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Government declared the sect to be non-Muslim. This was reportedly the latest of a
series of similar attempts by Islamist groups to prevent the Ahmadiyyas from openly
practising their beliefs, and had led to incidents of the Islamist groups’ trying to shut
down community centres, putting up hate signs on their places of worship and
confiscating their religious materials and prayer books.
25.
Moreover, the editors and journalists at the largest Bangladesh daily, Prothom
Alo, were reportedly threatened with attacks by an Islamist group for publishing
investigative reports about the activities of a number of madrasas (religious schools)
in rural areas. It was believed that editors and journalists of other newspapers had
received similar threats.
26.
On 10 November 2004, the Special Rapporteur sent a communication
regarding Islamic groups that had allegedly attacked an Ahmadiyya place of worship
in Brahmanbaria on 29 October 2004, as a result of which at least 11 Ahmadiyyas
suffered serious injuries. Islamist groups then threatened to carry out the attacks more
frequently and without prior notice. It was reported that they had named Ahmadiyya
places of worship as the targets of their attacks every Friday during noon prayer time.
Places of worship in Narayangonj and Nakhalpara were allegedly of special concern.
In Nakhalpara, flyers had been distributed calling for the culmination of a year-long
anti-Ahmadi campaign in a “celebration” that would create a “mass explosion” while
in Narayangonj, announcements had been made that attacks against the Ahmadiyya
community would take place in the run-up to Eid ul Fitr, which marks the end of the
holy month of Ramadan.
27.
By letter of 16 November 2004, the Government of Bangladesh responded to
the communication of 10 November 2004 and reiterated the information provided in
its letter of 24 May 2004 (see above). The Government also made clear that there
would be no change in the religious status of the Ahmadiyyas.
Follow-up to previously transmitted communications
28.
By letter of 19 August 2004, the Government of Bangladesh responded to a
communication sent by the Special Rapporteur on 11 April 2003 and provided the
following information:
(a)
On 22 April 2002, Gyan Jyoti Barua, a Buddhist monk in Rawzan,
Chittagong, was reportedly murdered in his bedroom by a group of 10-15
unknown assailants. The same day, a case was lodged in this connection under
section 302/34380 of the Bangladesh Penal Code with Rawzan Police Station. A
special team of investigators headed by an Assistant Superintendent of Police of
the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the City Zone was assigned to the
case, under the direct supervision of a Special Superintendent of Chittagong Police
and an Additional Inspector General of CID. The Home Minister, the Foreign
Minister and the Inspector General of Police visited the site after the incident and
directed that every effort should be made to bring to justice all those believed to be
involved. Subsequently, on 21 December 2002, one Elias Mohammad, alias Yar
Mahmood, was arrested and made a confession implicating himself and six other
persons namely, Azizul Haque, Nurul Islam, Putul Barua, Zahir, Gyas and Manik,