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Atrocities Against Minorities in Bangladesh Visit to Banskhali, Chittagong

A special Report by Rabindra Ghosh, Volunteer, HRCBM-Dhaka, BangladeshClick here

to download Adobe pdf version of this report.

Dated 14 th June, 2002

I, Adv. Rabindra Ghosh, Co-ordinator of HRCBM-Dhaka, Bangladesh visited the

place of occurrence at village Palagram, Shalpur Union No. 5, Banskhali police

station, Dist. Chittagong on 14 th June, 2002 as soon as we heard from various

source that I nthe name of dacoity (robbery) numerous Hindu

women/girls/children have been gang-raped and some of the inmates of the houses

have been brutally tortured by terrorist on 8th May, 2002 and 14 th May, 2002.

Picture (courtesy of HRCBM-Dhaka): Brutally gang raped victim Ms. U. Dey

The detailed report is as follows: June 14, 2002:On 14.06.2002, I alongwith Mr.

Barua of Chittagong started from Chittagong town by car at 9:30 a.m., the car

could not enter into the ferry ghat due to disruption of bridges over Karnafuly

river. We hired a motor bike and reached Banskhali Palagram at 1-30 p.m. and we

got a man namely Dilip Dutta who is also a organizing Secretary of Hindu Boudda

Unity Council of South Chittagong to help us locating the place of occurrence

and victims. We first went to the house of Mrs. Anjali Hore (62) where we

talked with her old husband Mr. Bijoy Gopal Hore (82), elder son Mr. Uttam

Hore, another son Banshi Hore and Jishu Hore.I talked with victims separately

starting with Mrs. Anjali Hore who told me that about 12:30 at night on 14th

May some unknown terrorists armed with pistol, country made Dao, lathi (wooden

stick), Kirish (Sword) and other deadly weapons burst into house through

windows and immediately started beating up the inmates mercilessly.Picture

(courtesy HRCBM-Dhaka): Advocate Rabindra Ghosh is examining the wounds Mr.

Bijoy Hore.

The notorious brigand then beaten up Mrs. Anjali (62) to senseless condition

while unclothed her and started to brutally gang raped her. Her utter cry went

in vein; the miscreants did not step down from the monstrous deeds and medieval

torments. She further asserted that those miscreants were Islamic

fundamentalists although she could not identify them. The victims also asserted

that the terrorists were numbering 30 to 40 armed with deadly weapons, the faces

of the miscreants were covered with black clothes and their language were

filthy. After they raped the women of the household, miscreants threatened to

slaughter the head of the household if all the belongings are not given. About

40,000 Taka worth jewelry and cash were stored in a steel Almery which was

pushed upon Mr. Hore (72) until he agreed to hand over the belongings to the

miscreants. I have verified the wounds of his body and found severe strain that

even after a month is the clear indicatives of the nightmare he went through.

Picture: (courtesy HRCBM-Dhaka): Mr. and Mrs. Hore. Mrs. Hore (62) was brutally gang raped.

I then went to Aditya Ashram (an orphanage) at Palagram, one kilometer from the

house of Mr. Hore. There I met with the principal of the Ashram Shri

Pradiwpananda Brahmachari who was mercilessly beaten up by the miscreants on

8th May, 2002. I found and asked the following victims there and noted,

video-taped their statements:1. Shri Pradiwpananda Brahmachari (50)

2. Smt. Jhinu Dey (35)

3. Shri Parimal Dey (50)

4. Ms. Uma Dey (12)

5. Ms. Rupna Dey (16)

6. Smt. Shapna Gupta (52)

7. Shri Sukdev Dey

8. Shri Rupna Dey

Picture: (courtesy HRCBM-Dhaka): Adv. Rabindra Ghosh talking with the victims at

Aditya Ashram at Palagram, Banskhali, Chittagong.

I have taken the interviews of the victims who tearfully told me the nightmare.

According to the victims, around 12:30 at night, a group of miscreants

numbering 30 to 35 burst into Aditya Ashram beaten up the Principal of the

Ashram mercilessly. As a result, Brahmachari of the Ashram became senseless.

Fearing brutal torment, the inmates climbed up in the roof of the Ashram

cottages in spite of the hurdles to save them from further attacks and started

to cry utterly.I asked Smt. Jhinu Dey (35) who was in course of describing me

the nightmare started to cry. I allowed her to calm giving a little break. Mrs.

Dey then told me that miscreants dragged down her daughter Ms. Uma Dey (12) and

Ms. Rupna Dey (16) from the roof and started to brutally gang raped. The

miscreants were armed with deadly weapon and henceforth the inmates of the

Ashram were unable to rescue Ms. Uma and Ms. Rupna from the notorious brigands

despite multiple failed attempts.

