Guwahati, Dec 26: The Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG), a think tank based in New Delhi, on Thursday sought the intervention of the US Committee on International Religious Freedom and EU against the burning down of 17 Christian Tripuri houses in Bangladesh at Notun Tongjhiri Tripura Para, Sarai Union of Lama Upazila, Bandarban district of the Chittagong Hill Tracts region at around 12:30 am December 25 immediately after the start of the Christmas celebration.
Though the culprits have not been identified, it is suspected that Islamic fundamentalists committed the arson when the indigenous Tripuris had gone to another village for Christmas celebrations as there was no church in their village.
The victims whose houses have been burnt to ashes are: Gunga Mani Tripura, Siandra Tripura, Chandra Mani Tripura, Vidyachandra Tripura, Ajaram Tripura, Rumanik Tripura, Gren Tripura, Bijoy Tripura, Marjhel Tripura, Joychandra Tripura, Gungarang Tripura, Tifram Tripura, Ansarai Tripura, Janali Tripura, Tarasing Tripura, Bashichandra Tripura, and Obadiya Tripura. They are now living under the open sky.
Though a written complaint has been filed by the victims, no one has been arrested as on date. Instead, local police headed by Md Enamul Haque Bhuiyan, inspector of Lama Police Station sought to blame on complaints and counter-complaints since the ouster of the Awami League regime.
“It has become a fashion for the interim government of Bangladesh to blame the attacks on religious minorities on the alleged allegiance of the victims with the Awami League. The Islamic fundamentalist elements have been emboldened by this perception being promoted by chief advisor Yunus who in September 2024 had stated that the attacks on the religious minorities were due to the allegiance of the religious minorities with the Awami League without any investigation into the attacks on religious minorities. As late as December 11, Shafiqul Alam, the chief adviser’s press secretary stated that in many cases, people who faced violence were members of the previous ruling party i.e. Awami League”.
“As every attack can be blamed on the Awami League or private disputes, the State i.e. interim government of Bangladesh has effectively washed off its constitutional responsibility to protect every citizen,” said Suhas Chakma, Director of the RRAG.
“This approach of the interim government has prevented the law from taking its own course. Though at least 2,010 incidents of violence against minorities were recorded by the Bangladesh-Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Oikya Parishad in the country from August 4 to 20 alone, Mr Shafiqul Alam, the chief adviser’s press secretary informed the press on December 11 only 88 cases were filed between August 5 and October 22. This impunity is responsible for relentless acts of grave violence against the religious minorities,” further asserted Chakma.
The RRAG requested the US Committee on International Religious Freedom and EU to intervene with the Interim Government of Bangladesh to enact a Special Ordinance to address attacks on religious minorities in the country; and establish a special investigation unit of Bangladesh Police aided by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to investigate attacks on religious minorities; and establish Fast Track Courts for trial of the offences relating to the attacks on the religious minorities.
