entered into Thakurbari Durga Temple and damaged the images of Durga and others being created on the occasion of the coming Durgotsob. Sharp resentment prevails among the religious minorities over this happening. Prathom Alo
29/09/08
BHBCOP District leaders of BHBCOP visited to the place of incident. A case has been filed in this regard.

39. Village- Pollghat
Upazilla- Sadra
Dist-Bagerhat Miscreants entered into Pollghat Sarbojaneen Temple and damaged two images under creation. Sharp resentment has been created among the religious minorities over this happening. Prathom Alo
29/09/08 No case has been filed in this regard.

40. Kauria Para
Upazilla- Sadar
Dist-Narsingdi A gang of 10/12 armed dacoits entered into the houses of Suresh Sutradhar, Chitra Baul, Pradip Baul and Shanti Baul by breaking open the gates, and made away with goods including cash money, gold ornaments, etc. worth more than three lacs of taka. Three persons were severely injured at blows from chapatti at this time. It is mentionable that only 7 days before this happening, dacoity was committed in houses of four families of the same village. Sangbad
29/09/08 No case has been filed in this regard.

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