Harsh writes: "In the recent elections in Bangladesh, the BNP headed by Begum Khaleda Zia and supported by extremist Islamic parties has emerged victorious.



Upon achieving victory, the members of fundamentalist Islamic parties engaged in acts of barbaric violence and intimidation against the minority communities. Women were kidnapped and gangraped in public view and men were killed. The eyes of victims were gouged out. The houses of minorities were torched and people were driven away. The Islamic fundamentalists have even poisoned the ponds so that minorities mainly belonging to the Hindu community cannot even drink water. Many religious shrines of minorities have been destroyed. More than 15 thousand Hindu minority families in Barishal and Bagerhat districts of Bangladesh have been forced out of their homes.

Many displaced minorities are leaving their homes in fear. The indigenous people such as the Buddhist Chakmas along with other minorities in the northern districts of Bangladesh are also the victims of the same barbaric rampage.



The Bangladesh daily "Janakantha" has also reported that government of Bangladesh has not taken any step to prevent such atrocities nor has it provided food or shelter to the thousands of victims. The local police appears to have played the role of a mute spectator or in many cases actively supported such acts of violence. The premier Khaleda Zia has actually refused to condemn such acts of violence and has even refused to meet minorities.



To gain more information about the sordid events, please access the following links:



http://www.hrcbm.org/news/mahyem_ajkerkagaj.html


http://www.dailystarnews.com/200110/13/n1101301.ht m#BODY8


http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/south_asia/ newsid_1591000/1591794.stm

Bangladesh is one of the largest Muslim nations in the world. It has been extremely volatile in terms of religious freedom and rights. Millions of Hindus have been killed and driven out of the country. Laws ensuring a kind of religious apartheid have been passed which deprive minorities of their land and property and during times of crisis the minorities are targeted in acts of violence. The proportion of Hindus in the total population has dropped from 30% in 1947 to 10% now.

The currently ruling BNP is allied with two extremist Islamic political groups who have publicly affirmed support for Osama bin Laden. While the entire attention is riveted on Afghanistan, the new government of Bangladesh may silently engage in providing training and aid to terrorists and unleash terrorism from its soil. It is in the strategic interest of the world that Bangladesh is prevented from returning to an era of barbarism. Silence in this regard by the rest of the world will only embolden the fundamentalists who will silently turn Bangladesh into a new Iraq or Afghanistan. Is it not better to nip the matter now than face its consequences later?"