PR For Immediate Release: Need to protect the rights of Hindus in Bangladesh Key
Ravindra
thing common is the religion of the majority (Islam) and the religion
of Minority (Hindu)..... Again I have not seen India's commie Secular
Media covering it nor have I seen Kashmiri Hindus or Indian Hindus
getting worked up for that,....
Ravindra
AkulasyAsya devasya kulaprathanashAlinee
KOulikI sA parA shaktiraviyukto yayA prabhu:
ArUpasya kuto dhyAnam nirguNasya cha nama kim
pUrNasyAvAhanam kutra sarvAdhArasya chAsanam
-----Original Message-----
From: FACT USA [mailto:fact...@yahoo.com]
Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2007 10:44 PM
Subject: PR For Immediate Release: Need to protect the rights of
Hindus in Bangladesh Key Congressmen Observe
August 1, 2007, Washington D.C., USA
Need to protect the rights of Hindus in Bangladesh:
Key Congressmen observe
Washington D.C., August 1, 2007: An exhibition of photos and panels
vividly describing the atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh caught the
attention of influential Congressmen and key policymakers from the
Bush administration this week.
The two day-exhibition titled "Asru" was held at the Rayburn House
Office Building at the US Capitol on July 30 and July 31. The exhibit
of 28 panels, which graphically chronicled the deteriorating condition
of the Hindus and other religious minorities in Bangladesh over the
past several decades, was put together by the Human Rights Congress
for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM) and Foundation Against Continuing
Terrorism (FACT).
"It is time that the world knew what is happening with the Hindu
minorities in Bangladesh," said Amalendu Chatterjee, HRCBM Director.
The population of the Hindus in this Muslim-majority country, he
pointed out, has dropped from as high as 37 percent in 1940s to a mere
11 percent now. "It is all because of the atrocities perpetrated on
the Hindus by the ruling class all these years," he said.
In organizing an exhibition on the plight of Hindus and other
minorities in Bangladesh for the first time in the history of the
Capitol, the efforts of HRCBM and FACT did cut ice among the
Congressmen and key policymakers who took time out of their busy
schedule to take a look at what was on display. "All the
representatives and their staffers reiterated the need to protect the
rights of minorities and to deal with Islamic groups in a resolute
manner," said Utsav Chakrabarti, the designer of the exhibit and
member of FACT.
The exhibition received bipartisan support from Congressional leaders
and was attended by concerned citizens, political analysts and human
rights representatives.
Moved by the graphic description of the condition of the Hindus and
other religious minorities in Bangladesh, powerful Congressman Ed
Royce (R-CA) said in the visitor's book kept at the exhibition: "The
international community must take action against these genocidal acts
now before this culture is extinguished and the minorities forcibly
killed, converted, or exiled in the face of an underground jihad."
Royce who spent more than an hour at the exhibition hall visiting each
and every panel expressed optimism that due to this effort by HRCBM
and FACT, members of Congress will be educated "as to the extreme
challenge and persecution faced by Hindus, Buddhists and Christians
due to the threat posed by Islamic fundamentalism in Bangladesh."
Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), who sponsored the event at the Capitol said
after visiting the exhibition: "I was proud to be the Congressional
sponsor of this important exhibit on human rights in Bangladesh. I
believe it helped to bring much-needed attention to the plight of
minorities in Bangladesh who have suffered from increasing attacks
over the past few years."
Influential Joseph Crowley (D-NY), founder and co-chair of the
Congressional Caucus for Bangladesh, and member of the Congressional
Human Rights Caucus, said the exhibition "serves as an important
reminder to the international community that we must remain vigilant
in preventing violence, suffering and loss around the world." He
expressed his willingness to "continue working with my colleagues in
Congress to help all of the people of Bangladesh to ensure their
religious and ethnic backgrounds are respected".
The event also had presentations by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL),
Ranking Member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Mark Kirk
(R-IL), co-chair of the Congressional Caucus for Bangladesh, Rep.
Steve Chabot (R-OH), and Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-NC),
Other speakers at a panel discussion organized during the exhibition
period included Richard Benkin, author, human rights activist, and
defender of Bangladeshi journalist Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury;
Shahriar Kabir, reputed journalist and human rights activist; Samaresh
Baidya, senior reporter of Daily Bhorer Kagoj, a news daily in
Bangladesh; and Toni Van Pelt, Government Affairs Director, Center for
Inquiry Office of Public Policy. Also present at the event were Steve
Snow, Senior Policy Analyst at United States Commission on
International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), and T. Kumar, Advocacy
Director, Asia & Pacific, Amnesty International USA. All the
representatives and their staffers reiterated the need to protect the
rights of minorities and to deal with Islamic groups in a resolute
manner.
Toni Van Pelt expressed dismay at the apathy of the human rights
groups towards Hindu rape and molestation victims, while urging the
media to take the cause of Hindus in Bangladesh by reporting such
incidents.
Shahriar Kabir urged for global pressure on governments in Bangladesh
to take stringent action against Jamaat-e-Islam for its role in
continuing atrocities against minorities. He also reiterated the need
to repeal the vested interest property act which allows the government
of Bangladesh to confiscate properties of non-resident Hindus and
others it deems as an enemy of the state.
Samaresh Baidya narrated his first-hand experience facing the wrath of
fundamentalist Islamists. He underlined the need for the journalist
community to expose the reality of religious intolerance and
persecution.
Dwijen Bhattachariya, from the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian
Unity Council, and Professor at Columbia University, felt that
Bangladesh was quickly turning into a Taliban-like state with
potential for becoming a breeding ground for the next generation of
jihadi terrorists.
Rosalind Costa, a social worker from Bangladesh narrated her
experience rescuing women in rural areas. She described the case of
two minor rape victims Rita Rani Das and Purnima Shil who were gang-
raped by Jihadis and forcibly converted to Islam.
"Our goal was to create awareness and activism in order to alleviate
the plight of Hindus and other religious minorities in that region.
And we have achieved it," said Chatterjee, adding that encouraged by
the response, the organizers have now decided to take this exhibition
to other parts of the country as well, with Houston being its next
destination later this month.
Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities: HRCBM is a non-profit
organization holding consultative status with the United Nations. It
is dedicated to protecting the human rights of religious minorities in
Bangladesh.
Foundation Against Continuing Terrorism: FACT is non-profit
organization dedicated to raising awareness of the effects of
terrorism in South Asia through exhibitions and conferences.
Contact details:
Dr. Amalendu Chatterjee, Executive Director
Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities
Ph: 919-674-2029
Email: amalendu.chatterjee @eximsoft. com
Kanchan Banerjee, Event Coordinator
IPremm, Inc. Ph: 617-306-6609 Email: kan...@ipremm.com
Foundation Against Continuing Terrorism (FACT)
con...@factusa.orgwww.factusa.org/bdesh/teaser/
Photo title (in separate attachment)
Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), in discussion with Dr Amalendu Chatterjee
(right) and Mr. Kanchan Banerjee (back)