Neem Chandra Bhowmik

Last updated

Neem Chandra Bhowmik is a professor in the Department of Applied Physics at the University of Dhaka and a leader of the Hindu minority community in Bangladesh. [1] [2] He is the former Ambassador of Bangladesh to Nepal with a controversial term. [3] [4] He is the president of Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council. [5]

Career

Bhowmik was the general secretary of Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council in 1996. [6]

Bhowmik signed a statement condemning the alleged harassment of Indian diplomat Sarbajit Chakraborti's wife Rupa Chakraborti by Bashundhara Group chairman, Ahmed Akbar Sobhan and his staff. [7]

In September 2007, Bangladesh Army personnel stationed at University of Dhaka and students of the university got into violent clashes with each other. [8] Bhowmik was then the chairperson of the Applied Physics Department of the University of Dhaka. He was detained by Bangladesh Police on charges on instigating the students. [8] [9]

On 22 July 2009, the Awami League government appointed Bhowmik Ambassador of Bangladesh to Nepal. [10] He was also the president of Bangladesh Muktijodha Foundation and Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad. [10] He was serving as the general secretary of Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council. [10] In March 2008, a court found him innocent of all charges. [11]

In July 2010, Bhowmik was awarded the Mother Teresa Gold Medal. [12]

In July 2011, Nepal informed Bangladesh using informal channels that they wished for the withdrawal of Bhowmik from Nepal. [13] According to a report of the Foreign Ministry of Bangladesh, Bhowmik was implicated in a number of irregularities. [13] He had behaved and acted unprofessionally and violated diplomatic norms. [13] He was found being involved in internal politics of Nepal. The report also mentioned Bhowmik had taken kickbacks from Nepali students for providing them with scholarships from the government of Bangladesh. [13] He was accused of stalking and harassing Manisha Koirala, a Nepali film actress. [13] The report notes he was accused of harassing Mrs Apoorva Srivastava, a spokeswoman of the Indian Embassy in Nepal. [13] He drove around Indian Army General J. F. R. Jacob in Nepal in an official embassy car while flying the Indian flag and at a Mujibnagar, the first government of Bangladesh, anniversary day event he called for the playing of anthems of Bangladesh, India, and Nepal. [13] The First Secretary of the Bangladesh Embassy in Nepal, Nasreen Jahan Lipi, had made official complaints to Foreign Minister of Bangladesh, Dipu Moni, in 2010. [13] He was also accused of harassing numerous women and having unprofessional relations with Bangladesh and Nepali women on embassy premises. [13] The government established an investigation committee to look into the allegations of the report. [14] Next year the government issued an order to not extend the term of Bhowmik as ambassador ending his ambassadorship. [15]

In January 2022, Bhowmik was elected president of Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human rights in Bangladesh</span>

Human rights in Bangladesh are enshrined as fundamental rights in Part III of the Constitution of Bangladesh. However, constitutional and legal experts believe many of the country's laws require reform to enforce fundamental rights and reflect democratic values of the 21st century.

The United Nations categorizes Bangladesh as a moderate democratic Muslim country. Sunni Islam is the largest and most dominant religion practiced in the country. In the Constitution of Bangladesh, Islam is referred to twice in the introduction and Part I of the constitution. The document begins with the Islamic phrase Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem which in English is translated as "In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful" and article (2A) declares that:"Islam is the state religion of the republic".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bangladesh Chhatra League</span> Students Political Organisation in Bangladesh

The Bangladesh Chhatra League, formerly known as the East Pakistan Student League, often simply called the Chhatra League, is a students' political organisation in Bangladesh, founded by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on 4 January 1948. BSL is the student wing of the Bangladesh Awami League.

The Constitution of Bangladesh includes secularism as one of the four fundamental principles, despite having Islam as the state religion by 2A. Islam is referred to twice in the introduction and Part I of the constitution and the document begins with the Islamic phrase Basmala which in English is translated as “In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful” and article (2A) declares that :"Islam is the state religion of the republic". Bangladesh is mostly governed by secular laws, set up during the times when the region was ruled by the British Crown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bangladeshis</span> Citizens of the country of Bangladesh

Bangladeshis are the citizens of Bangladesh, a South Asian country centred on the transnational historical region of Bengal along the eponymous bay.

1992 Bangladesh pogroms was a series of violence against the Bengali Hindus and other non-Muslim minorities of Bangladesh, by Islamists in protest against the demolition of Babri Masjid and violence against Muslims in India driven out of hate and revenge mindset continuing from almost 1947. The incidents of violence began in December 1992 and continued till March 1993.

Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council also known as the Bangladesh Hindu Bouddha Christian Oikyo Parishod is a non-profitable organization established to protect the human rights of the religious and ethnic minorities of Bangladesh. BHBCUC is not biased to any religion or political parties or government and not meant for economic or any personal interest. The members and public donations are the source of fund for this charitable organization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chitta Ranjan Dutta</span> Bangladeshi army general (1929–2020)

Chitta Ranjan Dutta Bir Uttom, also known as C R Dutta, was a Bangladeshi war hero who served as major-general of the Bangladesh Army. He was a key sector commander of the Mukti Bahini during the Bangladesh Liberation War. After independence, he served as the armed forces commander in Rangpur and later went on to become the first director-general of the Bangladesh Rifles in 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Bangladesh anti-Hindu violence</span> Anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh

On 28 February 2013, the International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Delwar Hossain Sayeedi, the vice-president of the Jamaat-e-Islami to death for war crimes committed during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. Following the sentence, activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir attacked Hindus in different parts of the country. Hindu properties were looted, Hindu houses were burnt into ashes and Hindu temples were desecrated and set on fire. While the government has held the Jamaat-e-Islami responsible for the attacks on minorities, the Jamaat-e-Islami leadership has denied any involvement. Minority leaders have protested the attacks and appealed for justice. The Supreme Court of Bangladesh has directed law enforcement to start suo motu investigation into the attacks. The US Ambassador to Bangladesh expressed concern about attacks by Jamaat on the Bengali Hindu community.

