Hundreds of people from three villages have been accused of carrying out a fierce attack on the minority Hindu community in the Naogram village of Salla upazila in Sunamganj, Bangladesh. According to news reports from the area, the attack that took place on Wednesday morning, damaged dozens of houses. The attack reportedly came in the wake of a “Facebook post by a Hindu youth against Hefazat-e-Islam joint secretary general Mamunul Haque,” stated news reports.

Allegedly, it was members, and followers of the Hefazat-e-Islam who attacked the homes of Hindus in the area. According to news reports, members of the “Hindu community handed over the youth, Jhuman Das Apan, 28, an employee of a private firm, to the local police” for allegedly uploading the contentious post on Facebook.

Two separate cases were filed on Thursday accusing hundreds of people in connection with the attack on Hindu homes allegedly by some Hefazat-e-Islam supporters in Sunamganj’s Shalla upazila reported Dhaka Tribune.

One of the cases was lodged by the police, accusing some 1,500 unnamed people, and the other by Habibpur union parishad Chairman Vivekananda Majumder against 70-80 named and around 1,500 unnamed persons. Majumder said, “The attack has upset us, but we are law-abiding people. That is why I filed a case on behalf of the villagers.” He also demanded that the case be handed over to a speedy trial tribunal. BT reported that while Shalla police station Officer-in-Charge Nazmul Haque confirmed the case, he expressed his inability to reveal the names of the accused in the interest of investigation.

According to news reports Sunamganj district deputy commissioner and district magistrate Zakir Hossain said the primary inquiry revealed  that the supporters of the Hefazat-e-Islami carried out the attack. He said that additional forces were deployed at villages in Dirai and Salla upazilas to avoid further trouble, ‘We assured that the villagers that the perpetrators would be brought to justice after police investigation.”

Brief background of the case

The unrest allegedly stems from a meeting organised by Hafazat-e-Islam chief Junaid Babunagari and his other leaderships, on Monday. At this Islamic gathering in Dirai upazila it was announced that the Indian prime minister Narendra Modi would not be welcomed in Bangladesh, stated media reports. Modi was scheduled to join the golden jubilee celebration of Bangladesh’s Independence on March 26.

Following this, a 28 year old man identified as Jhuman Das Apan, a resident of Naogram village, allegedly made a derogatory Facebook post about Hefazat-e-Islam’s Joint Secretary General Maulana Mamunul Haque on Tuesday night. After the post went viral, police had detained him with the help of locals on the same night. But that did not prevent a series of attacks on homes of the Hindu minority community. The Newage Bangladesh news portal reports that several Hefazat-e-Islam followers vandalised a number of Hindu houses in Sunamganj after information about the FB post surfaced. Several hundred people, hailing from three villages: Santashpur, Natni and Chandrapur villages of Dirai upazila reportedly joined forces to attack over 50 houses of Hindus in the Naogram village. They allegedly ransacked houses, looted valuables and damaged idols inside the family temples of the villagers, in an attack that lasted several hours. However, no casualties were reported.

The news reports stated that according to witnesses, the attackers damaged the house of Habibpur union council chairman Bibekananda Majumdar Bakul. Bibekananda told New Age that they were busy in the upazila headquarters celebrating the birth centenary programme of the country’s founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Ratan Chandra Das, a businessman who handed over Hindu youth to the authorities, told New Age over the phone that a photoshopped image of Hefazat leader Mamunul Haque with shoes was shared from the profile of the youth. “We handed the youth over the police. Even after this, the villagers carried out the attack,” said Ratan.

Sunamganj district police superintendent Mizanur Rahman told the media that no arrests had been made as the police were preparing to file a case against the perpetrators. Mizanur accused the Hindu youth for spreading hate speech on social media as a “part of his regular activities”. According to news reports, Naogram residents hid to save their lives when they sensed trouble. The local administration and police dispersed the attackers who were allegedly armed with sticks, sharp weapons and were seen wearing Islamic caps and or a bandana tied around their heads, stated news reports. 

