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| Bangladesh |
| Hindus look for answers after attack by Jamaat |
| 2013-03-03 |
| [Bangla Daily Star] The minority communities witnessing an onslaught of attack and arson by anti-liberation elements wonder what protection they have in this country. As Hindu families in some of the remote pockets of Banshkhali in Chittagong and Rajganj in Noakhali try hard to come to terms with Thursday's barbaric attacks on their homesteads and places of worships, there is no let-up in assaults in other places including Barisal, Bagerhat and Gazipur. Bangladesh Hindu-Buddha-Christian Oikya Gay Pareehad, meanwhile, demanded the government act immediately to resist communal attacks, arrest the culprits, rehabilitate the victims and rebuild the temples. Moments after Jamaat leader Delwar Hossain Sayeedi ...Islamic orator and politician. He was a former Member of Parliament in the National Assembly of Bangladesh from 1996 to 2008, and is one of the most prominent leaders of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami... received death sentence for war crimes, his party and its student wing Shibir, in some cases allegedly aided by BNP supporters, attacked the minorities on Thursday chanting slogans decrying the verdict. Visiting the minority neighbourhoods, ravaged by the anti-liberation elements, these correspondents encountered many helpless blank looks and despairs from among the community members. Passing three days under the open sky, without sleep and proper food, yet the families in Rajganj do not know how long they will have to go through such harrowing situation and what lies ahead. "It is our sin to live in this country being Hindu; it is our sin not to flee away," Minoti Rani Das was shouting. "We had a happy family. Now I have no shed, no food, no space to cook, no furniture. Now I have only some ashes." This is not only Minoti's story. Around seventy six families have been living inhumane life since Thursday afternoon as religious bigots unleashed havoc over them after the pronouncement of Sayeedi verdict. While millions of compatriots were celebrating the victory over the verdict across the country, some families were losing everything. Almost all the victim families and some other villagers alleged that Jamaat, Shibir and BNP were directly involved in the attacks. At least 40 houses, six temples and several dozen shops were burnt and vandalised at Rajganj under Begumganj upazila of Noakhali. Valuables and furniture were looted from Hindu dormitories. Police came at least one and half hours latter when it was all over. While launching attacks, the rioters numbering around 250 to 300 were saying Sayeedi was sentenced to death because of the deposition of Hindu witnesses, said most of the victim families. The number of attackers varied from spot to spot. "Sayeedi got death sentence because of you. You cannot stay in this country," Bablu Bhuiyan, whose two houses were vandalised, quoted one of the attackers as saying. |
| Posted by:Fred |