TERROR AGAINST MINORITIES IN BANGLADESH: AN EXHIBIITION
In 1947, Muslims constituted only 70% of Bangladesh and Hindus, as well as Christians and Buddhists more than 30%, Today, Muslims are nearly 90 percent, making Bangladesh one of the largest Muslim countries in the world and Hindus, Christians and Buddhists less than 10%. (*). This exhibition tells the story of their genocide.
Unable to bear the brunt of blatant state sponsored discrimination and relentless atrocities, millions of minorities have had to leave Bangladesh in a continuous exodus since the Noakhali massacre of Hindus in 1946. Given that the family size of the minorities is about the same as that of the Muslims, without the exodus the minority population would have been 62 million, today. But, in fact, only 15 million remain. This loss (of nearly 47 million people) amounts to the disappearance of a dozen countries like Albania, Bahrain, Iceland, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Namibia, Oman, Panama, Costa Rica or Malta from the face of the earth.
Successive governments have seized 2.5 million acres of land of the Hindus by using a racist law called the Enemy Property Act (renamed Vested Property Act by the secularists). Although finally this racist law was repealed, Khaleda Zia’s government has blocked its implementation (Country Report on Human Rights Practices – 2001, 2003, US Department of State).
Successive governments have also dispossessed the indigenous people of Chittagong Hill Tracts of their ancestral land and dwelling houses by sending Muslim settlers accompanied by armed forces. Consequently, whereas the Bengali/Muslims represented only 3% of the population in 1947, today they represent more than 50% of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (Country Report on Human Rights Practices –2001, US Department of State).
Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's government has used the armedforces and Muslims settlers to conduct massacres of indigenous people and annihilated entire villages in Chittagong Hill Tracts. During her first tenure, for example, on April 10, 1992, her armed forces and Muslim settlers cordoned off the tribal village of Logang, and systematically murdered 130 (according to another account 600) residents of the village, and then burned it down to the ground (see the letter that 17 U. S. congressmen wrote to Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in the aftermath of this massacre). Through the 5th and 8th Amendments of the constitution the BNP and JP governments, virtually transformed the once secular Bangladesh into an Islamic state.
Apart from money laundering and providing terrorists sanctuary, Bangladesh's madrasas have become major recruiting and training centres for militancy. A CIA study says that Bangladeshi villagers are increasingly getting sucked into terrorism out of livelihood. The establishment is full party to this Islamisation, and at least six Bangladeshi cabinet ministers are on the Western watchlist (Intelligence, "Bangladesh ministers on terror watchlist," 6 January 2005). The very porous border between India and Bangladesh is used as an infiltration route of militants to India, including those going to Kashmir and to the Northeast. The Indian Intelligence Bureau estimates that twenty million Bangladeshis live illegally in India, with the greatest concentration in West Bengal and Assam and this is creating havoc to the social, religious and cultural fabric of the North-East.
(*)Sources: Bangladesh: A Country Study, J. Heitzman & RL. Worden eds. 2nd Edition, Federal Research Division, Library of Congress, Publisher US Army, 1989, & Ranjit Dey, et. al. (Ends) 2002
Welcome to a short preview of the Asru Exhibit. Jointly organized by Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM) and Foundation Against Continuing Terrorism (FACT), the traveling exhibit opened at the Rayburn House Office Building at The US Capitol on July 30 & July 31, 2007.
The exhibition looks at the history, politics and social parameters of the region, with specific focus on Bangladesh. Our goal is to create awareness and activism in order to alleviate the plight of Hindus and other religious minorities in that region. We look forward to your support and active participation in this effort.
Our next exhibit is being planned at the United Nations in New York. Volunteers interested in helping with this effort can write to us at contact@factusa.org
To help support our work, and for more information about the organizers, visit FACT.
There are a total of
27 exhibit panels. Click on Photogallery Link to see
a few sample panels.
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