Sayeed Muhammad of DOT
Activists, researchers and journalists have urged the authorities concerned to provide security to religious and ethnic minorities, and under-previliged groups during the general election as they are most vulnerable to attacks during polls. They also feared that Jamaat-Shibir leaders and activists may turn violent, especially targeting the religious and ethnic minority groups, ahead of or after the election. They were addressing a roundtable on “Protecting Human Rights During Polls”, organised by National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) at in Dhaka yesterday.
NHRC Chairman Kazi Reazul Hoque said women, religious and ethnic minorities, and under-previliged people are at risk of attacks by communal forces, with the threat growing during election.
Other than ensuring adequate security, the Election Commission (EC) has to raise immense confidence among such vulnerable groups, he suggested.
Retired Justice Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik said Jamaat being backed by BNP attacked communal minorities.
The next government, he said, must bring to book those responsible for the communal attacks, most of which occurred centering the 2001 and 2014 polls.
Kajol Debnath, a leader of Bangladesh Hindu-Buddha-Christian Oikya Parishad, said most communal attacks were launched by Jamaat in the past and their number has dropped in the few years.
He demanded the authorities concerned to take appropriate measures for the minority groups in “26 risky and 53 extremely risky” parliamentary seats and among those, in 72 constituencies, the latter decide the fate of candidates.
Noted economist Dr Kazi Khaliquzzaman the anti-Liberation War forces must not be given the chance to come to power again, threatening the development spree and security of religious minorities.
Bangladesh Adivasi Forum Secretary Sanjib Drong said the attacks do not stop since most of the criminals responsible are not punished. ###