Meanwhile, Hefazat-e-Islam central unit organising secretary Mawlana Azizul Haque Islamabadi denied the allegation of having any association with the attack. He alleged that the “villagers carried out the attack after having been agitated by the Facebook post of a Hindu youth targeting Islam, the rituals associated with it, and Hafazat leaders.”

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Hundreds of supporters of hardliner Hefazat-e-Islam staged protests on Friday in Dhaka, Chittagong and Narayanganj, calling for the statue of a Greek goddess installed at the Supreme Court to be destroyed or removed.

This is a part of their ongoing protest demanding the removal of the Lady Justice statue from the Supreme Court premises.

Earlier on February 14, they had submitted memorandums to the prime minister and the chief justice. They stated the “idol” was anti-Islamic and threatened to stage demonstrations and bring out processions if their demand went unheeded.
 

Hefazat-e-Islam activists in a mass procession in Narayanganj city demanding the removal of the Greek statue from the Supreme Court premises on February 24, 2017 Photo: Dhaka Tribune

Court officials, however, defended the statue as “a symbol of justice.” The image of Greek goddess Themis, depicted with her eyes shielded and holding the scales of justice, represents fairness, law and custom across the world.

The Dhaka procession began from Baitul Mukarram National Mosque.

Hundreds of Hefazat supporters chanted slogans and wielded placards with phrases such as “Demolish the statue on the court premises and replace it with the Qur’an,” states a report from AFP.

“If you do not remove this idol, we will be forced to march to the Supreme Court and remove it ourselves.”

Hefazat’s Central Committee Joint Secretary General Junaid Al Habib said the “idol” had to be removed by any means.

In a country with a 92% Muslim population, people would not tolerate any “idol” in the country’s apex court premises, Habib added.

Conservative Bangladesh has seen increasing tension between hardliners and secularists in recent years: A spate of killings of atheist bloggers, religious minorities and foreigners combined with a series of changes in school textbooks, which are overwhelmingly secular, to reflect Muslim traditions.

According to sources, several leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, a BNP ally which has been absent from recent street demonstrations, and members of its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir are supportive of the recent radical Islamist moves to remove the Supreme Court statue of Lady Justice, avenge the persecution of Rohingya Muslims and make changes in school textbooks.

“The demands brought up by the Islamist parties are irrational and baseless. There is no reason to think that the sculpture will be removed just because someone demanded that it be so”: Attorney General Mahbubey Alam

Sources also said all paper materials and information for these movements are supplied by Jamaat-Shibir to the other parties, including Hefazat.

Security has been increased in the area around Baitul Mukarram, according to local police official Rafiqul Islam.

He added that at least 1,000 people had joined the rally there and a similar rally had also been held at Chittagong.

‘You too will burn’

Chittagong unit of Hefazat organised their rally at the Anderkillah Shahi Mosque premises.

Hefazat Joint Secretary General Mainuddin Ruhi threatened: “Remove the Greek idol at once from the Supreme Court premises. Please douse the smouldering fire in the hearts of the Muslims. Otherwise, the fire will soon catch you.

“Hefazat believes in systemic movement. We will be compelled to hold another rally at Shapla Chattar if our demand is unheeded.”

Azizul Haque Islamabadi, Hefazat’s organising secretary, said the premier was unaware that the “idol” had been installed on the Supreme Court premises.

“The idol was installed on the advice of a handful of atheists only to put the government in an awkward position,” he said.

He also reminded his audience of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s pledge that the country would run as per the Medina Charter and that installing an “idol” was a direct contradiction of the Medina Charter.

When contacted, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Nayeb-e-Amir Nur Hossain Kashemi told the Dhaka Tribune that they would launch a tougher movement against the government if their demand was not met.

Narayanganj Hefazat to take action

The Narayanganj unit of Hefazat also held a mass rally in front of the city’s DIT Jame Mosque after Jumma prayers on Friday.

At their programme, they threatened that if their demands went unmet, they would rally their forces and go destroy the Lady Justice statue.

Hefazat’s Narayanganj district unit President Mawlana Abdul Awwal said: “You can establish however many idols at the different temples in Bangladesh, but we will not tolerate the presence of an idol in front of the highest court in the country.”

