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Friday, December 2nd, 2005
HRCBM/USA/UA_02_12_05/Protection_2005
To: Begum Khaleda Zia, Honorable Prime Minister, People’s Republic
of Bangladesh
APPEAL TO:
Honorable Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia
Office of the Prime Minister, Gano Bhaban, Sher-e Bangla Nagar
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Telgrams: Prime Minister Zia, Dhaka Bangladesh, Fax: 88028113243
Mr. Md. Abdul Quayyum
Inspector General of Police, Near Nagar Bhabhan, Police Headquarters,
Dhaka, Bangladesh. Fax No. 880-2-9563362 and 880-2-7126305
Ms. Irene Khan
Secretary General, Amnesty International
5 Penn Plaza - 14th floor, New York NY 10001 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Honorable Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C. 20520
Mr. Kofi Annan
UN Secretary General, United Nations Plaza, New York, NY
Bangladesh
:
Protect the Life and Properties of Judges, Lawyers, Journalists and Rights
Activists. Lawyers and Judges must be protected to perform their duties
without any fear of reprisal.
Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM) is gravely concerned at
the recent wave of violent suicidal attacks against the judges, journalists and
opposition political figures including the leader of the opposition party by
the banned Islamic groups
Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen
Bangladesh
(
JMB)
and Jagrata Muslim Janata (JMJ)in the name of almighty Allah.The
whole nation is reeling under the shock of these unprecedented attacks and
scared of further attacks. The country is heading toward an unforeseen failed
state. The whole world is closely monitoring the rise of Islamists and
deteriorating law and order situation in
Bangladesh
.
A few of the recent reported cases of suicidal attacks are given below.
Attack carried out following Allah's order
The Daily Star News (2 December 2005, Staff correspondent)
reported, “The suicide bomber in yesterday's Gazipur
blast claimed to be a member of the suicide squad of banned Jama'atul
Muhahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and to have carried out the bomb attack following
'Allah's order'. Police caught him right after the blast from the spot… … …”
Nine die in Bangladesh bombings
The BBC News (29 November 2005, Roland Buerk, Gazipur correspondent) reported,
“At least nine people
have been killed and 40 wounded in two bomb attacks near court houses in
Bangladesh, police say… … … The authorities
believe the courts and judges are targeted because they symbolise the secular
laws in the country… … … The group police suspect is Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen,
which wants to establish Islamic law in Bangladesh
. Most laws in Bangladesh
are secular, based on British legal code… … …Earlier
this month, two judges were killed in a bomb attack as they travelled to
court in southern Bangladesh
… … …”
Bangladesh's escalating extremism
The BBC News (19
November 2005, Roland Buerk, Gazipur correspondent) reported, “The blast at Gazipur was one of
two that took place almost simultaneously as people were arriving for work.
There the alleged bomber set off at least one device at a police checkpoint
near the courts… … The government has blamed Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen and Jagrata
Muslim Janata for a wave of bombings in
Bangladesh
, and they are the suspects in the latest blasts… … …
Until earlier this year
Bangladesh
's government had denied there was a problem with Islamic
militants.
It is a four-party coalition that includes two Islamic
parties. The government has rubbished repeated claims from the opposition,
and recently from a dissident ruling party MP, Abu Hena, that elements within
the coalition are sheltering violent groups. Mr Hena was expelled from the
Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the largest in the coalition, after making his
allegations… … …”
Bangladesh court bombs kill two
The BBC News (3
October 2005, Roland Buerk, Gazipur correspondent) reported, “At least two people have been
killed and several others injured following a series of bomb explosions at
court buildings in Bangladesh
, police say. Bombs went off in quick succession in the port
of
Chittagong
and the eastern towns of Chandpur and Lakshmipur… … … The
group has called for the imposition of Islamic law in Muslim-majority Bangladesh
… …
…”
459 blasts in 63 districts in 30 minutes
The Daily Star News (18 August 2005, Staff correspondent)
reported, “In an unprecedented scale of terror attacks, a banned Islamist
militant group yesterday simultaneously blasted at least 459 time bombs in 63
of 64 districts across the country. The 30-minute mayhem in the morning killed
one in Chapainawabganj and injured over 100. Another boy was killed in a blast
at Savar in the afternoon.
Jama'atul
Mujahideen Bangladesh, the banned militant group, claimed responsibility for
the blasts through leaflets that left the countrymen in shock… … …”
Assassination attempt on Hasina
The Daily Star News (22 August 2004, Staff correspondent)
reported, “A wave of grenade attacks on opposition chief Sheikh Hasina's rally
on Bangabandhu Avenue yesterday left at least 16 people killed and 200
including top Awami League (AL) leaders Abdur Razzak, Amir Hossain Amu,
Suranjit Sengupta, Ivy Rahman and Kazi Zafarullah critically injured. Hasina,
who was the apparent target of the attacks carried out from buildings in front
of the AL headquarters, escaped unscathed as activists formed a human shield to
protect their leader aboard a truck… … …
Ivy, who lost both legs as at least 13 grenades exploded one after another, was in a critical
condition at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH). Doctors amputated her legs…
… …”
Urgent Action Demanded
The Human Right Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM) vehemently protests
and condemns these and other attacks on innocent civilians. We urge the
government of Prime Minister Khaleda Zia to clearly define the strategies to
fight this national crisis. The terrorists must be dealt with an iron hand and
credibility of Bangladesh as a civilized democratic country must be restored in
the community of Nations.
HRCBM urges the government of Bangladesh to:
-
Bring the terrorists and their masterminds of the bombing
incidents to justice without any delay.
-
Severe relation with parties suspected of sheltering the
attackers.
-
Identify the NGOs and entities suspected of financing the
attackers and bring them to justice.
-
Provide adequate security to the most vulnerable- lawyers
and judges.
-
Allow the law enforcing agencies to perform their duties
without any political pressure.
We appeal to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh and the conscience of the peoples,
governments and human rights institutions, including the United Nations, for
immediate protection of the life, properties and freedom of expression of all
citizens of Bangladesh.
APPEAL TO:
Honorable Prime Minister Begum
Khaleda
Zia
Office of the Prime Minister
Gano
Bhaban
Sher-e
Bangla
Nagar
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Telgrams: Prime Minister
Zia,
Dhaka
Bangladesh
Fax: 880-2-811-3243
Email: pmo@pmo.gov.bd
Salutation: Dear Prime Minister or
Hon'ble
Prime Minister.
Honorable Home Minister,
Fax: 880-2-811-3243
Salutation:
Hon'ble
Home Minister
Mr.Mudabbir
Hossain
Chowdhury
Inspector General of Police
Police Headquarter
Fulbaria, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Telegrams: Inspector-General
Chowdhury
Fulbaria, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Fax: 880-2-956-3362; 880-2-956-3363
Salutation: Dear Sir
PLEASE SEND THE APPEAL IMMEDIATELY:
Please voice your support, fax or mail your appeal to the addresses above, and
help save humanity from the perils of barbaric atrocities.
Please contact us at info@hrcbm.org for any question and further details.
NB: This Urgent Action Appeal has been sent to the UN Secretary General, US
State Department, US Ambassador to Bangladesh, Bangladesh Ambassador to the US,
Amnesty International, IMF, World Bank, Paris Consortium, International Human
Rights Organizations, world leaders and governments all over the world.
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