WHY IS THE INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATION STILL SILENT ON BANGLADESH?

 

“According to Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security.” With the ongoing situation in Bangladesh, the main objective of the Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) should be to establish human rights for the citizens of Bangladesh. But, is it being implemented in the right way? Human Rights Watch's Asia Deputy Director Meenakshi Ganguly herself has admitted that the news of violence against Hindus is "extremely worrying". However, she has also been saying that the violence is taking place due to politics and not due to religious animosity or any kind of communal reasons. Still, humans should not be hurt, whatever may be the reason. 

Discrimination is indeed rampant throughout the world, the absence of prompt action and the neglect of law enforcement agencies in many parts of the world has increased unrest all around.

After the coup of Sheikh Hasina's government in Bangladesh, the news headlines have been carrying information about people of the minority community being continuously attacked in Bangladesh. Due to this, affected people have come out on the streets and have taken responsibility for their safety in their own hands.

Horrific reports of violence are still coming. The apex body of Hindus in Bangladesh said that the minority Hindu community has faced attacks and threats at 278 places in 48 districts since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government on August 5. 

According to eyewitnesses and local media, rioters targeted Hindus, torching their homes and vandalizing temples. Nearly 300 people have been killed so far during the government crackdown in Muslim-majority Bangladesh. Their videos and photographs are extremely horrifying.

The crowd of rioters swelled the streets of Dhaka to such an extent that they did not even spare the rooms and courtyards of the Prime Minister's residence. The whole world saw what they did in the Prime Minister's residence. The crowd went out of the control of the army and police and the Prime Minister had to leave the country and take refuge in India.

The sole purpose of this violence was to kill Awami League supporters and also massacre Hindus. They aimed to spread a message among the public that Bangladesh has become completely unstable and the Jihadi ideology has resurfaced which Pakistan wanted. At present, Bangladesh has become directionless and is on the path of unrest.

THE CHEQUERED HISTORY OF BANGLADESH DEMOCRACY

This country, which separated from Pakistan based on the Bengali language, soon became fundamentalist. In 1975, soldiers killed her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and seven members of his family, including Mujibur's 10-year-old son Russel. Hasina escaped death as she was in Germany with her husband and Rehana at the time.

General Ziaur Rahman became president in 1977 and was assassinated in 1981. He was succeeded by Abdus Sattar, who was ousted in a coup in 1982. Army chief H M Ershad took power but was forced to resign in 1990 amid widespread unrest.

Sheikh Hasina returned to Bangladesh in 1986 and became Prime Minister through her father's party. Slowly, her life and politics came back on track, but in 2009, there was another upheaval. Sheikh Hasina had just been Prime Minister for a few days when Bangladesh's paramilitary force revolted. Within no time, terrible violence started all over Bangladesh. Many top army officials were killed.

Recently, the situation in Bangladesh deteriorated once again and the army deposed her. Sheikh Hasina saved her life and took refuge in India. Military intervention has been seen occasionally in the ups and downs of Bangladeshi democracy. But, this time the situation has worsened so much that demands for a separate country have started rising in many parts of the country.

THE DISEASE OF OPPRESSING MINORITY IS AN OLD ONE

The aim behind the attacks is to drive the minorities out of their homes, reducing the minority population of Bangladesh.

Religious extremists, especially supporters of Bangladesh's largest Islamic party Jamaat-e-Islami, are being blamed for the attacks on the Hindu community, as several of its leaders were given harsh punishments a few years ago for war crimes committed during the 1971 independence war against Pakistan.

Every story of the atrocities that happened with Hindus and supporters of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh is now coming to light. Of late, the chief prosecutor of the International Tribunal for Bangladesh was targeted by radicals.

Even if it is true that Hindus are being attacked because they traditionally supported his Awami League party, can this be justified? These attacks undermine their legitimate demand for human rights. Tensions between Muslims and Hindus in Bangladesh have been going on for a long time, due to which violent clashes have already taken place across the country in 2021.

HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN BANGLADESH

It is well known that Hindus in Bangladesh have faced large-scale violence. Their homes, temples, and businesses have been attacked and set on fire in several districts. The Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Oikya Parishad has documented numerous incidents that have left the community fearing for their safety.

Bangladesh is already facing challenges like adverse effects of climate change, poverty, illiteracy, and corruption. But, the issue of human rights violations has now crossed all limits. International human rights bodies have not yet mustered up the courage to speak out and respond to these widespread atrocities.

According to a report by Bangladeshi human rights organization Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) and Deutsche Welle, Hindus in Bangladesh have been targeted and there have been more than 3,600 attacks on them since 2013. However, according to the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC), the actual number of attacks is much higher than the above estimate.

A study report shows that in the last eight years, more than 550 homes and 440 shops and businesses have been targeted in attacks against Hindus. Apart from this, more than 1,670 incidents of vandalism and arson have taken place in Hindu temples, idols, and places of worship.

Hindus in Bangladesh now constitute less than nine percent of the total population. Government data shows that the Hindu population has declined significantly in the past four decades.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the overall framework of international human rights law enshrines the fact that human rights exist, and they form the core of many national constitutions. Yet the actual situation in the world is far from the ideals envisaged in the Declaration. This is a matter of concern in itself.

THE INTERIM GOVERNMENT ADMITTED HUMAN RIGHT VIOLATION

The majority of the people of Bangladesh have suddenly become anti-India whereas 10 years ago 70 percent of the population was with India. This was revealed by a PEW Research poll in 2014. Even the book Bangladesh and Global Studies has discussed India's contribution positively while referring to the 1971 war.

The interim government has admitted that the rioters and their leaders have violated human rights. But, it has neither expressed any confidence nor taken any credible steps to identify and punish them. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is still more of a dream than a reality.

This is communal and targeted violence. Restoring law and order should be one of the immediate challenges of the interim government. All minorities living in Bangladesh are filled with enthusiasm and hope for a better future. It’s a question that humanity has been seeking answers to for millennia.

Will a fairer, independent, less brutal, and democratic government be re-established in Bangladesh after this coup? Will the perpetrators of violence in Bangladesh be punished? Answers to these questions lie in the womb of the future. These international laws serve a preventive function but are inadequate to provide adequate human rights protection.

 

-------