Why Dhaka City poll on Saraswati Puja Day? Dhaka University Hindu Students’ protest intensifies.

Putting minority Hindus in a constraint to exercise their voting rights in Islamic Bangladesh.

Hindu Students on hunger strike unto death protesting Dhaka Mayoral poll on Saraswati Puja Day.

Sankirtan Das | HENB | Dhaka | January 16, 2020:: The Hindu students have been agitating for the deferment of the City Corporation poll day as Saraswati Puja is the second biggest festivals of Hindus in Bangladesh. On Tuesday and Wednesday also the students had protested in the Dhaka University area on this issue.

Goddess Saraswati is considered as deity of Learning and widely worshiped by the students in homes and educational instittions as per Bengali Hindu tradition.

Earlier on Tuesday, the High Court had turned down a plea seeking to defer the Dhaka North and South City Corporation poll scheduled for January 30. The order of the High Court has been challenged in the Supreme court by the Hindu lawyers who had filed the case.

Hind organisations of Bangladesh think such juxtaposition of Poll and Saraswati Puja  on same day will put the minority Hindus of Bangladesh in a critical constraint to exercise their electorate rights.

Ridiculous enough,  Bangladesh Election Commission opines that Election and Saraswati Puja both are pious act and that can be held at a time.

In the meanwhile, Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said the Election Commission (EC) should have been cautious in fixing the poll date as it coincided with Saraswati Puja. However, he urged the demonstrators to respect the judgement of the court and refrain from protest.

Dhaka University Hindu Students’ protest intensifies.

The Awami League Mayoral Candidate for Dhaka North Atiqul Islam also urged the EC to defer the poll in view of Saraswati Puja falling on 30 January. Bangladesh Puja Udjapon Parishad and the Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council also demanded a change in the election date.

Jatiya Oikya Front (JOF) convener Dr Kamal Hossain on Thursday said holding polls for Dhaka City corporations on the day of Saraswati Puja is an unjust act.

As Bangladesh is an Islamic country, a trend has been set up by the ruling parties there and the Islamists in it to demean the faith and rights of the minority Hindus in a very disappointing manner.

Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council vehemently condemned the fix the poll schedule of city corporation election on Saraswati Puja Day.

Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance declared their programme to boycott city corporation poll and to make flower offerings (pushpanjali) to Godess Saraswati on roads with black flag march before Dhaka Press club on January 30.

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___With Agency Inputs.