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4 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016 DT News Horror for minority groups 2016 YEAR IN REVIEW • Arifur Rahman Rabbi Several incidents of organised violence against ethnic and religious minorities took place in 2016. Opportunistic groups have used religion as a political device creating an atmosphere of fear making hundreds of minorities leave Bangladesh in large numbers that experts say they have not seen since the Liberation War. Although the constitution protects religious freedom and ensures equal status and equal rights in the practice all religions, vestiges from the Pakistan era like the Vested Property Act has remained in the constitution and is repeatedly used to grab minority owned lands with coercion and violence. According to Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) the reported number of incidents till November this year was 185 temples destroyed in the county and 180 homes ransacked and destroyed. ASK acting executive director Nur Khan told the Dhaka tribune that the communal violence has been an ongoing problem since Independence. The lack of political will to reform the police also plays a huge role in propagating violence. “We saw in several media reports how the police themselves set Santal homes on fire in Gaibandha. The police are not independent from political influence and they still operate under the guideline set during the British era which used them as riot police and not as community protectors and arbitrators of the law.” Prominent economist Dr Abul Barkat recently published a research that said in three decades there will be no more Hindus left in Bangladesh. According to the research, from 1964 to 2013, around 11.3 million Hindus left Bangladesh due to religious persecution and discrimination, that means on an average 632 Hindus left the country each day and 230,612 annually. Before the Liberation War, the daily rate of migration was 705 while it was 512 during 1971-1981 and 438 during 1981-1991. The number increased to 767 persons each day during 1991-2001 while around 774 persons left the country during 2001-2012, Barkat’s research says. The indigenous population has also been victim of communal and sexual violence this year with 24 cases of violence against indigenous women reported till June. Kapaeeng Foundation says the Santals in Gobindaganj of Gaibandha under the open sky after they were evicted from their homes on November 6 MEHEDI HASAN reported number of cases till June were: rape of four indigenous women, six reported rapes, three killed after rape and three more kidnapped. The foundation’s manager Hiron Mitra Chakma told the Dhaka Tribune: “Violence against minorities has increased in number this year but none of those cases has gone to trial and that lack of accountability lets people get away with rape and murder. “In particular, the ruling party or influential locals rape women and incite communal violence to grab lands owned by the minorities. When the minorities are frightened and leave, the influential locals can use the Vested Property Act to claim that land,” he added. Bangladesh Adivasi Forum General Secretary Sanjeeb Drong told the Dhaka Tribune: “It’s been 45 years since we gained independence, but ethnic minorities are still far from asserting their civil, political, economic, social, cultural and human rights in this country. Instead violence such as murder, attacks, land grabbing, etc against ethnic minorities are increasing every year.” Nasirnagar On October 30, some 3,000 Muslims took part in the series of violent attacks on the Hindu localities of Nasirnagar in Brahmanbaria over an alleged defamatory post against Islam by a Hindu youth, Rasraj Das, on Facebook. The mob vandalised more than 100 houses and 17 temples and around 100 people including women were injured in the attacks. It was later discovered that Rasraj’s account had been hacked. On November 6, Health Minister Mohammad Nasim said anti-liberation forces were behind the communal violence in Nasirnagar, Brahmanbaria at a press conference at the Awami League Dhanmondi office. When the local radical groups were using mosques to unite Muslims in Nasirnagar, a little known website “www.banglamail71.com” published a provocative content on the alleged blasphemous Facebook post shared from the timeline of Rasraj, to condemn the “arrest of six Muslims” for their involvement in the attacks and violent protests. The content, published as a news item, was originally posted by “Noyon Chatterjee,” a Facebook profile that has long been instigating hatred against Hindus in Bangladesh and India. Dhaka Tribune has learnt that the website is run by Chhatra Shibir activists. After the October 30 attacks in Nasirnagar, temples and Puja pavilions were vandalised and looted in at least seven other districts. Santals in Gobindaganj On November 6, over 1,000 Santal families were run out of their homes from Shahebganj Bagda farm, a property on which they claim historical ownership, by police, local political activists and the workers Rangpur Sugar Mill. The attackers set fire to their homes and at least three Santal men were shot dead. At least 30 people including 17 indigenous men and eight law enforcers were injured in the conflict. It was later uncovered that a local politician had lured them into settling on the land and later taken part in the eviction. Rangpur Sugar Mills lays claim to the 1,842-acre land, the largest state property in Bangladesh and uses it for farming sugar cane and leasing out to local