Free Lajja by Taslima Nasrin

daughter-in-law were raped by an influential crook of the same area, Nojir Mridha. A case was registered. However, Horen Biswas and his family and relatives had to leave the country because of continuous persecution by Nojir and his cohorts.
    On 19 and 20 May, the police of Debogram village in the Kotalipara sub-district of Gopalganj arrested Anil Kumar Bagchi, Sushil Kumar Pande and Makhan Lal Ganguly on charges of being involved with the Bongobhumi movement. They were let go after large sums of money were paid as bribes.
    A drunk Romesh Chondro Ojha of Mirakathi village, in the sub-district of Jhalkathi of Jhalkathi district, was forcibly made to change his religion. Romesh Chondro’s wife, Minoti Rani, and his older brother, Nirod Ojha, were also pressurized to convert. When Minoti Rani complained about this matter to the eminent people of the locality, they threatened her and told her that there would be beastly torture coming her way. Minoti Rani ran for her life and is still on the run.
    In Jobai village in the Kochua sub-district of Gopalganj, a sacked policeman called Sultan raped Sudhir Baidya’s wife. She was so ashamed that she went into hiding, and Sudhir Baidya received threats to his life. In the same village, some people slaughtered a cow belonging to Upendro Malo and ate it. Upendro was abused and humiliated when he appealed to the administration for help.
    Kartik Ray of Boultoli village of Boultoli Union of Gopalganj lost his life to the Muslims of his neighbourhood when he tried to protect the paddy that was growing in his fields. His wife, Renuka, was forced to say that his brutal murder was a natural death.
    Premanondo Sheel belonged to Dokkhin Chandpur in the Laksam sub-district of Comilla. On 4 December 1988, at about eight o’clock in the evening, Abdur Rahim had Premanondo’s daughter, Monju Rani, who was studying in Class IX, abducted by his students. A case was registered the next morning at the Laksam police station. Even now, there is no news of Monju Rani. The supporters of the abductors continue to threaten Premanondo Sheel and his family, and the police play the role of silent spectators. The Hindu parents of this area are afraid to send their daughters to school.
    On 25 April, the police arrested sixteen Hindus while they were singing kirtans in Gutia village in the Ujirpur sub-district of Borishal. They were daily-wage labourers in betel-leaf plantations.
    After the National Religion Bill was passed, many Hindus of Siddhirpasha village in the Abhoynagar sub-district of Joshor sold their land worth 20,000 takas a bighafor seven or eight thousand and left for India because of rumours that Hindus would no longer be able to sell their properties. Madhob Nandi, a local, tried explaining to many of the fleeing Hindus that they should not heed such rumours. A few days later, Madhob Nandi’s home was attacked in the dead of night by a dozen men carrying knives, lances and other such instruments. They raped Madhob Nandi’s daughter and also his daughter-in-law, who was seven months pregnant.
    Deben Biswas was killed by a bullet on 15 May in the Khoksha sub-district of Kushtia. A case was registered but no one has yet been arrested.
    On 12 and 16 August 1988, the police accompanied by some armed young men attacked the village of Goribpur in the Chitolmari sub-district of Bagerhat. They broke the idols in the temples and raped women. Twenty or maybe twenty-one people were severely beaten up and then let go in exchange for money. Narayan Bairagi, Sushanto Dhali, Anukul Barei, Ronjon Dhali and Jogodish Bairagi were imprisoned for a long stretch. A similar attack was carried out in Chorbaliari village and fifteen or sixteen people were held and then let go in exchange for money. In the villages of Hijla and Borbaria too, eight or nine people were held and tortured and then let go in exchange for money.
    In Parkumira village in the Tala sub-district of Satkhira, Chhonda, the adolescent daughter of