Attack on Buddhists
Independent probe demanded
Condemnation motion in JS sought
Asian Human Rights Commission and Odhikar, two rights organisations, yesterday demanded an independent and impartial investigation committee on the recent attack on Buddhist communities.
The duo, in their websites, said the committee needs to unearth the real reasons behind the attack and identify the culprits to bring them under trial.
Meanwhile, eminent citizens at a views exchange meeting urged parliamentarians to uphold national unity by passing a motion condemning the attack.
A mob destroyed 12 Buddhist temples and monasteries and over 50 houses in Ramu, Ukhia and Teknaf of Cox's Bazar and Patiya of Chittagong on September 29 and 30. The violence was apparently triggered by a Facebook posting of a photo defaming the holy Quran.
The rights organisations said political parties once again failed to face the truth by playing the traditional blame-game.
The eminent citizens said parliamentarians must immediately reach consensus by condemning the violence and ensure that such premeditated attacks on ethnic minorities do not recur.
The meeting, “We are united in stopping conspiracies against communal harmony”, was organised by Bangladesh Shanti Parishad in the capital's Institute of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh.
A team of the parishad, which visited the spots of violence, shared its findings in the meeting and proposed parliamentarians to take a five-point initiative.
The initiatives include ending political blame-game between Awami League and BNP, protecting communal harmony by reaching out to people, ensuring exemplary punishment to government officials found negligent in their duties, providing aid to the victims and reconstructing the monasteries.
Dr Anisuzzaman, Benjamin De Costa, Abed Khan, Sanghanayak Suddhananda Mohathero and Pankaj Bhattacharya spoke at the meeting, presided over by the parishad President Mozaffar Hossain Poltu.
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