The document reports on human rights violations against religious minorities in Bangladesh. It discusses definitions of key terms like religious minority, ethnic cleansing, and human rights violations. It outlines the obligations of states to protect religious freedoms and prevent discrimination according to international laws and treaties. It then analyzes the situation in Bangladesh, finding widespread discrimination and violations against Hindus, including demolition of religious sites, massacres, rape, kidnapping, forced conversion, and displacement from lands. The plight of Hindus is attributed to violations of religious and social values as well as political and economic marginalization of religious minorities in Bangladeshi society.

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REPORT ON VIOLATION OF HUMAN
RIGHTS OF RELIGIOUS MINORITIES
Ethnic cleansing and plight of Hindus from
Bangladesh
The human rights of religious minorities determine the social, political and
economic condition leading their life style, opportunities, and enough space of
enjoying their rights and rituals according to their believe and faith. Religious
minorities in Bangladesh represent Hindu, Buddhist, and Christian communities
whoare by faithand numericallyminorinBangladesh. Protectionof humanrights
of religious minorities obligate States must refrain from interfering with or
curtailing the enjoyment of human rights. The obligation to protect requires
States to protect individuals and groups against human rights abuses. The
obligation to fulfill means that States must take positive action to facilitate the
enjoymentof basichumanrights.Atthe individual level,whilereligiousminorities
are entitled human rights, all should respect the human rights of others.
2014
JhumaHalder
IndependentConsultant
12/22/2014

2. REPORTONVIOLATIONOFHUMAN RIGHTS OFRELIGIOUSMINORITIES
Table of content
Contents
1. Introduction..............................................................................................................................3
2. Definition of religious minorities................................................................................................3
3. Definition ofethnic cleansing.....................................................................................................3
4. Definition of human rights violation..........................................................................................4
5. States obligations.......................................................................................................................4
6. Status of human rights violation of religious minorities: Bangladesh.........................................5
- Basic human rights violation..................................................................................................6
- Women rights violation..........................................................................................................6
- Religious atrocities: demolition of deities, temples, pagoda and church .................................6
- Massacre on religious minorities............................................................................................6
7. Situation analysis ofviolation of human rights of religious minorities.......................................7
- Basic human rights violation..................................................................................................7
- Women rights violation..........................................................................................................7
- Religious atrocities: demolition of deities, temples, pagoda and church .................................7
- Massacre on religious minorities............................................................................................7
8. Reasons of plight of Hindus from Bangladesh...........................................................................8
- Violation of religious values ...................................................................................................8
- Violation of religious ethics....................................................................................................8
- Religious defamation..............................................................................................................8
- Social condition ofBangladesh Minorities .............................................................................8
- Political condition ofBangladesh Minorities..........................................................................8
- Economic condition of Bangladesh Minorities .......................................................................8
9. Suggestions/overcoming barriers...............................................................................................8
10. Conclusions............................................................................................................................8
11. References..............................................................................................................................8

