Minority leaders decried Bangladesh Nationalist Party for forming an inquiry committee to probe polls violence as the party leadership refused to offer any apology on reported attacks and intimidation on minorities by BNP leaders and activists in the run up to the polls.
Involvement of BNP Jamaat men in burning down some parts of a monastery, intimidating women voters with threats of stripping off livelihood in two unions of Lalmonirhat and assaulting voters in Thakurgaon among others were reported during polls.
But this new move comes weeks after minority leaders described Tarique Rahman, who stays in London but still runs BNP, a threat for communal harmony, following his “undemocratic” call to shun the battle of ballots and decide the fate on the streets.
After the polls, minority leaders also welcomed the absence of Jamaat, a principal ally of BNP, from the parliament as key marker to build a secular future.
Recently, BNP formed an 11-member committee to what the outfit described intended to investigate the violence but community leaders contended such scheme is directed at peddling another round of smears on minorities.
The findings are a foregone conclusion with Tarique Rahman, at the helm of the party, as the current acting chief known as ardent backer of radical and communal elements orchestrated communal violence in the past – at least 28000 incidents of violence including (killing, rape, looting, land grabbing and burning down of worship places) when his mother ruled the country.
While Jamaat affiliated handles ran hate campaign against Ahmadiyya community, several pro BNP Jamaat social media assets continued to spread hate campaign against minorities while activists namely ZulkerNine, Pinaki Bhattacharya, Kanak Sarwar are some doyen figureheads.
Meanwhile, months ahead of polls, BNP leaders circulated a letter written by six US congressmen to Joe Biden that held outright false projection on minorities.
Even, minority community leaders have slammed BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy’s earlier claim that minorities are gradually “leaving the country due to lack of security”..
Asked about the possible intention behind such “disinformation” regarding the minority community, Patrick D’Rozario, a prominent Christian community leader said, “My contention is that this use of religion is intended for political gains.”
