State of the World's Minorities 2006 - Bangladesh

The persecution of religious minorities featured prominently within the political development of Bangladesh. In January 2004, the Bangladesh government imposed a ban on Ahmaddiya publications as a response to growing demands from mainstream Sunni Imams for Ahmaddiyas to be declared non-Muslims. On an application by the Ahmaddiya community, the High Court intervened to grant a stay of the governmental executive order in December 2004. Police and governmental authorities nevertheless continued to seize books and documents relating to Ahmaddiya faith, and colluded with Muslim extremists to remove signs referring to Ahmaddiya places of worship as 'mosques'. There was also a sustained campaign of harassment, violence and physical abuse against the Ahmaddiya minority. On 29 October 2004, a mob of around 300 men belonging to Khateme-Nabuwat party attacked a mosque in Brahmanbaria, seriously injuring 11 Ahmaddiyas. On 17 April, a crowd of religious extremists attacked another Ahmaddiya mosque in Jotidriangar injuring 25 people. There was also harassment, abuse and physical destruction of properties belonging to religious minorities during the period 2004–5. On 1 January 2004, local Bangladesh National Party officials set 20 houses belonging to the Hindu community on fire. This action was repeated in Sarkerpur village in Rangpur district in September 2004. During April 2004, 12 Ahmaddiya houses were destroyed and, on 18 September 2004, Christian convert Dr Joseph Gomes was killed by unidentified assailants. Religious minorities also continued to suffer from discrimination in key areas of the public sector: jobs, higher education and access to justice. The Hindu minorities and the indigenous peoples (particularly those from the Chittagong Hill Tracts) have blamed the government for being complicit in continued seizure of their lands by the so-called Muslim vigilantes and those belonging to extremist religious parties.