From Prof. Ajoy Roy, Dhaka

To : mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com

Subject: "Christian Minorities are made target again in Bangladesh and Pakistan"

Dear Mukto-Monas,

 The subcontinet from Afganistan to Assam Valey is burning with fire of findamentalism and communalism. Communalism and fundamentalism go together and so also terrorism. Under this frenzy and lunatic atmosphere humanity is suffering and innocent people are crying. And we the so called humanists are only acting as on lookers. The weaker section of our society women, children, ethnic and religious minorities all over the world are suffereing, even their lives are not safe in those countries. This is more so in the subcontinent: Afganistan, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. Here are only two events Christian minorities are now on target In Pakistan and Bangladesh. See below two stories. 

 Ajoy Roy

__________________

Attachment"

 Agony of Minorities: Christian Minorities are now target

 - Ajoy Roy

Bangladesh Christians on Target.

In one my earlier dispatch I posted (in few parts) the story of repression and atrocities committed against religious minorities, the Christians. In an attack on a Christian village in Pabna, 29 persons were wounded in a Christian Village in Pabna. But this was not the end. A fresh violence took place against the Christians again  on 7^th March, an important day of our national history.  

Attack on Christian Village in Bangladesh

 "300 hundred Christian families are in captive in Savar"

said, Jillur Rahman, General secretary of AL after visiting a village Kamalapur under 

Birulia union of Savar police station on 8^th March. According to him  

According to him three hundred Christian families live in this village of Kamalapur.  They are now captives at the hands of terrorists. Simultaneously Hindus and poor Muslims of the locality are being tortured and harassed by the terrorists. Jillur Rahman further alleged that police failed to offer protection to the victims and refused to take case against the miscreants. Police even did not visit the place- Mr Rahman complained. He demanded exemplary punishment who were connected with the event.

But why did Jillur visit that village and what really happened there?

The event:

According to paper reports on Thursday, 7^th March, a group of miscreants led by Teju Mian and Sentu, both of adjacent village Bhabanipur in the evening attacked the  Christian families of the Village followed by wide spread ransacking, looting and destruction of properties. Housewives and a few girls were manhandled and their clothes torn off with an attempt to sexual violence. The miscreants tried to abduct a girl named Suchanda, daughter of a villager Sunil Rozario. The people of the locality including a Moulana Menhaz, Imam of the local Masjid rescued her. In this process the Imam and four others were injured at the hands of the gangsters.  During this atrocious operation Sunil Chowkidar, Sushanto, Ahsanullah, and Shadat Ali were assaulted and their houses, furniture ransacked and properties looted.

Under this back drop we sent two human rights volunteers to visit the place with a view to verify the reports and statement of AL general secretaryand to collect first hand preliminary information. Here is the result of the survey of our volunteers.  

 Visit of Human rights Volunteers of the Place:

Two young men named Fazlul Karim and Promode Ranjan Chakma, human rights workers visited the affected locality:

Place of Occurrence: House: Residence of son in law of Sunil Chowkidar, Village Kamalapur (#3 ward) under Birulia Union, Ps Savar, District Dhaka,.

The following persons were assaulted:

1.      Munika Rozario, w/o Daniak Gomez

2.      Suchanda Rozario (27), w/o Sushanto Gomez ( an attempt was made to rape her)

3.      Kanun Gomez (30), w/o Amamda Gomez ( her clothes found torn off - an evidence of attempt to sexual violence)

The nature of violence:

1.      Attempt to rape,

2.      Extortion

3.      Ransacking and terrorists activities of other form.

In trying to prevent the attempt to sexual violence following persons received injuries:

1.      Hafez Minhaz

2.      Shadat Mian

3.      Aman kkah

4.      Jharna Gomez, a student of classes nine, daughter of Philip Gomez.

Loss of Properties:

Destruction of tin shed houses, Earthen houses with widows and doors were ransacked, destruction electric meter, Fruit bearing trees etc were ransacked and broken.

A case was filed with the police (Case no 21, dated 7-3-03, section 323/448/427. The progress of the case is very little.

After the occurrence many local people visited the place including Chairman of the union,. The people of the locality demanding culprits to bring to justice. 

