Speakers at a publication ceremony of a documentary book, ‘Atrocities on minorities in Bangladesh,’ stressed the need for a judicial commission to combat communalism.The program was held at the Dhaka University Senate Bhavan.The Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Oikya Parishad, published the book. The speakers at the meeting said that if every incident of persecution were taken to task there would have been no further incidents.The meeting was addressed, among others, by Information Minister Hasanul Huq Inu, Awami League presidium members, Suranjit Sen Gupta, MP and Nuh-ul-Alam Lenin, the secretary-general of Jatiya Party, Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu, Professor Rehman Sobhan, Professor Anisuzzaman, chairman of the National Human Rights’ Commission, Dr. Mizanur Rahman.The meeting was presided over by the president of the Parishad, Ushatan Talukder.Professor Sobhan in his speech said that the government has to more serious about providing security to minorities. Suranjit Sen Gupta said, “Even after 42 years of independence, we have not been able to make the country a non-communal one.””Persecution of the minorities have increased after the assassination of Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in 1975,” he added.Suranjit bemoaned the fact that in 1951 the number of minorities in the country constituted 21 per cent of the population but now it is only nine per cent. He called upon the minorities not to leave the country. “This is my country. I will dream about it,” he said.Information Minister Hasanul Huq Inu said that the Mahajote government of Sheikh Hasina is committed to building a non-communal society. But certain elements want that the minorities should leave the country.He said that the attack on minorities is not a new thing; it has been going on from the Pakistan period. Currently those who want to subvert the war crimes trial are doing it in a planned manner.”BNP-Jamaat are fuelling the process,” he said. “Begum Zia has to decide whether she will stay with the militants or the people will desert her,” he added.