“The protest to remove this idol from the Supreme Court begins here. It begins today, from Narayanganj,” he exclaimed, adding: “If you do not remove this idol, we will be forced to march to the Supreme Court and remove it ourselves.”

Mawlana Abdul Quadir, secretary of Narayanganj unit of Hefazat, spoke at the rally along with Hefazat leaders Ferdausur Rahman, Mufti Harunur Rashid, Ismail Siraji and Anis Ansari.

On Friday, Islami Andolan Bangladesh Chief Rezaul Karim told the Dhaka Tribune that if the sculpture was not removed, the public would “create a river of blood” in protest.

Also Read- AQIS supports Hefazat on SC statue removal

No justice for Lady Justice

Hefazat is hardly the only group to oppose the statue of Lady Justice on the Supreme Court premises.

Other Islamist parties and groups opposing the installation of the statue are Awami Olama League, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, Islami Andolon Bangladesh and Jamaat-Shibir.

Last year, divided Dhaka Hefazat Committee Convener Nur Hossain Kashemi, Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ) leader Abul Hasnat Amini and IOJ Secretary General and Hefazat Central Joint Secretary General Mufti Faizullah met and began working together to unite all Islamist groups.

Recently, Ansar al-Islam, the Bangladesh affiliate of al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), has also extended support for the ongoing movement of radical Islamists who demand that the “idol” of Lady Justice be removed from the Supreme Court premises.

Yet even with a similar agenda, not all of these radical Islamist groups can see eye to eye.

An al-Qaeda member, Mohammad bin Maslama, accused Hefazat Secretary General Junaid Babunagari of double standards, saying: “You are playing with Islam. Islam is not so insignificant that you will need to submit a memorandum or application to the kufr [government].

“You have cheated the people by signing the fatwa against the mujahids of Islam. You are trying to please the government and Islam at the same time.”

The senior member, however, said they would continue to support Hefazat, disregarding differences, as long as the radical platform was working to continue the spread of Islam.

The flip side reactions

Earlier, civil society members, lawyers and government officials dismissed the demands for the removal of a sculpture installed on the Supreme Court premises, calling it “irrational” and “baseless.”

“The demands brought up by the Islamist parties are irrational and baseless. There is no reason to think that the sculpture will be removed just because someone demanded that it be so,” Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told the Dhaka Tribune.

Former law minister Barrister Shafique Ahmed told the Dhaka Tribune that the sculpture was nothing but the symbol of unbiased conscience of justice, honoured by the countries all over the world, including Islamic countries like Iran.

Khushi Kabir, head of rights organisation Nijera Kori, told the Dhaka Tribune: “There are many sculptures in our country which carry the significance of our identity, history and tradition. They have no authority to demand the destruction of these historical and aesthetic sculptures.”

She feared that if this demand was fulfilled, these groups would raise questions about other sculptures such as Oporajeyo Bangla, Raju Bhashkorjo, or Amar Ekushey.

“The demolition of the Lalon sculpture from in front of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport [in 2008] encouraged the religious zealots to make such demands,” she added.

Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee demanded action against the people who threatened the highest court and judiciary system and stated in a statement: “Calling this sculpture an idol is politically motivated.”

The Islamist groups’ demands came at a time when the apex court issued two major verdicts – a banning of the use of scales as an electoral symbol and the erasing of the names of 20 convicted war criminals and anti-liberation people from roads and educational institutions across the country.

Republished with permission from Dhaka Tribune.
 

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Radical Islamist platform Hefazat-e-Islam has threatened to launch a massive movement if the sculpture of Lady Justice – the ancient Greek Goddess of justice Themis holding a scale and a sword – being erected on the Supreme Court premises is not removed immediately.

 

 

Earlier, other religion-based parties including Olama League, Khelafat Majlish Bangladesh and Islami Andolon Bangladesh protested the government move to install a “Greek idol,” terming it anti-Islamic.

Shah Ahmad Shafi, ameer of Hefazat, a Qawmi madrasa-based group eyeing Shariah Law in Bangladesh, in a statement on Monday said the Lady Justice statue was not in cohesion with the country’s culture, was contrary to religious beliefs.

