Govt urged to stop communal attacks, extortion

The Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council has expressed deep concern over incidents of communal violence and extortion across the country and called on the government to take immediate and effective measures to prevent such occurrences.

The demand was made at a meeting of the organisation’s central committee held on Friday at the Economic Reporters’ Forum auditorium in Dhaka.

The meeting voiced grave concern over continued threats by certain groups to demolish the Radhagobinda Temple in Gaibandha, warning that such incidents could undermine communal harmony across the country. Participants urged the government, administration, civil society and political leaders to take prompt and appropriate steps to preserve religious coexistence and social stability at both local and national levels.

The council also demanded exemplary punishment for those involved in inciting communal tensions and called on the government to bring all instigators to justice under existing laws.

An editorial report presented by the organisation’s General Secretary, Advocate Rana Dasgupta, was discussed by leaders from nearly 50 district and metropolitan committees.

Among those who took part in the discussion were Dr Nim Chandra Bhowmik, former lawmaker Ushatan Talukdar, Advocate Subrata Chowdhury, Kajal Debnath, Milan Kanti Dutta, Ranjan Karmakar, Jayanta Kumar Deb, Advocate Tapas Kumar Pal, Advocate Dipankar Ghosh and Padmabati Devi.

The meeting was chaired by the organisation’s Vice-President Nirmal Rozario and moderated by Monindra Kumar Nath.
The council also decided to hold its 11th National Triennial Conference on December 18 and 19. Participants further resolved to intensify democratic and rights-based movements across the country in support of the minority community’s eight-point charter of demands.