BANGLADESH: Minority community deprived from offering worships in Naogaon 

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed that in Naogaon, Bangladesh, attempts are underway to illegally occupy the land of a Hindu temple depriving the local Hindu community from offering worships at the temple. It is alleged that the land grabbing is attempted by a local Muslim family with the assistance of the local government officers. In Bangladesh Hindus is a minority community. It is also alleged that on 1 November 2005, the local devotees were prevented by the Muslim family from offering worship at the temple. The incident is reported from Choarpur village under the jurisdiction of Naogaon Sadar police station in Naogaon district. It is also alleged that the local police and the government agencies are not responding to the complaints of the local devotees.

It is also alleged that the Muslim family claming possession over the temple property has also approached the local court, which has eventually granted a temporary prohibitory injunction restraining anyone from entering the temple premises. The local police on the pretext of preserving the disputed land have now fenced the temple property and are also preventing the local devotees from offering regular worship and prayers at the temple. There are fears of community violence, particularly directed against the minorities if the situation is allowed to escalate into communal violence.

In light of this situation, the AHRC requests you to write to the relevant authorities seeking their immediate intervention in this matter. It is the responsibility of the Government of Bangladesh to ensure that religious minorities are protected against attempts on their properties and assets.

Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission
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DETAILED INFORMATION:

Name of victims:

1.Mr. Bhabesh Chandra Ghose, son of Gakul Chandra Ghose
2.Mr. Ashutos Chandra Ghose, son of Gakul Chandra Ghose
3.Mr. Sattrandra Nath Ghose, son of Debandra Nath Ghose
4.Mr. Pabitra Ghose, son of Debandra Nath Ghose
5.Mr. Kedar Nath Ghose, son of Mohendra Nath Ghose; all living in the Village-Choarpur, all residing at  Pradhan Kunda, within the jurisdiction of Naogaon Sadar police station, Naogaon District, Bangladesh
Place of incident: Bat-toli, Choarpur village, Pradhankundi post office, Kirtipur Union, Naogaon Sadar police station, Naogaon District, Bangladesh
Date of incident: 1 November 2005
Time of incident: Around 8:00 PM
Name of the alleged perpetrators:

1.Mohammad Ataur Rahman
2.Mohammad Abdul Quaium
3.Mohammad Saidur Rahman
4.Mohammad Tofizur Rahman
5.Mohammad Mahidur Rahaman, all are sons of Mr. Sakendar Ali, residing at Choarpur village, Pradhan Kundi post office, under the jurisdiction of Naogaon Sadar police station, Naogaon District, Bangladesh.

Case details:

On 1 November 2005, the local Hindu community of the Choarpur village was prevented from performing two of their Hindu ceremonies by the members from a local Muslim family who were in an attempt to grab the land belonging to the local temple. The temple and the appurtenant land were retained by the temple for the last so many years.

According to the fact-finding report, conducted by the Centre for Human Rights Fact-Finding and Research (CHFR), in cooperation with the Task Force against Torture (TFT) of Naogaon district, a Muslim family was trying to grab the temple land The members of the family has filed a case (No. 224/05) at the Senior Assistant Judge -1 Court of Naogaon district on September 28, 2005, claiming the ownership the temple land. In the plaint, they have claimed that one Mr. Sakender Ali, formerly an Indian citizen and the father of the plaintiffs, exchanged his lands with one Mr. Kishori Ghose, son of the late Mr. Kunja Bihari Ghose, who has migrated to India after handing over his lands to Mr. Sakendar including the three ‘shatak’ (decimal) of land, where the temple is now situated.

Following the case, the court has passed a temporary prohibitory injunction restraining everyone from using the disputed land until further orders from the court. This temporary order has resulted in preventing those who are currently in possession of the property which includes the temple from using the temple and the appurtenant land for daily worship, which they have been carrying out for past so many years. The court has also ordered the local police to construct a boundary marker over the disputed land. However, the fencing was carried out not under the directions of the court, but under the directions of the plaintiffs who instructed the police to fence off the entire land thereby preventing anyone from entering the temple or offering worship.

However, the inhabitants of the village informed the fact-finding team that the land of Bat toli temple was under the possession of Mr. Kishori Ghose since 1962. However, in the official records of the year 1972 the land was recorded as ‘God’s land’. As an influential person Mr. Sekendar was trying to grab the land, which is already recorded as the temple’s property.

The situation has developed into tensions between the local Hindu and Muslim community, which if left unattended could escalate into violence. It is also alleged that some local hooligans taking advantage of the situation has removed the Hindu idols from the temple before 1 November 2005, which is an auspicious day for the Hindus. This has also prevented the local devotees from carrying out their worship on this date apart form the temporary prohibitory order from the court. It is alleged that the local Hindu leaders are unhappy with the entire process and they also allege that the domestic laws in Bangladesh are discriminatory to the minorities in Bangladesh. They also allege that the local administration including the court and the police and other government officers are showing an extremely discriminatory attitude towards the minority Hindu community.

SUGGESTED ACTION:

Please send a letter immediately to the Inspector General of Police and the others listed below expressing your concern about this case. Please ask them to take appropriate action in this case to ensure that justice is done without discriminatory attitude towards the minorities.

 

 

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