A senior minority leader in Bangladesh on Thursday called for adequate security measures for the minority community ahead of the national elections and demanded that the interim government take action against atrocities against minorities. "In the upcoming election, we want to participate, but at the same time, they have to create the right conditions. These challenges must be overcome, involving the Election Commission, government administration, and political parties. But they are not behaving properly. We have already declared that political parties must not just say they believe in the Liberation War, but must categorically affirm their commitment to its values and ensure proper protection of minorities, taking action against atrocities," Neem Chandra Bhowmik, President of Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, told ANI in an interview. "Bangladesh is a country based on the values of the Liberation War and the implementation of these values. We know that in our Liberation War, we fought for equality, human dignity, and social justice. Based on this, a secular democratic constitution was established in 1972," he added. Bhowmik noted persecutions and oppression and called for justice and action. He lamented the government’s apathy toward the issue, noting that even a commission has not been formed to address grievances. "We want justice and action against these things. The government is not recognizing the problem. They have not formed a commission. Even with large-scale persecution leading to large-scale exodus before 1971, our percentage was 20%, now the government says it is 10%. This exodus is due to discrimination, oppression, and persecution. The government must recognize this. We hoped the government would form a commission, but they didn’t, and they are denying the facts," he said. Ahead of the 13th national parliamentary elections, the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council prepared a partial overview of communal violence cases from January to December 2025. The statement noted: the total number of communal violence incidents stands at 522, including 61 murders (66 victims killed), 28 violence against women including rape and gang rape, 95 incidents involving attacks on places of worship, idol vandalism, looting, and arson, 21 incidents of occupation or attempted occupation of worship place lands, 102 incidents of attacks on homes and businesses, 38 abductions, extortion demands, and torture, 47 incidents involving attacks, death threats, and torture, 36 individuals subjected to torture and arrest on allegations of religious blasphemy, 66 incidents of forcible occupation of homes, lands, and businesses, and 29 other incidents. The statement criticized Nobel Peace Prize laureate Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus’ definition of communalism and urged the Election Commission to create a level playing field, foster a positive environment so that religious and ethnic minority voters can reach polling centers without obstruction, prohibit use of religion and communalism in campaigns, ensure religious places are protected from campaign use, and treat religious hate speech and false rumors as punishable offenses.