BNP Forms Committee To Probe Polls Violence

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has formed an 11-member committee to probe the incidents of violence, particularly attacks on minorities, occurring before and after the 12th parliamentary elections held on January 7.

Nitai Roy Chowdhury, BNP vice chairman, has been appointed as the convener of the committee, as announced in a press release on Monday. Other committee members include Sukomal Barua, a member of the BNP chairperson's advisory council, Bijan Kanti Sarkar, Ruhul Quddus Kajal (former Supreme Court Bar Association general secretary), Amlendu Das (BNP religious affairs assistant secretary), Jayanta Kumar Kundu (assistant organizing secretary), Nipun Roy Chowdhury and Ramesh Dutta (executive committee members), Albert de Costa (former president of Jubo Dal), SN Tarun Dey (Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Welfare Front member secretary), and Partha Dev Mandal (Jubo Dal assistant information and research affairs secretary).

The statement highlighted that minority communities have faced widespread attacks before and after the election, enduring brutal suppression and torture. BNP alleged that Awami League leaders and activists have targeted, vandalized, and looted the homes of minority community members across the country, even issuing threats for them to vacate the area. In response, BNP formed the committee to investigate these incidents.

The committee is set to visit areas affected by election-related violence and submit a written report to the BNP acting chairman within 10 days, according to the press release.