Germany’s ambassador to Bangladesh, Dr Albrecht Conze, has expressed his country’s concern at the upsurge of conservative religious protests following the Hefazet-e-Islam“Dhaka siege” on May 6.
The ambassador said the demands of Hefazat-e-Islam, as supported by the main opposition party, run contrary to international treaties signed by Bangladesh.
“My country is concerned by religion-based fundamentalism wherever it occurs in the world,” Conze told the Dhaka Tribunein an exclusive interview on Tuesday.
He said that the country should value its secular tradition “as enshrined in the constitution from the start.” He said: “Isn’t this something to be cherished, something worth defending against those who are advocating irrationalism and intolerance?”
Responding to BNP’s support for Hefazat’s demands, the ambassador said: “Bangladesh has taken a number of international engagements regarding the respect of human rights and the commitment to equality between men and women before the law.”
“I would hope that whoever governs next in this country would not find it tempting to question those long-standing and well-founded international engagements.”
BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said last month: “We extend full moral support to [Hefazat’s] valid demands.”
In November 1984 Bangladesh signed the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
Since its formation in 2010, Hefazat has consistently held rallies against women-centred government policies. The Hefazat movement was born in reaction to a 2009 draft policy would give men and women legal equality in inheritance.
Among its other demands is a ban on candlelight vigils, a ban on men and women mingling “freely” in public and a ban on “alien cultures.”
It also demanded theintroduction of ablasphemy law after accusing a number of bloggers linked with the Shahbagh movement of insulting the Prophet and Islam. Two bloggers were stabbed on this ground, one fatally, while the government has jailed several more.
Conze also expressed concern at the erosion of free speech following the arrest of the bloggers, whom Hefazet and their Islamist allies have accused of committing blasphemy. “Freedom of speech and freedom of expression are among the universally accepted fundamental rights.”
“The beginning of a political dialogue between the major parties would send a signal of relief not only to this country’s citizens, but also to foreign investors who are currently putting on hold major projects that could benefit the people of Bangladesh.”
Hefazat’s sit-in demonstrationon May 6 ended with the protesters being forced off the venue by law enforcers in the early hours of the next day. There have been no reliable claims about the number of deaths in the action but the Dhaka Tribune could roughly confirm around 20 deaths.
The police action followed a number of violent clashes between law enforcers and protesters through the day, including vandalism and arson of various financial institutions and establishments in the key commercial hub. There are also reports of looting at the BaitulMukarram Mosque market. The Banking and Financial Institutions Division estimates the damage to state-run financial bodies in the area to be around Tk234m.