“Ideological aggression is going on against Islam and the Muslims of Bangladesh in the name of secularism,” Shafi said, demanding stern punishment to those evil quarters.

If anyone wants to set up sculpture in Supreme Court premises, that will have to be similar with the ideals of the country, according to Shafi.

Islami Andolon Bangladesh chief, better known as Charmonai Pir, Mufti Rezaul Karim warned that the people would create a “river of blood” if the sculpture was not removed.

This article was first published on Dhaka Tribune

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But the justice-seekers were disappointed as the special tribunal handed down life-term imprisonment instead of a death sentence for the notorious war criminal, who was found involved in genocide and rape.

Condemnation poured into social media, especially Facebook, against the lenient sentence. Some youths announced a human chain at Shahbagh at 3pm to demand death penalty for him since he might have walked free if the government changed.

Some organisers also raised the demand for banning religion-based politics, and removing state religion from the constitution, alleging that the provision promotes religious fanaticism and terrorism. But the platform did not adopt them.

Quader Molla was serving as the assistant secretary general of Jamaat that has never apologised for the atrocities committed in 1971.

Jamaat was even in the government for the first time in 2001 as part of the ruling four-party alliance led by the BNP, and two of its senior leaders were made ministers.

It was BNP founder Ziaur Rahman who lifted the ban on Jamaat and religion-based politics after the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Earlier, Zia scrapped the Collaborators Act and released over 11,000 razakars being tried under the law.

By 3pm on February 5, 2013, some 50 youths joined a human chain in front of the National Museum in the capital, and the chain of protesters extended rapidly in the next two hours.
 

A protester shouts slogans while clad in the traditional colours of Pohela Falgun, the first day of spring, on February 13, 2013 during the Shahbagh movement Syed Latif Hossain/Dhaka Tribune

The organisers, Blogger and Online Activist Network (BOAN), then decided to occupy the Shahbagh intersection amid a Jamaat-enforced general strike around 5pm, and the participants went to the roundabout with a procession chanting slogans demanding death penalty for all war criminals.

In its first verdict, the tribunal on January 15 the same year had sentenced to death a former Jamaat leader Abul Kalam Azad alias Bachchu Razakar in absentia. Families of martyrs and war crimes trial campaigners expected the highest punishment for Quader Molla as well.

The activists started a sit-in at Shahbagh amid slogans and patriotic songs. Around 6pm, there were several hundred people gathered at the place. Civil society representatives, cultural activists, left parties and some ruling party leaders expressed solidarity with the movement.

Members of the ruling party’s student wing Chhatra League also joined the protests.

The protesters continued their programme throughout the night, and the organisers soon came up with three-point demands: death penalty for all war criminals, ban on Jamaat and its radical student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir, and confiscation of properties of convicted war criminals and nationalisation of Jamaat’s financial institutions and social organisations.

Some organisers also raised the demand for banning religion-based politics, and removing state religion from the constitution, alleging that the provision promotes religious fanaticism and terrorism. But the platform did not adopt them.
 

Activists of Ganajagaran Mancha arrange a candle light display in the capital’s Shahbagh intersection on 14th Feb 2013, demanding capital punishment for the war criminals during the Liberation War of Bangladesh Syed Zakir Hossain/Dhaka Tribune

The BNP initially welcomed the movement that turned into a sea of justice seekers, but soon made a U-turn reportedly after failing to convince the organisers to raise other issues including corruption of the ruling government – like the movements in several Middle East countries – dubbed “Arab Spring” around the same time.

BNP-Jamaat leaning newspapers and TV channels started campaigning against the movement’s organisers terming them “fascists,” “atheists” and “blasphemers.”

Within a week into the movement, people across the country launched similar sit-ins on Shaheed Minar premises and important spots expressing solidarity. Bangladeshis living abroad also staged demonstrations demanding death for all war criminals.

Within a week into the movement, people across the country launched similar sit-ins on Shaheed Minar premises and important spots expressing solidarity. Bangladeshis living abroad also staged demonstrations demanding death for all war criminals.

People and the media started calling the platform Gonojagoron Moncho and the place “Projonmo Chottor.”

