It’s unexpected, unfortunate

Attacks on religious and ethnic minorities at a time when the government that always upholds the spirit of the Liberation War is in power is really unexpected and unfortunate, said leaders of Bangladesh Hindu, Bouddha, Christian Oikya Parishad yesterday, demanding intervention of the prime minister in this regard.

They staged demonstrations in Dhaka, Chattogram, and other parts of the country protesting the recent communal attacks on minority communities including the arson attack on Hindu houses in Muradnagar of Cumilla.

Saying that the government's actions to tackle such atrocities are not enough, the minority communities demanded stern action against the perpetrators who are harming religious harmony in the country.

Criticising the role of the home minister, law enforcement agencies and vice-chancellors at different universities, they said arrest and expulsion of the students in the name of "hurting religious sentiments" must be stopped immediately.

They said what is happening in the country right now is against the fundamental principles of the 1972 constitution. They demanded putting a stop to attacks on minority communities, which they claimed were done through spreading rumours.

They also demanded that the government form a commission to investigate all the attacks since 2012.

Addressing the rally, Oikya Parishad leaders claimed that they are living amid uncertainty as the "government failed to protect them".

Hundreds of people from minority communities led by the Oikya Parishad gathered in front the National Museum in Shahbagh around 10am for two hours and held a rally there.

They held placards and banners saying "Stop communalism: Wake up brave Bangalee" and "Stop using Facebook for communal attack".

Former Supreme Court Justice AHM Shamsuddin Choudhury Manik, prominent journalist Abed Khan, activists of Bangladesh Udichi Shilpigoshthi and leaders of Bangladesh Tarikat Federation expressed solidarity with the protest.

At least 17 people from religious and ethnic minority communities have been killed between March and September, as communal attacks continued even amid the pandemic, according to the parishad.

Member of parliament Ushatan Talukder, vice president of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Jana Sanghati Samiti, said, "Today, a few fundamentalists are implementing the blueprint of an international conspiracy in the country... If the government can stop militancy in the country, then why would these few people dare to commit misdeeds? Shall we just stand and watch?"

Nimchandra Bhowmik, president of Oikya Parishad, said all the democratic and social forces have to join hands to deal with the anti-liberation forces. He said arrests on false pretexts should be stopped.

Expressing solidarity with the rally, journalist Abed Khan said it seems that the Liberation War is not over yet.

"Today, even when the government that upholds the spirit of the Liberation War is in power, it is our misfortune that we are talking about minorities being tortured, we have to ask the government to look for the perpetrators… and we have to stand here..."

He said today, if anything happens abroad, temples are burnt and destroyed in this country. Secular politics is under threat, he added.

A victim family of Cumilla's Muradnagar incident also took part in the rally.

In Chattogram city, the parishad members took to the streets in New Market intersection area.

Addressing the rally, Rana Das Gupta, general secretary of the parishad, said the prime minister wants the Hindu community to live in peace and prosperity. But he doubted how many Awami League leaders wanted the same.

Referring to the resistance of the party led by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to protect minority communities during the Pakistan era, Rana Das questioned where the spirit of that party has gone… where is that political leadership?

He warned that they will organise a long march if the communal attacks are not stopped immediately.

Meanwhile, similar protests were held in different parts of the country including Barishal, Pabna, Jhenidah, Narsingdi, Rajshahi and Jamalpur.