report in The Daily Star, Sept 5, 2023
The Oikya Morcha, representing religious and ethnic minority organisations led by the Bangladesh Hindu Bouddha Christian Oikya Parishad, has announced a series of programmes including mass hunger strikes and sit-ins scheduled in various districts from September 8-23.
These events will culminate into the platform organising a rally on October 6 at Suhrawardy Udyan, announced Rana Dasgupta, chief coordinator of the morcha and general secretary of the parishad, during a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club yesterday.
They have chosen to take to the streets in order to press for the fulfillment of pledges made in the ruling party’s election manifesto to protect the interests of minority communities, Rana said.
He emphasised the importance of national unity and called upon all patriotic individuals, regardless of their religion or caste, to be conscious of the challenges the country faces in the lead-up to the election.
“The Election Commission has already announced that the 12th parliamentary election will be held in the first week of January next year, meaning the polls are only four months away,” he said.
“In the run-up to this election, Bangladesh has become a diplomatic battleground for the world superpowers. We hope that all the political parties will come forward to play a more responsible role in the interest of the country and for the continuation of future democracy,” he added.
The press conference was presided over by Nibas Majhi, the General Secretary of the Jagannath Hall Alumni Association.
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/oikya-morcha-announces-series-programmes-3411201
