Bangladesh saw nearly 2,500 communal attacks in 330 days, minorities demand justice
The nature of violence ranged from murders and sexual assaults, including gang rapes, to attacks on places of worship, seizing homes and businesses, arrests on charges of alleged defamation of religion, and forced removals of minorities from organisations, the statement said.Victims included men, women, and adolescents belonging to minority groups.The perpetrators have largely evaded justice, with the interim government "refusing to acknowledge" the incidents and "dismissing them as politically motivated," the statement said.A senior Council leader, Narmal Rosario, said the ongoing reform initiatives by the interim government have repeatedly excluded minority communities, "which is the most frustrating factor for us'.'We want to walk together with all,' he emphasised.Another leader, Nimchandra Bhoumik, said, "The division (within the society) was not a pleasant matter for anyone.''The government, in fact, ignores the incidents of repression of minorities. We demand proper justice,' acting general secretary of the council, Manindra Kumar Nath, said.As per the 2022 census, Hindus are the largest minority community in Bangladesh at 7.95% of the total population, followed by Buddhists (0.61%), Christians (0.30%), and others (0.12%).- Ends
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