Form separate ministry for religious minorities

Minority community leaders yesterday demanded that the government form a separate ministry for religious minorities in the country before the next parliamentary polls to ensure their rights.

They also demanded a national commission and a separate act for the minorities, and urged all political parties not to nominate candidates who work against minorities in the upcoming election, slated for later this year.

The demands were made at a discussion organised by Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad, a platform for religious minorities, at Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka. The programme was organised on the occasion of Oikya Parishad's 30th anniversary.

General Secretary of the platform, Advocate Rana Dasgupta, said the government should ensure security of the minorities to protect them from pre and post polls violence.

“If any political party nominates any candidate who works against the interest of the minorities, we will not vote for them. We will even boycott election at those constituencies,” he said.

The parties should give nomination based on ratio of religious communities so that minority groups are better represented at the parliament, said Rana Dasgupta, while reading a written statement.

He also demanded the election commission put a ban on using religious institutions, like mosques, temples and churches, in election activities.

Speaking at the discussion, Awami League's Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif said the minorities are still target of the anti-liberation war forces.

“All problems cannot be solved overnight.

We will take initiatives to solve the issues of the minorities step by step,” he said.

Former election commissioner Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain said special monitoring of areas with minority communities during the election is a must to prevent pre and post polls violence against them.

One of the presidents of the Oikya Parishad, Hubert Gomes; Jatiya Party Co-Chairman GM Quader; former National Human Rights Commission Chairman, Mizanur Rahman; Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) President, Mujahidul Islam Selim; Socialist Party of Bangladesh General Secretary, Khalequzzaman; Workers Party of Bangladesh General Secretary, Fazle Hossain Badsha, also spoke at the event.