Bangladesh: Home Minister Advocate Sahara Khatun Ignores Minority persecution
Dear Sir,
It's an honor to write to you. I am William Nicholas Gomes; a human
rights activist and freelance journalist from Bangladesh. I want to
draw your urgent attention about the alarming impression and action of
Home Minister Advocate Sahara Khatun about the “Minorities persecution
in Bangladesh”.
I went to her official residence regarding a serious persecution on a
catholic Christian family at Dhaka. Some local thugs had Gun fired on
the catholic family on 22-10-09 which may relate the previous ongoing
persecution by local Muslims on the catholic family.
I had informed the Home Minister Advocate Sahara Khatun about the
serious incident on her cell phone on 24th of October, she note down
the incident of Gun fire on the catholic family and noted down the
General Diary with the local Karful Police station. As I draw an
urgent attention and wish to see her she suggest me to come to her
official residence on 25th October 2009 at evening.
I have reached their with the Elder daughter of the victims family
Rita Gomes and with my colleague Mr. Dipal Barua and went inside of
official house of the Home Minister Advocate Sahara Khatun.
After waiting long from 7 pm to 11 pm, we were able to talk to her.
Home Minister Advocate Sahara Khatun heard the fact of persecution
from the victim Rita Gomes and suggests her to come after one day, and
then she will try to do something. Ms. Rita Gomes said I do support
Bangladesh Awami League and had voted the party with hope to live in
peace in our country, we are fully insured in our home, the police is
not helping , once I went to the local kafrul police station to file a
police case against the land grabbers , but police did not took case ,
but later the police filed a case against us and issue a warrant. We
don't have any security of life , even the Awami League activist with
the land grabber is saying that they will show their power.
William Gomes:
I draw the attention of the Home Minister Advocate Sahara Khatun and
said that the situation of the minorities are getting worse , we had
a great hope that the Awami League will insure the rights of the
minorities and will stand by our side .
Home Minister Advocate Sahara Khatun:
She said that see here are lot of people and they are Muslim, why you
are seeing that the minorities are getting persecuted. Why you are not
looking at them. Why you see the incidents from that angle, here are
Muslims in front of me, they too have problems. Why you are not
satisfied, you people are better than the BNP Jamat government. What
do you want more .
William Gomes: I answered her that minorities are our special concern.
I said that I have shared the information of the persecution with
different human rights organization, state department and European
Union human rights bodies. The crowd of Awami League leaders and
supporters in the room sought at me that why you are sending this to
the foreign country, bringing bad name to the government, they were
ready to beat me. The crowd said that there are no persecutions during
this government. I said to them we are observing the present situation
of the minorities of Bangladesh, we know our people are getting
persecuted in different places of Bangladesh. I said to the home
minister that this is not any isolated incident At least 25 families
were persecuted at Kolapara police station and several cases of
Minority persecution I can bring for your concern. The croed said if
you inform the international community, why you come here , what they
will do , Apa(Home Minister Advocate Sahara Khatun) can do everything
.
Home Minister Advocate Sahara Khatun , did not say anything to the
crowd. The Home Minister Advocate Sahara Khatun had phone the local
Jatrabrai police station on tender issue as local Awami League leader
came to her for support, another man came to her as her relative
cannot go to Saudi as his passport was sealed by the immigration.
She quickly phoned the Additional IG of Special Branch Jabed Patwari
to immediately help the man . But the Home Minister Advocate Sahara
Khatun do not fell to find time to call the local police or take
proper initiative to insure the security of the minority family.
This is the present situation of the minorities of Bangladesh. We are
ignored by this type of people who had this type of mentality. The
Home Minister Advocate Sahara Khatun intentionally overlooks the
importance to take urgent action to insure the security of the
minority family. Please note that the Police commissioner of Dhaka had
previously denied the existence of minority and minority persecution
of Bangladesh. We have the video record
or
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjwM3jRn7-g), while a minority Hindu
family was persecuted in old Dhaka.
While we are denied by the high officials of Bangladesh government
like Home Minister Advocate Sahara Khatun and police commissioner of
Dhaka, we don't fell that we will get the security by this government.
I want to draw your urgent attention to ask the honorable prime to
make it clear about the position of the government on the question to
secure the rights of the minorities of Bangladesh.
I ask the international community to issue embargo strictly as they
are not making it clear about their position to insure the rights of
the minorities of Bangladesh.
I want to ask the Honorable prime minister of Bangladesh, Immediately
remove the Home Minister Advocate Sahara Khatun from the position and
remove the police commissioner of Dhaka from the position.
Please not I was persecuted by the local muslims recently as I am a
converted christian from Islam. The police was silent , where the BNP
and Awami League activist jointly persecuted me. I am still in fear.
I am in pressure to go back to Islam. The police remain silent to
insure my freedom of religion.