Bangladesh Minority Watch Publishes 2014 Report – Hindus Under Siege

Bangladesh Minority Watch Publishes 2014 Report – Hindus Under Siege
November 11, 2014
Bangladesh Minority Watch (BDMW) and Bangladesh Center for Human Rights and Development (BCHRD) with the collaboration of Global Human Rights Defense (GHRD) successfully concluded a Press conference held on 7th November, 2014 at the Auditorium of Dhaka National Press Club-Bangladesh on the matter of Publication of “Human Rights Report of Religious Minorities-2014.” The Minority victims from various parts of Bangladesh appeared at the Conference Hall and expressed their experiences of sufferings such as abduction/rape/gang-rapes/murder/forceful conversion/forceful occupation of their lands and continuous intimidation to leave home.
 
The Press conference was presided by Advocate Subrata Chowdhury –Supreme Court of Bangladesh and Presidium Member of Bangladesh Hindu Boudda Christian Oikya Parishad. On Behalf of Bangladesh Minority Watch (BDMW) Adv Rabindra Ghosh read out the Human Rights Report-2014 at the beginning and requested the journalists to put question on the report to justify. Adv. Ghosh also answered the questions put forwarded by the journalists present at the venue. In the Beginning of the program, Advocate Rabindra Ghosh briefly introduced the activities and high lights the total report for the 2014 for the audience. From 2007 to 2014 the entire reports were produced to the audience and the journalists those who were present in the seminar hall. 
 
These are;
 
1) 1699 minority temples were demolished,
2) 5050 minority families forcefully displaced from their own land and properties,
3) 406 forcefully converted to Islam, 302 were killed,
4) 392 were raped and 2900 physically assaulted,
5) 50 persons were assaulted under the police custody and one was killed in Gopalgong police custody.
 
Adv. Rabindra Ghosh demanded an independent and neutral investigation into incidents of repression on the minorities. Seeking justice for the victims, the organization demanded that the attackers be brought to book. Adv. Ghosh placed a set of demands, which includes setting up a human rights commission for minorities and a minority’s ministry, taking steps against culprits in accordance with the report of the Shahabuddin Commission of 2001, and making the Constitution people-oriented by cancelling the status of Islam as the state religion. BDMW president Adv. Ghosh urged the government, “Stop this injustice. Punish those who launched barbaric attacks against people of the minority communities across the country from 2001 to 2014.”
 
In the meantime most of the media has come forward to publish the news of publication of Press conference on HR report.
 
The report was published in the national news papers as follows :
1) The Daily “ Amader Shomoy” dated 8th Nov,2014,
2) New Age dated 8, Nov,14,
3) the Daily “Arthonitiprotidin” dated 8,Nov,14,
4) The Daily Sangram dated 8th Nov,14,
5) The Daily Alokitobangladesh, dated 8th Nov,14,
6) the Daily Nayadiganta dated 8th Nov,14,
7) the Sangbad dated 8th Nov,2014,
8) The Daily Observer dated 8th November,2014,
9) The daily “Protom Alo dated 8th Nov,2014,
10) The daily “Inquilab” dated 8th Nov,2014.
 
Through
 
Adv. Rabindra Ghosh
Founder president- Bangladesh Minority Watch (BDMW).

12, K.M. Das Lane, Tikatully, Wari P.S.,Dhaka, Bangladesh.