Protecting minorities: Govt, opposition play no role, say Hindu leaders

Hindu community leaders on Friday alleged that neither the government nor the opposition parties were playing their role in protecting and ensuring security for religious minorities.
They made the allegation in separate protests in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka against the recent ‘targeted killings’ of religious minorities at places across the country.
In the latest incident of ‘targeted killings’ a sexagenarian Hindu monastery worker was hacked to death at Hemayetpur in Pabna on Friday morning.
A Hindu priest, A Hindu van-puller and a Christian grocer were hacked to death at places in the past week. The murders bore the hallmark of previous attacks on secular bloggers, activists, intellectuals, ‘spiritual leaders’ and religious minorities.
One of the protests was organised by Bangladesh Jatiya Hindu Mahajote and the other by Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Committee and Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council.
Addressing the human chain organised by Jatiya Hindu Mahajote, its secretary general Gobinda Chandra Pramanik alleged that neither the Awami League government nor the parties in the opposition in parliament and in the streets were playing any effective role in protecting lives and property of religious minorities.
Its president Dinabandhu Roy said that the religious minorities had now a deep sense of insecurities after a series of targeted killings of Hindus.
They demanded immediate steps to arrest the perpetrators of the targeted killings and ensure their exemplary punishment, stop the series of targeted killings in the country and to ensure security for the religious minorities.
Chaired by Hindu Mahajote leader Jayanta Kumar Sen, the rally was also addressed by Kalipada Majumder and Gouranga Mandol.
A procession followed the rally.
Addressing the rally jointly organised by Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad and Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, Parishad president
Jayanta Sen alleged that the government had failed to ensure security for its citizens.
Condemning the recent killings targeting the religious minorities, he demanded immediate arrest of the killers and their exemplary punishments.
He announced that Puja Udjapan Parishad would hold a special prayer session at Dhakeshawri National Temple on June 20 to pray for eternal peace of the departed souls of the victims of the targeted killings.
Organisation leaders Nirmal Kumar Chhaterjee, Subrata Chowdhury, Milan Kanti Dutta, Jayanta Kumar Deb also spoke.
The rally was followed by a procession.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net