Year 2008...Report on Persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh

Chaitra Shuddha Pratipada

Report Documents Persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh

Amsterdam (Holland): The Global Human Rights Defense has just published its annual report on human rights violations in Bangladesh. The report documents atrocities perpetrated on the Hindu minority in 2008.

Before Bangladesh became a separate country, the Enemy Property Act of 1965 was passed. This law allowed the confiscation of property owned by non-Muslims, considering them to be “enemies of the state.” This act was never repealed; instead, it was renamed as the Vested Property Act 1974, allowing the expropriation of Hindu property to continue. By 2006, over 26 million acres of land had been confiscated from its Hindu owners. Due to this and the communal conflicts that resulted, Hindus have fled to India in great numbers. In 2001, the Awami League government passed an ordinance known as the Vested Property Return Act, but this has never been implemented.

The Vested Property Act creates an atmosphere in which violence against Hindus is accepted. During 2008 the targeting of Hindus continued, with physical attacks (including the raping of many women), the destruction of temples, and the looting of houses. Frequently these victims received little cooperation or help from police.

Specific incidents described in the human rights report include attacks on Hindu homes, resulting in serious injuries to many (including women and children); the looting, illegal demolition and desecration of several Hindu temples; and the partial destruction of the graveyard of a Hindu orphanage. For details, click on “Report” above.

Source: indianrealist.wordpress.com