‘Nirmul
Committee’ (Committee for Resisting killers & collaborators of Bangladesh
liberation War of ’71) and
‘South Asian people’s Union against Fundamentalism & Communalism’
Ahmadya
Muslim Community Victims of Fundamentalist
The unprecedented persecution, which started on the minority
and ethnic communities of Bangladesh since the four party alliance led by
BNP–Jamaat assumed power in October 1, 2001, is still going on. Simultaneously
the activities of various armed fundamentalist organizations and their activities
have been intensified.
Recently we are observing in national dailies different dimensional news about
persecutions on the minorities. Mr. Shah Alam, Imam of local Ahmadya Mosque
and leader of Ahmadya Community of Raghunathpur Baag of Jhikargacha in the
district of Jessore, was brutally assassinated in broad day light with ‘lathi’
and hockey sticks on October 31 (2003). Two more members of Ahmadya Community
were also injured in this attack. Fourteen families of Ahmadya Muslim Community
of Uttar Bhobanipur village of Bheramara in Kushtia district have virtually
been ostracized and confined in their own houses. According to reports of
the national dailies in this regard, local Jamaat-e-Islami leaders are responsible
for these atrocious incidents. Leaders of Ahmedya Jamaat also accused Jamaat-e-Islami
for these heinous incidents in Jhikargacha and Bheramara.
After reading the consecutive news of such of persecution in the newspapers
we have made a visit those troublesome areas of Jessore and Kushtia on 15
and 16 November. There were present Justice K.M. Sobhan, adviser of 1971 Ghatak
Dalal Nirmul Committee and a leader of Human Rights movement, was with me
along with other 10 central and district level leaders and the lawyers, journalists,
cultural and local human rights activists of Jessore and Kushtia. We have
spoken with the deceased Shah Alma’s wife Nazma, sons Mustafa and Kabir,
daughter Sathi, younger brother Yusuf Ali including both the members of Ahmadya
and Sunni Community of the village at Raghunathpur Bag. Similarly we have
a talk with the members of the persecuted families and the police administration
of Uttar Bhobanipur of Kushtia. Although police is staying in the trouble
area at the moment, none of the criminals who are responsible for these incidents
has been arrested so far.
Ten year old Sathi, daughter of assassinated Shah Alam of Raghunathpur bag,
witnessed the gruesome murder of her father. Even after 15 days of the event
she looked panicky and scared. While stating the event she cried and burst
into tears. Along with her mother and aunt, Sathi also tried to prevent the
killers to save her father but they did not bother of this obstruction. Sathi’s
mother Nazma (38) witnessed how her husband was killed with ‘lathi’
and hockey sticks under the leadership of Aminur, who is a local Rokon (Senior
member of Jamaat-e-Islami) of Jamaat-e-Islami, a Madrasha teacher and Imam
of local mosque. When she herself wanted to take her dying husband to hospital
in a rickshaw van she was prevented by the killers. She filed a lawsuit against
Aminur including other 16 persons who are responsible Shah Alam murder. Police
has not yet arrested any of criminals. They are rather asking the relatives
of the deceased to capture those accused by themselves. The accused are threatening
Nazma, wife of deceased person that they would kill her and her children if
she dose not withdraw the lawsuit against them.
After Friday prayer on October 31 accused Aminur instigate the musolli (people
who assemble in the mosque to offer prayer) by telling them that the ‘Kadianees’
(Ahmedya) are ‘kafir’ (non-believer) and nothing will be happened
if they killed them. Local farmer Jamaluddin (35), who was present in the
mosque, stated that before they come out for killing Shah Alam, Aminur had
taken oath of the ‘musollis’ of the mosque. Aminur further declared
that the ‘Kadianees’ are Christians and they eat pork. Aminur
also declared that if any charge were filed against the killers he would sell
his property to fight the case in favour the accused.
