Draft:Attack on Hindu of Chottogong in 2024

• Comment: please fix your references. Royiswariii Talk! 00:46, 10 November 2024 (UTC)

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2024 Attack on a Hindu in Chittagong

On Tuesday, November 5th, the Hindu community in Hazari Goli, Chittagong, Bangladesh, was attacked by police and law enforcement authorities.

Background of Attack

According to reports, members of the local Hindu community staged a protest against a trader named Osman Mollah, who had made derogatory remarks about ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) and Sanatan Dharma.

Outraged by the accused's actions, the protesters gathered outside his shop to voice their anger. However, instead of pursuing legal action against the trader, law enforcement authorities took him into 'safe custody.

Role of Police & Military

Sources on the ground from Hazari Goli in Chittagong report a troubling collaboration between police, military personnel, and Islamist groups in the attack on the Hindu community.Eyewitnesses describe a coordinated assault where law enforcement and military forces, alongside Islamist agitators, targeted local Hindus with violence. The authorities have attempted to justify the brutal crackdown by falsely accusing the Hindus of attacking them with bricks and acid. In reality, at least five Hindus were injured as the joint team of police and military officers, armed with batons, violently beat the protesters. This disturbing alliance between state forces and Islamist groups raises serious concerns about the safety and rights of religious minorities, highlighting the dangers of unchecked violence and state complicity in sectarian attacks.

Several members of the minority Hindu community (estimated to be around 200) were also detained.

In a disturbing video from Chittagong, law enforcement authorities were seen actively destroying CCTV cameras, seemingly in an attempt to erase any evidence of their brutal persecution of the Hindu community. The footage shows officers deliberately tampering with security equipment, raising serious concerns about attempts to cover up the violence and suppression directed at the religious minority. This deliberate act of evidence destruction further fuels suspicions that the authorities are complicit in the attack and are working to prevent accountability for their actions against the Hindus. The incident highlights a troubling pattern of state-sanctioned abuse and a disregard for transparency and justice.The attack on Hindus continued late into Wednesday night, with terrified residents of the area capturing videos of the joint police-army action. The footage shows the relentless violence as security forces, along with military personnel, targeted the local Hindu community, further escalating the fear and trauma among the residents. As the night wore on, the situation grew more tense, with the frightened locals documenting the brutality, highlighting the ongoing repression and the apparent absence of any intervention to protect the minority group. The disturbing videos serve as crucial evidence of the excessive force used by the authorities against the Hindu community.

Instructions of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs

India urged the Bangladesh government to take action against extremist elements and ensure the safety of Hindus in the port city of Chittagong, where violent incidents targeting the community have recently erupted, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday. In a statement, India expressed deep concern over the rising tensions and called for immediate steps to protect the religious minority. The Indian government also emphasized the need for a thorough investigation into the attacks and for the perpetrators to be held accountable, while urging Bangladesh to ensure that such violence does not escalate further.

Reacting on the attacks on the Hindu community, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We have observed that there have been attacks on Hindu community in Chittagong, Bangladesh.

Their properties have been looted, their business establishments have been looted. These happened following incendiary posts on social media targeting Hindu religious organisations."

" It is understood that there are extremist elements who are behind such posts and such illegal criminal activities. This is bound to create further tensions in the community. We yet again urge the government of Bangladesh to take strong measures to ensure the safety of Hindus and to take action against extremist elements," he adde

Role of Islamic Fundamentalists

Hefazat-e-Islam, an Islamist group based in Chittagong, has called for a ban on the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), citing its opposition to the group’s activities. During a recent rally in Chattogram, members of the organization were heard chanting violent and inflammatory slogans, including “Catch one ISKCON, then slaughter.” Such rhetoric raises serious concerns about religious intolerance and the potential for incitement to violence. This call for hostility against a religious minority is deeply troubling and underscores the need for stronger efforts to maintain peace, promote interfaith dialogue, and protect the rights and safety of all religious communities in the region.

Taslima Nasreen’s post highlighted the threats faced by ISKCON members, stating, "Hefazat-e-Islam has called for terrorism. They want to kill ISKCON members. Is ISKCON a terrorist organization that it should be banned?" The exiled Bangladeshi writer stressed that ISKCON, a global organization, has never incited violence. "ISKCON operates peacefully in many countries, yet it faces hostility only in Bangladesh," she wrote, attributing the aggression to “Islamists and jihadists who cannot tolerate people of other faiths.”