I have verified the strain on the right forehead of Shri Brahmachari who is a

well-known humanitarian activist who has served for mankind and given refuge to

orphans. The injuries of Shri Brahmachari were homicidal in nature.

I asked Shri Brahmachari whether the terrorists are Muslim or any other caste,

he hurriedly replied that “terrorists has no identity”. His mode of

introspection is that the terrorist’s main aim is to remove him from the Ashram

and constant pressure is going on to remove him from the Ashram. It is to be

noted that attacks on minority owned orphanages is not new in Bangladesh. In

series of attacks on minority owned orphanages a number highly motivated

principals were slaughtered. It is a new trend, some afraid if this trend

continues, there will be no minority owned orphanage or religious institutions

to safeguard orphans belonging to minority community.

Latter, I talked with Ms. Uma Dey (who is student of class VIII) in a room of

the Ashram. I first comforted her that HRCBM will take full care of education,

food and shelter. Once comforted Ms. Uma followed by Ms. Rupna described me the

nightmares of 8th May. They were at loss while describing their ordeals. Ms.

Rupna told me that the miscreants before leaving the Ashram warned for stern

action if they impart it to others.Ms. Rupna was crying terribly and I tried to

comfort her promising HRCBM’s rehabilitation effort and security thereof. I

consoled her time and again and requested her to be courageous to fight against

such heinous crimes. Ms. Rupna repeatedly appealed for justice. She tried to

show me the scar on her neck, which is a clear indicative that Rupna struggled

to escape from the clutches of the terrorists but failed. According to Rupna,

her mother was also tortured in front of her eyes.I asked them why they did not

report this to local police, they flatly told me if they have done so justice

will not be attained, miscreants will never be arrested instead, they will be

subject more torture and perhaps brutal slaughtering.

Picture (courtesy of HRCBM-Dhaka): Advocate R. Ghosh taking video interview of

Sub Inspector of local police station who dressed in casual cloth.

I have asked them whether or not any political leader came to their rescue, the

victim asserted that local Minister Mr. Zafrul Islam Chowdhury of BNP has

visited them and assured them for the safety and security. I saw a temporary

police camp has been setup for their safety. But the victims told me that

temporary police camp is not a permanent solution, once the protection is taken

off, terrorist will return to torment them again.I also talked with the father

of Ms. Uma and Rupna Dey who was detained by terrorist at the ground floor of

the premises. He was tied with rope and beaten up by the terrorist while gang

rapes are going on. He also asserted that the terrorist has threatened him to

leave the country or else face brutality. The miscreants also demanded more

money, which they will collect in the forthcoming days. Even 7 year old Rupan

Dey was not able to escaped the torture. While asked Rupan recalled with

anguish the incident of gang rape and brutal torment on his mother and

sisters.I had a chance to talk with the locals who described that torture and

oppression on minorities are going on for a while and administrations are not

protecting minorities. Most of the terrorists are known to local police and

district administrations.

Picture (courtesy of HRCBM-Dhaka): Mr. Das showing broken door which was split

open by the miscreants. The door (separate color portion is newly added wood,

the door was latter fixed) still reminds the night of the ordeal.I latter

visited the house of Shri Titu Das and Shudanshu Bimal Das near to the house of

Mr. Hore. I saw the house was partially damage. According to the head of the

household, the incident occurred on 14th May, 2002. At the middle of the night,

a group of miscreants numbering 40 armed with deadly weapon surrounded the house

and broke open the door. They not only looted belongings worth 200000 Taka

(Bangladesh currency) and wanted to gang rape women. Fortunately women of the

household were away from home. The miscreants latter attacked the adjacent

house of Mrs. Sujya Mukki Das and brutally gang raped her. We could not find

the family members of Mrs. Surjya Mukki Das, her house was locked and according

to locals, she along with her family members perhaps have left the village for

ever.

Picture (courtesy HRCBM-Dhaka): Mrs. Das showing her broken Almery that was

broke open by the miscreants for money and jewelry.

We on behalf of HRCBM-Dhaka could not immediately provide relief materials to

the victims at Banskhali. We returned from Banskhali to chittagong that day. We

did not rescued the victims but assured the family member to safeguard their

children. The family members of gang rape children and women repeatedly

requested us to rehabilitate their children in some place away from Banskhali,

Chittagong and we are in process of finding appropriate shelter to safeguard

gang rape victims. We have assured the victims and the family member that gang

rape girls/children will be given proper rehabilitation by HRCBM-Dhaka and

Chittagong chapters.

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