Report in The Daily Star, Jan 8, 2023
Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Oikya Parishad yesterday submitted a memorandum to the prime minister, demanding that the ruling Awami League materialise its election manifesto to protect the rights of minority communities.
The submission came after the parishad ended its road march to Dhaka from Chattogram.
The parishad also staged a rally in front of the capital’s Ramana Kali Temple. At that time, parishad general secretary Rana Dasgupta read out the memorandum.
After the rally, when the parishad members were heading to the PMO, police intercepted them at Shahbagh intersection around 3:30pm.
Later, the parishad’s presidents Ushaton Talukder and Nim Chandra Bhowmik, general secretary Rana Dasgupta and four of its members submitted the memorandum to the Prime Minister’s Office.
Kajal Debnath, presidium member of the Oikya Parishad, said as police barred them from moving forward, an eight-member delegation took the memorandum containing their demands to the PMO.
Earlier at the rally, Rana Dasgupta said, “We have seen the secular 72’s constitution transformed into a communal one. We witnessed how the state religion got included in the constitution in 1988. It not only divided the nation on the basis of religion, but also turned the religious-ethnic minorities of the country into state minorities. Many religious-ethnic minority people have been forced to emigrate due to years of deprivation, discrimination and oppression.”
He said, “We want to make it clear that we do not want to be a commodity. Political parties use us as guinea pigs. We will not allow you to use us again…”
Ushaton Talukder, who presided over the rally, said thousands of people from all over the country gathered there to talk about their sufferings.
The Oikya Parishad leaders said the ruling AL’s promises in the 2018 election manifesto include enactment of the Minorities Protection Act, elimination of discriminatory law, and formulation of Intestate Property Conservation Act, National Commission for the minorities, proper implementation of Entrusted Property Transfer Act and Chattogram Hill Tracts Peace Accord.
The Oikya Parishad also demanded formation of a ministry for the minority communities.
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/protect-rights-minorities-3215216