businesses. The Santal community took shelter under the open sky in neighbouring Santal villages. They stopped going out of these villages for fear of violence. Other major incidents On January 8, a mob of miscreants with the help of local police allegedly attacked on indigenous people in Shialpara area under Akkelpur upazila in Joypurhat with the motive to evict them from their ancestral lands. On February 26, around 4pm an indigenous woman was sexually assaulted in Ujobazar area of Sajek by police Constable Mohammad Sarowar Hossain of Baghaihat in Rangamati. Police has not taken any action against Sarowar. On February 21, a priest was killed and a devotee shot at, when miscreants attacked a Hindu temple in Debiganj upazila of Panchagarh. Deceased Jogeshwar Das Dhikari, 50, was the priest of Sri Sri Shantu Santo Gaurio monastery. The incident also injured Gopal Chandra Roy, 32, was rushed to Rangpur Medical College and Hospital. On March 28, in Shatkhira district, Ashasonhi upazila, more than 100 Hindu families were attacked over a Union Parishad election. Nahar in Srimangal, 96 families of Khasiya punjis have been given notice of eviction. There has been postponed because of the protests. • Judicial, PBI probes start in attack on Santals • Tajul Islam Reza, Gaibandha A High Court-appointed judicial magistrate has started recording testimonies of the November 6-7 violence witnesses in Gaibandha’s Gobindaganj upazila. On December 14, the HC ordered the chief judicial magistrate of Gaibandha to launch an investigation into the eviction drive and arson attack on Santals and Bangalees. The investigation would also have to look into any alleged police involvement on the aforementioned days. The court also asked the magistrate to submit the investigation report within 15 working days. Magistrate Md Shahidullah said: “I have started taking testimonies of the affected Santals and Bangalees and will send the report to the HC after completing the investigation.” Meanwhile, another investigation team led by Md Akhter Hossain, additional superintendent (Bogra) of the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), visited the crime scenes around 10am. ASP Akhter told reporters that they came to visit the area following the HC directive to investigate the cases filed by Swapan Murmu and Thomas Hembrom with Gobindaganj police station. At least three Santal men were killed and 27 people, including nine policemen, were injured following a clash between the local Santals and law enforcers aiding Rangpur Sugar Mill workers during the “eviction drive” in Gobindaganj on November 6. The tension escalated into violence when the sugar mill employees tried to take back the land occupied by the Santals, on which both parties had planted crops and claimed were rightfully theirs. Another case was filed by the police and the Rangpur Sugar Mill authorities against the Santals in which scores of Santals were arrested but later released on bail. In the wake of the communal attack, three human rights organisations filed separate writ petitions with the HC to intercede. •
News 5 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016 No justice yet for border killings 2016 YEAR IN REVIEW • Kamrul hasan Border killings on the Bangladesh-India border are a testimony to denying the dignity of people. None of the border killings have been investigated or any perpetrators brought to justice. Both Bangladeshi and Indian human rights activists protest the killings on a regular basis. Despite the extrajudicial killings, not a single writ has been filed with the Indian Supreme Court in 2015. Experts are pointing towards the cattle trade on the border as the core reason behind the killings. Cattle traders and farmers frequently cross over the borders illegally, and are shot at by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) The BSF often claims the deceased are smugglers or drug dealers. According to the Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), as of November 2015, at least 29 people have been killed by the BSF. In reply to a question at the parliament in June 2015, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said a total of 591 Bangladeshi citizens were killed by BSF and Indian citizens in the last 10 years. “Analysing statistics of 10 years, it was found that the rate of Bangladeshi citizens killed in border areas has dropped and I hope that the rate will drop further,” Kamal added. However, security expert former Air Commodore (Rtd) Ishfaq Ilahi Choudhury said the number should come down to zero. Several meetings have been held where BSF was urged to use buckshot ammo (pellets) during these situations to avoid deaths. This practice, however, was not executed. In reply to a question, Koltaka-based rights group Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (Masum) Secretary Kiriti Roy said illegal trespassers are seldom arrested because they bribe the border authorities. Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Director General Abul Hossain said BGB was taking steps to end border killings. However, PSR Anjaneyulu, Inspector General of BSF’s South Bengal Frontier at a press conference said BSF had taken initiatives to discourage killing civilians along the India-Bangladesh border. “We are trying to restrain our people so such incidents can be avoided,” he said while meeting with a group of Bangladeshi journalists at BSF Kolkata headquarters in late November. Felani trial yet to get on track The Felani murder trial has been in ‘Indo-Bangla border to be sealed completely by mid 2018’ • Tribune Desk Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said the security of the more than 200-km-long Indo- Bangladesh border was a priority for the BJP government and that would be completely sealed in the next oneand-a-half years. “We are committed to sealing the 223.7-km Indo-Bangladesh border and the process is on. It is expected to be completed within the next year and a half,” Singh said addressing BJP workers. “Bangladesh is our neighbouring country and we share a good and warm relation, which we will continue to pursue and remain committed to in the future,” he said. Felani’s body hanging from the barbed wire border fence at Kurigram in 2011 after being killed by the Indian Border Security Force Rajnath-singh PHOTO: INTERNET The Union minister, without referring to the issues of illegal migration and granting of citizenship to Hindu refugees, assured the people of Assam that BJP was committed to protect the interests of the indigenous population of the state as per Clause 6 of the Assam Accord. “We are committed to Clause 6 of the Assam Accord and will protect it even if we have to amend the Constitution,” he said. Referring to the updating of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, Singh said the process is underway and the State government should complete it soon. The Union minister said the Centre will make no compromise on the issue of insurgency as he claimed that violence has considerably come down in the State. “If any people or group have any grievances, problems or issues, we are ready to talk to them. We are ready to embrace them and talk. But if there is violence, there will be no compromise,” he added. • FILE PHOTO limbo with the Indian Supreme court despite the two writs filed in 2015. The Indian SC accepted a writ challenging the verdict in the Felani murder case. The case was filed jointly by Felani’s father Nurul Islam and Kolkata-based human rights organisation Masum. Another petition filed by the victim’s father and Salma Ali, the executive director of Bangladesh National Woman Lawyers Association (BNWLA) against the first court verdict is also pending with the Indian Supreme Court. In August 2015, BSF chief DK Pathak said a new trial would be DT considered for the Felani murder case if her family was not satisfied with the lower court verdict that acquitted the self-confessed killer. This was not followed up in 2016. The international heat generated from the Felani murder led to speculations that the trial would be carried out quickly. Kurigram Public Prosecutor (PP) SM Abraham Lincoln said: “We are exhausted pleading for justice. No actions were taken to maintain international relations.” He said the BSF court twice acquitted the killer BSF member Amiya Ghosh who shot Felani on 7 January 2011 claiming self-defence despite evidence to the contrary. “Trespassing is a crime, but this does not justify indiscriminate shooting. Rather they could arrest her and try her,” added PP Lincoln. He said a hearing date was announced, but it unfortunately fell on a holiday and was not rescheduled. The hearing suffered continuous delays like judicial bench restructuring in Bangladesh and dissolution of the bench in India. PP Lincoln says he hoped the case could be presided over by Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar who is set to be the chief justice in India. He hoped the Indian court would do justice to Felani’s family and compensate them for their loss. BNWLA executive director Salma Ali said justice for Felani’s murder would serve as an example for future border killings and discourage them. • EC REFORM PROPOSALS Workers’ Party meets president • Manik Miazee The Workers’ Party met with President Abdul Hamid with their proposals for the reconstitution of the Election Commission (EC) at Bangabhaban yesterday. An 11-member delegation team led by party President Rashed Khan Menon, placed an eight-point proposal over the formation of the search committee and the new Election Commission. The party provided the names of the people who they expect to be in the search committee. “We were pleased to meet the president. We had a cordial discussion on the issue of the Election Commission,” said Rashed Khan Menon after the meeting. “We hope the president’s initiative on Election Commission reform issues will be successful,” Menon added. President Hamid initiated the formal talks with registered political parties over reconstituting the EC as the tenure of the current Election Commission expires in February. • TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR TODAY Dhaka 29 14 Chittagong 27 18 Rajshahi 26 14 Rangpur 25 13 Khulna 28 14 Barisal 28 15 Sylhet 27 12 Cox’s Bazar 27 17 HAZY WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28 DHAKA TODAY TOMORROW SUN SETS 5:20PM SUN RISES 6:40AM YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW 29.2ºC 11.3ºC Chandpur Tetulia Source: Accuweather/BSS PRAYER TIMES Fajr: 6:05am | Zohr: 1:15pm Asr: 4:15pm | Magrib: 5:30pm Esha: 7:30pm Source: Islamic Foundation
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Page 19 and 20: Biz Info 19 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28,
Page 21 and 22: A radical change Opinion 21 Radical
Page 23 and 24: Opinion 23 We need to do something
Page 25 and 26: Feni Soccer staring at relegation
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Page 29 and 30: Downtime 29 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28,
Page 31 and 32: Showtime Dhaka International Film F

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