---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Sitangshu Guha <guhasb@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Apr 2, 2008 at 7:45 AM
Subject: Hi. As discussed I am sending the memorandum for Mr.
Ambassador. Thanks.
To: Bangladesh Desk, State Department
Hon. Mr. James F. Moriarty
Ambassador
Embassy of the United States of America
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Subject: Issues concerning ethnic and religious minorities of Bangladesh
Honorable Ambassador:
The Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, USA, would like to present
to you a short brief about the condition of ethnic and religious
(roughly 20 millions of Hindus, Buddhists and Christians) minorities
in Bangladesh as you have been appointed the U.S. Ambassador to
Bangladesh. Before you head to Bangladesh, we sought an urgent meeting
with you. Citing short notice as a reason The State Department
declined our request. However, we congratulate you on your appointment
and we hope that your tenure in Dhaka would be very fruitful and will
bear long-term success in the region.
We are a human rights advocacy group that consists of American
citizens who have originated from religious minority and tribal
communities in Bangladesh. Minorities in Bangladesh are roughly 15% of
the population. Numerous analysis of the population groups in
Bangladesh show that minorities are more educated, skilled, secular,
culturally moderate and law abiding than the majority Muslims in
Bangladesh. However, they lag the majority in every economic
indicators such as employment in the gov't sector, recruitment into
elite institutions (civil and defense), home and land ownership, per
capita income and savings, etc. It is because the ethnic and religious
minorities are routinely persecuted, tortured, raped and murdered by
the militant Islamists who desire to transform Bangladesh into a pure
Islamic country. In addition, often the government is in direct
complicity with the Islamists to commit this carnage by unleashing the
suicide bombers on ordinary men, women and children.
In recent years, we met many officials of different agencies of your
government, including the State department, and apprised them of the
unspeakable horror the minorities are subjected to and sought their
help. Various agencies of US government undertook numerous
fact-finding missions and published reports ascertaining our claims in
their annual country reports. However, there is no relenting on
violence against minorities. Rape, torture, forced conversion; forced
eviction and dispossession of properties, loot, arson, desecration,
and kidnap are all too pervasive in every part of Bangladesh. Moderate
Muslims, artists, journalists, and human rights activists are also not
spared of the onslaught. The attacks are so senseless and so violent
that they not only run counter to common sense and rule of law but
also call to question our spirit and very existence as civilized
people. As a result people are giving up on their motherland and
fleeing to much uncertainty abroad, mostly to India, leaving the
country in the hands of fanatics, suicide bombers, and gun runners---
a shivering thought for the general public.
Just after 35 years of its birth as a secular country, Bangladesh has
become a breeding ground for the militant Islamists. According to
experts and independent news reports, the international terrorist
outlets have already set up more than 150 bases in the country where
the Muslim youths are recruited and readied to commit terrorist
activities throughout the world. In Bangladesh, ethnic and religious
minorities are bearing the huge brunt of this terror. In the past 35
years minorities have been disposed of more than 2.5 millions acres of
prime real estate, hundreds of thousands of girls and women raped,
tens of thousands of churches and temples burnt or desecrated, and
millions of people driven out of the country, No previous political
government has shown any inclination to address this issue of serious
breach of human rights, constitutional protection, and equality rights
for all.
Therefore, the formation of the present "Caretaker government" came as
a welcoming relief to us. The government came in power with a pledge
to root out corruption, to put a leash on rampant lawlessness, to
promote civilized political environment, and to reclaim "secularism"--
the country's founding principle to ensure equal treatment for people
of all faiths. The policies of past governments proved to the world
how the forward march of a nation can be brought to a screeching halt
when the government policies are not implemented even-handedly and are
ill intentioned.
More than a year has elapsed since this government has been in power.
Day by day, it is becoming very evident that this government is
pursuing an agenda that does match its rhetoric. It has not
implemented a single reform that would ensure equal rights for all its
citizens. If the past performance of this "limited" government is any
indication, we fear that this government is heading towards a
catastrophic failure.
Bangladeshi minorities in past election cycles, especially in 2001,
endured tremendous violence perpetrated by the recently ousted BNP
government and its Islamists allies. Minorities were threatened, or
otherwise discouraged not to go to the polls. In many polling,
districts minorities were purged from the voter lists by the
authorities aligned with the Islamists. Sadly, this government has not
done anything to remedy those problems to ensure participation of the
country's minority population in the election. Furthermore, the
present government has not launched any investigation into the
unspeakable crimes committed against minorities for years. We know of
no plans that this government is interested to bring the culprits to
justice. Government has not indicated to provide compensation to the
victims of atrocities either. This government came to power with a
specific task to hold free and fair election with a reasonable period.
However, we have not seen any plausible action plan that will prevent
further atrocities on minorities following the elections (both local
government and parliamentary elections).
The issue of Enemy Property Act is still used as a tool of choice to
marginalize us. In the past 40 years, minorities of Bangladesh have
been dispossessed of more than 2.5 millions acres of land properties
through this government sanctioned scheme or so called the Enemy
Property Act, a discriminatory act by the Government against its own
citizens. This discriminatory law has affected millions of Hindus in
Bangladesh. The "Defense of Pakistan Rules" branding Hindu citizens of
the country as the enemy was enacted by Pakistan during its war with
India in 1965. Nevertheless, with a twist of irony, that infamous
decree found its way to become an instrument of persecution in the
independent Bangladesh. Bangladesh fought a heroic war against
Pakistan and earned its independence. Today, Bangladesh is neither a
part nor a successor of Pakistan. Also neither Bangladesh nor India
waged or declared any war against each other" Therefore, how enemy of
Pakistan becomes enemy of Bangladesh? Alternatively, is Bangladesh
after gaining independence with the direct military help of India
remains at a state of war with India? Therefore, we request you to use
your government's influence on the current administration to repeal
this discriminatory law and help the country's minorities regain their
lost rights.
The indigenous people of Chittagong Hill Tract (CHT) had been
demanding autonomous status for a long time. They once vowed armed
resistance to stop infiltration of nationalists into their
territories. After years of fierce arms resistance against the
Bangladesh government forces the indigenous people of CHT entered into
a peace treaty with the Bangladesh government that stem the bloodshed
in the area. However, after almost a decade, the peace treaty is yet
to be implemented.
Hon. Ambassador, we look forward to your action on those issues of
immense importance for the survival of the minorities in Bangladesh.
The United States is known throughout the world as a beacon hope and a
Freedom & Liberty's steadfast angel. Our sufferings have been well
documented by all respected international organizations. We hope you
will take special interest on the minority issues while in Bangladesh.
We are confident that you and America will not fail us.
Sincerely,
Ratan Barua, President
Nabendu Dutta, President
Thomas D. Roy, President
Sushil Saha, Secretary
Pradip Das, Secretary, Youth & Students Front
Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, USA (BHBCUC, USA).
Contact:
Sitangshu Guha
Director, BHBCUC, USA
646-696-5569/ sbguha@yahoo.com; info@bhbcuc-usa.org
www.bhbcuc-usa.org
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