Hindu Leaders Seek to Enter Parliament with Jamaat Leader’s Support, Praise Party for Protecting Temples

Staff Reporter

Leaders of various organizations have demanded that the Hindu community be represented in the National Parliament. They have urged Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman to take the initiative to initiate discussions between the government and the opposition on how to ensure this representation.

Leaders of various Hindu organizations exchanged views with Shafiqur Rahman at the opposition leader’s official residence on Minto Road in the capital yesterday.

They also praised the role of Jamaat workers in protecting the temple at the meeting organized on the occasion of the autumn Durga festival.

Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar briefed reporters after the meeting.

He said that the leaders invited to the meeting called on the government and the opposition to work together to maintain communal harmony.

Golam said that it is the government’s responsibility to speak out on issues related to the rights, security and interests of people of all religions in Bangladesh. At the same time, the opposition leader also has a constitutional duty in this regard.

Golam also said that the opposition leader has highlighted in the meeting how well he fulfills his role.

Golam also said that Hindu community leaders have sought the opposition’s support, citing discrimination, deprivation, difficulties and suffering in various areas. Jamaat leaders have assured that the government and the opposition will stand united with them to resolve these problems.

Basudeb Dhar, president of the Puja Udjavan Parishad, said they attended the meeting at the invitation of the opposition leader, keeping Durga Puja in view.

He said, “It is being called a country of communal harmony, but we have come down from 29 percent to eight. This does not match this.”

He called for ensuring that everyone can together present Bangladesh as a country of true communal harmony in the future.

According to Basudev, the government and the opposition must work together to resolve the issues raised in the meeting.

Stating that there is no representative of the Hindu community in the National Parliament, Basudev said, “We have no one in the Parliament. We want to come to the Parliament. The opposition party and the government party will decide how to come. These words came up during the discussion.”

Subrata Chowdhury, president of the Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, thanked Jamaat.

He said, “In continuation of the auspicious beginning made through the exchange of views, everyone, regardless of party affiliation, should work together in the social, political, and economic activities of Bangladesh in the future.” The Amir of Jamaat made that call today.

The meeting was attended by National Hindu Mahajote President Dinabandhu Roy and Secretary General Govinda Chandra Pramanik; Acting General Secretary of Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council Manindra Kumar Nath; General Secretary of Puja Udjavan Parishad Santosh Sharma; Puja Udjavan Front President Arpana Roy and General Secretary Milton Vaidya;

Hindu Religious Welfare Trust President Tapan Chandra Majumdar; International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) President Satya Ranjan Baroi and General Secretary Charu Chandra Das Brahmachari; Rishi Panchayat Forum President Ramananda Das and General Secretary Raj Kumar Das; and Sanatan Party President Ashish Ranjan Das and General Secretary Suman Kumar Roy, among others.

Leaders of Dalit organizations also participated in the exchange of views. Among them were Ravidas Forum President Chandmohan Ravidas and General Secretary Shipan Ravidas Prankrishna, and Ravidas Unnayan Parishad President Dilip Ravidas and General Secretary Phul Chand Ravidas.

Bangladesh Indigenous Forum President Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma and General Secretary Sanjib Drong were present at the meeting.

Apart from this, Harijan Oikya Parishad President Krishnalal and General Secretary Nirmal Das, National Hindu Samaj Sanskar Samiti President Hirendra Nath Biswas and General Secretary Somnath Dey were also present.