Jamaat, Shibir, Hefajat a threat to democracy

United States Congressman Jim Banks has placed a resolution in the House of Representatives expressing concern over the threat posed on democracy and the democratic process by theocratic groups operating in Bangladesh.

The resolution placed on November 20 also called on the government of Bangladesh to stop radical organisations, such as Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Chhatra Shibir, and Hefazat-e-Islam.

The resolution submitted by Banks was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

The resolution called on the United States Agency for International Development and the US Department of State to halt all partnerships and funding arrangements with groups affiliated with Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Chhatra Shibir, and Hefazat-e-Islam.

It also called on the government of Bangladesh to heed the Election Commission's request of ensuring security for minorities and maintaining communal harmony for peaceful polls, scheduled for December 30.

The resolution mentioned that religious minorities were targeted by the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and Islami Chhatra Shibir, during previous elections, as a result of which 495 Hindu homes were damaged, 585 shops were attacked or looted, and 169 temples were vandalised between November 2013 and January 2014.

It also mentioned that Jamaat-e-Islami activists have been involved in recent attacks on religious minorities in Bangladesh.

Religious extremists have also attacked Buddhists, Christians, and Ahmadi Muslims and the extremist group Hefazat-e-Islam is organising a movement to fundamentally transform Bangladesh from a secular democracy into a totalitarian theocracy, it said.

It said Jamaat-e-Islami, Hefazat-e-Islam, and other theocratic extremist groups pose an immediate and ongoing threat to Bangladesh's stability and secular democracy, and religious minorities remain at grave risk of continuing violence.