Attacks on Dr. Kamal Hossain and Professor Humayun Azad: Ensure Safety and Security and Bring the Culprits to Justice.

The Human Right Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM) condemns the attacks on Dr. Kamal Hossain and his entourage in Chittagong on his way to Rangamati on Monday, 23 February 2004, and on Professor Humayun Azad on Friday, 27 February 2004, in the strongest possible terms. We urge the government of Prime Minister Khaleda Zia to conduct independent investigations of the incidents, give exemplary punishment to the criminals so that others of their ilk" never dare to commit violence and human rights abuses again.

Dallas, TX (PRWEB) March 1, 2004 --The Human Right Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM) condemns the attacks on Dr. Kamal Hossain and his entourage in Chittagong on his way to Rangamati on Monday, 23 February 2004, and on Professor Humayun Azad on Friday, 27 February 2004, in the strongest possible terms.

Dr. Kamal Hossain, president of Gano Forum (Peoples Forum) Party, is a valiant freedom fighter, member of the Bangladesh Government in Exile during the War of Liberation (1971), one of the architects of the Constitution of Bangladesh (1972), an internationally recognized lawyer and expert on constitutional law, a human rights advocate and founder of Ain-O-Shalishi Kendra (Center for Law and Justice, a human rights organization in Bangladesh). We utterly condemn the attack and fabrication of the incident by Mr. Altaf Hossain, the Home Minister of Bangladesh, with a view to mislead the people of Bangladesh and the international community.

Dr. Humayun Azad, Professor of Bengali, Dhaka University, a man of letters, an author, a humanist, is well known home and abroad as an outspoken critic of the betrayers of the War of Independence and collaborators of oppressing Pakistani Junta, and a voice of secularism and Bengali conscience. We are deeply concerned for his life and safety. We are shocked and speechless; we condemn this act of cowardly violence against Professor Azad vehemently.

As a state party to ICPR, UDHR and other relevant instruments of human rights, the country must bring an end to ongoing violation of human rights and restore fundamental freedom and rights of the citizens in the country. We, together with the international community, have witnessed, since the October 2001 General Election, this kind of behavior by the present government denying attacks on life and property of the people and barbaric violation of human rights of citizens of Bangladesh, specially the religious and ethnic minorities, journalists, authors, human rights activists, political leaders, leaders of the opposition, and those who voice Bengali conscience and uphold humanity, freedom and justice.

We appeal to the government of Bangladesh for prompt action and apprehension of the criminals irrespective of their party affiliation. Once again, we are shocked and alarmed to observe the collapse of the government and law and order in the country. This trend of suppression of human rights and aggression in addition to ongoing atrocities against minorities in the country infringe the very basic norms of a civilized society.

The perpetrators are anti-Bangladesh, and anti-peace. We urge the government of Prime Minister Khaleda Zia to conduct independent investigations of the incidents, give exemplary punishment to the criminals so that others of their ilk" never dare to commit violence and human rights abuses again. We demand that safety and security of Dr. Kamal Hossain and Professor Humayun Azad, in particular, and all citizens of Bangladesh, in general, must be ensured. The law of the land must be implemented without prejudice and any further deterioration. The perpetrators must be dealt with an iron hand, and credibility of Bangladesh as a civilized democratic country must be restored in the community of Nations. The voice of conscience must be allowed to speak freely.
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