2013 Bangladesh violence refers to the political instability, increase in crime and widespread attacks of minorities and opposition activists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kajal Bandyopadhyay</span> Bangladeshi writer

Kajal Bandyopadhyay is a Bangladeshi poet, writer, and translator. He teaches English literature and previously worked as head of the dept. of English at the University of Dhaka.

Attacks by Islamic extremists in Bangladesh took place during a period of turbulence in Bangladesh between 2013 and 2016 when a number of secularist and atheist writers, bloggers, and publishers in Bangladesh; foreigners; homosexuals; and religious minorities such as Hindus, Buddhists, Christians and Ahmadis who were seen as having offended Islam and Muhammad were attacked in retaliation, with many killed by Muslim extremists. By 2 July 2016, a total of 48 people, including 20 foreign nationals, had been killed in such attacks. These attacks were largely blamed on extremist groups such as Ansarullah Bangla Team and Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. The Bangladeshi government was criticized for its response to the attacks, which included charging and jailing some of the secularist bloggers for allegedly defaming some religious groups; or hurting the religious sentiments of different religious groups; or urging the bloggers to flee overseas. This strategy was seen by some as pandering to hard line elements within Bangladesh's Muslim majority population. About 89% of the population in Bangladesh is Sunni Muslim. The government's eventual crackdown in June 2016 was also criticized for its heavy-handedness, as more than 11,000 people were arrested in a little more than a week.

Dabirul Islam is a Bangladesh Awami League politician and the incumbent Jatiya Sangsad member representing the Thakurgaon-2 constituency since 1996, during 1991–1996 and 1986–1988. He is chairman of the Standing Committee on Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs. He is a 7-term Jatiya Sangsad member representing the Thakurgaon-2 constituency.

Mahabub Ara Begum Gini is a Bangladesh Awami League politician, member of parliament, and a whip in the parliament.

A. K. M. Bahauddin Bahar ' is a Bangladeshi politician from Awami League and the incumbent Member of Parliament from Comilla-6.

Banshkhali carnage was a targeted killing of 11 members of a Hindu family to grab their land in Bangladesh. There has been no verdict in the criminal case filled over the incident. The accused in the case include politicians of Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

The 2021 National budget of Bangladesh was presented by the Minister of Finance Mustafa Kamal on 3 June 2021. The National budget is for the fiscal year beginning on 1 July 2021, and ending on 30 June 2022. The budget was the second to be presented amid the Coronavirus pandemic.

From 13 to 19 October 2021, Muslim mobs instigated communal violence against Hindu communities across Bangladesh during the Durga Puja festival, in response to a viral video where Quran was kept under a temple idol feet. More than 50 temples and makeshift worship arrangements were vandalized all over Bangladesh.

Habibur Rahman Khan was a judge of the High Court Division of Bangladesh Supreme Court and the only chairman of the Truth and Accountability Commission.

References

  1. ↑ "Minority leader named as Diplomat". ModernGhana. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  2. ↑ "Minority bodies announce weeklong demo seeking election deferment". UNB. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  3. ↑ "Be united to keep Bangladesh-India friendship unharmed: Abdur Razzak | News". BSS. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  4. ↑ "Bangladesh sending investigators to Nepal". Times of Assam. 30 October 2011. Archived from the original on 11 August 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  5. ↑ "Representative of minorities in EC sought". New Age. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  6. ↑ Refugees, United Nations High Commissioner for. "Refworld | Bangladesh: Information on the Bangladesh, Hindu, Buddhist and Christian Unity Council (Bangladesh, Hindu, Buddhist Christian Oihya Parishad); on the name of the general secretary; and on whether the organization issues membership letters to individuals who have left the country". Refworld. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  7. ↑ "The Daily Star Web Edition Vol. 5 Num 468". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 15 June 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  8. 1 2 "Prof Neem sent to jail on surrender". The Daily Star. 19 September 2007. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  9. ↑ "DU teachers and students observe Black Day". Dhaka Tribune. 23 August 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  10. 1 2 3 "Neem Bhowmik new envoy to Nepal". bdnews24.com. Archived from the original on 29 March 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  11. ↑ "4 DU students appeal against conviction". The Daily Star. 19 March 2008. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  12. ↑ "20 receive Mother Teresa Gold Medal". The Daily Star. 22 July 2010. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Nepal wants Bangladesh envoy recalled". bdnews24.com. Archived from the original on 29 March 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  14. ↑ "Probe body to check allegations". The Daily Star. 19 July 2011. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  15. ↑ Karim, Rezaul (30 June 2012). "Major changes in foreign office". The Daily Star. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  16. ↑ Pintu, Rafiqul Islam. "Dr NC Bhowmik president, Rana Dasgupta secretary". The Asian Age. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.