Eleven Indigenous Hindu Minority Burned Alive in Bangladesh

 

Eleven Indigenous Hindu Minority Burned Alive in Chittagong, Bangladesh 

Yet

No One Found Guilty in Eighteen Years! 

Surprise?

  Sachi G. Dastidar

   We profusely thank daily Prothom Alo of Dhaka, Bangladesh, and its reporter Gazi Firoze to highlight indigenous Hindu minority persecution in Bangladesh that even after 11 members of Bimal Shil’s family were burned alive, not a single individual has been prosecuted in 18 years! Will any criminal and murderer of the on-going 2021 Durga Puja anti-Hindu pogrom be held responsible and victims get justice? Here is a report of November 18, 2021, paper. There are tons of cases of Hindu persecution in Bangladesh and its neighboring West Bengal State of India.

11 Members of a Family Were Killed

By Gazi Firoze of Daily Prothom Alo

 https://www.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%8B%E0%A6%A5%E0%A6%BE%E0%A7%9F-%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%9B%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%97%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B2%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%9A%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AC%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%A8-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%B2-%E0%A6%B6%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%B2 November 18, 2021

 

(Free translation of the journalist's report.)

 

Where, to whom will Bimal Shil get justice?

Gazi Firoz Chittagong Published: 18 November 2021

 

Bimal Shil (an indigenous Hindu minority) survives in front of the smasan (crematorium) of 11 people who died in a fire at Sadhanpur in Banshkhali, Chittagong, Bangladesh. Collected at the village home today, Thursday afternoon.

Bimal Shil is the only surviving member of the family who went to court for trial for the murder of 11 members of his family, including his parents, 18 years ago. He is in doubt whether he will get justice at all. Bimal Shil is disappointed that the trial has not been completed in so many years. He said in the first light, "I don't know where in this incident which has caused a stir all over the country, to whom I will get justice."

Today marks the 18th anniversary of this shocking murder. On the night of November 17, 2003, 11 members of a minority (Hindu) family were locked in a house at Shilpara in Sadhanpur village of Banshkhali in Chittagong and locked to death. Coincidentally, one of the family members escaped from the house that day and survived. Bimal Shil is one of them.

The case is being heard in the Third Additional Chittagong District and Sessions Judge's Court. Out of 56 witnesses, only 22 testified. All the 36 accused are on bail. Year after year just reading the date of the case. But the witnesses are not appearing. Plaintiff Bimal Shil returned to the court in the hope that his relatives would witness the murder. The next date of the case is February 22 next year.

Bimal Shil's father Tejendra Lal Shil (60), mother Bakul Shil (60), brother Anil Shil (40), Anil's wife Smriti Shil (32) and Anil's three children Rumi Shil (12) and Sonia Shil were burnt to death in Banshkhali on the night of the incident. (6) and four-day-old Kartik Shil. Bimal Shil's cousins ​​Babuti Shil (25), Prasadi Shil (18), Annie Shil (7) and his cousin Devendra Shil (62) who came from Cox's Bazar. Village doctor Bimal Shil jumped out of the house that day and survived. He has been living in Chittagong city since the incident. The land is empty. A memorial has been erected there in memory of those killed.

Flowers were laid at the memorial this afternoon. Bimal Shil stood speechless in front of the crematorium. He told Prothom Alo, "When I go to the village house, I can't stand in front of the crematorium and say that the killers of my relatives have been brought to justice. If the killers were punished, their souls would get peace.”

Mr. Rana Dasgupta Esq. General Secretary of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, said that the country is not prosecuting for attackers and killers (Non-Muslim) minorities as the culture of impunity continues. He said to Daily Prothom Alo, as there is no justice communal violence is being encouraged. They are doing these things with double enthusiasm. As a result, minorities are suffering from extreme insecurity and distrust.

 

In front of the monument, Bimal Shil and his relatives are gathered

He called on the government to enact minority protection laws, such as the Women and Child Abuse Prevention Act. They have been demanding for this for a long time. But nothing is happening. Rana Dasgupta said they would soon submit a memorandum to the government to pass the Minority Protection Act.

According to court sources, the name of (opposition party) BNP leader Aminur Rahman of Banshkhali was dropped in the first charge sheet filed by the police 25 months after the incident. If the plaintiff refuses, the court orders re-investigation. Two years later, the police again dropped Aminur and filed a charge sheet in the court. This time too the plaintiff refused. In the last fourth phase, on January 9, 2011, the (security service) CID charged 39 people including Aminur.

However, Aminur claimed that his name was involved in the conspiracy because of his involvement in politics. The name of one of the accused was withdrawn for political reasons. Asked why the case has not been disposed of in 16 years, Chittagong District Additional Public Prosecutor Lokman Hossain Chowdhury told Prothom Alo that the court proceedings in Corona were closed due to lack of judges and non-appearance of witnesses. The state is trying to produce witnesses on the next day. The case will be settled quickly.