Latest news with #BangladeshHinduBuddhistChristianUnityCouncil
Times of Oman
29-05-2025
- General
- Times of Oman
Bangladesh minority group slams govt over slow action against perpetrators of recent attacks
Dhaka: The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, the largest minority group in the country, has expressed outrage over the lack of arrests in a recent attack on minority families in Dohor Moshiahati, Jashore. Despite a case being filed, no perpetrators have been detained in the five days since the incident, the group said on Wednesday in a statement. "On Thursday, May 22, 2025, at around 5:30 PM, miscreants murdered Tariqul Islam, a leader of the Krishak Dal from the nearby village of Debadhi, at the residence of Piltu Biswas in Dohor Moshiakathi village under Abhaynagar Upazila in Jashore District. According to local sources, just before the murder, Tariqul Islam was engaged in a discussion regarding the lease of a fish enclosure along with several other individuals", the statement said. A group of attackers launched violent assaults on the homes of 20 minority families, looting valuables, vandalizing homes, setting them on fire, and physically assaulting family members. The attack occurred after a murder in the area, and the minority group claims that the authorities have failed to take adequate action. "Immediately following the murder, around 6:30 PM, a group of attackers launched violent assaults on the homes of 20 minority families in the surrounding area. The perpetrators looted valuables, vandalised homes, set them on fire, and physically assaulted the family members. At the time, hundreds of members of the Matua community were present at the home of Mohitosh Biswas for an annual religious festival, with loud music and drums being played. Organisers reported that food had been arranged for approximately 700 people following the religious rituals", the statement said. The attack left 20 families homeless, with many women reportedly subjected to physical assault. The attackers also destroyed vital documents, including house deeds, national identity cards, and academic certificates. "After looting all valuable belongings, the attackers destroyed and set fire to the houses, rendering 20 families homeless. Many women were reportedly subjected to physical assault. At present, most of the male members of these families have fled the area in fear and gone into hiding. Family members have informed that their house deeds, national identity cards, and children's academic certificates were burned to ashes", it said. On May 27, 2025, a delegation from the central committee of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council visited the incident site. The delegation included Central Presidium Member Milon Kanti Dutta, Acting General Secretary Monindra Kumar Nath, Youth Unity Council President Shimul Saha, Joint General Secretary Shyamal Kumar Kundu, Organizing Secretary Sudipto Sharma, Jashore District Unity Council President Santosh Kumar Dutta, Joint General Secretary Sanjoy Rasel Mondal, Organizing Secretary Timir Ghosh Joy, and Abhaynagar Upazila Unity Council President Shankar Kumar Singh, along with other local committee leaders. Following the visit, the Acting General Secretary talked with the Superintendent of Police of Jashore and urged him to swiftly arrest the individuals responsible for the violence, bring them to justice, ensure appropriate punishment, and provide compensation to the affected families. He also called for necessary government steps to recover or reissue the vital documents that were destroyed in the fire. "While one arrest has been made in connection with the murder case of Tariqul Islam, no arrests have yet been made in the case filed by Kalpana Biswas concerning the attacks on minority homes. The Unity Council leaders have expressed strong dissatisfaction and deep concern over this inaction", the statement said.
Hans India
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Bangladeshi-Americans Protest in the US, Demand Action Against Yunus
Bangladeshi expatriates across the United States have staged protests calling for the international community to hold Mohammad Yunus, the current interim leader of Bangladesh, accountable for alleged human rights violations during his tenure. The protests, which have been taking place in cities such as New York, Washington D.C., and Houston, are driven by accusations that Yunus played a key role in violence against minority groups, particularly Hindus, and political opposition members. The protests are centred around allegations that Yunus's government failed to protect religious minorities from systemic violence, leading to widespread human rights abuses. Groups like the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council have voiced their concerns, claiming that during Yunus's time in power, there was an increase in attacks on religious minorities. They highlight reports of communal violence between August and December 2024, which included multiple deaths, rapes, and extensive property damage affecting minority communities. Responding to these allegations, the Awami League, Bangladesh's former ruling party led by Sheikh Hasina, has filed legal charges against Yunus and numerous other officials, accusing them of being responsible for the deaths and suffering of Hindus and other minorities. This legal action is part of a broader effort to hold Yunus accountable for what is being referred to as crimes against humanity. Sheikh Hasina, who fled the country in the aftermath of widespread protests that forced the end of her 16-year rule, has publicly condemned Yunus for his alleged role in orchestrating the violence. In a statement, Hasina referred to Yunus as the "mastermind" behind the attacks, accusing him of targeting both opposition figures and vulnerable communities. This rhetoric has been echoed by many protesters who are calling for international intervention. The Bangladesh Police's National Central Bureau (NCB) has formally requested that Interpol issue a Red Corner Notice for Yunus and several of his associates, which would allow for their extradition should they attempt to leave the country. The request is supported by evidence suggesting that Yunus played a direct role in orchestrating the violence and has been implicated in genocide and other severe human rights violations. The United Nations and other global organisations have voiced their concern over the ongoing situation in Bangladesh, urging the need for an independent investigation into the accusations. The protests in the United States are part of a broader effort by the Bangladeshi diaspora to demand justice for victims of the alleged atrocities and bring global attention to the human rights situation in their home country. As these protests continue to gain momentum, attention is increasingly turning towards the international community and how it will respond to the crisis in Bangladesh. The call for justice grows louder as more people join the movement, hoping to bring those responsible for these alleged crimes to justice and prevent further violence.