The sit-in was held at Shahbagh without a break at least for 17 days and continued for a couple of months with intervals. During that time, people from all walks of life at home and abroad participated in the programmes declared by the Shahbagh organisers including candle light vigils and human chains.

The platform also submitted 10 million signatures to the parliament urging the government to fulfil their three-point demands.

The movement faced its first violent opposition on February 14 when Jamaat-Shibir men killed Agrani Bank staff Zafar Munshi in Motijheel area for unfurling a banner expressing solidarity.

The platform also submitted 10 million signatures to the parliament urging the government to fulfil their three-point demands.

A day later, a group of North University students linked to Chhatra Shibir hacked to death architect Ahmed Rajeeb Haider, an active participant of the movement, in front of his home in Mirpur. Soon after the murder, radical Islamists started campaigning on social media against Rajeeb branding him as an “atheist” – a strategy adopted by the Jamaat top brass and other collaborators during the Liberation War to justify the killings of freedom fighters.

The murder took place only four days after a Shibir-run blog published a list of bloggers and secular activists linked to the movement, urging its supporters to kill them.

In the face of growing demands, parliament passed an amendment to the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act of 1973 on February 17 to allow the prosecution to file appeals against the tribunal verdicts. As per the original law, only the defence was allowed to appeal against the judgements.

Radical Islamist platform Hefazat-e-Islam, formed by Qawmi madrasa teachers and students, groups linked to BNP-Jamaat alliance, started regrouping after the murder. They believed the propaganda against Rajeeb, and staged violent demonstrations across the country after the Jumma prayers on February 22. They vandalised and torched Gonojagoron Moncho stages in different districts as revenge.
 

Protesters during the Shahbagh movement Syed Latif Hossain/Dhaka Tribune

Jamaat and Hefazat supporters created a reign of havoc across the country killing several hundred people and destroying government properties after the war crimes tribunal on February 28 handed down death penalty to another influential Jamaat leader, Delawar Hossain Sayedee, for his war-time crimes committed in Pirojpur.

The Islamists gained support through these activists and later handed over a list of “atheist bloggers and websites” to the Home Ministry seeking stern punishment.

But they did not stop after the police arrested four bloggers for their suspected involvement in “defaming” the Qur’an and the Prophet (PBUH). Hefazat announced a long-march towards Dhaka for April 6 and placed a 13-point charter of demands including formulation of an anti-blasphemy law, banning free mingling of men and women, erecting statues and candle light vigils terming them Hindu culture, and declaring the Ahmadiyya community non-Muslim.

So far, more than two dozens campaigners for war crime trials have been killed. Al-Qaeda affiliated Ansarullah Bangla Team (now Ansar al-Islam) took credit for 13 attacks that killed 11 activists. The terrorist group termed its targets “atheists,” seeking to gain sympathy of the Islamist parties and groups.

So far, more than two dozens campaigners for war crime trials have been killed. Al-Qaeda affiliated Ansarullah Bangla Team (now Ansar al-Islam) took credit for 13 attacks that killed 11 activists. The terrorist group termed its targets “atheists,” seeking to gain sympathy of the Islamist parties and groups.

On the other hand, another group of militants affiliated with the Islamic State, New JMB, has killed dozens of people, mostly non-Muslim and non-Sunni community people, and carried out bomb and gun attacks on Ahmadiyya and Shia mosques and Hindu temples between September 2015 and July 2016. The group also claimed responsibility for the Holey Artisan Bakery attack that alone killed 24 people, mostly foreigners.

Both the groups want to establish Shariah Law in Bangladesh and bring the Rakhine State of Myanmar and parts of India under their Caliphate.

The government has yet to ban Jamaat, whose party registration with the Election Commission was scrapped by the High Court the same year, and an appeal against the verdict is pending with the Appellate Division. But it has taken measures to reform and nationalise the Jamaat-owned business institutions.

After the disposal of appeal verdicts, the government executed five top Jamaat leaders including Motiur Rahman Nizami, and Quader Molla. The appeals of several other Jamaat leaders against their conviction are pending with the apex court.

Republished with permission from Dhaka Tribune.
 

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