9 JUNE 2005 – OBSERVANCE OF MINORITY DAY IN FRONT OF BANGLADESH DEPUTY HIGH COMMISSION

9 June is observed as Minority Day in Bangladesh. On this day in 1988, Bangladesh
constitution was amended (known as 8 th Amendment) to declare Islam as state religion. Before in 1977, the constitution adopted in 1972 after liberation war was amended (known as 5 th Amendment) to include “Absolute trust and faith in Allah as guiding priciple of all state axtivities” in Fundamental Priciples Clause 8 (1). Also the whole Clause 12 on Secularism was removed. To protest against islamisation of Bangladesh CAAMB organised a demonstration opposite to Bangladesh Deputy High Commission at Kolkata on 9 June at 2 pm. Deputy High Commission closed all its acitivity for the day for this demo. There was much police presence and they wanted us to shift the venue. Anyway we carried on and it was a succesful meeting. Chayan Roy and Sujit Chowdhury presented a memorandum to B"desh Govt through Dy High commission. A number of speakers spoke at the gathering. Shri Subrata Chowdhury,
Kolkata representative of BHBCUC was present. Similar meting was held at Dhaka, New York, Paris, London and Geneva.