Hindu Mohajote demands 3-day Durga Puja holiday

Bangladesh Jatiya Hindu Mohajote leaders yesterday demanded that Hindus be immediately granted a three-day holiday to celebrate Durga Puja, as it is for Muslims during Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha, saying the constitution prohibits religion- or ethnicity-based discrimination.

They also demanded a separate ministry and 60 reserved parliamentary seats, including eight for women, for religious minorities as per the electoral roll, which states that they constitute 17 percent of the country's voters.

The provincial assembly of 1954 had 72 seats reserved for Hindus, said the Mohajote secretary general, Gobinda Chandra Pramanik, while reading out a written statement at a press conference organised by the association of 23 Hinduism-based organisations in Dhaka Reporters' Unity.

While Muslims get three days to celebrate their biggest religious festivals, Hindus and other religious communities get one day only, they said.

No elected representative in parliament has ever raised voice against "oppression" and "persecution" of Hindus, they said in the statement. Moreover, neither the government nor the opposition has played an effective role in ensuring their safety and that of their properties, they said.     

Citing media reports over the past two months, they said miscreants vandalised Durga idols right before Durga Puja and grabbed Hindus' properties around the country.   

Dr Achinto Kumar Mondal, mayor of Chalna municipality and principal of Chalna University College, and Dr Sonali Das, convener of Mohila Hindu Mohajote, were present.