A group of eminent Bangladeshi scientists, lawyers, businesspeople, cultural figures and other highly successful individuals in their chosen fields in Europe have signed a letter to High Representative Josep Borrell, to 14 other vice presidents and representative MEPs of The Left, Verts/ALE, Renew, S&D, PPE and ECR of the 9th European Parliament.
They are all outraged by a recent resolution on the human rights situation in Bangladesh, notably the case of Odhikar, says a press statement issued on Thursday.
They expressed concern regarding the resolution's statement urging the Bangladesh government to "immediately and unconditionally quash this sentence and reinstate the registration of Odhikar" which they think is a direct interference with the domestic legal affairs of a sovereign nation.
The rebuttal was prepared and signed by expatriate Bangladeshis, including renowned scientist from the UK Dr Mazharul Islam, journalist Sharaf Ahmed from Germany, senior citizen Sultan Shariff from the UK and French National Cultural Award winner mime artist Partha Pratim Majumder from France.
Other signatories include nuclear scientist from Austria Dr Shaheed Hossain, international artist Shohela Purvin Shova from France, internationally renowned lawyers Barrister Dr Ziauddin from Belgium and Barrister Fowjia Akhter Popy from the UK, prominent physicians Dr Golam Rahat Khan (Babu) from UK and Dr Farhad Ali Khan from Sweden, prominent corporate personality Iqbal Moni from the UK, as well as intellectuals and businesspeople from Belgium, the UK, the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Austria, Ireland, Italy, Spain and Sweden.
The “Odhikar case” concerns a report published by the Bangladeshi human rights organization Odhikar. The Odhikar report, dated June 10, 2013, claimed 61 deaths when Bangladeshi law enforcement agencies foiled violent vandalism by Hefazat-e-Islam demanding “regressive Islamic agendas” on May 5, 2013, the statement says.
However, reports from other sources contradicted Odhikar's reported death of 61 Hefazat activists. To mention a few, the 10th entry in the fatality list provided by Odhikar was empty, the signatories said.
The statement says: “The names of three people on Odhikar's list claimed to have been killed but were found alive later. It contained the names of five other people killed in Narayanganj and Chittagong.
“The list includes five names that counted twice. The first name on the list, Siddiqur Rahman, was a bus driver requisitioned by police. Hefazat-e-Islam activists killed Siddiqur Rahman. The 57th name, Kamal Uddin Khan, a General Insurance Company manager, died of cardiac arrest that night. The identities of nineteen people couldn't be ascertained.
“Odhikar's report appeased the radical Islamists and instigated their wrath against the secular forces. The 61 death toll became a basis for radical groups like Hefazat-e-Islam and Jamaat-e-Islam to launch a campaign against the incumbent Awami League government and the progressives fighting to ensure justice for War Crimes in the liberation war in 1971.”
They said the European Union (EU) has a commendable track record of championing human rights worldwide. Nevertheless, it is imperative to engage in a thoughtful examination to determine whether a resolution is the most efficacious means of addressing the prevailing concerns.
Hefazat-e-Islam's actions and their demands reflect their pursuit of a conservative Islamic agenda and their willingness to engage in mass mobilization to achieve their goals. The government's response highlights the challenges of maintaining stability in the face of such violent movements, the signatories added.
The Odhikar case in Bangladesh is centred on allegations of disseminating false information concerning the number of deaths during the 2013 Hefazat-e-Islam violent activities in Dhaka city. Their statement is rather a political than human rights report. It seems to defend Hefazat showing them as victims and progressive forces as villains, the personalities said.
Adilur Khan served as the deputy attorney general during the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-Jamaat-e-Islami-led Islamic coalition government between 2001-2006, the most violent government in Bangladesh’s history, which has a history of supporting Taliban-aligned terrorist group called Harqat-ul-Jihad, says the statement.
His past affiliation with radical Islamists clearly exposes his bias. The report is not only biased favouring militant Islamists, but also full of non-substantiative claims and innuendoes, it adds.
“The EU Parliament can advocate for transparent and fair legal proceedings that uphold principles of justice and human rights. It must emphasize the importance of respecting the rule of law in Bangladesh and maintaining the nation's legal framework and decisions. There must be a balance between respecting a nation's sovereignty and advocating for human rights and justice, offering a nuanced understanding of the situation.”
In this regard, they requested the European Parliament to re-evaluate the resolution.
