The CDPHR has filed a formal complaint with the UNHRC highlighting severe human rights violations against religious minorities, particularly Hindus, in Bangladesh. These issues have worsened since the recent coup, signaling a need for urgent international intervention.
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NEW DELHI: The Centre for Democracy, Pluralism, and Human Rights (CDPHR) has taken a significant step by filing a formal complaint with the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). This complaint sheds light on the alarming human rights violations committed against religious minorities, particularly Hindus, in Bangladesh. The violations, which have intensified following the recent coup, underscore the urgent need for international intervention.
Human Rights Violations in Bangladesh
The complaint filed by CDPHR paints a grim picture of the systematic violence and persecution faced by religious minorities in Bangladesh under the interim government led by Chief Advisor Shri Mohammad Yunus. The report highlights a disturbing pattern of abuse, including forced conversions, gender-based violence, and widespread discrimination.
“Reported incidents reveal a troubling pattern of widespread and systematic violence against Hindus. Since August 5, 2024, there have been 205 reported cases of persecution against minorities, primarily targeting Hindus.”
– the complaint alleged.
This statement encapsulates the severity of the situation, emphasizing the scale and frequency of the attacks on minority communities.
Submission to the UNHRC
Advocates Shashwat Parihar and Niyati Sharma, representing the CDPHR, submitted the complaint to the President and Members of the UNHRC. The document outlines the widespread violence, discrimination, and forced conversions endured by religious minorities, with Hindus being the most affected. According to the complaint, these communities are living in an “atmosphere of extreme fear and anxiety,” where crimes such as abductions, sexual harassment, and desecration of religious sites have become distressingly common.
“Minorities in Bangladesh lack basic rights; their religious sites are desecrated, minor girls are abducted and forcibly converted to Islam, and Hindu girls face sexual harassment. Properties belonging to minorities are seized and encroached upon, with a rise in other crimes against them. There is no action against the perpetrators, and the justice system fails to protect minority rights.”
-the Complainant alleged.
Declining Population and Rising Violence
The complaint also highlights the alarming decline in the population of religious minorities in Bangladesh, which is largely attributed to persistent discrimination and organized crimes against them. The report provides detailed accounts of various incidents that underscore the gravity of the situation.
Incidents such as the vandalization and looting of Hindu-owned shops in Dinajpur, the burning of Hindu houses in Jessore, and the desecration of Hindu temples across various districts, including the ISKCON temple in Meherpur, are specifically mentioned in the complaint. These events illustrate the widespread nature of the attacks against the Hindu community.
The complaint also brings to light the extreme vulnerability of Hindu women, who face gender-based violence, forced conversions, and coerced marriages. The CDPHR’s report reveals tragic stories of “targeted abductions” of minor Hindu girls, who are often forcibly converted to Islam and married to their abductors, with little to no intervention from the authorities.
Discrimination Enshrined in Law
CDPHR further alleged-
“The constitution and laws of the People’s Republic are perceived as favoring Muslims, leading to discrimination against religious minorities, including Hindus, in various aspects of life. In Islam, converting a Hindu is seen as a significant achievement that brings blessings.”
This statement highlights the institutionalized nature of discrimination against religious minorities in Bangladesh, where the legal and social frameworks are biased in favor of the Muslim majority.
The complaint condemns the Bangladesh government for violating several international human rights treaties to which it is a signatory, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). The ongoing “oppression of non-Islamic people in Bangladesh” is a clear violation of these international agreements, according to the complaint.
Failure to Uphold International Obligations
“Concerns persist that perpetrators of torture often enjoy impunity due to insufficient investigations and prosecutions. Discrimination, abductions, torture, land grabbing, desecration of religious sites, forcible evictions, violations against minority women, and electoral violence pose a serious threat to the existence and rights of minorities in Bangladesh. This has led to significant migration of minorities to India and other locations. Despite Bangladesh’s ratification of major international human rights treaties, it fails to uphold these commitments in relation to minority rights.”
-the complaint alleged.
This allegation points to the Bangladesh government’s consistent failure to protect the rights of its religious minorities, despite being bound by international law. The complaint notes that the lack of accountability and the impunity enjoyed by perpetrators of these crimes have exacerbated the situation, leading to a significant exodus of minority communities from the country.
Call for Immediate Action by the UNHRC
In light of the ongoing atrocities, the CDPHR has urged the UNHRC to take immediate and decisive action. The complaint calls for the deployment of a fact-finding mission to Bangladesh to assess the ground situation and document the human rights violations. Additionally, it seeks compensation for the victims and sanctions against the Bangladesh government for failing to uphold its international obligations.
CDPHR pleaded with the UNHRC to “direct the Government of Bangladesh to take prudent measures to safeguard minority rights and impose sanctions for the failure of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh to control and eradicate the persecution of minorities.” This plea underscores the urgency of the situation and the need for international pressure on the Bangladesh government to address the ongoing human rights violations.
