Bangladesh Seminar on
Economic Development and role of
political parties
19 July 2016
House of Lords, London, United Kingdom
Here we highlights
-sufferings of minorities in Bangladesh-
Presented by: AJIT SAHA – Campaign for the Protection of Religious Minorities in Bangladesh (CPRMB);
http://www.cprmb.org/
-sufferings of minorities in Bangladesh-
Good afternoon all-
Many thanks Honourable Lord Carlile and Anne Main MP for
organising the event and giving me the opportunity to talk.
Many thanks to all participants, guests and our honourable MPs,
leaders and other delegates form Bangladesh & UK.
Presented by: AJIT SAHA – Campaign for
the Protection of Religious Minorities in
Bangladesh (CPRMB)
2
leaders and other delegates form Bangladesh & UK.
I am here to talk on the sufferings of minorities in
Bangladesh in light of the recent terrorist attacks in Bangladesh
and round the world.
What is to be done to protect and establish the rule of Law and
Democracy in real term to have the economic development of
Bangladesh keep going...
How the minorities are?
What is their situation?
• Savage killings.• Savage killings.
• Violent rapes even minor girls are not spared.
• Extortion, forceful evection and land grabbing.
• Brutal torture, suffering and devastation inflicted specially on Hindus in
Bangladesh can never be expressed in words. It can only be felt by
someone who has been affected.
• Successive governments failed to protect their basic human rights.
Presented by: AJIT SAHA – Campaign for the Protection of Religious Minorities in Bangladesh (CPRMB)
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What is their situation...
• Land grabbing has been going on since 1947 and continuing
ever since. Current ruling party’s MPs and minister’s names
are also in the list.
• The Vested property /Enemy Property Act 1965. Until all the confiscated properties are returned to their rightful owners, the stigma of the Enemy/Vested
.Property Act will keep haunting our national ideals.
• Thousands of family affected and progress is poor to return the land to the rightful
owners.
• Killing Secular Bloggers became a regular event !
Presented by: Ajit Saha– Campaign for the Protection of Religious Minorities of
Bangladesh (CPRMB)4
When started?
• Recent wave of savage killings of minorities specially
Hindus started following the death verdict of Delwar
Hossain Sayeedi in February 2013.
• Countless number of ordinary citizens, bloggers have • Countless number of ordinary citizens, bloggers have
been brutally killed mainly because of their religious
belief or for their persuasion for free and secular
thinking.
• Innocent foreign citizens have been targeted too only
because they are foreigners.Presented by: Ajit Saha– Campaign for the Protection of Religious Minorities of
Bangladesh (CPRMB)5
Savage killingsMs Anjali Debi Chaudhuri
• Chittagong Nursing Institute lecturer Ms
Anjali Debi Chaudhuri was brutally killed.
• She told the nursing students to follow the • She told the nursing students to follow the
dress code of the institute and not to wear
Hijab & burka. She was killed because she
enforced the dressing code of the
institute. Presented by: Ajit Saha – Campaign for the Protection of Religious Minorities of
Bangladesh (CPRMB)6
Rapes & Savage killings• In Hobiganj Tulsi Rani was attacked during Lakshmi
Puja festivities on 29th October 2015. She was Puja festivities on 29th October 2015. She was
beaten up badly which caused the death of her
unborn baby.
• In Hobiganj District, housewife was raped and then
on the 3rd day, the rapist returned with his
friends.... she was repeatedly raped by the gang,
whilst her husband was held down and forced to
watch.Presented by: Ajit Saha – Campaign for the Protection of Religious Minorities of
Bangladesh (CPRMB) 7
Attack on Hindu Priests • Feb 2016, in an attempt to terrorise the religious minority, unidentified persons attacked a
Hindu temple, murdered a priest (Mr Jogeshwar Das Adhikari ) of Sri Sri Shantu Santo
Gaurio monastery and shot and badly wounded nearby devotees in northern Bangladesh.
• The so-called Islamic State (ISIS) group has said it was behind the beheading of that senior
Hindu priest and wounding worshippers.
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-35626237
Presented by: AJIT SAHA – Campaign for the Protection of Religious Minorities in Bangladesh (CPRMB)
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Attack on Hindu Priests continues..
• 2016- July-Another Hindu temple worker has been killed by three men on
a motorcycle, local police have said, the latest of dozens of brutal attacks
in Bangladesh. Shaymanonda Das was preparing for morning prayers at a
temple
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-36680938
Presented by: AJIT SAHA – Campaign for the Protection of Religious Minorities in Bangladesh (CPRMB)
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Attacks on minorities continues...
• On the night of 1 July 2016, militants took hostages
and opened fire on the Holey Artisan Bakery
where 29 people were killed, including 20 hostages (18
foreigners –NON muslim and 2 locals),foreigners –NON muslim and 2 locals),
• Elderly Buddhist monk hacked to death in
Bangladesh in May 2016
• Atrocities on minorities is increasing day by
day...
