Bangladesh records 257 communal violence incidents in 6 months: Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council

The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC) says 257 incidents of communal violence took place across the country during the first six months of this year (1 January to 30 June).

A total of 261 people also became victims of communal violence during this period, the organisation also said.

The BHBCUC disclosed the information at a press conference at the Tofazzal Hossain Manik Miah Hall of the National Press Club in Dhaka on Monday.

The leaders of the organisation said the data had been compiled from various reports of news media outlets and their own sources.

Monindra Kumar Nath, Acting General Secretary of the council, presented the written statement at the press conference.

He said 44 people were killed in 40 incidents over the past six months. There were five incidents involving violence against women, including rape and gang rape. A total of 62 incidents involved attacks, vandalism and looting of places of worship.

According to him, there were 15 incidents of land grabbing involving places of worship. Another 47 incidents involved attacks, vandalism, looting and arson targeting homes and business establishments.

He further said there were 10 incidents involving abduction, extortion demands and torture. Nine incidents involved arrests and torture on allegations of hurting religious sentiments. There were 21 incidents of forcible land grabbing, while six other incidents fell into miscellaneous categories.

The Unity Council placed an eight-point demand before the government, alongside calling for urgent measures to ensure the safety of religious and ethnic minorities and small ethnic communities.

Regarding the urgent measures, it said provocative and religiously hateful remarks, as well as the spreading of rumours, should be treated as "harmful acts" under the Special Powers Act, and those responsible must be punished.

Calling on the government to cancel immediately the candidacies of those involved in such acts, the BHBCUC leaders demanded religious minorities and members of small ethnic communities should be recognised as "more vulnerable populations."

The government should also declare a policy of "zero tolerance" against communal violence, the organisation added.

The eight-point demand includes enacting a Minority Protection Act, establishing a National Minority Commission and a Ministry for Minorities, removing bureaucratic complexities in the implementation of the Vested Property Act and returning land to its rightful owners in accordance with court verdicts, reserving 60 parliamentary seats for minorities to be filled through direct voting by minority communities, enacting an Anti-Discrimination Act, properly implementing the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord, and declaring three days of government holiday for Durga Puja, one day for Probarana Purnima and one day for Easter Sunday.

Ranjan Karmakar, a member of the council's presidium, said they wanted a non-communal and secular country. They did not want anyone's religious sentiments to be hurt because of any communal force.

Nirmal Rozario, one of the council's vice presidents, expressed hope that the government would conduct proper investigations into incidents of persecution against minorities.

"We want peace. We do not like to protest constantly. But if attacks on minorities continue in this manner, we will be compelled to announce larger programmes. We want to see the government conduct proper investigations into incidents of persecution against minorities. We have that confidence in the government," he said.

Moderated by the council's Organising Secretary Dipankar Ghosh, Presidium members Kajal Debnath, Sunanda Priya Bhikkhu and others were also present.