Mis-interpretation of Islam: Obscurantism has no place in Islam which is universally known as a progressive and dynamic religion. But some unenlightened persons often misinterpreted the provisions of the holy scriptures to suit their selfish purpose or their extremely constricted religious views. But even in 2001, the wise and enlightened court verdict came in a suo moto case concerning an incident in a village in Naogaon in which Shahida Begum was forcibly given in ‘hilla’ (interim) marriage with her husband’s relative following a ‘fatwa’ (religious decree) by a self-appointed religious leader, Azizul Huq. The plea was that Shahida’s marriage with her husband had stood dissolved because during a quarrel the husband had pronounced the word ‘talaq’ (divorce). The court held that Shahida’s marriage had not been dissolved according to the provisions of the Muslim Family Law Ordinance, 1961, and that even if for argument’s sake it is conceded that the marriage was dissolved, there is no legal bar to the couple re-marrying, without any interim marriage with a third person.

Forgery: In the name of microfinance the NGOs are setting up a parallel banking system. The high rates of interest they charge would not qualify them as cooperative enterprises ... many NGOs in the area Naogaon are fake and are defrauding the people[1].

Communal repression: One of the incidents of communal repression in Bangladesh occurred in Naogaon : On November 10, 1989, several temples in the city of Naogaon were attacked and structurally damaged. Fear and panic spread in the Hindu villages near the city of Naogaon and many villagers went into hiding for fear of life and prosecution - on the Pretext of Babri-Masjid / Ram-Mandir Situation in India. Later, in January 3, 2001,  a Hindu housewife Putul Rani Das (22 yrs) was gang-raped at her house by an armed gang.  The fanatics  afterwards killed her and left her corpse. In January 25, 2001, Islamic fanatics attacked the houses of Ratan Mohanta and Dilip Barman.  They looted property worth over Taka 100,000 ($1,900 U.S.).

Minority Situation: In a well publicized incident in 2000 in Naogaon district, the heartland of Ashrai's work, local leaders forged documents and harassed a group of 19 Santal families for nearly two years in order to scare them from their land. When the families refused to move, the leaders hired thugs one night who burned down the Santal homes and ambushed people as they escaped the inferno. The story of the minorities in this area is a sad one. Alfred Soren, the leader of the Santhals, who was burnt to death in Naogaon. As one was killed; many more were critically injured; the police took four and half hours to arrive on the scene (Daily Star, August 21, 2000). The Oraons, who have adopted many Hindu ways, face the added burden of government legislation that strips Hindus of legal rights in the event of land-loss! This Santhal slaughtering happened at Vimpur village of Mohadevpur upazilla under Naogaon district. Ethnic minority has a high place in our Constitution, philosophy and national ethos. What happened at Vimpur is a big shame to our civilised sensibilities.