Protest against Brutal Attack on BIPF’s general secretary Sanjeeb Drong

INTRODUCTION:

BIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:

Date of the Incident: 22 January 2010 around 12.30 pm

Name of the Victim: Sanjeeb Drong

Father Name: Suhrid Gagra (late)

Mother Name: Noyoni Drong (late)

Age: 43 years

Address of the Victim: 62 Prabal Housing, Ring Road, Mohammadpur, Dhaka

Name of the Perpetrators: 10/12 miscreants including 1 person belongs to Garo. Two miscreants were identified as Mr. Supen Toju (Garo person) and Mr. Krishna Saha (Bengali person).

Address of the Perpetrators: Unknown. However, Mr. Supen Taju (Garo person) is from Madhabpur, Sub-district Susong Durgapur under Netrokona district

Place of Incident: Nearby place of Shaheed Rasimoni Smritisoudha of Ranikhong under Susong Durgapur upazila (sub-district) in Netrokona district

Method used: Attempt to murder by hurt with stick

Case file: Complain was lodged with Susong Gurgapur police station, case number 21/21

Date of Case: 22 January 2010

Under Section: 341/323/427 of Bangladesh Penal Code

Mr. Drong has been working for human rights for down trodden people in general and rights for indigenous peoples in particular. He has been involved with Bangladesh Indigenous Peoples Forum, a national platform of indigenous peoples in Bangladesh. He has been representing the national and international forum including the session of United Nations and its specialized agencies for indigenous peoples in Bangladesh and also UNPFII and ILO. His is actively involved with the justice, peace and integrity of creation, many human rights and civil society organisations. Mr. Drong takes part in all the indigenous meetings, rallies, movements and gatherings. He gives input talks as resource person for seminars and meetings.

Mr. Drong has been writing for causes of indigenous peoples in Bangladesh and national issues since student life. He has published four hundred columns in the national dailies and little magazines and five books on indigenous peoples’ issues. He has also been serving as free-lance journalist for long time. He has got very close connection with the printing and electronic media in Bangladesh.

FACT IN BRIEF:

On that day, Mr. Sanjeeb Drong was inhumanly beaten up and his motor bike was damaged at the same time. He got very bad muscle injury on both arms and blisters on the skin. He managed to get out of the spot running for life. Mr. Drong was immediately rescued by the Bishop of Mymensingh, Bishop Paul Ponen Kubi CSC and the Priests having meeting at the near by Parish on the occasion of the Centennial celebration of Ranikhong Catholic Mission. Bishop Paul Ponen Kubi, CSC and the Regional Director of the Caritas Regional office in Mymensingh took him to the SSMI Sister's Hospital for first aid and brought him back to Mymensingh town in the evening. From there he brought back to Dhaka by car at 11:00 pm.

It is suspected that the incident was organised by a ruling indigenous parliamentarian because Mr. Drong spoke against his recent corruption. That leader sold out a piece of land in Dhaka to an NGO for 7.5 crore taka ($11 million) which was given by the Government of Bangladesh for protection of cultural of indigenous peoples in plains land. Mr. Drong was one of the strong oppositions spoke against that corruption.

One of the miscreants named Krishna Saha has been arrested on that day by the police. It is learnt that the ruling political leaders are trying to influence the district administration to free him.

ACTION NEEDED:

Please write to the authorities in Bangladesh urging them to:

1) Conduct judicial inquiry of the attack and identify the persons who was involved behind the screen;

2) Immediate arrest the miscreants who committed the attack including the Garo person Mr. Supen Toju;

3) Prosecute exemplary punishment to those found responsible for the attack;

4) Provide full security to Mr. Sanjeeb Drong so that he can move around freely and continue his normal way of life.

Please write to the authorities of Bangladesh Government

§ Ms. Sheikh Hasina, Honourable Prime Minister,  Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Prime Minister’s Office, Tejgaon, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Fax : +880 2 8113243 / 3244 / 1015 / 1490, Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

§ Dr. Dipu Moni, Honorable Minister, Foreign Ministry, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Dhaka, Fax: +880 2 9558566, Tel: 956-2852

§ Ms. Sahara Khatun, Honorable Minister, Ministry Home Affairs, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Secretariat, Dhaka, BANGLADESH, Fax: +88-02-7160405, 88-02-7164788 (O), Tel:+88-02-7169069  (O)

§ Mr. Dipankar Talukdar MP, Honorable State Minister, CHT Affairs Ministry, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Secretariat, Dhaka, BANGLADESH, Tel: +880-2- 7161774, E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

§ Mr. Nur Mohammad, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Bangladesh Police, Police Headquarters', Fulbaria, Dhaka-1000, BANGLADESH, Fax: +880 2 956 3362 / 956 3363, Tel: +880 2 956 2054 / 717 6451 / 717 6677, E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it