Members of the Minority Rights Movement (Songkhaloghu Odhikar Andolon) have called for the urgent implementation of their eight-point charter, which includes the enactment of a Minority Protection and Anti-Discrimination Act to ensure the long-term security and rights of religious minorities in Bangladesh.
The demand was made during a press conference held by the group on Friday morning at the Zahur Hossain Chowdhury Hall of the National Press Club in Dhaka. The event focused about the country’s 8% minority population one year after the July uprising.
At the press conference, speakers pointed out that no representatives from the minority community had been included in the National Consensus Commission or similar initiatives. “We cannot build national consensus while excluding the voices of 8% of the population,” they noted.
They further alleged that, despite active participation from the minority community in last year’s July uprising, incidents of violent attacks on minorities have increased after the fall of the Hasina regime. These attacks have included physical assaults, looting, arson, desecration of religious symbols, vandalism of temples and churches, and harassment of women—all of which are reportedly still ongoing.
To further highlight their demands, the Minority Rights Movement will organize a “National Minority Conference 2025” on August 22, the organizers announced.
On August 13 last year, representatives of general students affiliated with the Minority Rights Movement met with Chief Adviser Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus at the state guest house Jamuna. Tarun Roy, the organization’s North Zone coordinator, confirmed the meeting in a written statement.
During the meeting, the Chief Adviser assured the group that the government would take steps to address their eight-point demands, including ensuring security for minorities and providing compensation for those affected by violent attacks. However, the commitments made during that meeting remain unfulfilled to this day, according to the statement.
Key speakers at the press conference included Central Coordinator Sushmita Kar, Central Representative and Publicity Secretary Subrata Ballav, and Indigenous Rights Organizer Suman Tripura.