The Citizens for Human Rights has made a strong call to all election-oriented political parties to ensure the voting rights of religious and ethnic minorities and to play an active role in providing their post-election security.
The organisation made the call at a press briefing held on Sunday at Dhaka Reporters Unity. The briefing was organised after visiting minority community members’ residences which were set on fire in the Raozan and Mirsharai Upazilas of Chattogram.
Citizens for Human Rights chief Executive Zakir Hossain detailed the incidents of arson at Hindu homes in Raozan and Mirsharai in a written statement.
“These incidents show that the intention of the arsonists was to burn all members of these families alive,” he said. “People of the Hindu community in these areas are now staying awake at night, taking turns to sleep, and installing CCTV cameras to monitor their neighbourhoods for security.”
He said the key objective of such violence against minority communities before the election is to spread fear in different areas and deprive minorities of their right to vote.
Zakir placed five demands on behalf of his organisation, including;
1. Issuing specific instructions to law enforcing agencies to take special and effective measures to ensure voter security in minority-dominated constituencies, and forming a high-level central administrative cell to regularly monitor the issue;
2. Investigating all forms of violence against minorities in Raozan, Mirsharai and elsewhere in the country, arresting the perpetrators quickly and taking legal action;
3. Ensuring adequate compensation and rehabilitation of the victims;
4. Taking necessary actions to address the psychological trauma of the victims;
5. Ensuring that the Human Rights Commission monitors the issue, prioritises it, and takes necessary steps.
Zakir also urged all political parties contesting the polls to play an active role in ensuring the voting rights of religious and ethnic minorities and their security after the election.
At the function, Dhaka University Professor Robaet Ferdous said, the interim government has turned religious and ethnic minorities into “second-class citizens” over the past one and a half years.
“The achievement of the 18-month interim government is that Hindus, Buddhists and Christians in Bangladesh have been permanently reduced to second-class citizens,” he said.
At least 19 houses belonging to members of the Hindu community were recently torched in Raozan and Mirsharai. The attackers locked the houses from outside and set them on fire at night, organisers said at the press briefing.
Referring to such “brutal incidents” against minorities before the election, Ferdous said: “We saw in Mirsharai that there was no robbery, nothing was taken away. The houses were locked from outside and set on fire. This means it was done to create panic. It was another attempt to burn people alive. Fear was created so that they would not go to vote.”
He said, “When they (Hindus) don’t go to vote, they will be labelled as associates of a certain political group and accused of boycotting the election. And losing candidates will also say, ‘I couldn’t win because of you.”
Ferdous said the lives of minorities are now stuck in a “double bind”.
“If you speak about voting, you must ensure that the individual going to cast their vote must have their security ensured so that they can live safely at their home after casting the ballot.”
He said failures by the administration—from maintaining law and order to stopping bribery and lobbying—have further aggravated the lack of security of minorities.
“When the state, law and administration shift away from marginalised people, the helpless are left with no option but to seek justice from God.”
“Islam is the state religion of Bangladesh, but other religions could not be worshipped in peace in the last 18 months,” he said.
