Hindus of Bangladesh fear communal attacks sparked by the UP polls

Bangladesh Jatiya Hindu Mohajote fears communal attacks centred on the Union Parishad (UP) elections to be held on party lines for the first time.

It has also demanded appropriate government measures to ensure the safety of the minorities.
 
“The UP elections are to be held on party lines. Like in the past, this time, too, Hindus fear attacks on their houses, temples and deities, and torture of their women,” Palash Kanti Dey, spokesperson of the national alliance of the Hindus, said in a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity on Friday.
 
Attacks on minorities have become a regular phenomenon and tend to peak during elections, he said.
 
“Elections are synonymous with repression of Hindus in the country.”
 

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Referring to the violence against religious minorities following the 2001 parliamentary elections, Dey said, “We fear a recurrence of those incidents.”

He urged the UP candidates not to blame their election results on the Hindus.

“We demand that the government ensure security for the Hindu women, and the houses, business and religious establishments of the community.”

A ‘tough movement’ would be started against the government if it fails to provide security, the platform leaders warned.