Faculty of Humanities and Social Science > Law

Persecution of minority communities in Bangladesh

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anamika.law:
Persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group by another individual or group.

Although Bangladesh is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, a covenant designed to ensure freedom of religion and of expression, it has tolerated violent assaults on religious minority communities by extremists.

In January 2004, the government succumbed to an ultimatum from their coalition partner, the Islami Oikya Jote, and the extremist vigilante Khatme Nabuwat Movement to declare that Ahmadi Muslims are "not" Muslims. Not wishing to lose its majority, Ahmadiyya publications were declared illegal by the government. A constitutional court suspended the ban, but Islamist groups are threatening legal challenge to this.

Attacks on the homes and places of worship of Ahmadiyya are still prevalent, but the government has chosen neither to prosecute those responsible, nor discipline police officers who failed to protect victims. Other religious minorities have come under attack, with abductions, desecration of religious sites, and forced conversions persistently reported. There have been many reports of Hindus having been evicted from their properties, and of Hindu girls being raped, but the police have refused to investigate, to this point. Due to this climate of religious persecution, several hundred thousand Buddhists, Hindus and Christians have left the country.

farzanamili:
Minority community may be of many types, such as, religious minority, linguistic minority, ethnic minority and so on. As freedom of religion is the right of every citizen of Bangladesh irrespective of their religion, persecution of minority community because of religion and inaction or negligence of the state party to the UDHR and ICCPR are the gross violations of human rights. Every person should come out of superiority complex regarding own religion and he/she should respect other's religion as the other person is free to choose his or her own religion. YOU CANNOT AND SHOULD NOT FORCE OTHER TO ACCEPT YOUR RELIGION. Religion and persecution on the basis of religious difference cannot proceed together. A perfectly religious person follows own religion and does not interfere with other's beliefs or religion. The country should take positive and strong measures to protect her citizens equally without being biased to a specific religion and for that, the country at first need to articulate specific and unambiguous provisions in the constitution. In the context of Bangladesh, we expect that the on-going persecutions of minority specially religious minorities will be prevented by proper initiatives and ultimately stopped by developing liberal way of thinking of inhabitants.

safiullah:
Thanks for posting an important issue but it is a debatable matter. Because, No-1. Whether Ahamdiah are community of any religion? No-2. What is there believe? Both the answers make the matter more clear. However, as they are citizen of this country, I believe that they have right to protection of law. I think it is also a matter of question that whether we can consider them as a part of minority or victim of any religious offence.     

farzanamili:
Though its a debatable issue but if we try to see this problem from human rights point, we have to admit that even ahmadias have right to profess their own belief whether others recognize them or not.

riaduzzaman:
Really shocking and a cowardly acts.

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