Canada’s BMRA demands security for minorities in election in Bangladesh

Muhammad Ali Bukhari from Toronto : 
The Toronto based BMRA, Bangladesh Minorities Rights Alliance in Canada has demanded safety and security from properties to lives for the minorities, in particular, Hindus during the upcoming election in Bangladesh in a press conference held at Durgabari on Dohme Road on December 23 evening in presence of its president Arun Datta in chair, while secretary Suvra Sheuly Saha presented the 15-points demand. In its demand, the BMRA significantly urged the Government of Bangladesh to abolish all laws relating to enemy or vested properties, form the ministry and commission for minorities, make percentage basis representation in all level of government, ensure justice for all communal crimes, investigate all communal crimes with due diligence, ensure security for minorities during election, protect the mandirs and properties, forbid use of religion in politics and provide lawful compensation to those affected, introduce inspiring non-communal academic materials in text-books, obligate the public offices and public representatives to respond queries, modernise the religious academic system, control religious misbehaviour, safeguard from religious animosity, ensure equal programming opportunities in public broadcast system and re-introduce the 1972 constitution of the country.
Among others, Khoka Paul, Sajal Chowdhury, Ira Datta, Swapan Sarker, Parimal Debnath, Rajat Paul, Jaban Kumar Das have witnessed as these demands were presented. As asked by this correspondent about the ‘calls on the Government of Bangladesh to respect the freedom of speech and of the press and to heed the Bangladesh Election Commission’s request to ensure security for minorities and maintain communal harmony for a peaceful election’, enacted in a recent bill passed in the United States Congress, the BMRA pointed this as an outcome of their last October’s international conference on Upcoming National Election and Minorities in Bangladesh.
In another query they responded that, minorities are attacked as a means of fear and let them leave their properties to grab. They also expressed their vital concern about ‘forcefully ousted’ Chief Justice, Surendra Kumar Sinha.