Attack on Hindus not an isolated incident: Dr Debapriya

Noted economist Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya said that the recent communal violence in the country against the Hindus is not an isolated incident and it goes against the core values of the country.

"The incident goes against the principles of both the movements led by the Father of Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the 50 years celebration of the country's independence," he noted today during a virtual dialogue of the Citizen's Platform for SDGs.

He blamed the political tolerance towards religious evil forces and the lack of justice as the reasons behind communal attacks.

"These unfortunate events are the result of fundamental structural change in our constitution and the introduction of religion in politics after 1975 for the sake of narrow political interests and short-term benefits," Dr Debapriya said.

"The government has failed to bring the perpetrators of Nasirnagar and Ramu violence to justice and take action on the report submitted by the special commission created to counter future communal violence in the country," he added.

Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya referred to section 16 of SDGs, signed by the government in 2015, and said that securities of the people must be ensured in terms of civil and human rights.

"It is high time to include minorities among the underprivileged group in order to implement one of the main objectives of the global pledge to leave no one behind," he said.

He warned that the sense of insecurity among the citizens will not let any development to be sustainable.

The distinguished fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) further urged the government to assess the financial loss during the incident and ensure justice to build a non-communal and progressive state.