Minority groups fear violence in Bangladesh

William Gomes

Dhaka, Bangladesh, January 05

A group of armed and drunken supporters of Bangladesh's Awami League party attacked a Hindu minority supporter of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Dec. 30, 2008. This has led to fears of a communal backlash and violence in Bangladesh.

Nitto Lal Das, age 55, was attacked around 2:30 a.m. last Tuesday by the younger brother of the local Awami League leader Abul Mansur Rubel. A group of 7 to 8 perpetrators knocked on his house in KuliarChar, Kisohergonj and as he opened the door, the perpetrators started beating him. During the beatings they tore off his clothes.

The brutal attackers then turned toward his family and showed no mercy for his aged mother who came to his rescue. As other family members tried to save Nitto Lal they were also attacked and hurt by the perpetrators with sharp objects and arms. During the attack several others relatives of Nitto were also hurt ,including Provati Rani Das, 40, Raju Das, 17, Shiuli Rani Das, 35, Montu Das, 40 and Sujata Das, 26.

Nitto Lal was badly injured and first taken to a local hospital and then to the Dhaka Hospital in Shamoli as his situation had worsened. Later, he was shifted to the Apollo Hospital for further treatment on December 30.

The regional coordinator of the Justice Foundation and executive director of the Christian Development Alternative, William Gomes immediately rushed to Dhaka Hospital and talked to the victim's relatives, who expressed great shock and demanded security arrangements to protect them from further attacks.

On Jan. 1, 2009, Gomes met the chairman of the National Human Rights Commission in Bangladesh and urged him to take the necessary initiatives to protect and secure the minorities in the region.

No police case was filed regarding the incident. Minorities in the area now fear communal violence similar to the one in 2001.

Source