Hindus leaving Bangladesh for lack of security, denial of civil rights: opposition BNP

Launching a scathing attack against the government in the run-up to the general elections, the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has alleged that the largest minority of Bangladesh, the Hindus, are leaving the country for lack of security and denial of civil rights as guaranteed by the constitution. 

Speaking at the Jatiya Press Club during a programme organised by the Hindu Buddhist Christian Kalyan Front on Friday, BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy said that the Hindus are not leaving Bangladesh in groups as they did after the 1964 riots, but they are leaving on a daily basis. He said it is reflected in the decline of the Hindu population in the country which stood at 37 percent in the 1960s but now it is less than 10 percent of the total population.

BNP leader Gayeshwar Chandra Roy alleged that the administration also does not pay attention to the rights and security-related issues of the minority community in Bangladesh. He said the Hindus are neglected everywhere, including in courts and administration. He criticized the state for failing to gain the trust of all the communities in the country.

Referring to the letter of six US Congressmen sent to President Joe Biden earlier this week, Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Kalyan Front chairman Bijon Kanti Sarker said that the situation of the minority community is even more grievous than portrayed in the letter.