The High Court has directed the government to immediately provide adequate security to the minority communities and other people vulnerable to post-polls attacks.
The HC directive came yesterday in the wake of attacks on Hindus and people adherent to ruling Awami League across the country surrounding the January 5 elections.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Mizanur Rahman and different organisations have demanded justice for the victims of the post-polls attacks.
The home secretary, the inspector general of police, the director general of Rapid Action Battalion and the deputy commissioners of Dhaka, Natore, Jessore, Dinajpur, Gaibandha, Satkhira, Jhalakathi, Tangail, Bogra, Pirojpur, Chandpur and Netrokona districts have been made respondents to the suomoto rule of the HC.
“The respondents are directed to take immediate steps to protect life, liberty, property and dignity of the citizens, by deploying forces not only to the specified districts and communities, however [but], all over the country wherever the citizens of the country specially those who are either minority, or are identified as vulnerable group,” the court said in the order.
The court also ordered the IGP to submit a report before it in seven days on what measures have been taken for the protection of the minorities and vulnerable group and what action has so far been taken against the persons who are directly or indirectly responsible for the attacks.
In the rule, the court asked the respondents to explain in two weeks why they should not be directed to take immediate steps by deploying necessary forces to protect the interests of the minority communities and other vulnerable groups of citizens.
The HC also ordered the respondents to explain why the citizens, who were already victimised or have lost life, liberty, dignity and property, should not be compensated.
The HC bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice ABM Altaf Hossain came up with the orders and rule following reports published on the daily Prothom Alo on January 7 and the daily Amader Shomoy on January 13 on the attacks on the minority communities and the damage done to their houses, temples and shops after the 10th parliamentary polls.
Some Supreme Court lawyers led by Advocate Parimal Chandra Guha placed the newspaper reports before the judges.
The judges also observed that the law enforcement agencies were “seriously failing” to protect the interests of the citizens, especially of the minority community and the vulnerable groups.
Following the rule, Deputy Attorney General Bishwojit Roy told The Daily Star that the government would take necessary steps to ensure security of the victims of minority groups.”IT’S CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY”
Describing the attacks on the minorities as crimes against humnaity, NHRC Chairman Mizanur Rahman said the attacks were aimed at destabilising the country.
He made the remarks while visiting the victims of post-polls attacks in Kornai village of Dinajpur yesterday.
He also said such violence will happen again if the culprits are not brought to book without delay.
The NHRC boss also stressed the need to revive the confidence of the Hindus in the state machinery.
“The minority communities are still haunted by the horrendous attacks. Their mental strength has to be restored as soon as possible”, he observed.
Meanwhile, different organisations have demanded punishment of those responsible for the post-polls attacks on Hindus in different places of the country.
General Secretary of Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Oikya Parishad Rana Dasgupta has demanded that the government enact a special law to protect the minorities from such attacks.
He made the demand yesterday after visiting the Kornai village in Dinajpur where hundreds of Jamaat-Shibir and BNP men attacked around 60 Hindu families soon after the voting ended on January 5.
Ekatturer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee, an anti-war criminal platform, yesterday formed a human chain on Bagerhat-Khulna Highway demanding exemplary punishment of the perpetrators.
After the completion of their first road march to Jessore’s Abhoynagar, Gonojagoron Mancha has announced another march to Thakurgaon.
The three-day march will start from Shahbagh at 8.00am on Friday and rallies will be held at Ashulia, Mirzapur, Tangail, Sirajgonj and Bogra, Imran H Sarker, spokesperson of the platform, said at a press conference at Shahbagh yesterday.
