A fact finding team of five members formed by JusticeMakers Bangladesh comprising Advocate Mohammad Alamgir, Vice Chairman of JusticeMakers Bangladesh, Mr. Gonesh Rajbonshee, Volunteer fact finding officer of JusticeMakers Bangladesh, led by Advocate Shahanur Islam, Founding Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer of JusticeMakers Bangladesh has been conducted a fact finding investigation mission from February 23 to 25, 2012 regarding the incident of communal arson attacked on Hindu religion minority community in Hathazari Upazila under Chittagong District perpetrated on February 09 and 10, 2012.
During the time of investigation, the fact finding team visited the all spots of incident, talked with the victim of arson attacked as well as physical assault, talked with the eyewitness, local civil society people and local administration as well as collected the all information and documented it with video and still picture format. Though the victim of violence knows most of the perpetrators, they did not willing to disclose their name scaring for imagining future trouble, they will face if they mention. In this time Justicemakers Bangladesh fact finding team documented al least 13 temples, 6 Hindu’s homes and 6 business shops was set fire to ashes, vandalized and looted the valuable properties and also physically assaulted at least one Hindu community minority people.
During investigation the JusticeMakers Bangladesh observed that the attacked was preplanned patronizing by some Islamic and non Islamic political party spreading own created communal rumor of destruction of a local mosque. The team also observed that the arson attacked, physical assault, looting and vandalizing activities has been perpetrated on the nose of local administration. As the victims inform the local administration more time to ensure their protection and the local administration primarily assured them to ensure their security, but unfortunately due to unknown reason they failed to protect them.
JusticeMakers Bangladesh also observed that during the agitation the police showed restraint and nothing to do to stop the vandalism. Moreover, though the police registered the five criminal cases with the Hathazari as well as arrested 21 perpetrators connecting the incident, there is no coordination with each others and failed to arrest the main perpetrators.
JusticeMakers Bangladesh gravely concerned over this incident of communal arson attacked on Hindu religion community in Hathazari Upazila under Chittagong district and demands bring the perpetrators before the book urgently after an impartial judicial investigation formed by High court judge as well as rehabilitate the victim of violence ASAP.
The full report of fact finding mission will be published soon both in English and Bengali version.
