Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM)
P.O. Box 5493, Santa Clara, CA 95056-5493
Tel: (212) 592-3627, Fax: (212) 202-7683
Email: info@hrcbm.org
Web Page: http://www.hrcbm.org

Sunday, January 15, 2006
HRCBM/USA/UA_01_15_06/PR01152006

To:  Begum Khaleda Zia, Honorable Prime Minister, People’s Republic of Bangladesh

APPEAL TO:
Honorable Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia
Office of the Prime Minister, Gano Bhaban, Sher-e Bangla Nagar
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Telgrams: Prime Minister Zia, Dhaka Bangladesh, Fax: 88028113243

Ms. Irene Khan
Secretary General, Amnesty International
5 Penn Plaza - 14th floor, New York NY 10001 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Honorable Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C. 20520

Mr. Kofi Annan
UN Secretary General, United Nations Plaza, New York, NY

Bangladesh: Protect the Life and Properties of minorities at Chandrapur village in Kasba, Brahmanbaria.

Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM) is gravely concerned at the news- “Announcement over the Loudspeaker from Mosque to carry out an attack on houses of the Hindu minority community”. The gravity and nature of the attack can only be matched with that of Taliban’s.

Bangladesh Observer wrote in its editorial on Jan 16, 2006, “An announcement from the village mosque over the mike was made to carry out an attack on houses of the minority community. The villagers duly responded to the call with gusto. The result is that two of the victims of this attack are fighting for lives in a hospital and at least five homes have been left severely damaged. This incident reportedly happened in a village called Chandrapur under Kasba, Brahmanbaria on the night of December 31 last and was carried in a Bangla daily only yesterday. The remoteness of the village is responsible for the delayed publication of the news. But it is serious news no doubt. See details at http://www.bangladeshobserveronline.com/new/2006/01/16/editorial.htm

HRCBM vehemently condemns this barbaric act of terrorism perpetrated on minorities in the strongest term. We urge the government of Bangladesh to immediately apprehend the criminals and give them exemplary punishments. Any failure to do so will only encourage the similar violence. Any government inaction would be considered BNP-Jamat coalition government’s de facto policy to encourage violence towards minorities.

Urgent Action Demanded
We urge the government of Prime Minister Khaleda Zia to-
• Apprehend the criminals carried out the attacks on minority community and give the criminals exemplary punishments.
• Apprehend the criminals who have incited the communal attacks and offer them the highest possible punishments to deter future such attacks.
• Provide the needed medical care for the victims.
• Provide the adequate monetary compensations to the victim’s families.

We appeal to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh and the conscience of the peoples, governments and human rights institutions, including the United Nations, for immediate protection of the life and properties of Minorities in Bangladesh.

APPEAL TO:
Honorable Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia
Office of the Prime Minister
Gano Bhaban
Sher-e Bangla Nagar
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Telgrams: Prime Minister Zia, Dhaka
Bangladesh
Fax: 880-2-811-3243
Email: pmo@pmo.gov.bd
Salutation: Dear Prime Minister or Hon'ble Prime Minister.

Honorable Home Minister,
Fax: 880-2-811-3243
Salutation: Hon'ble Home Minister

Mr.Mudabbir Hossain Chowdhury
Inspector General of Police
Police Headquarter
Fulbaria, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Telegrams: Inspector-General Chowdhury
Fulbaria, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Fax: 880-2-956-3362; 880-2-956-3363
Salutation: Dear Sir

PLEASE SEND THE APPEAL IMMEDIATELY:
Please voice your support, fax or mail your appeal to the addresses above, and help save humanity from the perils of barbaric atrocities.

Please contact us at info@hrcbm.org for any question and further details.

NB: This Urgent Action Appeal has been sent to the UN Secretary General, US State Department, US Ambassador to Bangladesh, Bangladesh Ambassador to the US, Amnesty International, IMF, World Bank, Paris Consortium, International Human Rights Organizations, world leaders and governments all over the world.