When the security forces break the closed circuit (CC) camera, the purpose of that expedition must be questioned. That’s exactly what happened to Hazari Lane, the Hindu -dominated area of Chittagong. With a group of Islamists, the army and police attacked the houses and business establishments of the Hindu in the darkness of the night, surrounded the entire area. No one knows how many were injured or killed, because no media dare to report the incident. Until the criminals are tried, the Hindus of the rest of Bangladesh will not stop crying as well as the Hindus of Hazari Lane. What will happen to the criminals? Why? This is because Hindus or other religious minorities in a Muslim majority like Bangladesh are oppressed but no one gives importance.
It was Tuesday, November 5, 2024. The next day, the army held a press conference and claimed that acid was thrown towards them, though no sufficient evidence was provided. Security forces have informed the arrest of 89 Hindus on charges of involvement in the incident. In the meantime, a member of the Muslim community expressed concern that the security forces’ actions in Hazari Lane were compared to the Rohingya behavior in Myanmar. He urged the government to discuss their eight -point demands with the Hindu community, which calls for justice to attack religious and ethnic minorities and to protect their rights. After the Zuma prayers on Friday 8th November, a huge procession led by militant Muslim parties came out in Chittagong. Participants publicly slogans, such as “Catch ISKCON members, slaughter them[2].” The International Society for Krishna Consciousness is a traditional religious organization of Bengal that practices and promotes non-violence and spiritual consciousness in the ancient Gaudiya-Vaishnava genre. Elias Hossain from France from the United States, Pinaki Bhattacharya from France and journalist Mahbubur Rahman in Dhaka have tried to give Iskon a demonic turn and violence against the Hindus in general.
On November 6, Charu Krishna Das, secretary of ISKCON Bangladesh, confirmed the organization’s non -political position in a statement and denied any involvement with the movement. Despite the provocative nature of the statements of militant groups, the police did not arrest anyone involved in the incident. The army said they were neutral during the operation. But the main questions that are missing in the army statement are: “Why CC cameras were disabled before the operation?” And “Why were the civilian cadres involved with the security forces?”
[5] We have talked to the two eyewitnesses who were afraid to name their names. They said that 57 Hindus were injured. Initially, the police arrested about 200 Hindus and took them to a temporary military camp and kept them alienated. More than a hundred people were later released. The police filed a case against the 89 , whose public eyes were produced in front of the judge at 1.30 pm. Eyewitnesses said the detainees had visible spots on the body, many could not stand in court. Eyewitnesses also reported that they didn’t know anything about “acid throwing”, but they saw the stones throw.
Earlier, a Muslim man named Osman Mollah made some provocative posts against ISKCON on social media, which persuaded the Hindu community to protest. Local Hindu and Muslim shop owners mediate the incident and resolved the matter with a written mulch asking Osman’s apology. However, in this result, dissatisfied militant groups tried to punish Hindus and organized large protests. That night, militant Islamists attacked the police and the military simultaneously looted 15-20 gold shops, and arrested many, most of whom were innocent. Police identified traders like Rubel Saha, Amit Dhar and Dr. Dakh Das and tried to get ransom from those who had no involvement in the incident.
Eyewitnesses have seen two parties in the security forces- one is completely anti-Hindu and the other is opposed to the operation in the houses and business establishments of the Hindu. They also said that Hizbut Tahrir and Jamaat cadres joined the security forces and carried out most of the looting. They also said that security forces have continued to campaign in Hindu homes.
A young woman named Aradha Saha filed a complaint to a human rights organization that when security forces and Jamaat supporters entered and looted her house, she was alone at home. Police have also continued their operations in the houses of the activists involved in the movement. A party led by Suman Sikder, Lucky Bachar and Sujit Das of The Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM) met with the local police commissioner but did not get any satisfactory response. According to sources, the police interrogated the detainees about the so -called RSS flag shown on the flag of Bangladesh. In fact, it is a saffron flag that is commonly used by Hindus.
Police also asked if India was supporting them. They have never seen so many Hindus coming down the street before. They asked why the slogan “Joy Sriram” was used. They see it as the RSS slogan.
However, “Ram” and “Krishna” are two incarnations of God, and “Joy Sriram” and “Hare Krishna” are common phrases among the Hindus. According to trusted sources, an army from Dhaka will soon go to Chittagong to arrest the members of the Bangladesh Hindu Jagran Manch involved in the movement. Police have filed a case against the Hindus, arrested 89 and listed more 500 people. The military can add 500 names to the list. Chief leader Chinmay Krishna Das is also at risk of arrest.
BNP leaders are trying to support the Hindus and requested Chinmay Das to announce a 15 -day break and stop the movement.
A news portal from Chittagong Hill Tracts reported on November 7 that from the evening of November 5, the Bangladesh Army started a violent crackdown targeting the Hindus in the majority of Chittagong with Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) and local police. Reports from sufferers and eyewitnesses in the region indicate that heavy armed soldiers have launched a raid from house to house in Hindu lane and surrounding areas with the help of paramilitary forces and police. The security forces have been accused of forcibly entering the house, detaining all male residents and taking custody of them in unclear situations. Several reports have claimed that security guards have also destroyed CCTV cameras to abolish evidence of this activity.
The Global Bangladeshi Hindu Alliance warned the world that “more than 80 Hindus were picked up at midnight during the army and police surrounding the army and police in Hazari Lane, Chittagong.” They reported that security forces had vandalized houses and shops, destroying CCTV cameras for eliminating evidence and brutally beaten by Hindus. Many of the women, children and the elderly were seriously injured in their beatings. They also complained that the security forces had tortured the detainees during interrogation and threatened that Hindus would be accused of non-Jewelry “Acid throwing law”, whose possible punishment was executed. Hindus compare the Hazari Lane expedition to the notorious “Black Night” on March 25, 1971 when the Pakistani army killed innocent Bengalis. The question arises: “Are the Hindus safe in the hands of the army?” “Is this the Bangladeshi Army or the Pakistani Army?” And “Are these army and police officers part of the UN peacekeeping mission?”
