Brutality on Ahmadiyas in Bangladesh

by Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury
August 15, 2010

http://www.weeklyblitz.net/939/brutality-on-ahmadiyas-in-bangladesh

Approximately forty members of Ahmadiya religious minority group were seriously injured by Islamists in an attack on August 7, 2010 at Chantara village in Gathail under Tangail district in Bangladesh.

Attackers ransacked residential houses, mosques and properties of Ahmadiyas.

Ahmadiyas, believing in ideology 'Love for all hatred for none', which comprises two per cent of the total population in Bangladesh were trying to construct a new mosque in the locality. Suddenly a group of Muslims equipped with lethal weapons attacked the construction site, thus seriously injuring members of this small religious minority group. Indiscriminate physical assault, rampage on properties, looting and various forms of offense continued unprotected for hours, before, local police rushed to the spot and stopped at the attackers.

When police left the spot, a fresh group of armed Muslims went on for a second round of offensives on the Ahmadiyas, thus looting valuables worth a few million Taka.

Following this attack, Mohammad Khalilur Rahman [28] son of late Mobarak Ali Akanda lodged a criminal case [Case No. 8] with Ghatail police station on August 8, 2010 under section 143, 447, 448, 323, 324, 325, 379, 380, 506, 437 and 114 of Bangladesh Penal Code.

On the other hand, police also recorded a case lodged by the attackers led by Shamsul Hoque, where the plaintiff lodged complaint of constructing Ahmadiya mosque thus defying and insulting 'religious sentiment of Muslims'. Police registered the case under Blasphemy Section of the penal code.

Members of law enforcing agencies snatched video tapes from journalists, who were taking photographs of atrocities on Ahmadiyas by the Islamists in the locality. When leaders of Ahmadiya Muslim Jamaat in Bangladesh requested police to return the tapes to the journalists, they were told "there is instruction from the government to confiscate all evidences of any attack on religious minority in Bangladesh".

Demolition of Ahmadiya mosques is continuing in Bangladesh for past several years. Things did not change, even during the current secularist government in Bangladesh. Previous government imposed ban on all religious publications on Ahmadiyas, which was never lifted despite numerous requests from international community.

Weekly Blitz has been continuing publishing articles and editorials in favor of Ahmadiyas since 2003. Our office was bombed in July 2006 by Khatmey Nabuat Andolan, anti-Ahmadiya group led by Mufti Noor Hussain Noorani.

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