Minority community platforms have demanded that the Election Commission shows zero tolerance against those who attacked them ahead of the 11th general election.
Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Oikya Parishad and Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad submitted a letter to the Election Commission Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed in this regard on Wednesday.
“The attack on minority community has started ahead of the election as it did during the previous elections. The Election Commission had earlier announced that it would show zero tolerance to such attacks.
“We want the commission to implement (its commitment of showing) zero tolerance in this regard,” said Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Oikya Parishad Presidium member Kajol Debnath.
He was briefing the reporters after meeting with the commission secretary.
Kajol further said: “Communal forces have already carried out terrorist attacks on the minority people in different places including Thakurgaon Sadar Upazila and Sonagazi Upazila in Feni.
“Six houses of the minority people were also torched in Thakurgaon Sadar, while house a person named Shisir Sheel was set ablaze in Sonagazi upazila.”
Kajol also said: “The culprits behind the attacks are yet to be identified, though BNP-Jamaat carried out such attacks in 2001, 2013 and in 2014.”
General Secretary of Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad Nirmal Kumar Chatterjee said such attacks were conducted on the minority people so that they would refrain from casting votes.
