Sporadic incidents of post-election violence have been reported in many newspapers. The most appalling and gruesome incident of vengeance took place in Kuliarchar of Kishorganj where one Nityalal Das, a local ward president of BNP, was critically injured allegedly by the omnipotent brother of the Upazila AL president. The incident took place in broad daylight and was witnessed by the family members and neighbours. While Das was being hacked, his family came to his rescue and the elderly mother, wife and sister were severely tortured. The most outrageous thing was that, besides this mayhem, Das and his family were threatened to be ousted from the country to India. I wonder how these non-state-actor-criminals could threaten citizens of a sovereign country to strip off their inalienable rights. Sadly, this was the same Gestapo-style torture the minorities faced immediately after the victory of BNP-Jamaat election in 2001. We need to dig deep down our mind why some supporters of the two major political parties think alike when it comes to treating the members of the minorities, especially of those from the Hindu faith. My idea is that relentless campaign to portray the Hindus as migrant-prone group coupled with the systematic discrimination by the state institutions has gradually injected this perception in us.
   Whatever the reason, it is imperative to stop cultivating this idea with an iron hand and it must start immediately.
   Perhaps, Das will recover fully and all the scars from physical torture will fade away over time. But it would be extremely difficult for Das to erase the fact that he, for no fault of his own, belongs to a faith group which does not have the equal right as the dominant group in a county where he was born. I extend my deepest apology to Das and demand that the Awami League top brass along with the local administration take immediate action against these criminals. Moreover, the Awami League must issue a stern warning against its workers and supporters not to take any political vengeance against the opposition.
   Hasan Reza Jami
   A public university faculty