B’desh govt urged not to ‘reform’ Hindu laws

By Sumi Khan

Dhaka, Aug 26 (SocialNews.XYZ) Opposing any reform of the Hindu laws, a group of minority leaders has urged the Sheikh Hasina-led Bangladesh government to assure not to reform the laws.

They also demanded legal action against Mahfuz Anam, Editor of The Daily Star, and his wife Shaheen Anam, executive director of Manusher Jonnye Foundation, blaming them of hurting 'religious sentiments' of the Hindu community and creating chaos in their families.

Anam has submitted a proposal to the Law Commission for the reform of a Hindu law.

Shaheen Anam and Mahfuz Anam have been accused of 'conspiring to change' Hindu family scriptural rules by dividing Hindu family property into individual-centric property distribution, divorce, compulsory and punitive Hindu marriage registration, adoption, maintenance, and so on.

The leaders of the organisation named 'Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance' and some other organisations of Hindu community made the call on Sunday during a press conference.

Gobinda Chandra Pramanik, an advocate, and Secretary-General, Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance announced the four demands placed before the government.

They urged the government to make an announcement by August 30, assuring 'no reform and change' in Hindu law. They said legal action must be taken against Shaheen Anam and some NGOs that are 'creating chaos' in the Hindu society and families by conducting anti-social and anti-religious activities.

They also demanded that Shaheen Anam and her associates must apologise to the 'Hindu community'. They warned of launching a mass signature campaign across the country.

Advocate Protiva Bakchi, women's affairs secretary of Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance, announced the written statement.

At the programme, Professor Hirendra Nath Biswas, president of Bangladesh National Hindu Reformation Society, has claimed that the campaign of Mahfuz Anam and his wife Shaheen Anam to reform Hindu law is a conspiracy to create unrest among the Hindus of the country by destroying unity and heritage of the community.

In the statement, Bakchi also said Mahfuz Anam is spreading propaganda against the Hindu community by publishing fiction in his newspaper Daily Star.

Swami Sangeetananda Maharaj, Principal of Pranab Math, Dhaka, claimed the non-government organisation 'Manusher Jonno Foundation' is trying to create unrest among the Hindus of the country by destroying unity and heritage of the Hindu community.

At the press conference, Col (retd) Niranjan Bhattacharya, president of Bangladesh Brahman Sangsad, said: "Few NGOs were conspiring against Hindu. The law is not changeable in any way. We are embarrassed, the government is embarrassed. We have to rejoice in the golden jubilee of independence but we are protesting here. We demand an immediate end to their conspiracy."

Pradeep Kumar Paul, Vice-President of Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance, Joint Secretary General Sujan Dey, Advocate Lucky Bachar, Naresh Chandra Haldar, Publication Secretary Sagarika Mandal, DK Somir, Sagar Sadhu Tagore, Secretary-General of Bangladesh Matua Mahasangha, Advocate JK Pal, Convener of Hindu Law Amendment Prevention Committee, Vijay Krishna Bhattacharya Bangladesh Brahman Sangsad Secretary General were present in the press conference.

Source: IANS