Most cases filed over communal attacks in Bangladesh languish in courts for years on end, encouraging perpetrators to commit more such heinous acts without fear of reprisal.

Police are yet to prepare charge sheets in six of the eight cases relating to the Nasirnagar attacks in 2016, while the trial over the Ramu violence-related cases are stalled as witnesses are reluctant to testify in court.

The four cases related to mob attacks on members of the Hindu community at Boro Karimpur village in Pirganj last year remain pending due to police failure in arresting the suspects named in the charge sheet.

Members of the minority community claimed that no case relating to communal attacks had been disposed of in the last 10 years. Many suspects were freed on bail after being detained, fuelling the frustrations of victims.

Reasons for the backlog

Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua said many witnesses are unwilling to testify due to the lack of a witness protection law.

“The perpetrators continue to threaten the witnesses and, since they are afraid and do not show up in court to testify, the cases are not progressing,” he said. “Without punishment, the violence is not going to come down.”

The lawyer also pointed out that the delays are not dependent on the judiciary because the cases are criminal cases which are dependent on the state for justice.

“Various organs of the state are involved in the stages of investigation, evidence collection, identification and charge sheets. So, strong action by the state is required to dispose of the cases,” he said.

Rana Dasgupta, general secretary of Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad, said: “During the 2018 elections, the Bangladesh government promised a Minority Protection Act, but no progress has been made. If the law is formulated and a minority commission is formed, issues will be much easier to resolve. If there is a specific law, sluggishness in handling the cases will be reduced.”

Ain o Salish Kendra general secretary and human rights defender Nur Khan Liton told Dhaka Tribune: “Communal attacks are recurring due to the government’s failure to punish criminals. As no strong message is conveyed through justice against these perpetrators of communal violence, violence is on the rise. Despite the presence of the law and justice system, the perpetrators feel encouraged because of a lack of justice.”

Citing previous trends, Nur Khan said he believes the attacks are rising in number as the election is approaching and many use such attacks in the interest of their politics instead of preventing them. He also said many cases are not proceeding for years as witnesses are not showing up in court due to insecurity.

Do not react without verification

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has claimed that the law enforcement agencies have completed investigations into the communal attacks and have submitted charge-sheets on time, but the cases remain pending in courts.

Stating that about 3.5 million cases are pending in the judicial system, he said the chief justice is trying to resolve them but it takes time.

Speaking in Dhaka on Friday, the minister said different social media posts which hurt religious sentiments are fuelling religious sentiments in these attacks taking place. He requested that people learn first what has happened before reacting to such activities.

An eerie pattern

Around ten years ago, miscreants attacked, looted, and set fire to 19 Buddhist monasteries, shrines and 41 homes in Ramu, Ukhiya and Teknaf of Cox’s Bazar on September 29 and 30.

The violence erupted after a Buddhist youth named Uttam Barua was allegedly tagged in a picture on social media that insulted the Prophet (pbuh) and the Quran.

Just last week, villagers in Sahapara under Dighalia village of Lohagara upazila of Narail became violent, vandalized a temple, grocery stores and several homes of the Hindu community, alleging that a Hindu boy had made a post on Facebook that hurt their religious sentiments.

Although 10 years have passed, eerie similarities between the two incidents are readily apparent.

At least 1,642 Hindu houses were attacked, destroyed, or set on fire while 456 businesses suffered the same fate between 2013 and June 2022, according to data compiled from news reports by Ain O Salish Kendra.

As many as 1,807 temples, monasteries, and statues were attacked or vandalized. At least 13 people were killed and 1,037 were injured.

Vandalism and robbery at temples as well theft or vandalism of idols, etc, are common activities resorted to by the perpetrators in each of the attacks. Negative remarks about the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) and hurting religious sentiments are by far the most common causes of the communal troubles.

by Nawaz Farhin Antara in Dhaka Tribune, July 24, 2022

https://www.dhakatribune.com/nation/2022/07/17/narail-youth-on-3-day-remand-for-hurting-religious-sentiments