The Print
22-04-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Murder case filed in Bangladesh over death of Hindu leader Bhavesh Chandra Roy
'Swapan Chandrea Roy, son of the late Bhavesh Chandra Roy, has filed a murder case in connection with his father's death', Police officer Md Abdus Sobur told ANI over the phone. Dhaka [Bangladesh], April 22 (ANI): A murder case has been filed over the death of Hindu leader Bhavesh Chandra Roy in Bangladesh's northern district of Dinajpur, police said on Tuesday. 'No one has been arrested yet', he added, without elaborating. Earlier on Sunday, the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, the largest minority group in the country, issued a statement strongly condemning recent incidents of communal violence across the country. These include the murder of Bhavesh Chandra Roy in Biral, Dinajpur; the forced resignation of school headmaster Kantilal Acharya in Sitakunda, Chattogram; and the rape of a Marma girl in Kaukhali, Rangamati, the statement said. The statement also mentioned that in March, around fifty violent incidents took place across the country. 'These include murder, rape, attacks on temples, arrests on charges of religious defamation, attacks on indigenous people, and looting of homes and businesses', the statement said. The council leaders, Ushatan Talukder, Nim Chandra Bhowmik, Nirmal Rozario, and Acting General Secretary Monindra Kumar Nath, said these events are increasing fear and worry among minority communities during this period of unrest and communal tension. They demanded the immediate arrest of the criminals and strict punishment under the law. According to the reports, the postmortem of Hindu community leader Bhavesh Chandra Roy, who was allegedly abducted from his home and beaten to death earlier this week in Dinajpur district's Biral upazila, has been completed, police confirmed on Saturday. Bhavesh had received a phone call around 4:30 pm on Wednesday. His wife, Shantana Roy, told the local media outlet The Daily Star that the call was allegedly made by the perpetrators to confirm his presence at home. About 30 minutes later, four men arrived on two motorcycles and forcibly took him from the premises. Eyewitnesses said Bhavesh was taken to Narabari village, where he was brutally assaulted. Later that evening, the attackers reportedly returned his unconscious body to the family in a van. (ANI) This report is auto-generated from ANI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bangladesh minority rights group accuses interim government of failing to protect minorities
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Bangladesh's largest minority rights group accused the country's interim government on Thursday of failing to protect religious and ethnic minorities from attacks and harassment, a claim the government has denied. The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council said the government headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus is also using state institutions to suppress minority groups. Yunus took over after a student-led uprising last year in which hundreds of people died forced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India on Aug. 5, ending her 15-year rule. The council earlier said 2,010 incidents of communal violence took place across the Muslim-majority country between Aug. 4 and 20. The Yunus-led government disputed the claim, saying that most of the incidents were caused by 'political reasons' and not by communal issues. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Traditionally, Hindus and other members of minority groups have been seen as supporters of Hasina's Bangladesh Awami League party. In a news conference on Thursday, the council reiterated its claim of earlier attacks and said 174 new incidents of communal violence had taken place between Aug. 21 and Dec. 31 last year in which 23 members of minority groups were killed and nine women were raped. It said other incidents involved arson, vandalism, looting and forcible takeover of property and businesses. It said at least 15 members of minority groups were either arrested or tortured for allegedly undermining Islam. Manindra Kumar Nath, the group's acting general secretary, accused the government of manipulating state institutions to harass people from minority groups. 'We have observed that the interim government has begun using various important state institutions to carry out discriminatory actions against minorities. This is unexpected and undesirable from a government that was established based on the anti-discrimination student movement,' he said. The council said minority groups were being targeted in a systematic way, and called for the release of a jailed Hindu leader. Nath said the leader, Chinmoy Das Prabhu, was being deprived of his legal right to bail in a sedition case. He is also known as Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari. Nath said many minority leaders had gone into hiding because of false charges against them. The interim government has said they face specific charges and were not targeted for any communal reason. Under Yunus, Bangladesh has been going through a tense period with Hindu-majority India over minority issues, sparking protests and counter-protests. Less than 8% of Bangladesh's 170 million people are Hindu. Many in the interim government are unhappy that India is sheltering Hasina, and a special tribunal in Bangladesh has sought her arrest. An official request to India for her extradition remains unanswered. India, which sheltered 10 million refugees and helped Bangladesh gain independence after a nine-month war against Pakistan in 1971, considers Hasina to be a trusted friend. Hasina's father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was the independence leader of Bangladesh, then the eastern part of Pakistan, India's regional foe.
Washington Post
30-01-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Bangladesh minority rights group accuses interim government of failing to protect minorities
DHAKA, Bangladesh — Bangladesh's largest minority rights group accused the country's interim government on Thursday of failing to protect religious and ethnic minorities from attacks and harassment , a claim the government has denied. The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council said the government headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus is also using state institutions to suppress minority groups. Yunus took over after a student-led uprising last year in which hundreds of people died forced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India on Aug. 5, ending her 15-year rule.
