Members of at least six organisations representing the Chakma community in Tripura staged a protest in front of the Bangladesh High Commission in Agartala on Monday seeking action against those who attacked and torched Katakhali Forest Buddhist Monastery in Cox’s Bazar district in neighbouring Bangladesh on October 24.
Protesters also submitted a memorandum to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina through the High Commissioner stating that at least eight Chakma people were injured in the attack.
The memorandum said that the Katakhali Forest Buddhist Monastery attack took place following a series of incidents of vandalism and arson of Hindu temples, Durga Puja pandals, and attacks on Hindu minorities which started on October 13. "The attacks have shown that the government of Bangladesh has not taken any measure to ensure the protection of the religious minorities in the country. This is because the government of Bangladesh as on date has failed to punish those who destroyed 19 Buddhist temples and about 100 houses at Ramu in Cox’s Bazar and at Patiya in Chittagong district in 2012," said the memorandum.
Those who staged the protest on Monday belong to Chakma Buddhist Welfare Society, Young Chakma Association, Tripura Chakma Students Association, Chakma National Council of India and Tripura Rejjyo Chakma Gabuchya Joda.
They also demanded that trials of the cases related to the 2012 attack should be conducted in fasttrack courts.
The protesters said that the Bangladesh government has the responsibility of protecting life, property and rights of the religious minorities to practice their religion.
Tripura witnessed violence on October 26 when members of Viswa Hindu Parishad staged a protest march in Tripura North district to condemn the attack on Hindus in Bangladesh.
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