Bangladesh Army attacked tea-stall owners for being open during Ramadan fasting hours. They also beat up custommers and random passers-by if they were not fasting.
Dhaka, Bangladesh:
Army excesses at Rayerbazar
Staff Correspondent
http://www.dailystarnews.com/200211/19/n2111901.htm#BODY7 A group of army personnel indiscriminately beat up owners and customers of small tea stalls along the Flood Protection Embankment of the city Dhaka City, Capital of Bangladesh) yesterday morning.
Armed with automatic rifles and batons, about eight army men arrived in a pickup at 9.30am near the Sikdar Medical College Hospital in the Rayerbazar area and unleashed a reign of terror.
They clubbed the owners and customers at will and accused them of "spoiling the sanctity of Ramadan". The shopkeepers were selling tea behind
curtains -- well away from the public eye.
The soldiers, in fatigue and helmets, grabbed passersby and asked, "Are you fasting?" They beat up everyone mercilessly.
Some terrified customers managed to run away and the shopkeepers shut down their shops in fear.
After the frightful incident, the army pickup made its way into the Sikdar Medical College Hospital premises that house an army camp.
All food stalls along the embankment up to the new Buriganga Bridge were found closed.
Locals said the army ordered them to keep their shops shut. The army assaulted some shopkeepers FOR PLAYING MUSIC, said one shopkeeper.
This news item is yet another indication -- another eye-openner-- that the country is going fascist. Bangladesh is not just home to Muslims (12% other religions)... and not all Muslims fast -- ie, not everyone fasts. However, it seems that a fanatic section would like to force the custom of fasting on all.
This is a barbaric attack on our basic human rights. The tea-stall owners have everyright to have their stalls open EVEN without the curtains which they drew to show respect and understanding to fasting Muslims.
Showing respect to fasting Muslims by putting curtains seems to have conveyed a wrong message. Some erroneously perceive that not as a sign of respect but that the custommers and the vendors are hiding and doing something wrong. This gives extremists more "moral" courage to curb the basic rights of non-muslims and muslims who are not fasting or practicing other customs.
I have also heard that in student halls other than the Jagannath Hall, fasting is imposed on students. Not only is there a lot of yelling and chaos over the loudspeaker to wake students up before dawn (public nuisance) but I have heard that no breakfast or lunch is served durign Ramadan. (Correct me if I am wrong.)
The army also beat up stall-owners for playing music -- which is an indication of the Taleban nature of the fascism.
The right not to fast is not just a right of a Non-Muslim but also Muslims. But as it is today, the extremists and official forces are using violence and scare tactics into taking away that right -- the choice of the individual. The rights of the individual are being crushed under the razakar-neo-razakar juggernaut. Is it not fascism?
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