Delwar Hossain (24), one of accused of these incidents, a student of Islami
University, son of Nuru Munshi, described how Jamaat-e-Islami’s activist
Aminur had threatened the ‘mussllis’. He stated, on the day of
the event Aminur had declared in the mosque that ‘Jehad’ (War
in the name of Islam) would have to be launched against the ‘Kadianees’
and who would not go with him to Shah Alam’s house, they will not be
allowed in the mosque to offer their prayer. Aminur’s companions caught
the collar of Nuru Munshi’s Shirt and dragged him. According to Delwar’s
statement, Shah Alam had been killed before Nuru Munshi reached the spot and
his father Nuru Munshi get senseless to see the dead body of the deceased.
Members of deceased Shah Alam’s family and all other witnesses of the
village stated, Aminur and his gang went to Shah Alam’s house with bamboo
and hockey sticks only for killing him. After Jumma prayer armed Aminur accompanied
by more then one hundred people went to Shah Alam’s house and asked
him if he would give up Ahmadya creed and faith. On his denial they killed
him. Jamaat-e-Islami’s activists were threatening him since long to
give up Ahmadya creed and faith.
Although no one of the Ahmadya community of Uttor-Bhobanipur of Bheramara
upozilla in Kushtia has so far been killed but they threatened to be killed.
Saber Ali (36), a members of Ahmadya community said, Imam of local mosque
and worker of Jamaat-e-Islami Razzak Moulvi and his companions Mehrul, Palan,
Israfil, Majedul and others had threatened to slaughter the ‘Kadianees’
of Uttar Bhobanipur after three days of Eid. Saber Ali and the ostracized
and confined members of the local Ahmadya community alleged that they ruined
Betel-leaf-ground of Ahmedyas and not even allowed to come out from their
houses. The local shopkeepers are also been threatened not to sell any goods
to the ‘Kadianees’. Anwara Khatun’s (32) husband Salimuddin
is an Ahmedya. Only on this ground she is being threatened that if she desired
to remain alive she must divorce her husband and made a confession of sin
and begging pardon of Allah. Anwara told them that she would not divorce her
husband. After this she was threatened to kill. Then she, with her husband
and children left their house and took shelter in their neighbour Saber Ali’s
house in a single cloth.
Fourteen families of the Ahmadya Community of Uttar Bhobanipur have been passing
their days in an inhuman condition since the last 26 days. Because of confinement
at their house they cannot even harvest their paddy and other crops from their
field. Five days ago Saber Ali’s wife Minara Khatun (39) in hide went
to collect Bringal from her garden. At that time Mokhles, Meherul and others
abusing her with vulgar and indecent slang and snatched the Brinjels from
her garden. Dabir Ali’s wife Rashia Khatun (30) alleged that the followers
of local Jamaat-e-Islami brought out processions everyday in front of the
Ahmedya’s houses and throwing vulgar, indecent and offensive slang and
comment to the Ahmedya’s. Even they have made filthy and indecent slang
and comment about female members of Ahmedya’s community.
Even the children of Ahmadya Muslim community of this village could not escape
this persecution. Shirin (14), Bilkis (13), Rubel (9) and Sohel (10) informed
us that Razzak Moulvi and his people had stopped them from going to their
schools. Some of them are studying in Govt. School, some of in BRAC School
and some of them studying in religious school. Everywhere situation is the
same. The teachers of Govt. School informed the guardians of the students
that if the Ahmedya students come to school for studying then other students
would not come there. Even the teachers of BRAC School informed us that other
guardians threatened them saying that they would not send their children if
the Kadianees’ children come to their school for studying. One teacher
said, even if any Kadianee girl comes to school to study they would set five
boys upon her for insulting. Harassed and humiliated Shirin and Bilkis told
us with tears that their annual examination will be held after Eid holiday
but they have been told not to appear in school annual examination.
We went to Uttar Bhobanipur on 16 November (2003) and found that in the previous
night the miscreants had lifted and taken away tubewells of two Ahmadya families.
Salimuddin (40) reported that they could not cook their food due to scarcity
of water and they had fasted without drinking water at ‘Sehri’
(Late night meal during Ramadan). He also said, they did not know if water
would be available at the time of ‘Iftar’ (Break fasting at the
sunset).
