BNP committee to inquire post-election minority persecution

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Dhaka, Jan 29 - BNP has formed a committee to investigate the incidents of persecution of religious minorities across the country after the lopsided election held on January 7.

Party vice-chairman Advocate Netai Roy Chowdhury has been made the convenor of the 11-member committee, said a party press release signed by BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Sunday.

Other members of the committee are Prof. Sukomal Barua, Bijan Kanti Sarker, Ruhul Quddus Kajal, Amlendu Das Apu, Jayant Kumar Kunda, Nipun Roy Chowdhury, Ramesh Dutta, Albert de Costa, SN Tarun Dey and Partha Dev Mondal.

The press release said people of religious minorities were subjected to extensive attacks by the ruling party ‘cadres’ after the ‘farcical’ national election held on January 7.

“They (members of religious minority communities, were subjected to brutal persecution. Awami cadres indulged in bloodshed in many parts of the country,” it said.

In the circumstances, the press release said BNP formed a probe team to conduct an on-the-ground investigation into the incidents of different persecution like the attacking and vandalising of the houses of the religious minorities, injuring them, looting their valuables and threatening them to leave their areas following the “so-called dummy” election.

The investigation committee has been asked to submit the report to the party central office within the next 10 days. - UNB