Gonojaoron Mancha spokesperson Imran H Sarker has blamed the government for the recent spate of communal attacks across the country, alleging that it patronised the communal powers at different times.
“The religious fanatics got the courage to carry out attacks on the minority communities since the government fosters them,” he said while addressing a protest rally in front of the National Museum at Shahbag on Wednesday.
Members of left-leaning parties, students, teachers, and cultural activists gathered under the banner of “Bangladesh against communal violence” in condemnation of the recent attacks.
The protesters demanded the arrest of the perpetrators who fueled others and demanded a speedy trial.
They also pressed the seven-point demands which included the cancelation of Islam as the state religion.
Imran said: “The government brought changes into the textbooks, excluding the writings of many Hindu authors. The authorities did this following the demand of the communal powers.”
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In 2017, the government faced heavy criticism after publishing textbooks with changes that closely mirror demands made by radical Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam. At the secondary level, 17 poems and stories were removed from the books with no explanation.
Imran also said: "The ruling party gave nomination to the culprits involved in the communal attacks in Brahmanbaria's Nasirnagar. We cannot differentiate the government from the communal evils.
“This is perhaps the first time after independence that such a series of attacks has been carried out on the religious minorities.”
He added that the government should establish a separate tribunal to try the perpetrators of these crimes and hand out exemplary punishments in order to stop the recurrence of communal attacks.
Meanwhile, central leader of Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (Marxist) Manas Nandi, who was also present at the protest, said that the Hindus are now questioning whether this land indeed belongs to them and whether they can live here.
Mosharraf Hossain Nannu, general secretary of United Communist League, said that the country was liberated for a non-communal Bangladesh.
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“The Awami League government talks about the spirit of the Liberation War repeatedly but the constitutional rights of the people have been taken away over the last 13 years,” he said. “Commodity prices are rising and there is no accountability anywhere."
According to Joyjit Datta, organizing secretary of Jagannath Hall unit Chhatra League and spokesperson of the protest, their seven-point demands were cut to three points as the government has already initiated action.
He said that the DU protesters would wait till October 31 to see whether their demands were met.
Their demands include ensuring the highest punishment for the perpetrators, compensation for the victims, repairing the damaged temples, forming a minority protection commission, adequate allocation in the national budget for the religious minorities and turning the Hindu Welfare Trust into a foundation.