Attack on Buddhists, Other Communal Violence
Admin played silent role: Menon
The administration remained silent or even played proactive roles in favour of fundamentalist groups during different incidents of communal violence across the country, including the latest one in Ramu of Cox's Bazar, President of Workers' Party Rashed Khan Menon said yesterday.
The fundamentalist forces are implementing their conspiracies to create a communal divide in the country through using a section of government's administration in a very delicate and planned manner, he told the inaugural session of the two-day long 6th national council of Bangladesh Jubo Moitree, an organisation of the party's young supporters, at the capital's Institution of Engineers Bangladesh.
"As part of their conspiracies, somewhere Hindu households are affected; somewhere indigenous people are affected; and somewhere Buddhist households are affected," Menon said, speaking as chief guest at the programme.
The latest communal attack occurred on the night of September 29 in Ramu where a mob ravaged through 12 Buddhist temples and monasteries and more than 50 houses centring a Facebook photo "defaming the Holy Quran". The violence later spread to Ukhia in Cox's Bazar and Patiya in Chittagong.
Referring to stock market plunge, Hall-Mark scam and other incidents, he said, "Politics of criminalisation and corruption has gripped us. Although we joined the grand alliance with the hope for change, now we are stumbling repeatedly."
Workers' Party of Bangladesh is a major component of the Awami League-led ruling grand alliance.
Menon also stressed the need for greater unity of progressive forces to build strong resistance against communalism, fundamentalism and politics of corruption and criminalisation and urged the young generation to play a pioneering role.
Noted cultural personality Kamal Lohani, who inaugurated the council, said, "The souls of the anti-liberation forces are still dwelling in the bureaucrats and running their activities."
Adivasi leader Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma alias Santu Larma, also president of Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity (PCJSS), said a conspiracy was under way to eliminate the existence of indigenous people of the country.
Jubo Moitree Acting President Kishore Roy chaired the inaugural session of the council, while hundreds of leaders and activists of the organisation from across the country attended it.
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