Resignation of home minister demanded

The Dhaka city unit of Bangladesh Hindu Bouddha Christian Oikya Parishad yesterday protested and condemned the Banshkhali arson attack in which 11 members of a Hindu family were burnt to death.

Addressing a rally, the parishad leaders said the Banshkhali incident was not merely a robbery rather a pre-planned killing to create a sense of insecurity among the religious minorities in the area.

Attacks on the religious minority group have increased as the communal forces are being patronised, they said.

The leaders urged all progressive forces to build up a resistance against the communal forces to maintain religious harmony in the country.

Srimoth Bodhipal Mahathero, Anil Chandra Nath, Advocate Subrata Chowdhury, Advocate Shiekh Abdul Haque and Kajol Debnath spoke at the rally.

UNB adds: Two hundred and five teachers of Dhaka University have condemned the arson attack in Banshkhali and demanded resignation of the home minister.

"The government can't avoid its responsibility. The home minister should resign for his failure to ensure safety and security of public life and property," they said in a joint statement yesterday.

The teachers also demanded immediate arrest of and exemplary punishment to those involved in the attack.

The signatories to the statement included Prof. Dr. Khandaker Bazlul Haq, Prof. Sharif Ullah Bhuiyan, Dr Shahid Akhter Hossain, Prof. AK Azad Chowdhury, Prof. Shahadat Ali, Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique, Prof. Durgadas Bhattacharya, Dr Harun-ur-Rashid, Prof Aminur Rashid and Dr Mizanur Rahman.