Communal Violence: Responsibility to fall on law enforcers

Law enforcement agencies will have to take the responsibility if there is any communal violence before, during, or after the next national election, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal said yesterday.

He made the comment when Bangladesh Hindu, Buddha, and Christian Oikya Parishad leaders demanded strict measures to prevent violence centring the polls during a meeting.

The EC has some control over law enforcers up to 15 days after elections, the CEC told reporters after the meeting at his office in Agargaon.

"We'll keep an eye on that. It is the responsibility of the law enforcement agencies to maintain communal harmony before and after elections. If that doesn't happen, they will have to bear the responsibility."

The CEC said the parishad leaders said communal violence took place during the past polls. They fear that such violence may reoccur.

"We have taken this into consideration ... . We take the matter very seriously. We have also said the law enforcers will look into that," said Habibul.

"We will inform the government, deputy commissioners, superintendents of police, and the home ministry of the matter so that no communal violence happens," the CEC added.

Talking to reporters, Rana Dasgupta, general secretary of Bangladesh Hindu, Buddha, and Christian Oikya Parishad, said they told the commission that they were fearing "communal violence" over the polls.

"We clearly said we want to exercise our voting rights and don't want any violence-prone election," he said.

The parishad submitted a memorandum to the CEC stating that they are "concerned" as Bangladesh, which emerged through a Liberation War, has now turned into a "diplomatic war zone" of global powerhouses.

It also demanded that areas dominated by minorities be announced as "risky zones" during the upcoming national election. Law enforcers should be deployed there and a "monitoring cell" should be set up for dealing with any situation.