The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Speakers at a seminar yesterday demanded confiscation of property of anti-state and communal forces by declaring those "enemy-property".

Communal forces are enemies of the nation and their property should be declared as enemy-property and must be confiscated, they said observing that if the economy of communalism remains untouched, the evil elements will remain influential.

Samprity Mancha, a civil society body, organised the seminar on Human Rights of

the Minority in Bangladesh at the National Press Club chaired by its president Prof Ajay Ray.

Justice (Retd) Golam Rabbani urged the government to ensure rights of the minority by giving recognition to pluralism in the society. The retired Supreme Court judge expressed grievance, for the Caretaker Government did not vote for the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples that was passed on September 13 this year.

Noted Human Rights activist Shahriar Kabir demanded formulation of voter list at the Chittagong and Hill Tract area according to the CHT peace treaty. He expressed concern about framing "a blueprint" for turning the indigenous people as minority voters by inclusion of huge settlers in the voter-list in that particular area.

He suggested forming a minority commission to address the issues of the minorities.

Prof Ajay Roy expressed deep concern over the continuous decline of minorities in the country over the years. "Some minority groups have become special target of persecution" he said adding, "We want a multicultural and pluralistic society."

He criticised the newly floated Human Rights Commission and said, "The Commission must be constituted with representatives of the persecuted class."

Rokyea Kabir demanded a basic amendment to the existing Enemy Property (vested property) Act by announcing the wealth of anti-liberation elements including collaborators of 1971 as enemy-property and confiscate those.

Dr Haamida Hossain demanded ban on politics using religious beliefs of the people.

Prof Syed Anwar Hossain said the concept of state-religion contradicts with the very norm and concept of democracy and so, democracy is impossible with any state religion. He demanded democratising the constitution for building a democratic Bangladesh and establishing the rights the minorities.

Indigenous leader Sanjeeb Drong stressed on changing the character of the state, for it is the responsibility of the State to ensure right of everybody including the minority. He criticised the Caretaker Government for shying away from voting on the UN declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Prof Gobinda Mandal of Dhaka University presented the keynote speech in the seminar, which was moderated by Prof Rubayat Ferdous.

Former lawmaker Promod Mankin, Dr Lenin Chowdhury, journalist Shohrab Hasan, former Bureaucrat Hiralal Bala, Noman Ahmed Khan, Prof Hafizur Rahman Karzon took part in the discussion among others.