Dhaka, May 6 (bdnews24.com)—The High Court has ordered the government to form a commission and launch an inquiry into the violence after the 2001 general elections that includes killing, rape, attack, looting and assault on minorities and opposition workers.
The bench of justices ABM Khairul Haque and Md Momtaz Uddin Ahmed passed the ruling on Wednesday on a writ petition filed by rights organisation Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh.
The court asked for a report by the commission in the next six months.
All the incidents of violence had been published in the report of Amnesty International, said advocate Manjil Morshed, the rights body's counsel, in the hearing.
Deputy attorney general Karunamoy Chakma represented the government.
The court had ordered the government to explain why forming judicial committee will not be ordered to investigate the violence on Feb 1, 2001, after writ petition by the rights body,.
Following the general elections which were won by a coalition led by Bangladesh Nationalist Party(BNP) with a large majority, BNP supporters reportedly attacked Hindus because of their perceived support for the rival Awami League during elections.
Hundreds of Hindu families were reportedly driven off their land by groups affiliated to the BNP-led coalition who, in some cases, allegedly burnt their homes and raped Hindu women. Several Hindus were reportedly killed.
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