While talking with us these persecuted people particularly the members of
the Ahmadya community of Bheramara looked very scared and panicky. At night
on our way back to Dhaka we came to know that Mominul Islam Rakib of Uttar
Bhobanipur was tied with a tree and beaten up simply for chatting with us.
When we went to the houses of the victims on November 15 and 16 to know about
the incident of assault and persecution made on the minority Ahmedya Community
of Uttar Bhobanipur in Kushtia and Raghunathpur Bag in Jessore by the fundamentalist
Jamaat-e-Islami terrorists, the helpless Ahmedyas started crying with the
eyes of full tears. Everybody became thunderstruck to listen the agonies of
the helpless persecuted people. It is only possible by the killer Jamaat-e-Islami
to preach hatred and animosity against one sect of the Muslims by another
sect and instigate the ‘musollis’ to kill them by standing in
the mosque after Jumma prayer in the holy month of Ramadan of the Muslims.
Jamaat-e-Islami instigated the Pakistani invaders to commit genocide and raping
and abducting of women during the liberation war of 1971 for the sake of Islam.
They constitute various killing squads like Razakar, Al-Badr, Al-Shams, etc.
and took part in genocide. It is now becoming evident gradually that after
1971 they are now sharing power in the government and making preparation for
another genocide like the one in 1971.
It is unfortunate that no political party has so far expressed concern at
the persecution and killing of the members of Ahmadya Community of Jessore
and Kushtia. We feel there is no reason to think that the persecution of the
Ahmadya Muslim Community is not an isolated event, nor it is the outcome of
the present deteriorating law and order situation. Jamaat-e-Islami and their
other fundamentalist partners have been demanding since long that the ‘Kadianees’
should be declared as non-Muslims. They have been making hostile and provocative
statements against them in the open public meetings. Being the partners in
power they now want to create a sort of social frenzy for annihilation of
Ahmedyas by using administration and mosque. Although the Sunni Muslims are
aggrieved at the assassination of Shah Alam in Jessore, we observed a kind
of collective effort for social boycott of the Ahmedyas of Uttar Bhobanipur
village in Kushtia. Either for having favour from or out of fear of Jamaat-e-Islami
the common people of Uttar Bhobanipur did not stand by the side of the distressed
persons as the way the people of Raghunathpur Bag stood by the side of the
family of the deceased Shah Alam. While we were praying at the grave of Imam
Shah Alam the Sunni Muslims of the village also participated with us in the
prayer.
No political party, no government, nor any state can take the responsibility
of ascertaining as to who are real Muslims and who are not. This is also contrary
of the Holy Quran because the Quran do not permit such matter. Jamaat-e-Islami
is involved in this kind of anti-humanity and anti-Islamic activities since
the very inception of Pakistan.
The way Jamaat-e-Islami and their other associates fundamentalist organisations
have been making their evil efforts in creating a social frenzy in their demand
to declare the Kadianees’ as non-Muslims in the name of religion, if
it is not repelled its consequences would be fatal. By creating an environment
for killing and persecuting the opponents indicates that henceforth it will
not be possible to liable any person or organization for such offences. It
can be stated without any hesitation that if Jamaat-e-Islami succeed in annihilation
of Ahmedyas they would not abstain from attacking and persecution anybody,
any community and any organization by blaming them as anti-Islamic, because
this is the characteristic of Jamaati Politics.
Anti Fundamentalist Secular Democratic Society of Bangladesh is now more endangered
than ever before. Consecutively the members of minority religious and ethnic
communities are being attacked. They are being compelled to give up their
own religion, otherwise they are being put under all sorts of persecutions.
If this kind of persecution committed by the 4 party alliance government is
not resisted effectively the spirit of liberation war i.e. secular democracy
would not only be ruined but the thousand year old tradition of communal harmony,
tolerance and liberal of the Bengali nation would also disappear from this
country. If progressive, democratic political parties and civil society do
not stand jointly and vehemently against the rise of fundamentalism and terrorism
in Bangladesh, we all would have to bear the responsibility of throwing the
future generation into the vicious darkness of fundamentalism.