Paris Conference-2009
'It is time to take an aggressive stand, if we fail to be united, we will be extinct in Bangladesh'
BHBCUC, Europe International Conference (Paris Conference-2009) was held on Sunday, 6th September 2009 at AUJOUR'HUI, Espace Paul Elurd, Angle Avenue Lénine/avenue Poitier, 93380 Pierrefitte Sur – Seine, France. It was presided by Mr. Udayan Barua, President, BHBCUC, Europe, while Mr. S. Shital, Chairman, GHRD (Global Human Rights Defense, The Netherlands) was the Chief Guest. Delegates from USA, UK, France, Switzerland, Sweden, The Netherlands joined along with more than hundred local participants. About two dozens speakers talked one after another and described the ongoing atrocities in Bangladesh on religious minorities. Rape & gang rape was discussed vividly, while the recent incident in Dhaka, abduction of 9 members of a family also came upfront.
The chief guest honorable Mr. Shital stressed on the rape and gang rape telling the audience that, 'gang rape is an organized crime'. He urged the Bangladeshi people to come forward and fight minority persecution. He told point blank: 'It is my fight', I am with you.' Mr. Shital told that, if you are not doing anything, we assume that, you are with the rapist. He added and asked, 'Bangladeshis has a warm heart, but how come we are so coward?' He also pointed out the illegal land grabbing by the local thugs from the minorities. Mr. Shital briefly described GHRD works for minorities of Bangladesh.
Genenral Secretary Advocate Rana Das Gupta talked from Dhaka, Bangladesh over phone and wished the conference a great success. He told the audience that, together we the minorities inside and outside Bangladesh will fight united to solve our problems. Special guests Jean Boucher, Social Worker ; Keusuman De Silva, a Srilankan HR activist, Debabrata Chowdhury, Presidium member; Ramen Banerjee, presiuum member Dr. Santayan Kabiraj, Secretary, Student & Youth Front from London; Tarun Chowdhury, President & Chitra Paul, Secretary from Sweden; Arun Barua, President from Geneva; Udayan Barua, President, Europe and Swadesh Barua, President, France; Tomas D. Roy, president & Sitangshu Guha, advisor from USA also talked along with Prakash Biswas, Ashit Ghosh, Tapash Barua, Dipankar Barua, Mark Costa, Bipul Barua and Tapash Barua among others.
The meeting passed 'Paris Resolutions' and formed a BHBCUC, Europe committee unanimously. At the beginning, the organizers distributed a folder to all participants containing recent documents, BHBCUC Newsletters, Resolutions and other materials.
Debabrata Chowdhury and Ramen Banerjee gave fierce speech which was sparkled by continuous claps. Ramen Banerjee told that, 'No more time for negotiation, it is time to take an aggressive stand'. He told: 'we are struggling for 38 years, it is time to organize. If we fail, we will be extinct.' Debobrata Chowdhury told that: 'Madrassas are unfit for the modern society.' He told that: 'Saudia Araabia is the epicenter for Pan-Islamism, while Pakistan is the executioner.'
Other speakers opined that, no Muslim countries have Human Rights, Bangladesh is no exception. One speaker described how his house was attacked by a mob of about 200 people in 1964 and how they had fled with their lives, adding that, if it was 5 minutes late, and then I could not be here today! The same speaker told that, this is the situation we are facing everyday and this can't go for time immemorial, it must be stopped. Speakers added that, we have to take our fight to the main stream. The meeting urged the government to take stern action against those who abducted 9 members of a family in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Most important is that the house observed 1 minute silence for the rape victims of Bangladesh. The conference was jointly organized by Bangladesh Hindu, Buddhist & Christian Unity Council, Europe & Bangladesh Hindu, Buddhist & Christian Unity Association, Paris, France. The theme was: 'Minorities want their rights back'. A cultural event was organized at the end.
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