Exhibition on Atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh at the Capitol Hill

WASHINGTON, DC — An exhibition of pictures, posters and panels vividly describing the atrocities on Hindus in the Bangladesh caught the attention of influential Congressmen and key policymakers from the Bush Administration this week. The two day-exhibition titled Asru was held at the Rayburn House Office Building at the US Capitol on July 30 and July 31. The panel of some 27 exhibits, which graphically chronicled deteriorating condition of the Hindus and other religious minorities in Bangladesh over the past several decades, was put together by the Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM) and Foundation Against Continuing Terrorism(FACT).

“It is time that the world knew what is happening with the Hindu minorities in Bangladesh,” said Amalendu Chatterjee, HRCBM Director. The population of the Hindus in this Muslim-majority country,he pointed out has dropped from as high as 37 percent in 1940s to a mere 11 percent now. “It is all because of the atrocities perpetrated on the Hindus by the ruling class all these years,” he said. Instrumental in organizing an exhibition on plight of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh for the first time in the history of the Capitol, the efforts of HRCBM and FACT did cut ice among the Congressmen and key policymakers who took time out of their busy schedule to have a look at what was at display. All the representatives and their staffers reiterated the need to protect the rights of minorities and to deal with Islamic groups in a resolute manner,” said Utsav Chakrabarty, an organizer. He is right as the exhibition received bipartisan support from Congressional leaders and was attended by concerned citizens, political analysts and human right watchdogs.

Moved by the graphic description of the condition of the Hindus and other religious minorities in Bangladesh, powerful Congressman Ed Royce(RCA) said in the visitor’s book kept at the exhibition: “The international community must take action against these genocidal acts now before this culture is extinguished and the minorities forcibly killed, converted,or exiled in the face of an underground jihad.” Royce who spent more than an hour at the exhibition hall visiting each and every panel expressed optimism that due to this effort by HRCBM and FACT, members of Congress will be educated “as to the extreme challenge and persecution faced by Hindus, Buddhist and Christians due to the threat posed by Islamist fundamentalism in Bangladesh”.

Influential Joseph Crowley,who is also co-chair of Congressional Caucus for Bangladesh , said the exhibition “serves as an important reminder to the international community that we must remain vigilant in preventing violence, suffering and loss around the world.” He expressed his willingness to “continue working with my colleagues in Congress to help all of the people of Bangladesh to ensure their religious and ethnic backgrounds are respected”.

Crowley , who is a member of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, said: “The exhibit highlights the need for the Bangladeshi government to continue its efforts to end crimes and abuses against minorities in the country.” Frank Pallone, Jr, who sponsored the event at the Capitol said after visiting the exhibition: “I was proud to be the Congressional sponsor of this important exhibit on human rights in Bangladesh. I believe it helped to bring much-needed attention to the plight of minorities in Bangladesh who have suffered from increasing attacks over the past few years.”

The event also had presentationsby Rep. Ileana Ros Lehtinen (R-FL), Ranking Member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH), Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-NC), Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL). Other speakers at a panel discussion organized during the exhibition period included Richard Benkin, Author, Human Rights Activist, Defender of Bangladeshi Journalist Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, Shahriar Kabir, reputed journalist and human rights activist, Samaresh Baidya, senior reporter of Daily Bhorer Kagoj, a news daily in Bangladesh and Toni Van Pelt, Government Affairs Director, Center for Inquiry Office of Public Policy.All the representatives and their staffers reiterated the need to protect the rights of minorities and to deal with Islamic groups in a resolute manner.

Toni Van Pelt felt the generally conceived opinion that Bangladesh is a moderate Muslim nation is far from truth. Expressing dismay at the apathy of the human rights groups towards Hindu rape and molestation victims, she urged the media to take the cause of Hindus in Bangladesh by covering such incidents.

Shahriar Kabir urged forglobal pressure on governments in Bangladesh to take stringent action against Jamaat-e-Islam for its role in continuing atrocities against minorities. He also reiteratedthe need to repeal the vested interest property act which allows the government of Bangladesh to confiscate properties of non resident Hindus and anyone it chooses to deem as an enemy of the state. Samaresh Baidya narrated his experience as someone who has faced the wrath of Islamist first hand. He underlined the need for journalist community to expose the reality. Dwijen Bhattachariya, from Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, Professor Columbia University ,felt that Bangladesh was quickly turning into a Taliban like state with potential for becoming a breeding ground for next generation of jihadi terrorists.Rosalind Costa, a social worker from Bangladesh narrated her experience of rescuing women in rural areas. She described the case of two minor rape victims Rita Rani Das and Purnima Shil who were gangraped by Jihadis and forcibly converted to Islam.

“Our goal was to create awareness and activism in order to alleviate the plight of Hindus and other religious minorities in that region. And we have achieved it,” said Chatterjee, adding that encouraged by the response the organizers have now decided to take this exhibition to other parts of the country as well, with Houston being its next destination later this month.