A case has been filed against 10 people including the local union council chairman and his brother for assaulting and looting a Hindu family in Debidwar sub-district, Cumilla (former Comilla) District of south-eastern Bangladesh. Victim Parimal Sarkar filed the case in the speedy trial tribunal as the plaintiff, Bengali language national daily newspaper of Bangladesh, “Kalbela” has reported.
Lawyer of the plaintiff in the case, Advocate Kazi Nizamul Haque Nizam confirmed The Kalbela newspaper about lawsuit. The accused in the case are local union council Chairman Kamruzzaman Masud, His younger brother Md. Aktaruzzaman, Kazi Billal, Kazi Helal, Jaidal Hossain, Shaheen Islam, Zahirul Islam, Didarul Alam Faiz, Gaffar and Mamun. Lawyer of the plaintiff said to the Kalbela, “We hope the victim’s family will get justice.”
Incidentally, this month, during the chase-and-dash incident between Chhatra League (student wing of the ruling Bangladesh Awami League) and Jubo League (youth wing of the ruling Bangladesh Awami League) regarding meeting at the same place, this Hindu family was attacked and their house vandalized and goods looted. At that time, there were allegations of looting of TV, furniture and gold ornaments inside the house.
Whither the victim Hindu family members have nothing to do with political parties & clashes.
In a separate news in this month, The same Daily Kalbela newspaper wrote, a Hindu family was allegedly blocked by a wall constructed by a Muslim neighbour in Rupsa sub-district, Khulna District of South-western Bangladesh. Members of the Hindu family are practically confined in their home for the wall. It is even said that the Hindu family was kicked out of the house. And this misdeed was instigated by a Union council member. Unable to resolve the dispute locally, the dispute went to court.
It is known that Babul Sardar’s family put up a wall on the way out of Hindu Uzzal Biswas’s house. A case has been filed in the court by the family of unrepentant Uzzal Biswas in this regard. Besides, they have applied for the solution to the local union council.
Local union council member Ahiduzzaman Mintu told the daily Kalbela in this regard, “the union council has taken the initiative of settlement.”
“Both sides will be discussed in terms of their application. Babul Sardar destroyed the wall (!) in a view to getting out Uzzal Biswas and his family from home. (I) hope the problem will be solved”, Local union council chairman Professor Ashrafuzzaman Mamun claimed to The Daily Kalbela.
As per Wikipedia, Khulna was a Hindu-majority part of Bangladesh before Partition in 1947, but during the massive riots in the 1950s and 60s most of the Hindus there fled to Bharat. The population of Hindus and Christians has remained constant since 1981, but their absolute numbers have fallen massively.
Again in a separate incident in this month, Bengali language national daily newspaper of Bangladesh “Dainik Janakantha” wrote, municipal council mayor as well as ruling party Bangladesh Awami League’s Narail district chapter vice-president Anjuman Ara has changed the name of a historical pond “Kalidas Tank” to “Lal Mian Pond” in Narail district of south-western Bangladesh in the pretext of beautification. The Mayor is trying to grab the pond in this way.
Narail district council chairman as well as ruling party Bangladesh Awami League’s Narail district chapter president Subas Chandra Bose said, “changing the name of Kalidas Tank is an expression of communal sentiment. A legal notice has already been sent to the municipal authorities to vacate the pond. However, ‘beautification’ is being done in different parts of the pond with machines defying legal notice.
In this regard, written complaints have been made to various departments including the Ministry of Local Government. In 1907, the then (Hindu) zamindars (Landlord) dug the pond on 2 acres 5 decimal land. Named as ‘Kalidas Tank’. Later the pond came under the authority of district council.
These documents and evidence are with the district council. However, the Mayor of Narail municipal council has taken over the pond in the name of beautification, ignoring the law. Apart from this, the name ‘Kalidas Tank’ has been changed to ‘Lal Mian Pond Beautification’. It is questionable whether the mayor of Narail municipality has the right to change the name. The matter will be dealt with legally including filing lawsuit.”
Meanwhile, people from various professions said to Dainik Janakantha that Narail Municipal Mayor has shown inferior mentality by changing the name of ‘Kalidas Tank’. The spirit of communalism has emerged. ‘Kalidas Tank’ has also been renamed as ‘Lal Mian Pond’ as part of an attempt to rename various areas established after Hindus.
However the mayor Anjuman Ara denied the allegations against her.
In this regard, district magistrate of Narail Mohammad Ashfakul Haque Chowdhury said to Dainik Janakantha that the local government department has investigated the matter. The investigation report has already been sent to the ministry. The ministry will resolve the issue.
Communal violence, land grabbing, love jihad, cheat conversion against Hindus have been continuing in Bangladesh. Observing the actual scenario, Bangladeshi lawyer and human rights activist Sultana Kamal truly said, “For 13 long years the pro liberation war party is in power, but the security of (religious) minorities has not been guaranteed (in Bangladesh).”
“At all times (religious) minorities have been oppressed”, she added.
