Did an anti-Hindu pogrom occur in Bangladesh?

Throughout May, numerous reports coming out of Bangladesh told of a chilling attack on Hindus in an area of the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka known as Sutrapur. Several human rights groups and small Bangladeshi papers wrote that the community of perhaps 400 Hindu Dalits (more familiarly "Untouchables") was engaged in its daily routine when "hundreds" of Muslims stormed the area, accompanied by police. They started abusing residents, according to the reports, and demanded that they quite the area, leaving the coveted land to the attackers. Several informants claim that the police stood by while residents were beaten, houses sacked and in at least three cases burned to the ground, and a Hindu temple to the god, Shiva, was destroyed. They also claim that the police cited Bangladesh's anti-minority (and especially anti-Hindu) Vested Property Act as the legal basis for evicting the families, who have resided in the area for about 150 years, paying taxes and utilities.

Others, however, claim that "nothing happened," and that the police said there was no temple destroyed "just a few deities." The police refused to investigate the matter at first but eventually relented.

What we have confirmed is that there were at least three attacks on the community on 30 March, 16 April, and 29 April. A good deal of the land was seized by attackers who claim that the land was forfeit to Muslims under the Vested Property Act, a claim supported by Dhaka police. At least a dozen Hindu families remain homeless. There are a number of other facts alleged, which I am continuing to investigate.

One fact remains clear, however: none of the bodies which shouldbe publicizing and investigating the matter has said anything, save for a few mentions in various Bangladeshi newspapers. While some have tried to justify the attack as nothing more than a "land dispute," that denial is even more damning as apologists for the current government in Dhaka seem to think it a proper way to resolve civil disputes!

Anyone who has verifiable information about these incidents or the current status of the victims, possession of the land, or the police investigation, is urged to contact me immediately through this blog, FACEBOOK, or at drrbenkin@comcast.net. By doing so, you will be helping to uncover the ongoing cover-up of the ethnic cleansing of Bangladeshi Hindus.