Visit of Leaders of Sammilto Samajik Andolon.  11. 03. 02

Led by Mr. Pankaj Bhattacharya a team consisting of Choudhury Khorshed Alam, and Fazlul Kaosar of Sammilito Samajik Andolon visited the affected Christian locality in the village Kamalapur under Borulia Union of Savar police station on 11^th March in the morning. The heard from the affected persons the harrowing story of ransacking, looting, ransacking, extortion of money etc following the atrocious assault on the village. Their report says:

Last march 7, 2001 at about 5-30 p.m. one Showkat Ali, s/o Late Teju Mian, Shentu, s/o Kalu Mian, and Saidan, s/o Matlab Ali equipped with Ramdao and other lethal weapons fell on the Christian families of the village and committed sexual violence on the women folk, ransacking of houses and physical torture. The miscreants made an attempt to rape girls/housewives named- Suchanda Rozario (27), Kanun Gomez (30), and Rubi Rozario (16) and torn off their clothes. At the cry of the victims in attempt to rescue them Monika Rozario (56), Hafez Minhas (Imam of the Mosque), Shadat Mian (60), Aman ullah received injuries at the hands of the hooligans. Even the Chowkidar of the village Sunil Rozario was not spared. Wide spread ransacking, looting took place during the operation. A case has been filed at the night of March 7 with local police.

Although the local MP, Union Vhaoirman and elite of the village visited the place the real culprits are still free as large. The miscreants connected with this episode are accused of many crimes including raping , extortion, and repression charges. They shouted at the Christian minority families "Christians be eliminated". The ten Christian families in the village Kamalapur had bee living with their Muslim neighbors for the last 5o years with peace and harmony. These are field laborers ( Khet Majur) having no land of their own; They cultivate others' land and do small business. The peace loving Christian families are at a loss how to tackle the situation- they are totally panic-stricken and are in a state of uneasiness. 

Christians in Pakistan Attacked 

Pakistani Christians are again on target. We did not imagine after only five months again a Church would be attacked during a Sunday prayer. We may remember that on 28^th October 15 Christians were killed in a Catholic Church at Bhowalpur in Punjub when a gunman opened fire on the persons assembled in the Church for Sunday prayer. I dispatched a report on this matter on 2. 11. 01 for mukto-mona readers.      

"Grenade Charged at Pakistani Church

5 Killed, Injured 45

Two American Ladies among the killed"

is the caption of Sangbad published in their issue of 20^th March, 2002.

As a result of fierce grenade charged at a Pakistani Church 'Protestant International Church' located in a tightly secured area the Diplomatic Zone on last Sunday 17^th March, '02 five Christians were killed and at least 45 persons received severe injury. Among the killed were two America ladies: wife and daughter of an America diplomat.

It is learnt that two persons are involved in this incident. They however couldn't be identified yet. Even within tight security the terrorists could safely conduct the assault and successfully escape. Though terrorist group claimed the responsibility but it reasonably presumed that assault was carried out by some Islamic Guerilla group.

This is the second assault on Christian minorities in Pakistan after 11^th September twin tower incident in USA. About five months back on 28^th October 15 Christians were killed in a Catholic Church at Bhowalpur in Punjub when a gunman opened fire on the persons assembled in the Church for Sunday prayer.

The victims could not be identified instantly, most of them being foreigners. Three women were killed as reported by AP, Reuters, AFP and BBC. According to the police source there are 10 American, 5 Iranian, 1 Iraqi, 1 Ethiopian, 1 German, 1 Srilankan Diplomat and 12 Pakistani among the injured. The Church is located from one km from the USA embassy in Islamabad. The Police and Army cordoned the Church and the adjacent area. It is a terrorist action said a senior police officer in Islamabad. The eye witnesses said that two persons entered the Church from behind the Church when the pray was almost coming to an end. Then they started throwing grenade on the devotees numbering not less than 70 among them there were foreign diplomats and their relatives.

Police informed that at least three grenades exploded. Though the Church was tightly secured, the attackers managed to escape safely. An American lady C.D. Jayes said " I have seen two men entering the Church from the back door and saw them throwing something like grenade directed to the main alter. Injured German lady Elizabeth Moondhenak(54) reported that after the explosion of the first grenade she took shelter under a piano. Even then she got injured by the splinters of the grenade. Mr. Khalid Jhanjha, Pakistani Law Minister described the event is condemnable and is directed to disturb the good relation existing between Pakistan and other countries. The Church was chosen as target to embarrass the government. Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf also condemned the incident described it as a terrorist action. He assured that his government would do everything to combat terrorism.

The injured British citizen Nick Parham said, ' when people were lying down, I was trying to locate where the grenade exploded. I saw a person coming toward me near the middle row. I saw three grenades in his belt and one in his hand. I thought that he had some wires and other materials too. I could not guess whether he was just a grenade thrower or member of a suicidal squad.

Nick was carried to hospital with other 6 injured by a truck.

President Bush has condemned the incidence and commented that no conscientious man could accept it as a simple event.   

Sangbad again published a follow up report on 20. 03. 02 with a caption:

"Americans asked not to visit Pakistan

‘ Police Chief of Islamabad Sacked?"