‘Minorities will be forced to look elsewhere if electoral pledges not met by Oct’

In an apparent warning to the government, advocate Rana Dasgupta, central general secretary of the Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad, has said the country’s minorities would have no option but to reconsider their allegiance ahead of the next parliamentary elections, if the incumbents fail to fulfil outstanding manifesto pledges specific to their situation by October.

He said this while addressing the divisional representative meeting of the organisation in Chattogram on Saturday, reports news agency UNB.

Presided over by engineer Parimal Kanti Chowdhury, the meeting was addressed by presidents and general secretaries of 13 districts and metropolitan cities of Chattogram division.

In the meeting, Rana Dasgupta revealed what transpired in a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and ruling Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader, at one stage of the human rights movement to implement the election promises of the government.

“We want to have the last hope in the prime minister. I hope she will soon take steps to implement her election promises,” he added.

He urged all democratic political parties not to ignore and neglect the voters from religious and ethnic minority communities.

Central presidium member of the parishad Milon Kanti Dutta, in his speech, stressed the need to build a strong movement guided by discussion to press home for the demands.

“We will not go back home until the goal is achieved,” said Manindra Kumar Nath, central joint general secretary of the Parishad.

Speakers at the meeting expressed anger over the recent murder of schoolgirl Mukti Rani Barman in Netrokona and demanded that the person responsible be punished.