Minorities in Bangladesh to get back seized property

By Haroon Habib

DHAKA, AUG. 3. The Sheikh Hasina Government today took a landmark decision on the return of the vested property confiscated by the erstwhile Pakistan Government from the absentee Hindu owners during the Indo-Pakistan war in 1965, to legitimate owners and formed a cabinet committee to draft a law in that line.

``The Cabinet has decided in-principle on the return of vested property and formed a committee to formulate an effective draft law in this regard,'' a press release, issued after the Cabinet meeting, chaired by the Prime Minister, said. The meeting was held prior to Ms. Hasina's departure for the United States to attend the millennium session of the United Nations.

The handout did not elaborate on the decision, which came amid a growing public opinion, particularly from the secular section of the society, for returning the property to the legitimate owners belonging to minority communities, essentially the Hindus. The erstwhile Pakistan government had confiscated the properties under a law called Enemy Property Act. The properties were never returned but after liberation of Bangladesh in 1971, the law was renamed Vested Property Act with certain amendments.

Political leaders, intellectuals and representatives of the Hindu community welcomed the decision saying laws like Vested or Enemy Property Acts were ``gross violation of human rights''.

A recent study showed as high as 10 lakh Bangladeshi Hindu families or 50 lakh members of the community were affected by the law.

The chief of the study team and general secretary of Bangladesh Economic Association, Dr. Abul Barakat, said 95 per cent of the Hindus, whose properties were confiscated, were staying home. Only five per cent of them left for India.

The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is yet to react but several opposition lawmakers personally said the ``bad law'' should be scrapped.

The main mouthpiece of the Bangladesh's religious fundamentalism , The Inqilab, in a banner headline accused the Sheikh Hasina Government of planning to handover properties left out much earlier to six lakh Hindus and warned the Government of ``bloody clashes'' if such a decision was implemented.

Leading constitutional expert and former Foreign Minister, Dr. Kamal Hossain, welcomed the decision saying ``it was overdue for long time''.

The Jatiya Sanajtantrik Dal (JSD) leader, Mr. Hasanul Haque Inu, called the decision ``courageous'' for equal rights and rule of law and said ``the issue should not be linked with politics of election''.

The former Speaker and key opposition BNP lawmaker, Mr. Shaikh Razzak Ali, praised the government in forming a Cabinet committee but warned any decision in haste might spark disputes and complications.

Key minority leader and the Awami League working committee member, Mr.Shudhanshu Shekhor Haldar, hailed the government initiatives saying it responded to a long-cherished demand of the minority Hindus.

The Communist Party (CPB) leader, Mr. Mujahidul Islam Salim, said the progressive parties including the CPB and Awami League had decided their stand ``in-principle'' on the issue even before the emergence of Bangladesh.

The Hindu-Bouddha-Christian Oikky Parishad leader, Prof. Nim Chand Bhoumik, said though late, the initiative of the Cabinet was a positive indication. ``The demand for repealing Vested Property Act has turned into a national demand,'' he said urging the Government to take necessary steps to repeal the Act in the coming parliament session.

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Section  : International
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