Demand to raise issue of persecution of minorities in Bangladesh

New Delhi, Mar 20 (UNI) The Asian Centre for Human Rights today urged the central government to raise the issue of systematic persecution of minorities and indigenous tribal people during discussions with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who is on a three-day visit to the country.

The minority Hindus continue to be targeted as enemies under the Vested Properties Act and Begum Zia had shelved the Vested Properties Return Act brought by the Awami League government in 2001 and the lands of Hindus continued to be seized by the government as the Bangladeshi National Party leaders, a statement said.

The seized properties were also being sold by the authorities in clear violation of the law, it added.

''The issue of illegal migration from Bangladesh cannot be addressed without addressing the Vested Properties Act as thousands of minority Hindus are being forced each year to leave Bangladesh.

Millions of Hindus have fled to India in the last 20 years,'' ACHR Director stated in the statement.

Apart from serious and systematic human rights violations, the security forces and the illegal settlers from the plain districts had illegally seized lands belonging to indigenous Jumma people of the Chittagong hill tracts, it said.

UNI IP LR KN1627