3. REPORTONVIOLATIONOFHUMAN RIGHTS OFRELIGIOUSMINORITIES
1. Introduction
The widespread discrimination among the Religious Minorities in Bangladesh needs to be
addressed. Over the last sixty years religious minorities in the erstwhile East Bengal turned
Bangladesh have scarcely occupied adequate public spaces. The participation of Non-Muslims in
nearly all political spaces is low which can have an adverse impact on the Bangladesh Hindu
society and polity in the long run. They are marginalized either have inadequate numbers that
comes in the way of making their presence felt in the normal course of governance or they are
not politically empowered. In those areas where obstruction to Religious Practice; Extortion;
Forced to Move Out; Looting and grabbing of land property; destruction of temples property,
physical assault on them including Rape, Kidnapped and Murder specially Human Rights were
violated throughout Bangladesh last over the years.
These are: a) 1699 minority temples were demolished, b) 5050 minority families forcefully
displaced from their own land and properties, c) 406 forcefully converted to Islam, 302 were
killed, d) 392 were raped and 2900 physically assaulted, e) 50 persons were assaulted under the
police custody and one was killed in Gopalgong police custody.
They also showed some data of last two years, these are: 706 Hindus girls are forcefully
converted to Islam, 302 Hindu persons have been killed, 292 Hindu women and children have
been raped and gang raped, 2900 Hindu persons have been physically tortured, 5050 Hindu
persons have been displaced, 3128 Hindus house burnt and looted, 1699 Hindu temple have been
demolished and burnt.
In 2013 a large number of arson attacks and looting of minority religious sites and private homes
across the country, especially against the Hindu community in Bangladesh. Reports from
national human rights organizations, 495 statues, monasteries, or temples were destroyed; 278
homes and 208 businesses were destroyed; 188 were injured; hundreds displaced, and one person
was killed during the year. In November, a mob assaulted a Hindu man and set fire to 26
homesteads in a predominantly Hindu village in Bonogram, Pabna. The police reportedly did not
detain any of the perpetrators the victim named but did detain an individual who sheltered
Hindus during the attack. Increased violence against minorities in the lead-up to the elections
shows how minority communities are especially vulnerable during periods of political instability,
when some partisans exploit latent communal sentiment to settle scores, take land, or intimidate
opponents to achieve political aims.
2. Definition of religious minorities
Religious minority is a group of people that is different in some respect such as race or religious
belief from the majority and that is sometimes treated differently as a result a number of such
group. Some courts have held that the term minority in this sense is not limited to a group of that
is outnumbered. It may also be applied to a group that has been traditionally discriminated
against or socially suppressed even if its members are in the numerical majority in an area.
3. Definition of ethnic cleansing
Ethnic cleansing is the term which is officially sanctioned forcible and systematic diminution or
elimination of targeted ethnic minorities from a geographic area, usually by confiscating real and
personal property, ordering or condoning mass murders and mass rapes and expelling the

4. REPORTONVIOLATIONOFHUMAN RIGHTS OFRELIGIOUSMINORITIES
survivors. The purpose of ethnic cleansing is to drive all members of the victimized group out of
territory. In practice ethnic cleansing is nearly synonymous with genocide because mass murder
as a characteristic of both. Ethnic cleansing additionally includes mass rapes for two cultural
reasons:
a. The victims are often put to death by their relatives or commit suicide and
b. Any children born are regarded as belonging to the father’s ethnic group, not the
mother’s. Both acts murder and rape are intended to diminish or extinguish the victimized
minority.
4. Definition of human rights violation
The term human rights means the freedoms, immunities and benefits that according to modern
values (esp. at an international level), all human beings should be able to claim as a matter of
rights in the society in which they live. And the term violation means an infraction or breach of
the law, the act of breaking or dishonoring the law, the contravention of a right or duty, rape,
ravishment, a public welfare offence. Therefore, the term human rights violation referred that the
use of physical force on human body and soul which is vehemence or outrage and accompanied
by fury. Some counts also have held the term violence in labor dispute which is not limited to
physical contact or injury, but may include picketing with misleading signs, false statements,
erroneous publicity and veiled threats by words and acts.
5. States obligations
The Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh affirmed about sacred duty to
safeguard, protection and defend the constitution and to maintain its supremacy as the
embodiment of the will of the people of Bangladesh. Article – 2A of the Bangladesh Constitution
said about state religion of the Republic is Islam, but other religions may be prescribed in peace
and harmony in the Republic. Article – 31 said about right to protection of law. To enjoy the
protection of the law, and to be treated in accordance with law and only accordance with law is
the inalienable right of every citizen wherever he may be and of every other person for the time
being within Bangladesh, and in particular no action detrimental to the life, liberty, body,
reputation or property of any person shall be taken except in accordance with law. Article 32 said
no person shall be deprived of life or personal liberties save in accordance with law. Article – 39
(1), freedom of thought and conscience is guaranteed. Article 41 (1)(a), subject to law, public
order and morality – every citizen has the right to profess, practice or propagate any religion.
Article 41 (1)(b), every religious community or denomination has the right to establish, maintain
and manage its religious institution.
UDHR – Article 18: Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, this
right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in
community with others and in public or private to manifest his religion or belief in teaching,
practice, worship and observance.
Article – 9 (1) of European Convention on Human Rights – 1950 said everyone has the right to
freedom of thought, conscience and religion, this right includes freedom to change his religion or
belief and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private to manifest
his religion or belief, in worship, teaching, practice and observance.