Presented by: AJIT SAHA – Campaign for
the Protection of Religious Minorities in
Bangladesh (CPRMB)
10
Who is behind it?
Why?
• Perceived loyality of Hindus to Awami League.
• It has been alleged that Hindus never vote for other parties
such as BNP or Jamaat.such as BNP or Jamaat.
• If Hindus are evicted from Bangladesh fundamentalist has
more chance to wine the election with their alliances.
• But members of the all political parties are benefiting from
the grabbing of lands and abandoned business Hindus are
leaving behind, therefore nobody is actively protecting
them.Presented by: Ajit Saha– Campaign for the Protection of Religious Minorities of
Bangladesh (CPRMB)11
Effect of atrocities
• Mass migration of Hindus from Bangladesh.
• The percentage of Hindu population came down
from 13% in 1974 to less than 7% now.from 13% in 1974 to less than 7% now.
• Very low moral.
• Their numbers is predicted to be nil in 20 years
according to Chairman Prof Mizanur Rahman of
NHRC
Presented by: Ajit Saha – Campaign for the Protection of Religious Minorities of
Bangladesh (CPRMB)12
Effect of
discrimination
• Political representation is far below the percentage
of population. No more than 12 MPs out of 350 with
only one women out of 30.only one women out of 30.
• No top posts ever in Army, Air Force, Navy, Police and
Boarder Security Force.
• Recruitment in Army, Air Force and Navy is almost nil
apart from medical core.
• Hindus are second class citizen in Bangladesh.Presented by: Ajit Saha – Campaign for the Protection of Religious Minorities of
Bangladesh (CPRMB)13
Perpetrator never
get punished
• There has been no judicial trial for any of the atrocities
since 1990 except the trial of Purnima Shil. That
happened because of personal intervention of Mr Sharierhappened because of personal intervention of Mr Sharier
Kabir.
• Justice is promised almost every time following any
atrocity committed but no progress on actual delivery of
the justice.
• All those are done in the name of the religion of Islam
are going visibly unpunished.Presented by: Ajit Saha – Campaign for the Protection of Religious Minorities of
Bangladesh (CPRMB)14
Action to Protect Minorities
• Complete Restoration of 1972 constitution in real term.
• Safety and security - Immediate protection of the religious minorities by law
enforcement agencies.
• Judicial Enquiry – To identify the perpetrator and bring them to justice. If there is
any political party behind it they are to be named.
• Speedy Trial – Justice delayed is justice denied. Perpetrators to be put on trial
quickly to set example to deter and assure the minority people.quickly to set example to deter and assure the minority people.
• Minority Protection Act – In line with British Race Relations Act 1968.
• Minority Commission / Ministry / Dept – To monitor and evaluate all minority
issues.
• Jobs in Army and Public Sectors – To be monitored by all the departments and
periodic reports to be published.
• Resource allocation – All initiatives to be adequately funded.
• Representation - Guaranteeing proper representation of minorities in
government and non- government level
15Presented by: AJIT SAHA – Campaign for the Protection of Religious Minorities in Bangladesh (CPRMB)
Action to Protect Minorities....
• Education Reform
– Curriculum based on the value of Independence
– Curriculum based on secularism to be taught as a
compulsory subject at primary and secondary compulsory subject at primary and secondary
level.
– It has to be implemented and strictly monitored.
Presented by: AJIT SAHA – Campaign for the Protection of Religious Minorities in Bangladesh (CPRMB)
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Questions for the Government
•What Government will be doing to combat the religious
fanaticism and to improve the minorities democratic right??.
•If they believe in true democratic secularism then why are they
afraid of taking action to ban politics in the name of religion.afraid of taking action to ban politics in the name of religion.
•What they will be doing in future to promote and recruit
religious minorities in judiciary, military, and civil services?
Presented by: AJIT SAHA – Campaign for the Protection of Religious Minorities in Bangladesh (CPRMB)
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Questions for the opposition
With the rise of Islamic fundamentalism,religious
minorities have same questions:
• Can Hindus rely more on BNP and other parties than AL to
protect them in the future?
• What is their relationship with the parties that do not • What is their relationship with the parties that do not
believe in democratic secularism? Like Jamaat and Hefazat.
• Will they set up an independent judicial inquiry to
investigate atrocities on minorities?
Presented by: AJIT SAHA – Campaign for the Protection of Religious Minorities in Bangladesh (CPRMB)
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Conclusion – THANK YOU• Thank you for your attention.
• Discrimination enshrined in the Constitution, or the supreme
law of the land, horrific incidents of violence, hidden
discrimination that violates basic rights, and the legalized
infringement of property rights are the major facets of the
victimization of Hindus & other minorities in Bangladeshvictimization of Hindus & other minorities in Bangladesh
• I hope that I have been able to make you aware of the
sufferings of the minorities in Bangladesh.
• Minorities need your help for their survival.
• Thanks for listening.
Presented by: AJIT SAHA – Campaign for the Protection of Religious Minorities in Bangladesh (CPRMB)
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