Ensure Safety and Security of the Family Dr. S. Mukherjee, Jhenaidah, Bangladesh: Bring the Culprits to Justice

Bangladesh must stop murders of minority leaders and ensure that safety and security of minority community in the country.

HRCBM PRESS RELEASE
Bangladesh (PRWEB) September 19, 2003

The Human Right Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM) is gravely concerned at the ongoing violence and atrocities against religious and ethnic minorities, and indigenous people of Bangladesh. The barbaric acts of violence and human rights abuses perpetrated against the minorities in general intensified since the October 1, 2001 General Election of Bangladesh. Today we report, with deep anguish and grave concern, the brutal murder of Dr. Sudhir Kumar Mukherjee, a prominent physician, freedom fighter and leader of Jhenaidah, Bangladesh.

The report of the gruesome murder of Dr. Mukherjee on September 19, 2003, in Prothom Alo (a Bengali Daily, and The Daily Star (an English daily) cast a pall of gloom on Jhenaidah, a district town in Bangladesh.

Dr. Sudhir Kumar Mukherjee, an octogenarian physician, founding President of Khulna Division Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA), President of Bangobandhu Parisad of Jhenaidah, President of District Puja Observance Committee, Past President of Jhenaidah Hindu, Buddhist and Christian Unity Council, Past General Secretary of Chuadanga District Awami League, and an inspiring leader of the minority community.

According to the newspapers, a gang of four miscreants killed Dr. S.K. Mukherjee on broad daylight. On September 18, 2003, while Dr. Mukherjee was supervising renovations of his house, the doorbell rang at about 2 PM local time. The widely regarded physician went to his chamber at the ground floor. Curious at not hearing any sound, Anna Karmakar, housemaid of Dr. Mukherjee, went down to the chamber and found the door locked from inside. She then peered into the doctors chamber through the window and found to her awe that the octogenarian physician was lying in a pool of blood in front of the door. Upon hearing the screams of Anna, neighbors rushed to the house and took Dr. Mukherjee to Jhenaidah General Hospital where the doctors on duty pronounced him dead. At least six stab wounds were found on the body of Dr. Mukherjee. No other members of the family but Dr. Mukherjee, his wife and the housemaid lived in the house. Dr. Mukherjees wife was not in the house at the time of the murder. She was visiting her village home at Boaliya, Jhenaidah Upazila (Sub-district).

At the time when this heinous killing took place, the leader of the Opposition, Sheik Hasina, was addressing a meeting at a local school (Wazir Ali School) premises. On hearing the news, She went to the hospital to see Dr. Mukherjee. She told the journalist, None of us are safe now”.

Two of the neighbors told the news media that Dr. Mukherjee told them that, about a week ago, a group of young people demanded a large sum of money from him. The murder may be linked to the demand of large sum of money. However, the District Superintendent of Police, Mr. Abdullah Al Mahmood, told the media that the motives behind the killing are not yet definitely established.

A sense of deep loss, sadness, anguish and fear for life and security is prevailing in Jhenaidah, especially within the minority community.

The perpetrators are anti-Bangladesh, anti-peace and destructive cannibals who are still allowed to commit these barbaric acts of crime against the most nonviolent, peace-loving and helpless human beings belonging to the minority and tribal communities of Bangladesh. These abominable creatures in human forms” must be caught, punished and eliminated from the society so that others of their ilk” never dare to commit violence again.

Many such incidents of brutality and heinous crime happened since the General Election of October 1, 2001. The minorities are still crying for justice and punishment of the criminals of these other barbaric acts of violence perpetrated against the religious minorities and tribal communities in Bangladesh.

HRCBM urges the Prime Minister of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh to instruct the law enforcement authorities to:
· Provide immediate protection to the family of Dr. S.K. Mukherjee,
· Arrest the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

HRCBM further urges the Prime Minister of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh to ensure that:
·The laws of the land and those of a free democratic society are enforced,
· Secularism and communal harmony is restored,
· Basic human rights of all citizens enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are upheld, and,
· Security of life and property of the minority communities in Bangladesh are guaranteed.
·The perpetrators must be dealt with an iron hand.
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Dhiman Deb Chowdhury
President, Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM)