In Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Oikya Parishad on Wednesday demanded special security measures during the pre- and post-polling periods of the upcoming national election.
The Oikya Parishad, representing minority voices, submitted a memorandum containing their demands to declare minority-dominated areas as ‘risky zones’ during polls to the chief election commissioner of Bangladesh.
According to the memorandum, the parishad also demanded that law enforcement agencies like police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and other paramilitary forces be deployed at the risky zones and a monitoring cell formed for regular monitoring of the situation.
The Parishad spokesperson said minorities were making these demands as they faced violence during election time in the past.
They also pressed for a ban on the use of religion and communalism in election campaigns and a prohibition on the use of all places of worship like mosques, temples, pagodas, and churches for campaigning.