Since 2008, we have had the so called secular democratic forces in power.Hoping that these claimants of secular democrats would probably bring the perpetrators of crimes against the Bangladesh, Hindu, Buddhist & Christian Contacts: Avenue de la Dare-29,1870 tionthey, Switzerland Tel + Fax: +41244721586 E-mail: a.ray@sunrise.ch Blvd. LQ Ula Schmidt 58, Brussels 1040, telgtam Tel : +3249472.1934 E-mail: bithene.europegslcynet.be 66, Ingleburst Gardens Redbridge„ Essex 1G4 511E,Lond on, IETIC Tel + Yax +44208551060 E-mail Samir.blibene@geoglemail„com Central E-mall: bhboumeuropeayahoo.00m Eighth Session of the Forum on Minority Issues on "Minorities in the Criminal Justice System" 24 to 25 novembre 2q15 Geneva,Switzerland Presented by, Amarendra Roy, President of Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist & Christians Unity Council Europe And Director Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Mniorities EU. (HRCBM An NGO in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations). Item : Exercise al. policy power Honourable Chair and distinguished guests: Although the minorities of Bangladesh are constitutionally guaranteed to have equal protection under law, unequal treatment of the religious & ethnic minorities in the criminal justice system has been the norm, regardless of which political party may have been in power. Soon after Bangladesh was born as a secular democratic state in 1971, the minorities have been subjected to a state sponsored campaign of blatant discriminations of all sorts including denial of access to the justice system, brutal persecution, and barbaric atrocities which have included desecration and burning down of their places of worship, looting and burning down of their dwelling houses and businesses, land grabbing, eviction, torture, abduction followed by rape, forced conversion to Islam, and grisly murder of their intellectuals, educators, social workers and priests. The evidence that this is true is overwhelming, and the sad fact is that the minorities have come to accept that they would have to live there as long as they can survive in their ancestral homeland. The reason I say 'as long as they can survive' is that recently Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion Mr, Bielefeldt himself mentioned in his statement made in Dhaka that, I quote "The Hindu population came down to 8 percent of the total population from 23 percent in 1971", when Bangladesh was born as a secular democratic state. These millions of minorities have fled the country in the face atrocities and denial of justice. Criminal justice system in Bangladesh: Since the perpetrators of crime against the minorities which is by definition crime against humanity, were never prosecuted and tried, they, acting with complete impunity, intensified the campaign to the level of religious & ethnic cleansing during 2001 and 2006, when a coalition government of the Islamic nationalists (BNP) and the Islamic extremists (Jamaate-Islami and its allies) ruled the country. The first step to access in the criminal justice system, of course, is the commanding officer of the local police station, who has to allow the minorities press charges against the perpetrators, but if a Hindu, Buddhist or a