Annex 1
"Stop killing, torture, hire, rape and
abduction—Urgent Appeal"
"Two Hindu housewives were gang raped by
BNP cadres of village Mathari, Sadar Jessore" (Prothom
Alo 5 May 2004)
"Suniti Rani Chakravarty was gang raped
in village Bartia, Ghior of Manikgonj" (Bhorer Kagoj
12 May 2004)
These are the daily occurrences in present Bangladesh.
It has been reported in the various national newspapers in Bangladesh,
that about seven women have been murdered and 35 women and young
girls have been raped, 145 cases of looting properties belonging
to religious minorities took place in August 2004 alone. 15 Temples
were desecrated in Rishipara, Magura. There bend of unreported
incidents. In some cases wives have been raped in front of husbands
and daughters have been raped in front of their fathers. The present
fundamentalist Government and their pro-taleban alliances aim
to eliminate the Hindus, Buddhists, Christians and all Secular
progressive forces from Bangladesh and create another Taliban
State. The fundamentalist forces have been carrying out shameless
attacks on the innocent people everyday. How long are the Hindus,
Buddhists, Christians and Secular forces going to suffer! How
long can the civilised world close their eyes and keep silent?
Due to the state sponsored policy of Islamisation, systematic
and continuous persecution in the form of violent attacks on lives
and properties of he religious minorities, destruction of temples
and churches looting, plundering and burning of villages driving
the minorities away, raping and gang-raping thousands of minority
women and children from the age of eight years to 80 years, collecting
infidel tax for protection and also many black laws (like enemy/vested
property act) aimed at destroying the religious minorities during
the last 56 years (Since partition of the sub-continent), the
percentage of religious minorities in Bangladesh has fallen from
40% to 12% at present.
We seek the help of the International Community.
Raise your voice and save the religious minorities in Bangladesh,
we appeal to you to come forward and help us by expressing your
solidarity in our fight against the barbaric fundamentalist Islamic
forces who are at present a threat to the civilised world. We
are asking for the direct intervention of the British Government,
European Union, Government of India and all other Countries towards
the safety of the religious minorities in Bangladesh.
Samir Das
General Secretary
Bangladeshi Hindu, Buddhist and Christian Unity Council,
Europe.
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