5. REPORTONVIOLATIONOFHUMAN RIGHTS OFRELIGIOUSMINORITIES
ICCPR – Article – 18 (1) everyone shall have the right to religion. This right shall include
freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice and freedom, either individually or
in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in worship,
observance, practice and teaching.
American Convention on Human Rights 1969, article – 12 (1), everyone has the right to freedom
of conscience and of religion. The right includes freedom to maintain or to change one’s religion
or beliefs and freedom to profess or disseminate one’s religion or beliefs, either individually or
together with others in public or in private.
African Charter on Human and People’s Rights 1981, article – 8, freedom of conscience…free
practice of religion shall be guaranteed. No one may subject to law and order, be submitted to
measures restricting the exercise of these freedoms.
The constitution of Pakistan – 1973, Article 20, subject to law, public order and morality –
a) Every citizen shall have the right to profess, practice and propagate his religion
b) Every religious denomination and every sect hereof shall have the right to
establish, maintain and manage its religious institutions.
6. Status of human rights violation of religious minorities: Bangladesh
Religion is all about love, respect, forgiveness, tolerance, patience and self-criticism. In modern
world the sum of these basic principles are termed as “human rights”. There is no doubt that
there are differences between opinion and faith. The statistics of violation of basic human rights
showed that non-Muslim population in Bangladesh has been dwindled to 8.9% from 19.6% in
last 40 years. As the US House foreign relations committee Chairman Ed Royce told in
Washington, D.C. on 20th Nov 2013 at a hearing on Bangladesh that ’49 million people (non-
Muslims) are missing from Bangladesh since 1947.
In Bangladesh abduction of young girls from religious minority communities, indiscriminate
rape, and conversion to Islam under threats are very rampant and used as tools for persecution of
minorities and drive them out of the country. Often times the Islamic fundamentalists rape
minority women including underage girls in front of their families as a consequence of
continuing to live in a Muslim country, as they claim it. Many of the kidnapped girls have never
been returned or rescued; government has shown no inclination to take action against these
heinous crimes either. Most of the kidnapped women have been forcibly converted. Muslim
religious leaders gleefully perform the service of conversation with the tacit approval from the
government. In spite of innumerable instances of kidnap and rape, the law enforcement has
turned a blind eye on the issue and utterly fails to do anything to discourage the practice.
The Islamists perpetrate these cruel and criminal acts on the minorities for three reasons. One,
they are driven by their twisted ideologies of attaining Behesta (Heaven) for themselves and their
seven generations by converting non-Muslims. Two, their greed for occupying minority owned
properties through forced abandonment. The last, their dream to transform Bangladesh into a
homogenous (pure) Islamic country as the minorities, unable to cope with unending violence,
flee from the country. All these are made easy for the fact that rape carries severe social stigma

6. REPORTONVIOLATIONOFHUMAN RIGHTS OFRELIGIOUSMINORITIES
in Bangladeshi society and culture, where half of the population is also illiterate, whose value
system is shaped by the religious practices and popular beliefs and not by secular laws or
international standards. So when rapes occur the whole family fall victim to it as the rape victims
themselves become social outcasts along with their families. There is no end to this time tested
tactic.
- Basic human rights violation
Sl.
No
Nature of violation Men Women
Physically assault
Kidnapped
Threaten
Land grab
- Women rights violation
Sl.
No
Criteria of Violation Women Child
Rape
Gang rape
Conversion
Kidnapped
Abduction
Murder
Sexually assaulted
- Religious atrocities: demolition of deities, temples, pagoda and church
Sl.
No
Name of religious place Temple Pagoda Church
- Massacre on religious minorities
Sl.
NO
Name of place Year Year

