BANGLADESH HINDU BAUDDHA CHRISTIAN UNITY COUNCIL
(An organisation for the establishment of human rights of religious minorities in Bangladesh)
Tel: 0208 599 9630, 0208 551 0602, 0208 889 5954, 0207 247 4575
Fax : 0208 586 1098
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12 April 2005

Press Release

A motion against the persecutions and discriminations on the religious minorities and secular groups was discussed at Amnesty International’s AGM and Annual Conference 2005. The conference took place from 8th April to 10th April at Lancaster University, Lancashire. It was presented in front of 550 – 600 delegates from different parts of the UK and was conveyed overwhelmingly. After a series of friendly amendments the motion read as follows:

“The AGM notes the AI report on Bangladesh of 2002 and 2004 and the continuation of abuses committed by fundamentalist parties. The AGM deplores and condemns the continued rise of violence in Bangladesh especially bomb attacks on secular groups and the recent killing of former Finance Minister, Mr. S M Kibria. The meeting also notes the abuses of human rights especially against minority faiths communities of Hindu, Buddhist, Christians and repression against secular and civil society members.”

The AGM calls on AIUK to make a representation to the Bangladesh Government to:

Publicly condemn these attacks,
Bring the perpetrators to justice,
Take initiative to pass anti-racism and anti-discrimination laws in parliament,
Take all necessary steps to stop the killings and harassment of secular and minority groups and prevent such abuses in future.

The motion was proposed by Sujit Sen and seconded by Mrinal Kanti Sarkar.

On 12 April 2005, a joint meeting between Lord Eric Avebury the Chairman of the European Human Rights Conference on Bangladesh (to be held on 17 June 2005), Vice Chairman Human Rights Group, Mr. Reza Kibria (son of Mr. S M Kibria -the assassinated finance minister of Bangladesh and member of Asma Kibria Campaign Group), Mr. Rashed A Mahmood Titumir (an academic and trustee of centre for research and action development), Mr. Sultan Shariff and Ansar Ahmedullah of Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee and Sujit Sen of Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council UK, took place at the residence of Lord Eric Avebury. Mr. Kibria gave details of his father killings and the government’s failure to save his father’s life. He also narrated the vivid picture of uprising fundamentalism and attacks on the religious minorities in Bangladesh. Mr Reza Kibria said the purpose of his mother’s campaign is to find out the culprits and to stop future political killings. The meeting discussed the various steps of protecting the human rights situation in Bangladesh. Earlier it was decided in the conference committee meeting that an organisation will be formed shortly, made up of a combination of British Politicians, University Academics and Human rights organisations, for the safety of the religious minorities, secular and civil society in Bangladesh.


Sujit Sen