Editorial
Santhia incident
Support call for a judicial probe
WE fully endorse the call of the civil society members for holding a judicial enquiry into the attack on minority communities in various parts of the country. It is regrettable that despite the many incidents of minority repression very few cases have been instituted and even fewer people punished.
The most recent incident in Santhia of Pabna district has more of a political and economic colour than religious. And regrettably, the political parties have been active in giving a twist to the matter that suits their party. The minority community in Santhia was primarily a victim of extortionists who belonged to both the major parties and, reportedly, to the underground elements reported to be active in that area.
What we fail to understand is the unwillingness of the Pabna police to arrest the known perpetrators, some of whom are alleged to be members of the ruling party. And the fact that the police have been rather inactive in this regard has been acknowledged by a senior member of the party.
We have reasons to believe that political influence is hampering the handling of the case. We urge the law enforcing agencies to address this issue without political prejudice. And the government must ensure that issue of minority repression is tackled promptly and severely. No one, irrespective of party affiliation, should get away with such heinous acts. We are constrained to believe that there are more sinister motives behind the attacks on the minorities and, unless tackled promptly, might endanger our national security.
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