Bangladesh's minority communities alarmed as communal violence intensifies, says Unity Council

Dhaka [Bangladesh], January 6 (ANI): As the date of the 13th National Parliamentary Election in Bangladesh draws nearer, communal violence is increasing at an alarming rate. In December alone, at least 51 incidents of violence were reported.
These included 10 murders, 10 cases of theft and robbery, 23 incidents involving the occupation of homes, business establishments, temples and land, looting and arson, four cases of arrest and torture on false allegations of religious defamation and being "agents of RAW", one attempted rape, and three incidents of physical assault, the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council said in a statement.
The trend of violence has continued into the first week of January this year.
On January 2, 96 decimals of paddy land belonging to Satya Ranjan Das in Ramgati, Lakshmipur, were set on fire.
On January 3, businessman Khokan Chandra Das was hacked and set on fire, leading to his death in Shariatpur. On the same day at dawn, the family of Milan Das in Ward No. 4 of Amuchia Union under Boalkhali Upazila in Chattogram was held hostage during a robbery.
A similar incident occurred the same day at Sanu Das's home in Homna, Cumilla, from which 10 bhori of gold ornaments, 12 bhori of silver, and cash totalling 20,000 taka were looted, the statement said.
On January 4, a gold trader named Shubho Poddar was gagged, and approximately 30 bhori of gold ornaments were looted from his shop.
On the same day in Kaliganj, Jhenaidah, a 40-year-old Hindu widow was raped, tied to a tree, and tortured by having her hair cut off.
Religious extremists have demanded the removal of Annapurna Debnath, the District Commissioner and Returning Officer of Kurigram, labelling her a collaborator of a fascist government and a member of ISKCON for properly carrying out her election-related duties, the statement said.
Also on that day, local NCP leader MA Tafsir and his associate Manjurul Alam were arrested by police while attempting to extort money from the home of Santosh Kumar Roy in Bareya village of Bochaganj Upazila in Dinajpur.
On January 5, a 37-year-old ice factory businessman, Rana Pratap Bairagi, was publicly shot and had his throat slit after being called out from his business premises in Monirampur, Jashore.
On the same day, grocery shop owner Mani Chakraborty was brutally stabbed to death by miscreants in Palash, Narsingdi, it said.
Many more such horrifying incidents have already occurred across the country, the full details of which have yet to be obtained, it added.
The Central Committee of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad has expressed deep anger, concern and strong condemnation over the severity of communal violence.
The Parishad said minority communities across the country are gripped by fear and anxiety about an uncertain future and have become apprehensive about being able to cast their votes freely and without obstruction in the upcoming parliamentary elections.
It believes that communal miscreants are carrying out these acts nationwide in an ongoing manner to forcibly prevent minority voters from exercising their right to vote for candidates of their choice.
The Parishad has urgently demanded that the government and the Election Commission take immediate action to stop these acts. (ANI)