UN Report on Bangladesh Human Rights Violations by Hasina Government Raises Many Questions

By New Age Islam Staff Writer 17 February 2025 Main Points 1. UN accuses Hasina government of crimes against humanity. 2.114 report of the UN says 1400 people were killed by security forces, police and DGFI in last year's uprising. 3. Jamat Islami leader claimed he was involved in the preparation of the report since beginning. 4. Slaughter of Awami League leaders and workers did not find mention in the report. 5 The report also indicts Yunus government for attacks on minorities as a punishment for being League sympathisers. … The political situation of Bangladesh is fast turning into a global issue. The recent visit of India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the USA and his meeting with the US President Donald Trump coupled with the UN report on human rights violations in Bangladesh by the ousted Prime Minister Shaikh Hasina accusing her of crimes against humanity accorded the issue a global importance. The report of the fact finding team of the UN says that '1400 protesters including children, onlookers and bystanders were shot dead by security forces, police and other government organisations. However, a Facebook post of a student leader of Islami Chhatra Shibir (student wing of Jamat Islami Bangladesh) has put a question mark on the credibility of the UN report. Md Abu Sadik alias Kayem, a Jamat leader claimed in his face book post that he had the opportunity to be involved in the preparation of the report since the beginning. He also claimed that all the other stake holders (opposition parties) also had their say in the report. This has given rise to the speculation that the UN's human rights commission was greatly influenced by the Jamat Islami Bangladesh and other opposition parties. The fact finding team of the UN High Commission for Human Rights had visited Bangladesh at the request of Yunus government in September 2024. The team had interviewed 230 victims, witnesses, students and other political leaders. The report said, "Testimony from senior Bangladesh officials and other evidence showed an official policy to attack and violently repress anti-government protesters and sympathisers." The report further states that 'The intelligence services, DGFI, NSI (National Security Intelligence) and National Telecommunications Monitoring System and the specialised branches of the police ----Detective Branch, special branch and Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit (CTTC) engaged directly in perpetrating human rights violations to abet the violent suppression of protests." However, the report has also indicted Yunus government for attacks on and killings of minorities and the workers of the Awami League after the ouster of Shaikh Hasina as a form of revenge. The report says: "There are troubling instances of retaliatory killings and other serious revenge violence targeting Awami League officials and supporters, Hindu, Ahmadiya Muslims and indigenous people from the Chittagong Hill Tracts." An eminent journalist and lawyer of Bangladesh, Nijhoom Majumdar has questioned the credibility of the UN report. He said that the claim by Abu Sadik, a Jamat student leader has exposed the Yunus government's plans to eliminate Awami League from Bangladesh. The Facebook post of Abu Sadik mentions all 'stakeholders' involvement' in the preparation of the report. It means that all the opponents of Shaikh Hasina gave their one sided account of the violence. We have pictures of Abu Sadik participating in the violence. In many instances the weapons and bullets used in the shooting are not used by the police. Moreover, he said that he possessed more than fifty pictures of the students and other protesting groups taking part in attacks and killings. Hundreds of Awami League leaders and workers were attacked and killed by the protesters, he said. On February 6, Shaikh Mujib’s house was demolished by the anti -Awami League mob after Shaikh Hasina announced she would address party workers and the nation live on Facebook. Awami League had announced a ten day protest programme and a nationwide strike from 6th February to 18th February. This created a sense of insecurity in the Pakistan lobby active in Bangladesh. Therefore, the Yunus government under the pressure of the ISI and the Pakistan army, launched Operation Devil Hunt on 8th February and arrested more than 1300 Awami League workers, sympathisers and freedom fighters called mukti joddha. All the remaining signs of Shaikh Mujib and the war of independence were destroyed. Interestingly, the BNP, an ally of the Jamat has demanded early general elections to end the political instability in the country, but Jamat Islami only wants local body elections, not general elections. It says that Yunus government should be given more time to bring about political reforms. The motive behind Jamat's stance is that it wants to punish Shaikh Hasina for the War Crimes Tribunal and the execution of its prominent leaders involved in the 1971 massacre of Bengalis in connivance with the Pakistan army. The Jamat has been baying for Shaikh Hasina's blood since then. More than 150 cases have been registered against Shaikh Hasina and the Jamat has been pressuring Yunus government to get Hasina extradited to Bangladesh. India has not responded to Bangladesh's request for her extradition. Instead, Trump has left the decisions on Bangladesh affairs to Modi. The Jamat believes that the instability and the culture of violence in Bangladesh is more conducive to the fulfilment of its political agenda of revenge than a democratic government particularly of BNP. If the Yunus government lasts and Shaikh Hasina could be extradited, then it would be easy for the Jamat to get Hasina and other Awami League leaders hanged for which the UN report accusing her of crimes against humanity will serve as proof and justification. However, it seems that an unconstitutional government led by Mohammad Yunus is finding it increasingly difficult to fulfil the aspirations of the people and the change of government in the US has made things even more difficult for him. In this political scenario, it would be in India's interests to support Shaikh Hasina and take steps to reinstate an Awami League government sans Hasina in Bangladesh. The BNP and the common masses are already demanding general elections. Therefore, India with the support of the US can push the agenda of general elections in Bangladesh. Pakistan will never allow democracy to be restored in Bangladesh. It will only fund and promote violence, political instability and anarchy in Bangladesh to fulfil its own objectives. … URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-politics/un-report-bangladesh-human-rights-violations-hasina-government-jamat-e-islami/d/134638 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism