DHAKA, BANGLADESH, September 25, 2002: A four member United States congressional team is in Dhaka to investigate reports of attacks on Hindus living in Bangladesh. The delegation will submit a report to the International Affairs Committee of the U.S. Congress by October 3 in Washington D.C. The team, which arrived here Monday, will meet Hindus who were allegedly tortured in the period following the October elections in which the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led alliance came to power. Leaders of the Bangladesh Puja Udjapon Committee, for Durga Puja celebrations, had reportedly urged members of the Hindu community, Bangladesh’s largest minority, to speak out at home and abroad against the atrocities. State Minister for Water Resources Goutam Chakrabarty has accused the Hindu leaders of inciting communal disharmony by asking Hindus to publicize the attacks on them. Chakrabarty told the official BSS news agency: “The remarks of these leaders have annoyed members of the Hindu community. It’s a suicidal bid and a conspiracy to destroy communal harmony.”
A daily summary of world news for Hindus and non-Hindus alike