Bangladesh : Police fail to rescue minor Hindu girl abducted by jihadis

Shravan Krushnapaksha 10, Kaliyug Varsha 5116

Distressed Hindu parents Harish Chandra Roy & Ms.Shova Rani Roy, submitted a plea to help rescue their minor daughter from the clutches of jihadis bent on forcefully converting her. HR activists of Bangladesh Minority Watch (BDMW) at Dinajpur Chapter Mr.Shymol Banarjee, Mr. Kamal Kanta Karmakar and Mr. Biraj Kumar Basak on 17.07.2014 visited the spot for fact-finding. They met the victim’s father and mother, relevant witnesses available at that time, inquired about how the minor girl was abducted.

The victim's parents informed the BDMW activists that their adolescent daughter had passed the Secondary School Certificate final examination. While she used to go to school fanatics Mohammad Nur Alam (son of Azizur Rahman) and his cronies used to eve-tease her. The distressed parents had previously submitted a complaint against those persons, however they did not get any justice from the police station nor from the local administration.

They further stated that, in her holiday period on 7th June 2014 their daughter went to visit her maternal uncle’s house in the Ranipur Area. On 10th June 2014 at about 6.30 p.m. while their daughter was returning from her uncle’s home Mohammad Nur Alam along with Mohammad Nur Nabi and Mohammad Azizur Rahman (all on motorcycles) waylaid and forced her to get on the motorcycles. She was then taken towards an unknown destination from Ram Dubi Road. The witnesses cried for help but the jihadis managed to escape.

The minor victim's father first lodged a first information report (FIR) against the following jihadis at Kotwali Police station on 13th June 2014 under section 7/30 of Women and Children Repression Act, 2002.

1) Mohammad Nur Alam (21)
2) Mohammad Nur Nabi (25)
3) Mohammad Azizur Rahman (47)
4) Mohammad Jashim (20)
5) Ms. Nur Jahan Begum (42)

Bangladesh Minority Watch – Dinajpur chapter investigated the matter on 17th July 2014 , visited the spot, victim’s house, met the victim’s father and mother, recorded statements of witnesses, took pictures etc. and submitted a report. The Police has however completely failed to rescue the victim girl and has not arrested any of the accused as of 19th of August, 2014.

In their press release BDMW has said that,

1. It is very concerned with dilatory tactics of police to recover the minority school girl since the lodging of FIR. BDMW demand immediate rescue of the victim girl and arrest of the accused jihadis.

2. The accused should be brought to book as per law of the land.

3. States parties should take proper steps for recovery of the girl without any discrimination. The state should try to implement the ratified covenant in terms of human rights declaration.

4. Forceful conversion to Islam by dubious mechanism (swearing affidavit) of minor girl is illegal and punishable under the law. So this abduction should be treated with the seriousness of the law in mind.