7. REPORTONVIOLATIONOFHUMAN RIGHTS OFRELIGIOUSMINORITIES
7. Situation analysis of violation of human rights of religious minorities
There remained a gap between "reality and perception" while lack of mutual trust and confidence
remained to be a "big problem". Many Hindu temples have been desecrated and destroyed in
Pakistan during the War of Bangladesh in 1971. Government administrative and law enforcing
agencies remained mysteriously silent in rural Bangladesh and district towns, when complaints
were lodged by religious minorities or killings, extortion, rape, arson, forceful eviction form
properties, raiding places of worship such as “Mandirs”, destruction of idols and other statues,
disrupting, religious festivals ‘Pujas’ or ‘Melas’ (State of Human Rights, 1993, pp. 78). The state
failed to provide security to the minorities despite equal rights guaranteed to them in the
constitution. The self-contradictory “Islam – State Religion Provision” and “Vested Property
Act” compromised making the state pledges meaningless. “The Enemy turned Vested Property
Act” and 15th amendment in Constitution in 2010 contradicts the basic spirit of the Proclamation
of Independence of Bangladesh and the basic promises of the Constitutional provisions of
“equality, equity, freedom and justice for all citizens”. This Vested Property Act along with the
5th and 8th Amendments in constitution is inherently communal, anti- Hindu and anti democracy.
- Basic human rights violation
- Women rights violation
- Religious atrocities: demolition of deities, temples, pagoda and church
- Massacre on religious minorities
An estimated 500,000 persons belonging to the minorities have fled to India after the 2001
elections. In particular, Jamat e Islami has proclaimed that their objective is to set up a Sharia
State. Militants aspire to converse the religious minorities to Islam, or otherwise force them to
leave the country. In addition to the killings, looting, forced conversions, kidnappings and arson,
hundreds of women irrespective of age were allegedly raped immediately after the elections.
Gang rape is possibly one of the most cynical and heinous of crimes, but yet an efficient tool in
the form of personal punishment, frightening and destroying entire communities.” Her
concluding Remarks were: “[…] there are certainly clear indications that may lead to the
conclusion that those rapes could constitute genocide under the ICC statute, article 6 (b). It has
been my ambition to illustrate that the rapes in Bangladesh are taking place in a context of
general structural discrimination and that the state appears unwilling or unable to acknowledge
and/or take action. […] I can conclude that violence against women [rapes] in Bangladesh will
not end until firstly, the general structure of discrimination against minorities and women is
acknowledged and secondly, the notions and practices of male dominance are challenged,
deconstructed and ultimately transformed. As a signatory to the CEDAW and to the ICC Statute,
the ultimate responsibility for such endeavours as expected lies within the individual State.

8. REPORTONVIOLATIONOFHUMAN RIGHTS OFRELIGIOUSMINORITIES
Unless the state of Bangladesh takes immediate action to acknowledge these atrocities and
expresses its full commitment to bring them to an end, there might be indications that support the
claim that the rapes in Bangladesh are committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part the
Hindu group as such. ((http://www.hrcbm.org); (www.ghrd.org )
8. Reasons of plight of Hindus from Bangladesh
These quotes are enough to understand the severity and the condition in which the non-Muslims
girls are living in Bangladesh. I made a 22-page dossier for this conference, which contains more
than 200 rapes, but for time constrain, I can’t read all those. I have copies for you and please feel
free to contact me if needed. In conclusion, I wish this conference put some emphasis and do
something for these poor victims of the militant Islamists. Once again, only international
pressure can stop ISIS and same is the situation in our case, in Bangladesh. Save us first, then we
will take initiative for peace, and together we all can achieve peace
- Violation of religious values
- Violation of religious ethics
- Religious defamation
- Social condition of Bangladesh Minorities
- Political condition of Bangladesh Minorities
- Economic condition of Bangladesh Minorities
9. Suggestions/overcoming barriers
10. Conclusions
11. References
a) Newsletter of BHBCUC (Bangla and English)
b) Asian Tribune, Dated – 09th August 2014
c) http://www.hrcbm.org;
d) http://www.ghrd.org
e) The Daily Star
f) The Daily Prothom Alo
g) http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/religiousfreedom/index.htm#wrapper
h) Bangladesh Constitution
i) UDHR
j) ICCPR
k) European Convention on Human Rights – 1950

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l) American Convention on Human Rights 1969
m) African Charter on Human and People’s Rights 1981
n) The constitution of Pakistan