Blast at Temple in Cumilla Injures Priest, Sparks Panic in Area
Four people, including a priest, were injured in a cocktail explosion left by miscreants at a temple in Cumilla city. The incident occurred around 6:30 PM on Saturday (March 7) at the Kali Gachtala Shiva Temple in the South Thakurpara (Baganbari) area of the city. Police said that two more cocktail explosions took place at nearby locations around the temple at the same time.
Minority Disabled Woman Gang-Raped While Returning from Kirtan in Bhola
A 26-year-old minority and mentally disabled woman was gang-raped while returning from a kirtan event in Tajumuddin Upazila, Bhola. The incident occurred late on Sunday night (February 22) in Daspara area of Shashiganj village, under Chandpur Union. She is currently undergoing treatment in critical condition at Bhola 250-Bed General Hospital.
Seven Hindu Families Allegedly Targeted in Post-Election Violence in Noakhali
At least seven Hindu families in Hatiya upazila of Noakhali district were reportedly targeted in coordinated attacks within 72 hours of Bangladesh’s 13th National Parliamentary Election, according to local residents and victims.
Dragged and Burned: Bangladesh Garment Worker Lynched, Shocking the World
A BBC report has detailed the brutal killing of 28-year-old garment worker Dipu Chandra Das, who was lynched and burned by a mob in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district on 18 December after being accused of insulting the Prophet Muhammad.
Participation of disabled and minority voters was limited
Although the overall process surrounding the 13th National Parliamentary Election and referendum remained largely peaceful, four civil society organisations have expressed concern over various limitations faced by marginalised communities in exercising their voting rights and the rise in post-election violence. Representatives of the organisations presented their preliminary observations at a joint press conference held at The Westin Hotel in Gulshan, Dhaka.
Yes, No and Different Layers of Legal and Constitutional Righteousness
Generally, a referendum or plebiscite calls upon the electorate of a country to cast direct votes on any proposal, law, economic or political issue. For example, in a referendum staged on June 23, 2016, around 52 percent of the British voters who did took part in it, decided to come out of the European Union (EU). Or, I have seen the news headlines of Pakistan’s call to India for a referendum in Kashmir since my childhood.
Human Chain Calls for Protection of Minority, Indigenous and Women Voters Ahead of Election
With only three days remaining before the 13th National Parliamentary Election, civil society organisations have expressed serious concern over the safety and voting rights of minority, indigenous and women voters across the country.
Interim Government Has Turned Minorities into Second-Class Citizens: Robayet Ferdous
The interim government has turned religious and ethnic minorities into “second-class citizens” over the past one and a half years, commented Robayet Ferdous, a professor of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism at the University of Dhaka.
Bangladesh’s Hindus Face Growing Fear as Violence Increases Ahead of Election
Dipu Chandra Das, a 27-year-old Hindu garment worker, was accused in December by several Muslim colleagues of making derogatory remarks about the Prophet Muhammad. The accusations drew a violent mob to his workplace. He was beaten to death, his body hung from a tree and set on fire.
Washington Post: Rising Attacks on Hindu Minorities in Bangladesh Ahead of Election
As the national election draws closer, attacks, killings, and vandalism of places of worship targeting the Hindu minority in Bangladesh have increased at an alarming rate, according to a report by the U.S. newspaper The Washington Post. The report states that political instability, polarization, the resurgence of Islamist groups, and a culture of impunity are deepening fear and uncertainty among minority communities.