Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCU), an interreligious organization advocating for minority rights, initiated a 48-hour collective hunger strike today at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka.
The protest, which ended in the morning of September 24, involves over 500 participants from the Hindu, Christian, and Buddhist communities.
Its objective is to once again highlight the issue of inadequate safeguards for minorities in the country.
Catholic Nirmol Rozario, one of the BHBCU’s presidents, said before the 2018 general elections, the Awami League had made commitments in its election manifesto. “There are four months left until the general elections, but they still haven’t honored them,” he said.
These commitments encompassed the enforcement of property acquisition laws and the return of wealth to its rightful owners, the establishment of a national commission for minority affairs, the enactment of special legislation for minority protection, and the reinstatement of the quota system, which has yet to be enforced.
Rozario said, “We are engaging in this collective hunger strike to safeguard our presence in this country. We have previously staged numerous demonstrations, but the government has not been responsive. We are currently disheartened.”
In a nation with 173 million inhabitants, where 90 percent of the population adheres to Islam, Hindus constitute 8.5 percent, Christians 0.4 percent, while the remainder belongs to various other religious groups.
Minorities frequently face attacks from individuals seeking to seize their land and property. Consequently, many minorities leave the country for their safety, leading to a decline in their numerical strength.
BHBCU’s unit secretary, Barrister Prashanta B Barua, asserted that if the government fulfilled its pledges, it would significantly benefit religious minorities and tribal communities in Bangladesh.
He also criticized the inadequate advocacy efforts by the 22 parliamentarians representing minorities in the national parliament.
