People behind minority attacks must be punished: Ex-CJ

ABM Khairul Haque

The perpetrators behind the attack of minority community should be brought to justice and be punished under the penal court, former chief justice ABM Khairul Haque said today. 

On the other hand, Prof Mizanur Rahman, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) chairman, said the government must take stern action against the person responsible for the attacks.

The former chief justice and the NHRC chief made the comments while talking to reporters during a meeting of the Law Commission's recommendation for enacting a law against discrimination of people at the Judicial Administration Training Institute in the capital.

The demands came when the minority community was facing attacks by the activists of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami in different districts of the country including Rajshahi, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Panchagarh and Jessore during pre-polls and post-polls violence.

The opposition men torched, vandalised and looted houses, businesses establishments and shops of the Hindu community in the districts during polls violence.

After forty-two years of independence, it is very unfortunate that minority people are being tortured in the country, said the former chief justice.

"As a senior citizen, I feel ashamed at this type of violence," he added.

Those who are committing such attacks on the minority people can not have any political identity, Haque said adding that the government had to apply full effort to resist such evil force who are attacking the minority people.

During polls violence, a presiding officer was killed, the houses and properties of the minority people have been damaged and many of them trying to leave the country, Mizanur added.

"The government is giving assurance to take action against the criminals but it is failing to proof his competence," Rahman added.