Some eminent personalities yesterday urged the prime minister to place the bill of Vested Property Return (amendment) Act in the next parliamentary session after necessary amendments in agreement with the Supreme Court verdict.
Terming the bill as against people's interest, they demanded its annulment.
They placed the demand at the national convention of the Bangladesh Hindu-Buddha-Christian Oikya Parishad at the National Press Club in the city yesterday.
Speaking as the key speaker Suranjit Sengupta, president of the parliamentary standing committee on law ministry, stressed the need for passing the act in the parliament's next session.
“If the act can not be passed in this session, it will be clear that an ill-motivated section is acting as barrier to pass the act despite the prime minister's direction,” he said.
He also blamed the bureaucrats for opposing to pass the act.
“They (bureaucrats) are playing a significant role, trying not to pass the act, because they are taking benefits in its absence,” he added.
Presiding over the function CR Dutta, president of the oikya parishad, urged all to work together to press over the government to pass the act in the next session of the parliament.
He also laid emphasis on restoration of the four fundamental principles to establish a secular democratic Bangladesh.
Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) General Secretary Mujahidul Islam Selim said amendment of the act is a must to strengthen the base of the country's democracy and national unity.
Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique said the act should be passed after necessary amendments to establish a discrimination free Bangladesh.
Bangladesh Human Rights Commission member Aroma Dutta stressed the need for passing the act to ensure the rights of the religious minority groups.
Prof Ajoy Roy, president of the Human Rights Congress for Bangladeshi Minorities, said the government should return land and properties, grabbed after March 23 in 1974, to their rightful owners.
After the convention, the leaders submitted a memorandum to the prime minister with some recommendations to include in the act.
The recommendations include a clear definition of vested property on the basis of Supreme Court's orders, return of all properties grabbed after 1974 and formation of tribunals at district levels to dispose of the cases.
Additional Attorney General MK Rahman, General Secretary of the parishad Ranadas Gupta, Joint Secretaries Tapos Kumar Pal and Nirmol Chatterjee, Bangladesh Adivasi Forum General Secretary Sanjeeb Drong and human rights worker Shirin Akhter were also present at the function.