Attacks on religious minorities rose in 2016
The frequency of violent and deadly attacks against religious minorities, secular bloggers, intellectuals, and foreigners by domestic and transnational extremist groups increased in Bangladesh in 2016, says a report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).
The USCIRF's 2017 Annual Report, released on April 25, has documented religious freedom violations in 37 countries, made country-specific recommendations and assessed the US government's implementation of the International Religious Freedom Act.
The report in its Bangladesh chapter said, “Although the government, led by the ruling Awami League, has taken steps to investigate, arrest, and prosecute perpetrators and increase protection for likely targets, the threats and violence have heightened the sense of fear among Bangladeshi citizens of all religious groups.”
It also said illegal land appropriations -- commonly referred to as land-grabbing -- and ownership disputes remain widespread, particularly against Hindus and Christians.
“Other concerns include issues related to property returns and the situation of Rohingya Muslims.”
The report said, “The January 2014 parliamentary election was neither free nor fair, and was followed by violence in 16 out of 64 districts. The worst attacks occurred in minority-dominated villages. Dozens of Hindu properties were looted or set ablaze, and hundreds of Hindus fled their homes. Christian and Buddhist communities also were targeted. Most attacks were attributed to individuals and groups associated with the BNP and the main Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami [Jamaat].”
“Beginning in late 2014, Bangladesh began to experience an increasing number of violent attacks by such groups, especially Jamaatul Mujahedin Bangladesh [JMB] and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria [ISIS].”
The USCIRF recommended that the US government should provide technical assistance and encourage the Bangladeshi government to further develop its national counterterrorism strategy.
It also recommended that the US government should urge Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and all government officials to frequently and publicly denounce religiously divisive language and acts of religiously motivated violence and harassment.
The US government should urge the Bangladeshi government to investigate claims of land-grabbing and to repeal its blasphemy law, and encourage the Bangladeshi government to continue to provide humanitarian assistance and a safe haven for Rohingya Muslims fleeing persecution in Burma, the report said.
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