Amid nationwide violence in Bangladesh over 1971 war crimes trial of fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, the country’s human rights body has criticised the government for inadequate steps to protect Hindus from recent
attacks as the minority community demanded more security.
The government must answer why the people of religious minorities were living in insecurity in Bangladesh,” Mizanur
Rahman, the chairman of Bangladesh National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), said at a seminar yesterday.
His remarks came against the backdrop of countrywide violence following the pronouncement of verdicts against top
Islamist leaders for “crimes against humanity” during the 1971 war. In the violence, Jamaat activists torched or vandalised several Hindu temples and damaged hundreds of their homes.
A group of people was trying to use religion in a negative way to create confusion among the common people but “the
government and the state have to take the responsibility of protecting the religions of all people,” Rahman said.
Talking to PTI a senior leader of Hindu community said “intensified social and political resistance” for their
protection as he feared the minority community might face more violence in the coming months.
The special tribunals are expected to deliver verdicts against Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) leaders for 1971 crimes against
humanity in next several months when fresh violence could spark exposing us to more insecurity,” Kajal Debnath, vice president of Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad, said.
He said according to their counting 81 Hindu temples were torched or vandalised and several hundred Hindu households were damaged in the past two months as the followers of the faith appeared one of the targets of the Islamist bigots who were carrying out a violent campaign to thwart the 1971 war crimes trial.
Whatever has happened has happened, we now demand steps for our protection in future … police or the other law
enforcement agencies would be of little use unless intensified social and political campaign against the bigots,” he said.
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