Rights group raises alarm over wave of extremist attacks across Bangladesh

Paris: A leading international human rights organisation on Friday condemned the recent series of “horrific extremist” violent incidents that occurred across Bangladesh.

In its statement, Justice Makers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) stated that coordinated attacks at multiple locations on Thursday nights demonstrated that Bangladesh has plunged into a state of extreme insecurity and has gravely failed to fulfill its fundamental responsibilities.

These attacks targeted the offices of the country’s leading newspapers, Prothom Alo and The Daily Star; the national cultural institution Chhayanaut; members of minority communities; the remaining structures of the Bangabandhu Museum—an important symbol of the nation’s history; and the office of the Indian Assistant High Commission in Chattogram.

The unrest broke out following the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, spokesperson of the radical group Inqilab Mancha.

According to the JMBF, the planned vandalism, arson, and looting of the offices of The Daily Prothom Alo and The Daily Star at Karwan Bazar in Dhaka were not merely attacks on two media outlets but constituted a direct assault on freedom of expression, the pursuit of truth, and independent journalism.

“The endangerment of journalists’ lives and the attempt to rescue them using cranes operated by the Fire Service, instead of deploying helicopters, exposed a stark and disturbing picture of state negligence. The harassment of the President of the Editors’ Council, a senior journalist, during the incident further proves that extremist forces are now emboldened to openly suppress democratic voices,” the rights body stated.

“On the same night, the attack and stone-throwing at the Indian Assistant High Commission in Chattogram not only reflected a severely deteriorated law-and-order situation but also raised serious questions about the government’s irresponsibility and its disregard for international diplomatic norms. An attack on a foreign diplomatic mission has gravely damaged Bangladesh’s international image, for which the current government bears full responsibility,” it added.

The JMBF asserted that the attack on the Chhayanaut building in Dhanmondi was a direct strike by extremist forces against Bangladeshi culture and free thought.

Furthermore, it said, the vandalism and arson at the historic residence of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, as well as the remaining structures of the Bangabandhu Museum at Dhanmondi 32, constitute an attack on the spirit of the Liberation War, the Constitution, and national history itself.

The JMBF also described the brutal lynching of an innocent Hindu youth, Dipu Chandra Das, in Mymensingh district on allegations of blasphemy–followed by the burning of his body– as the most “heartbreaking and reprehensible” incident.

“This barbaric act is a stark testament to the extreme deterioration of human rights in Bangladesh and clearly shows that the security of minority communities has completely collapsed,” it stated

The JMBF demanded immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of all extremist attackers, their patrons, and organisers involved in these incidents. It called on the Bangladeshi authorities for urgent and effective measures ensuring the safety of media outlets, cultural institutions, and minority communities in Bangladesh

IANS