Political commitment a must to check repression

They also called for accountability at different levels of administration so that the officials concerned remain alert to violence against minority people.

The meeting on resisting violence against religious minority communities including women before, during and after the election was organised by Nari Pakkha at its office in the city.

In her welcome speech Mahin Sultan, convener of Nari Pakkha, said this is the high time to take initiative to check violence against the people of minority groups ahead of the election.

Mahin urged the administration for taking necessary steps in the light of the experiences of previous general election in 2001.

Prof Amena Mohsin of international relations department of Dhaka University called for political commitment to resist violence against religious minority groups.

Presenting a survey Farida Yasmin of Nari Pakkha said people of religious minority communities from 60 districts were the victims of repression during the general election in 2001.

Of them, 188 women were raped, 27 killed and 22 tortured, she added.

Golam Kibria of the Prothom Alo underlined the need for creating pressure on the administration to take steps to stop possible repression on minorities.

Khairuzzaman Kamal, executive director of Bangladesh Manobadhikar Sangbadik Forum, said people from politically weak groups also become the victims of repression.

Director of Bangladesh Development Partnership Centre Sharif A Kafi, Rina Roy of Nari Pakkha and Rekha Saha of Steps Towards Development also spoke.