Oikya Parishad report misleading

The Chief Adviser's Press Wing yesterday said that the recent report of Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad, which claims that violence against religious and ethnic minorities continues to persist unabated in Bangladesh, misrepresents the actual situation.

On March 12, the Oikya Parishad released a report saying that in January and February of this year, a total of 92 incidents of violence were recorded, including 11 murders, three incidents of rape, 25 attacks on temples, an accusation of blasphemy, six attacks on indigenous communities, 38 cases of attacks, vandalism, and looting of homes and businesses, two cases of job terminations, and six other forms of attacks.

In a rejoinder, the CA Press Wing stated yesterday that these incidents were not connected to communal violence.

Preliminary investigations by the police indicate that the deaths occurred at the hands of troublemakers, driven by a variety of factors such as prior enmity, theft, domestic disputes, and reckless behaviour.

The press wing statement detailed several incidents to illustrate the nature of the deaths.

In Gaibandha, Diplu Sarker was killed over a dispute over stolen money, and in Netrakona, Dilip Kumar Shaha Roy was murdered by unknown assailants while his family was away. Rajib Talukder died due to a personal feud, and Gita Rani Das in Sunamganj tragically died after being struck by an unidentified motorcycle while crossing the road, said the statement.

The statement added that Umepru Marma in Bandarban was shot following a dispute over a goat, and Sree Palash, an auto-rickshaw driver in Chapainawabganj, was murdered by criminals attempting to steal his rickshaw. Sree Dipen Munda in Moulvibazar was killed as part of a long-standing dispute, while Kanai Shabdakar died after a family quarrel. Kanai Pashi was found dead under mysterious circumstances in a tea garden, and Arnab Kumar Sarker, a Khulna University student, was shot by unknown assailants over a previous conflict. Lastly, Utpal Roy in Narayanganj was killed during a robbery at his home.

These examples illustrate that the deaths were largely the result of personal disputes, criminal acts, or accidents, not communal violence as claimed by the council, the press wing statement read.

The statement claimed that unfortunately, this is not the first time the Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council has misreported such stories.

Time and again, the council has made controversial claims about the abuse of minorities in Bangladesh. Yet, when confronted with the facts, they persist in refusing to correct their misleading publications, the statement added.

The council acting general secretary, Monindra Kumar Nath, told The Daily Star, "The information we provided on March 12 is based on incidents reported in various national newspapers. At the same time, we have verified these facts on the ground. Therefore, all the information we have provided is entirely true."

He said, "Unfortunately, the government has opposed our findings. We expect the government to investigate our information, arrest those involved, and ensure justice."