AL harmed minorities the most: BNP

Religious minorities in Bangladesh have suffered the most under the current Awami League regime, the BNP, which is often accused of repressing them, has claimed.

“The Awami League talks about being non-communal, but they have grabbed lands from Hindus more than anyone else. Minorities have faced more harassment during this government,” spokesperson Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Saturday.

The BNP acting secretary general was addressing members of the ‘Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Kalyan (Welfare) Front’ at their extended meeting at a hotel in Dhaka on Saturday.

“Temples, places of worship have been ransacked. Idols have been smashed during the tenure of this government. But the government is trying to put the blames on the BNP for the attack on minorities,” he said.

Last year’s war crimes verdict against top leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, a key ally of BNP, were followed by attacks on Hindus, mainly after Delwar Hossain Sayedee was sentenced to death on February 28.

Hindus in Maloparha of Jessore’s Abhaynagar Upazila and Dinajpur Sadar’s Chehelgazi Union were attacked and looted for voting in the general elections boycotted by the BNP-led alliance.

File Photo

“Minister Amir Hossain Amu’s allegation at Ramkrishna Mission that BNP was behind the attack on minorities was nothing but slander,” Fakhrul said.

“The Awami League was trying to give political colour to the events that unfolded after the 2001 polls. They said minorities were attacked but that is not true.”

A three-member judicial committee, formed in 2009 to investigate the violence after the BNP and Jamaat alliance took office in 2001, identified several of their leaders for ensuing attacks on Hindus and Awami League leaders.

As per the commission’s report, 276 incidents of violence including murder, rape took place during that time in Dhaka, 497 in Chittagong, 17 in Sylhet, 478 in Khulna, 170 in Rajshahi and 2,227 in Barisal.

Fakhrul on Saturday urged the workers and leaders of the minority welfare front to muster strength and rally support for BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

“People have not forgotten the brutal murders of Khulna CPB leader Shanti Sen’s wife and children. This party which talks so much about non-communalism has abused them the most.”

“JaSaD created Ganabahini and their leader is a minister now.”

‘Padma bridge to loot money’

The BNP spokesperson alleged that the government started the construction of the Padma Bridge with own resources because this option offered more scopes for corruption.

"The World Bank cancelled its funding for their (the government) corruption in the Padma bridge project. Now they have started the construction on their own.

“There are companies working on the bridge's construction which do not even have their own addresses," he further alleged.

The government in June tasked China Major Bridge Engineering Company Limited to build the main structure of the bridge at a cost of Tk 121 billion.

Mirza Fakhrul on Saturday said, "People did not elect this government. They are in power illegally.

“The ruling party is looting from everywhere. They have looted Tk 120 billion from the state-owned banks," he further claimed.