Oikya Parishad leaders call BNP-Jamaat attempt to project 'minorities not secure' under AL govt 'hypocritical'

Leaders of the country's largest minority platform, Bangladesh Hindu Bouddha Christian Oikya Parishad, have called the attempts of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami to project "minorities are not secure" under the Awami League government "hypocritical," referring to their "reluctance to acknowledge rampant communal attacks on minorities during the last BNP-Jamaat government."

General Secretary of the minority platform, Advocate Rana Dasgupta, said, "This is an attempt to score political points. Whenever they (BNP-Jamaat) were in power, we witnessed state-sponsored atrocities against minorities."

Talking about the recent efforts by BNP and Jamaat to stand for minorities, Dasgupta recounted: "In the 1990s, after Khaleda Zia-led BNP formed government, a grisly spell of attacks descended on minorities across the country that lasted for 27 days."

"Even when they were in opposition, as the war crimes trial started – particularly that of Delwar Hossain Sayeedi – we have seen minorities being targeted and attacked," added Dasgupta.

After the death of Sayedee, both BNP and Jamaat eulogized him. Sayedee was found guilty of rape, murder and the persecution of Hindus during the Liberation War in 1971.

"In 2001, when BNP-Jamaat formed government, another spell of state-sponsored violence was unleashed on Hindus. At least 28,000 attacks including killing, rape, looting, torching places of worship and houses were identified and documented by several rights groups where involvement of BNP-Jamaat leaders and activists were found," Dasgupta said.

"It is reassuring to see two arrested by police over the recent attack on Bangladesh Hindu Bouddha Christian Oikya Parishad's protest march in Cumilla," Ranjan Karmakar, a praesidium member of the platform, said.

"The number of Puja mandaps has increased this year, while last year saw smooth celebration of the festival," added Karmakar.

"Any reasonable comparative analysis of political leaders who led the country since 1975, Sheikh Hasina remains the only leader who emerged as a beacon of hope for the minorities," he observed.