ZCZC
BSS-37
BARAKAT-PRIYA SAHA-PROTEST
Barakat accuses Priya of misquoting his research findings
DHAKA, July 22, 2019 (BSS) – Bangladesh Economic Association (BEA)
President Professor Abul Barkat today accused Priya Saha of distorting his
research findings over minority migration and disapproved her claim as his
research associate.
“Priya Saha has placed some data regarding migration of minority
communities. . . quoting them as my research findings,” Barakat said in a
statement adding that his findings did not match with Priya’s statement.
Barakat simultaneously rejected Priya’s claim to be his associate saying
she was never his co-researcher, associate or assistant.
“According to my research findings some 1.13 crore Hindus went missing in
the last five decades (1964-2013). I did never said that 3.70 crore Hindus,
Buddhists and Christians are missing what Priya Saha conveyed to US President
Donald Trump,” said the BEA president in a statement.
In the research findings, Barakat said he presented percentage of
prevalence of different faiths in the total population from 1901 to 2001
based on the population census 2011 of the government.
He hoped that Priya Saha would quickly withdraw her confusing and devious
statements that she gave quoting his name.
“As a social researcher, I want to be sure that Priya Saha will quickly
withdraw her statements that she gave quoting my name, which are confusing
and devoid of principles,” said Barkat.
In a YouTube video posted by Priya’s rights organisation SHAREE on Sunday,
Saha said that 632 people leave Bangladesh in a day. She then claimed that
she came to know about the statics from a study of Dhaka University teacher
Abul Barkat.
In the video footage, Saha also asserted that she had worked with Prof
Barkat on the study.
While meeting US President Donald Trump at White House on Thursday, Priya
Saha claimed that 37 million followers of Hindu, Buddhism and Christianity
disappeared from Bangladesh.
The government termed the complaints made by Priya Saha to the US President
as blatant lies.
“The government of Bangladesh strongly protests all the blatant lies told
by Ms Priya Saha to President Trump and condemns her remarks in the strongest
possible terms,” a foreign ministry press release said earlier.
BSS/PR/TAN/RY/20:25 hrs