Minority leaders worried about attacks, torture

Buddhist and Christian community leaders yesterday expressed concern at the prevailing law and order as the religious minorities have been the victims of recent targeted attacks.

In a meeting with the leaders of the Awami League-led 14-party alliance, a Buddhist leader came down hard on police repression during the June 6-13 anti-militant drive.

Health Minister Mohammed Nasim, also an AL presidium member, chaired the meeting at the party president's Dhanmondi office.

Speaking at the meeting, Buddhist Federation President Ashim Ranjan Barua alleged that two small traders from their community were picked up by police during the special drive. Cops demanded Tk 1 lakh for their release and freed them after receiving TK 20,000, he added.

Nasim in response said the government would take action against police repression if there were any specific allegation.

Talking to The Daily Star, Ashim said police had detained the traders from the capital's Rampura area and took them to the CID office. The law enforcers asked them to pay Tk 1 lakh. “We managed to convince the police to free them for Tk 20,000,” he mentioned.

Police launched the drive in the wake of recent targeted killings suspected of being carried out by militants. According to a release of the Police Headquarters, law enforcers rounded up around 11,684 people during the drive.

Ashok Barua, general secretary of the Buddhist Federation, told the meeting that target killings were being committed to destabilise the country as part of national and international conspiracies.

Expressing worries about the law and order, he stressed the need for taking social, political and administrative actions to stop such killings.

Nirmal Rozario, secretary general of Bangladesh Christian Association, said secret killings were part of a deep-rooted conspiracy. “We believe that such killings can be prevented through public resistance.”

However, many religious minority leaders hailed the government for its measures to curb militancy.

The health minister claimed that the BNP-Jamaat combine was carrying out secret killings to create unrest in the country.

“After facing defeats in all fronts, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has been trying to prove to the world that Bangladesh is a communal country,” he added.

Top leaders of the 14-party alliance were present at the meeting.

Earlier on June 12, the combine had a meeting with the leaders of Bangladesh Hindu-Bouddha-Christian Oikya Parishad. Minority community leaders in that meeting expressed anger over the alliance's role in protecting them from attacks.

Parishad General Secretary Rana Dasgupta alleged that the alliance leaders didn't stand by them following attacks. He also viewed that the series of attacks on religious minorities reminded him of the brutality during the Liberation War in 1971 when they became the worst victims.