EU Team in Satkhira
Hindus say they feel insecure as polls near
Our Correspondent, Satkhira
Local Hindu leaders yesterday informed the visiting European Union (EU) representatives that they would not cast vote in the next general election as they are being "threatened not to vote".
The EU delegation yesterday visited different areas of Kaliganj upazila to exchange views with local political leaders and people of different religious communities on the coming election.
"In the last general election, we voted and only for that our houses were set on fire, lands were grabbed, our daughters and wives were raped, young men were tortured and we were driven out of homes," one of the Hindu leaders told the visitors at Bathuadanga.
Local Hindu leaders including Gobindo Sarker, Parimal Kumar Mondol and Sabita Rani Sarker said as the election is nearing, they are feeling insecure due to 'repeated threats' as in the previous pre-election period.
The EU team also met local Muslim leaders particularly from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), its ally in the ruling coalition Jamaat-e-Islami and the main opposition Awami League (AL).
The delegates met a Jamaat team led by Abdul Gafur at Kazi Alauddin College ground at Zafarpur.
BNP leaders led by Prof Khoda Box met the EU team at Mahatpur.
In line with what the BNP-Jamaat top brass say, they informed the visiting delegation that Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) MA Aziz and former chief justice KM Hasan (who is due to head caretaker govt) are neutral persons. And a free and fair election is possible under them.
AL leaders led by Prof Dr AFM Ruhul Hoque told the EU team that a fair election is impossible under the present CEC and KM Hasan as "both are BNP men".
They alleged that the coalition government has politicised the Election Commission, administration and police by appointing persons politically affiliated with the ruling parties. These persons should be kept off the election process, they said.
The EU delegation included Ana Beatriz Martins, Pascaline Krone, Jenny Cristensen and EU Ambassador in Bangladesh Stefan Frowein.
They will visit Tala Mobarakpur area today to exchange views with district level leaders of the parties.
Source: http://www.thedailystar.net/2006/09/16/d60916011610.htm